-1Intermission: Sanq

Warnings: See last Chapter!

Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

Relena watched, filled with envy, as Duo and Heero trained furiously. Those two were made for each other, and Relena knew it as it was written into the tapestries of time. Walking over to Duo's bag, she tried to calm herself. She'd had no idea that she would fall for Heero on first sight, not when he was destined to be with another. While she would love to have him, she wasn't selfish enough to take him away from Duo.

Sorting through his clothes, she momentarily paused at the sight of a violin. Her sharp nose detected that it wasn't Duo's, and Relena wondered if it belonged to the other rider, the blonde boy who had been traveling with him.

Shifting past the beautiful instrument, she drew a book from the worn bag. It was stained with blood, and Relena felt tears fill the corners of her eyes as she wondered how many people had died in order to protect this piece of history.

The title read "Dragon Riders," but Relena knew better. The book was actually the complete history of their land, as seen by everyone. Their knowledge was absorbed into the text, filling the blanks and making it the most reliable source ever known.

The title was a sign. Every generation, as the book was handed from person to person, a new title appeared, naming the book's true owners.

The book was once held in her old kingdom, Sanq, but after it fell, the text was hidden, transferred from church to church, kept safe from those who would use its knowledge for evil.

Flipping the book open, she stopped at a picture of a golden castle overlooking the mighty ocean, tranquil in the afternoon sun. Fishers lined the docks, broad smiles on their faces as they hauled back their heavy load, and farmers harvested their crops, plump and merry. After all, everyone in Sanq was happy.

One of Relena's tears hit the bright picture, and she wiped her eyes, attempting to hold back the sniffles. She missed her home. Looking to an outcropping of rocks overlooking the sea, Relena focused in on a stream of blonde hair. Milliardo Peacecraft, true air to the throne, was slouching, looking out into the endless sea.

300 hundred years before Quatre found Iria and Duo, when the sun shined down upon a world filled with peace and harmony; that is where our story begins.

Milliardo was bored. Father never let him do anything, and his teachers were always following him everywhere, lecturing him on the virtues of finding a wife and carrying on the Peacecraft name. He was only eleven years old for heaven's sake! As far as he was concerned, girls still had cooties!

His long blonde hair swept around his upper arms. His teachers called it girlish and undignified. His mother had loved it, when she had been alive at least. He would never cut it!

Swinging his legs over the outcropping, Milliardo wondered how long it would take his boring teachers to find him and drag him back to those dreadful lessons. "Millyyy!"

Milliardo turned, a rare smile on his normally frowning face. "Relena…" The three-year-old girl leapt into his arms, her chubby fingers wrapping around his neck and tangling in his hair. The girl was adorably sweet, with short blonde hair and big blue eyes. Like his, they were slit, but unlike Milliardo, Relena was more werecat than elf, instead of preferring to stay humanoid like him. Her gray cat ears formed little fuzzy triangles on the top of her head, and an equally gray tail wrapped around her waist.

"Ms. Relena! Please, where did you go?" Milliardo could hear Noin, Relena's nanny, shouting for her in the distance. Milliardo smiled lightly, thinking of the kind, but strong willed girl. Try as she might, she was no werecat, and she would never be able to smell their scents through the thick brush that separated the mainland from Milliardo's outcropping.

"Daddy's looking' for ya, Milly! He says its impotent!" Milliardo gagged at his sisters mispronunciation, blushing slightly.

"That's important, Relena, with an R." He set her down as he instructed her. She looked back with those puppy eyes, a sweet smile on her face.

"That's what I said, impotent!" Milliardo frowned, figuring there was no need to correct her if she just couldn't say the word. He took his sister's hand, frowning at the thought of his father. Right now, he really didn't want to see the man. He had probably figured out that Milliardo was sneaking out and taking martial arts and fencing lessons every night. If that was the case, Milliardo didn't want to go see him.

"Why ya frowning Milly!" Milliardo shook his head, giving his sister a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Relena, it's nothing!"

Relena smiled and nodded.

"I hope it's nothing impotent!"

Milliardo sighed; this hadn't been a good day.

The two siblings wound their way through the complicated maze that made up their large castle, making their way to the throne room where their father waited. Finally, they made it there, and both siblings looked up at Lord Peacecraft.

"Ms. Relena!" Noin, her hands on her thighs, heaving and sweaty, rushed into the room. "Don't run off like that! Do you want to get me fired?"

Relena lowered her gaze, playing with her clawed fingers guiltily. "No, Ms. Noin."

King Peacecraft cleared his throat, and turned to Noin. "Lucrezia, Relena, you may be excused."

Noin pulled a quick curtsy, almost impossible in her tight leggings, and pulled Relena out of the room.

Milliardo bowed respectfully, the ends of his hair brushing the marble floor. "Father."

