Ch. 4

Zechs Merquis laced up his boots and fixed the collar of his jacket. He had received his marching orders from headquarters. Apparently there had been some sort of uprising in Candy Land and his superiors wanted him to look into it. He hated following anything they told him to do, but it was necessary. He had worked too long and too hard toward his goal. He could follow orders at least one more time.

It had been quite the task to rise up through the ranks as quickly as he had. Hiding his hatred for Romafeller had taken some work but doing so had paid off in the long run. He was second in command of his regiment and had total command of his own unit. He had the Rank of Colonel, though he felt more like a lieutenant at times. His commanding officer, Treize Khushrenada had taken him under his wing during his training years.

The two had fought side by side on countless occasions with the slightly older soldier giving him pointers that (along with his own natural skill) helped him advance. They were more than comrades; brothers in arms. They were friends; it was that friendship that made his current path harder than it would have been.

He grabbed his saber and strapped it to his side. This trip was going to be a little different for him. He had heard rumors that there had been a specific girl at the heart of the rebellion; one with the power to reverse the magic of the crystals. If this were so, then it could possibly be that his search was coming to an end…

The door to his room flew open, waking him from his sleep. There was yelling, screaming, someone came to his bedside. The smell of smoke: burning wood and… gunpowder? Reached his senses. He knew those smells from when he would spend time with the troops in the barracks… but why was he smelling them now?

"Milliard, we have to go." He rubbed his sleepy eyes and stared at the face of his mother. Her honey-colored hair had been thrown roughly into some sort of bun, her eyes red and wide and full of concern.

"Mother…?" He pulled off the covers, the cold night air causing him to shiver as his bare feet hit the floor. "What's wrong?" His father stepped forward, the sleeping form of his little sister clutched tightly in his arms.

"The castle is under attack, son. We have to get you and your sister out of here." His father answered. He looked tired, his usually pristine clothes and hair disheveled and unkempt. "Get dressed." His father ordered, handing his sister off to his mother and keeping watch at the door. The young prince got out of bed, changed out of his night clothes and put on his shoes as they rushed him out of the room.

"Quickly, Milliard." his mother urged. The sounds were getting louder. Gunfire. More screaming. And then the flames. He could see the light of the fires raging outside of the windows. They made their way down the hall to the secret passage at the end. His father shoved them through.

"Father?"

"I have to stay, my son. Perhaps if I give myself over they will spare the rest of you."

"Darling, no!" his mother cried and reached for his father.

"It has to be this way." His father leaned in, kissed his mother and then the top of his little sister's head. "Milliard. Be brave, my son."

"Father? Father!" The door closed behind them, leaving his father behind...

After that, everything happened so fast. Somehow he and his mother and sister had been separated… How his mother perished, he still did not know. He had hoped his sister had survived but hadn't known how to go about locating her. He decided the best place to hide was in plain sight and so, to achieve his goal, he had to become that which he hated most. He donned a mask claiming a facial deformity and joined the ranks of his enemy. He knew that with their resources it would be far easier to locate where his sister had been taken and reunite with her when the time was right.

He wasn't sure if Treize knew of his duplicitous reasons, but it made little difference. He had vowed that when he found his sister, the mask would come off and his friendship with the man and all ties to the RATs would be severed forever.

"Colonel Zechs," He turned to see his second in command behind him. The tall, dark haired woman had been indispensable to him from the moment they first met. In all his time planning his revenge, Lieutenant Lurcetzia Noin was the one complication he hadn't foreseen. Over the course of his time with the RATs, the young woman had become rather attached to him, and he-albeit initially unwillingly-had done the same with her…

The dark haired woman fell to the ground in a small cloud of dust. Zechs stared down at his fallen opponent with disappointment.

"You're not supposed to let me win, Noin."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Zechs."

"And yet, even now you patronize me." he helped her to her feet and she shook her head.

"Even if I had taken the fall on purpose, you are still the far better soldier in every way." He put away his fencing sword.

"You do me no favors by pretending."

"You don't understand," She stated, walking up behind him. "I will do whatever I must; fall as many times as I have to to ensure that you succeed."