Suddenly, there was a large thump, and the floor shook violently. Only Milliardo's martial arts training kept him from falling to the ground. He turned, startled, only to come face to eye with a huge monster!

"Ahhh!" Milliardo screamed, falling backwards, a hand pointing at the creature. "What is that?"

The creature snorted, amused, and flames burst into the air for a split second. Milliardo, a pyromaniac at heart watched the flickering warmth disappear sadly.

"That, my young lord, is a dragon."

A man, clad completely in golden armor, bowed to him, a sparkle of amusement present in his intelligent eyes. A dragon! Milliardo had always wanted one. Most princes his age wanted a pony, but he thought that it was stupid to traverse the Earth when you could fly through the skies.

Milliardo walked up to the dragon, stroking its flank. All nervousness forgotten, he turned to the rider. "She's gorgeous," he remarked, a hand on the dragon.

The rider's eyes widened a fraction before he asked, "How do you know it's a she?" That was a good question.

"Umm… I just guessed?" He answered. He honestly didn't know how he knew, but somehow the dragon seemed feminine.

"Milliardo." Milliardo snapped to attention at his father's call, the dragon lingering at the back of his mind, never leaving. She was a dark blue, and her scales glittered like jewels in the palace.

"How many times must I tell you that it is not safe to sneak out of the castle?" Milliardo hung his head, but he knew he wouldn't stop sneaking out. His father's castle was just too boring! Milliardo could feel that he wasn't meant to be a crowned prince. He would much rather be a knight, fighting bravely and making a real name for himself, one that he earned.

"I apologize for my behavior." His father gave him a stern look, one that seemed out of place on his usually soft face.

"It's too late, my son. We have gotten you a body guard. He is the son of the noble rider Khushrenada." Suddenly, a young boy, only a few years older than Milliardo himself, stepped out from behind the giant dragon.

"Meet Treize Khushrenada, your new bodyguard. He will follow you everywhere, like a shadow, so I suggest you get to know him."

Milliardo's eyes widened and he stared at Treize in horror. "This is an honor my lord," the roan haired human replied, bowing even deeper than Milliardo.

This wasn't fair! All he wanted was a little freedom, and he got stuck with a bloody bodyguard?

"Father…" Milliardo began, but he knew it was fruitless. King Peacecraft frowned at his son, dismissing both him and Treize. Milliardo stomped down the hallway, his hair framing a face red with anger.

"I hate you!" He told Treize, his childish heart filled with confusion. Treize just smiled condescendingly, keeping pace with him.

"As you wish, my prince."

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A fifteen-year-old Milliardo pushed his waist length blonde tresses out of the way, glaring at Treize. Over the last four years, the two of them had become best friends, despite Milliardo's initial hatred of the other boy.

The two of them were sparring in Milliardo's room, and Treize was winning. Milliardo's eyes widened in surprise as Treize pushed him onto his bed. Milliardo's sword arm hit the oak bedpost with a loud bang, the sword falling from his hand.

"Shit!" Milliardo cursed, clutching the arm. He could already feel the bruise forming. The entire wrist was red hot with pain, and Milliardo wondered if he had broken it. A warm hand pulled at his gently, and Milliardo stared at Treize as he examined the bruise with an expert eye.

Milliardo felt a blush color his cheeks, and he wondered why. While it would be stupid to say that the tall warrior was not handsome, Milliardo felt little to no sexual energy between them. Still he didn't resist when Treize, leaning forward, crushed his lips against Milliardo's. Bewildered, the blonde prince wrapped his arms around the other boy's neck. Treize's lips were warm and slightly chapped, but Milliardo couldn't pull away for some reason.

Treize pulled away, a teasing smile on his arrogant face.

"I thought you hated me, my prince."

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The next day, Milliardo met with Noin. She was still shorter than him, with a mop of navy hair upon a tomboyish face, and her arms crossed over her chest. Ever since his kiss with Treize, he hadn't been able to meet her eyes. As they grew older, their easy coexistence changed.

At first it was subtle. Milliardo would notice how her tunic was becoming tight around her chest, or the sudden, more mature curving of her hips. Then he noticed how red and full her lips were, like ripe cherries.

He wondered if they tasted like cherries.

Soon it had come to the point where he couldn't think of her as Relena's babysitter. He spoke to her, noticing for the first time how intelligent she was, and admiring her determination to prove herself.

Noin always sounded more lovely to his ears than Lucrezia, because Noin was who she was. Lucrezia was a ditsy princess, and Noin was a strong, capable woman. Soon Noin was following him and Treize on their daily adventures into the forest, after singing Relena to sleep.

One evening during their frequent spars, after Treize had beaten him once again, Milliardo turned to the water spirit, only to see her gazing at the dying sun. The three of them had never been out that late, but they were confident in their abilities. Treize had just bonded to a dragon, a glorious golden one, and Treize always said that it matched his hair perfectly.