"But, Noin-"

"Because I know that someday, you will need me by your side. And I want everyone who sees me there to know why."

"Noin…"

He still wasn't quite sure what she had meant by the counter-intuitive behavior. It would be difficult to leave her behind, but he had always known what he had to do.

"Report, Lieutenant."

"The troops are ready to head out as soon as you give the order."

"Very well." He made his way to the door when she stopped him.

"Zechs, are you sure this is something you want to do?" Noin had figured out long ago who he was but had sworn to keep his secret. She knew where his loyalties truly were but stayed by him anyway. He would never understand it.

"I've already made up my mind, Noin." She looked down. He could tell his words hurt her, but he couldn't let that get in the way.

"Just promise me, when it's time, you'll come see me first?" Zechs locked eyes with her for a moment. He could see the pain and hope written clearly in their depths. Why couldn't he take her with him? Surely leaving her behind, given her obvious loyalty to him could prove a greater risk than taking her with him? Could he, in good conscience, leave her to such a fate? The image of what they might do to her…

The RAT's soldier withdrew his blade, fresh with her blood… Her life left her eyes as his name left her lips…

He felt his heart constrict and closed his eyes to try and blink that vision away. He couldn't leave her.

"I won't need to." She raised her eyes to his, wide with shock.

"What?"

"When the time comes, Noin, I will need someone I trust to watch my back. There is no one I can depend on more." Her eyes shone with joy.

"Then, you're saying… you want me by your side?" He nodded to her before walking to her and grasping her shoulders.

"If you wish to remain so."

"Zechs… I will never leave your side." He smiled. The hope… the devotion in her eyes… it was so real… He wanted to show her what that meant to him, but not now. It wasn't the time.

He had to stay focused. As loyal of a man as he was, he had to follow what he knew to be right. His sister would need him in the weeks to come. It did give him some comfort to know he would not be alone… He released his hold on her shoulders and they left his tent. As they approached their horses, the men stood ready; many of them good, loyal soldiers just following orders. Some of them served to protect their families from the wrath of Romefeller; some because they believed in the cause. It was nearly impossible to tell who was truly loyal to the regime and who served because they had no choice. For him, it mattered little. When he found his sister, he would join her cause and restore the home that was stolen from them so long ago.

"Troops, mount up!" The soldiers did as they were told. Noin took up her spot in formation beside him. He turned his eyes toward the direction of Candy Land, hoping for the best even if his heart wasn't fully in it. "Move out!"

Heero had followed behind the group as they left the village in an effort to cover their tracks and hide any obvious traces of their departure. Relena headed up the front with Duo who had volunteered to lead the way. Duo was a talkative one.

"So, tell me, Princess," Duo began as they walked along. "just how much do you already know about what's going on here?" Her Godfather had, of course, told her stories, but how much of it was real? Accurate?

"Godfather told me the story of this place when I was younger. About the Rat King overthrowing the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess being entrusted to the closest friends of the crown…" She would leave out the part about the Nutcracker being her hero. "And that Heero, You and Wufei, along with two others? Were tasked with protecting and restoring the heirs to the throne… And each one of you is a representative from one of the five lands of the kingdom: Candy Land, Toy Land, Amusement Land, Christmas Land, and… Tinsel Land?"

"Close enough, I guess. Sheesh. The old man really isn't original when thinking up alternate names." Duo rubbed his forehead.

"Alternate names?"

"Yeah. We're all from one of the five lands but those aren't really their names. Those are code names for where we came from." code names? Relena felt her head begin to hurt.

"And callin' Dermail the RAT King was clever. I guess, but he ain't a king."

"Dermail" Relena's breath caught in her throat. "Duke Dermail?"

"Wha-? Yeah. You know him?" Relena nodded.

"Sort of." She took a deep breath. Her family's murderer had been right in front of her! Smiling at her! She suddenly felt like she would be sick. "He and his granddaughter came to my home during the Christmas party…"

"That son of a-"

"Duo." Heero stopped him with a reproachful look. Duo looked like he wanted to spit.

"Sorry, Princess. It's just… he has some real nerve!" Relena agreed.

"Stay focused, Maxwell." Wufei interrupted. "She must learn what she is dealing with, but since you cannot seem to stay on track. I will explain." Relena nearly rolled her eyes. Try as she might, she doubted the porcelain doll would be as pleasant of company as the cookie man. "Romefeller was their name when they took power. They changed the name to the acronym RATs for Romefeller Ascending to Theantricity."

"Yeah, kinda pretentious, huh?" Duo interrupted. "I guess it means they're becoming gods or something." He shrugged and continued.

"I'm surprised you know the meaning of such big words, Maxwell."

"Can it, Fei!" Duo snapped. "I was talkin' to the Princess." Duo flashed her a smile.

"As was I. You rudely interrupted." Duo made a face at the doll and Relena could not help but fight back a small laugh.

"As I was saying, their leader, the Duke, had used a position of wanting to free the nation and make everyone equal. He overthrew the ruling family."

"But surely the Sugarplum Fairy fought back?" Relena knew she was the heir to those legendary powers, but who the woman had been and what exactly such a responsibility meant she still had no idea.

"She did, but somehow, Dermail got into the castle like the rat he is and took her by surprise. Stole the source of all magic in the land leaving her with just her own abilities."

"That's not exactly how it happened, Maxwell." Wufei corrected.

"Like you would know? You were just a kid."

"So were you."

"The story we're told is the Sugarplum Fairy was killed in a fight with Dermail that day." Heero's sudden addition struck her. In all the years of her Godfather telling her the story, he never did mention what happened to the Sugarplum Fairy. As if sensing her distress, Heero looked at her, a softness in his eyes. "But some say she actually survived. And she's waiting. For you."

"Nice one, soldier boy." Duo jabbed.

"The last thing we need is for this woman to start crying." She really didn't like him.

"I'm sure she's still alive, Princess. Don't even worry about it." Duo tried his best to comfort her, and it nearly worked. Her eyes met those of Heero. The blue orbs shone with concern. For her. She felt a warmth flow through her.

"One way or another, Dermail stole a source of power and is using it to rule with an iron fist."

"And that's how Heero is a Nutcracker, 'Fei a doll and how my handsome face has been reduced to that of a baked confection!"

"Where are the others now?" Relena asked, hoping for good news.

"Last I heard, they were holed up somewhere in their own lands leading the rebellion like I was. Heero told us to continue on until he found you. And as you can see, we have and he did!" Relena nodded, taking all of it in. Heero and the others had been transformed using the crystals… that explained a lot.

"And the rodent soldiers; are they really rats and mice?"

"Nope." Duo shook his head. "All the rodents you see were human once. It's easy to ensure obedience and loyalty when the one that changed you is the only one that can turn you back."

"That's awful!"

"Don't waste your pity on them. They made their choice when they joined up. I like to think of it as a form of justice." Duo did not even try to hide his disgust.

"But still, it isn't right."

"Wasn't right for them to murder your folks and force you into exile or to burn our towns and separate families." His tone made her wince. He must have realized how his comment affected her because he smiled softly at her.

"Trust me. Those cruel bastards deserve it. They attack the innocent to get to their real targets. Like me." He clenched his mitten fists. It was so strange to see the usually jovial cookie angry... "I was about to step out and stop them when you made your little show. Brilliant job, by the way." His smile returned and he winked at her. Relena felt her cheeks heat.

"How did you do it? Did you summon the arcane powers?" Relena paused and looked down at her hands.

"I... don't know…" She had used the power but it had been completely on accident. She had no idea how she did it and even less of an idea if she could do it again. "But maybe, if I was able to restore that mother and her child then... I can change you back too?" Duo's smile widened.

"Really? You'd try that for me?" Relena nodded.

"I can't make any promises. I don't even know how I did it before, but it would be worth a try."

"That's all I could ask!"

Unsure how to proceed, she stood in front of him and placed one hand on his head and the other on his chest. She could feel the eyes of the every villager on her now as well as those of Heero. She could feel him studying her but tried not to focus on that.