Treize was so different than Noin, but yet…Treize was his best friend, there was no denying that. It was just, could he think of Treize as anything other than a friend?

"We should go back as quickly as possible, Treize," Noin announced, her hands clutched nervously in her lap.

"Nonsense Lucrezia, we have plenty of time before dinner," the warrior replied. Noin turned to him, dead serious.

"First of all, call me Noin. I don't want to be defined by my sex. Second, you're not from around here, and you don't know the legends." Milliardo frowned. Legends, he hadn't heard of any

"Milliardo hasn't heard of any either, Noin. It must just be a fairy tale parents use to scare their children." Treize explained, his award winning smile plastered to his face.

"They speak of vampires Treize."

Treize laughed, and Milliardo allowed a smile to grace his features. Everyone knew that vampires were extinct. The riders, led by Treize's father himself, had exterminated them.

It was actually an extremely sad story. During the dark ages, while vampires vied to rule the world, they had attacked Treize's village while he and his father were away. By the time they came back, the entire town was flooded with the undead, and among them had been Treize's mother.

Treize's father had sent him to safety on the back of his trusted dragon and killed all the villagers, including Lady Khushrenada. After that, an extermination started, and now vampires were a thing of the past.

"Very well," Milliardo interrupted, standing. "If your imaginary ghosts scare you that much, then we'll head back in." The three of them headed back, Treize's dragon resting on his shoulder.

"Have you named him yet, Treize," Noin asked, smiling at the dragon. Treize smiled, caressing the tiny dragon's face with the back of his finger before kissing Milliardo's lips.

"Zechs. His name is Zechs Marquise."

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Milliardo threw his ball against the wall, catching it when it came back to him. The rebel forces, the ones who wanted to exterminate Sanq, had been growing particularly restless lately, and everyone was nervous. Treize wasn't even in the room.

The door swung inwards, and Milliardo started, causing him to miss his ball. It hit the bed he was sitting on, rolling, and settled in the middle of it.

"Milliardo, I need to talk to you."

Milliardo smiled, and she bit her lip, letting herself into the room.

"What is it Noin?" Milliardo asked, motioning for her to sit down. She remained standing.

Over the past six months, she had grown, trimming down and losing all that remained of her baby fat. Her stomach was as flat as a board, and her small, perky breasts were often bound to her chest in a vain attempt to hide her femaleness. Her face was longer and more angular, with high cheekbones and wide blue eyes surrounded by thick lashes. She had long legs, muscular from training, which curved elegantly into thin but sturdy hips. She wasn't stocky by any means, nor was she delicate.

"It's Relena…She's sick, and the doctor's don't know if there's any way to cure it."

Milliardo's eyes widened fractionally on his face, and he could feel his heart thumping loudly in his chest. Tears gathered in the corner of Noin's eyes, and she walked over to Milliardo, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Milliardo stood, shocked, unable to cry or move, or do anything. Relena? His lively, wonderful, Relena was sick? It seemed impossible, but at the same time, he knew that Noin wouldn't lie about something so serious.

"I'm sorry Milliardo. The doctors think that it's an incurable poison. Sanq has so many enemies, even though we've done nothing to deserve them, and I think the poison she had was meant for you." Milliardo could feel his anger rising above his shock. Poison?

"There is a cure…" Treize walked smoothly into the room, his rider's cape whirling around his broad shoulder's, a slight smile on his face that would've offended Milliardo if he didn't know Treize better.

Treize only smiled when he knew something nobody else did, and if that something could help. Los ángeles de la guarda, the riders who guarded the palace, knew much more than regular citizens, and even the crowned prince.

"The fang of a vampire is said to heal any illness." Treize stated, the smirk still on his face. Noin gasped, and Milliardo gazed at both of them, confused.

"Vampires are extinct Treize. Why are you telling us this if you know that?" Noin took a step backwards, placing herself behind Milliardo.

"Vampires aren't extinct Milliardo. The villagers have always known where they lived." Milliardo turned to Noin with desperate eyes.

"Noin!" He ordered. Her eyes widened, and she turned from Treize to Milliardo.

"Your father is a true pacifist, Milliardo. When the vampires were being exterminated, he spared them, sending them to live in the caves near the mountains. That's why we can never stay out after sunset, Milliardo. It's not a legend; it's the truth. Those who venture out into the darkness never return.

"Or at least, they never return alive." Noin stared at them. "Please Milliardo, it is only a legend. No one knows what a vampire fang does! If she gets itthe fang might kill her!" Milliardo looked at her, a depressed look overwhelming his features.

"But if she doesn't get it, she'll die anyways, right?"

"Shall we get going?" Treize asked, tossing Milliardo a steel sword. Milliardo nodded, catching the sword with his right hand. He wasn't going to fail Relena.