'Come on, Relena. You can do this.'

She closed her eyes and tried to think about what had happened before. What had she done to trigger the transformations? How had she called on the power? Before, she had felt warmth spread through her, but now, nothing seemed to change. After a moment or two, she took her hands down and bowed her head.

"I'm so sorry… I can't."

"You… can't?" She shook her head. She couldn't look at him; any of them. She felt so useless and ashamed. Suddenly, she heard Duo give a light-hearted sigh. "Well, no problem! You just haven't figured out how they work yet! You'll get the hang of it! But when you do, I'm first on your list, okay?!" Duo lifted her chin and his smile, for some reason was enough to lift her spirits. She nodded and felt Heero come up beside her. Just his being close seemed to calm her.

"Come on. We have to keep moving. The RATs are already on our trail." Heero's tone was gentle and full of more understanding than she would have expected.

"What is the plan exactly, fearless leader?" Duo asked Heero which earned him a glare.

"We need to find the other two and go to the palace of the Sugarplum Fairy. There might be something there to help Relena learn more about who she is and what she is truly capable of." Though he spoke to Duo, his eyes met hers. She saw something there in those dark-blue depths: reassurance and perhaps a bit of… faith? She curved her lips to offer him a sad smile.

"Then let's go. We have to keep these people safe." Relena stated and took the next step forward on the path to her destiny.

Zechs and his soldiers made it to the village around sundown but there was no sign of any of its inhabitants. Zechs pulled his horse up to the square where the cages of the defeated regiment waited. All of the apprehended soldiers cried out to be set free but Zechs knew better. The punishment for failure in the RATs army was being forced to live in your own disgrace.

"Sir, there is no sign of rebels." Zechs turned to address his men.

"Spread out and search for a trail. A group that large would have left some sign of their departure and intended direction." Zechs also got off his horse and made his way around the village. Deciding to give the imprisoned soldiers a chance for redemption, he released their leader and brought him before him.

"Tell me what happened here." The regiment's captain bowed and looked up at him.

"There was a rebellion." He started. "We had everything under control until this girl…"

"Girl? Some villager?"

"I don't know. She just. She rallied the people to fight! Then she and her accomplices freed the civilians. We were lucky to escape with our lives."

Zechs nodded, though he hadn't been told any new information.

"And then, the girl did something impossible! I had turned this woman and her baby to stone, and just as easily, this girl walked up to them and broke the spell! I have never seen anything like it!"

Zechs's eyes narrowed. 'Could it be?'

"Tell me, what did this girl look like?"

"She was about this tall," He indicated the height with his hand. "And she had long, hair, honey blonde and eyes as blue as the sky." Zechs fought down the flash of his baby sister's face in his mind. The similarity had to be more than mere coincidence.

"And did you see which way they were headed?"

"It was difficult to tell from the cages, but I'd say they headed west toward Toyland, sir."

"I see." Toyland was governed by the Winners, but the heir to the Winner family had gone missing a year or so ago. If they were trying to find shelter, it would be difficult to do so there.

"You say there were accomplices with her?"

"Yes sir. One was a gingerbread man with a licorice braid and the other was a nutcracker soldier. Then there was a porcelain doll."

"Thank you for the information, Captain." He turned from the rat to walk to his horse.

"And what of me, sir? Have I been useful?" Zechs mounted his horse and glanced over his shoulder.

"You have, but your incompetence led to the defeat of your regiment. You will wait here with the rest of them until such time as the capital sends someone to deal with you." Zechs ignored his pleas that followed. He hated being so cruel, but it was expected of his position. He could not falter now, not when he was so close to finding her. He needed to break away; leave the army behind. He couldn't risk leading them to his sister.

"Otto." A tall man with dark hair rode to his side.

"Yes, sir?" Otto saluted.

"Lieutenant Noin and I will ride ahead and try to locate the perpetrators. After this show of incompetence I dare not leave it to anyone else."

"Understood, Colonel." Otto gave him a look. There was a sense of knowing in the other man's eyes. Zechs wondered, briefly, if Otto had figured everything out… if he knew, then the soldier could be a liability…

As if sensing his insecurity, Otto's eyes glinted with trust.

"You can count on me, sir! You do what you need to. I'll await your victorious return!" Otto saluted him.

"Otto." Zechs paused. Cleared his throat and schooled his expression. "See that you do."

"Sir!"

"Let's go, Noin." He spurred his horse forward, Noin close behind.

Toyland was not at all what Relena had expected it would be. It was clear that once the walls of the great city had been as colorful and warm as a giant welcome sign, but now, it looked faded. The dingy grays and greens of moss and age had been allowed to overtake the whimsical designs and patterns that had once been so vibrant. As they entered the city, she found it to be just as drab. Houses that most likely were once full of life seemed to be lost in a haze of misery and malcontent. The people went about their way with sour faces and a collective dour demeanor that made her own heart sink with grief.

"Welcome to Toyland, Princess." Duo stated, though his heart wasn't in it.

"This is terrible." Relena looked around and felt a chill. "These poor people."

"Toyland used to be one of the happiest cities in all of Etherea. The Winner family worked day and night to ensure that enough toys were made to provide joy to the entire world."

"When the RATs invaded," Heero continued, "This was one of their first targets."

"They killed the mayor, and the city fell into ruin." Duo added. "Quatre, the mayor's son and heir to the Winner Toy Company, disappeared about a year ago."

"He disappeared? Did the RATs do something to him?" Relena asked. Heero did not look at her.

"Well, yes and no. The resistance found him, but not before he had been cursed like the rest of us."

"I see… so he's been cursed too."

"Yep." Duo looked ready to hit something. "Quatre's sisters run the city and have a secret place where their brother and other refugees can hide."

Suddenly, Heero stopped them, hand raised. Though the people behind them seemed to not understand his warning, she and their two companions knew what he meant. There was someone nearby.

She looked at him, an unspoken question on her lips she never got to voice. A figure she did not recognize vaulted down in front of them, landing gracefully in a bow. Upon closer inspection it was a cloth, harlequin doll: face white with the characteristic red and black markings. One emerald eye was visible under the long chestnut bangs that covered one side of his porcelain face. A mask with a diamond green eye and red smile covered the other half. Atop his head was a pointed hat with a fuzzy yarn pom at the tip that matched the ones going down the front of his green and yellow jumper.

"Greetings, Princess." The doll began. His voice was soft and reassuring.

"Barton." Heero acknowledged. Trowa nodded in response.

"Hey! T-Man! Looks like you got a magical makeover too?" The clown nodded in response.

"I have come to escort you safely to the bunker. Quatre is waiting there with vital information that will help restore the Princess to her throne."

"Then let's go. We've wasted enough time." Wufei growled indignantly. Trowa shook his head.

"Follow me."

Trowa led them down the road a few more miles until they reached a side path that veered off into the trees. They continued a while longer before stopping in front of a wall.

"You brought us to a dead end?" Duo complained.

Trowa shook his head and walked up to the wall. He pulled a vine and Relena could hear the winding, whirring, and clicking of what seemed like a clockwork mechanism and the door flipped up, opening to a secret cove. Trowa led the way as Heero ushered everyone in. Relena waited for Heero who refused to move inside until everyone was safely in. Trowa closed the entry with a flick of a switch and the sound of the rock scraping the ground echoed like thunder. Heero locked eyes with her, as if making sure she was okay. She nodded to him and he motioned for her to follow him as they made their way down a long hallway.

As they walked, the torches came to life as if by magic, but Relena could tell there was a sort of timing or trigger mechanism that caused them to do so. In a land of toy makers, it was not surprising that feats of engineering like this existed. They followed the harlequin into a clearing where tents and tables were set up in an organized fashion. At the front of it all stood a large teddy bear wearing a lavender dress shirt and navy blue vest. He had pale blue-green eyes and a mop of light-yellow fur between his ears.

"Greetings, Princess Relena." The bear said and gave his best bow. "I am Quatre Raberba Winner. It's a pleasure to meet you."