The two of them headed out the door, stopped only by the sound of steel sliding against a wooden sheath. "I should go as well." Milliardo was about to protest, but the look of determination on her face stopped him. She was more than capable of caring for herself, and she more than capable enough of making her own decisions. Milliardo needed somebody like that on his side.

"We should go now, before nightfall. The guards increase then." Milliardo nodded at Treize's advice, and together, the three of them snuck from the castle, determined to save the princess.

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Milliardo frowned at the darkness shading the ground ahead of them. Around his neck was a holy cross, a stake attached to his belt, and his sword in hand. Noin was similarly equipped, but Treize wore no cross around his neck, preferring to appear unharmed while in reality, two stakes were hidden in his sleeves.

On the way there, Noin had told him all vampires' weaknesses, and he quickly figured out why vampires never ate the village folk.

A vampire could only enter a dwelling when invited, unless it was his residence. They couldn't wear silver because it was a holy metal and burned their skin. Sunlight roasted them. Crosses burned them. Holy water disintegrated them, and a stake through the heart killed them. For some odd reason they were also allergic to garlic.

Milliardo hadn't gotten what he should fear until Noin continued.

Vampires were stronger than even elves, swifter than any earthly creature, and could withstand almost any physical attack. They were cunning and clever, and they could transform into bats. They also could fly, vanish into thin air, and seduce a person with the barest glance.

People feared vampires for many good reasons.

Milliardo tensed at the sound of rustling leaves. Beside him, Noin jumped, her hand tightening on his. Milliardo tried not to focus on how her hand fit perfectly inside of his, or how smooth it was, despite years of training.

"Something's here," Noin whispered, and Milliardo could see Treize heading forward, unworried.

"Treize, slow down!" Noin whispered harshly, slowing until she almost came to a complete stop.

"You are a water sprite Noin, am I wrong?" Treize's voice was just as smooth and confident as ever, despite the situation.

"Yeah, so!" Noin snapped. Milliardo could understand her temper. Collectors hunted and killed the rare, exotic beauties, and the fire spirits, who were the mightiest of the four elementals, destroyed them to keep them in line.

"Disguise yourself as a vampire. That way, we can pretend to be your victims." Treize's suggestion was rather stupid, seeing as vampires didn't take keep their victims alive long enough to walk back to their territory with.

"I've never seen a vampire before," Noin replied, watching the trees in despair as the last beam of light faded from the sky. Drenched in twilight, Milliardo thanked his cat-like eyes for quickly adjusting to the darkness.

The rustling sounded again, and before the three of them could move, they saw the ten figures before them. They had long, black capes, and pale skin. Their hair was slicked back away from their faces, and Milliardo saw gleaming white fangs gleaming in the darkness.

"What were you just saying about never having seen a vampire sweetie?" A female vampire with roan hair, the same shade as Treize's walked towards them, and Treize paled significantly.

"Mother!" He accused, and the woman threw her head back and laughed, revealing a bite mark directly above her jugular. Milliardo focused on Treize's face, watching thousands of conflicting emotion scatter through his normally focused features.

"Hello, my son. It's about time you showed up with your little friends. We've been waiting for you." Milliardo heard Noin gulp, and he tightened his grip on her hand.

"You're supposed to be dead," Treize spoke calmly, a small, twisted smile on his face. His mother only laughed.

"Your father didn't have the balls to kill me. Instead, he sent me to the one place he knew I'd be safe. The pacifistic country Sanq."

Milliardo, clenched his fist, glaring at the woman.

"Are you looking for this?" The woman held up a fang, an exact replica of the ones in her mouth. "You'll have to join us first!"

Cackling, she moved like a blur, racing for them. Then three things happened at once. Zechs, Treize's dragon, smashed through the trees, his roar drowning out any other sound. His scales sparkled with star light, burning the vampires as he swung his tail at them, sending them scattering to the other side of the small path. At the same time, Treize met his mother with one of his hidden stakes, impaling her straight through the heart. She gasped for breath before slumping over, her hair covering her face as her dark blood dripped down Treize's arm. The spare fang flew through the air, and Noin lunged for it, heading straight for the large group of vampires.

"NOIN!" Milliardo screamed, running towards her. Treize caught him by the arm, pushing him in the opposite direction.

"You must flee." He told Milliardo, pulling the stake out of his fallen mother and whirling to face the other abominations. With another push, he sent Milliardo toppling off the path, into the dense forest. Milliardo rolled down a hill, scraping his arms and legs. Noin's scream resounded through the air, but with the trees blocking the sky, Milliardo couldn't make his way back to her. His friends were in danger, and he couldn't find them.

For what seemed like hours the sounds of fighting hurt his sensitive ears. With his hands in front of him, he wandered through the forest, attempting to find Noin or Treize, or to help them with their fight.

Even with his enhanced hearing though, Treize had pushed him a good ways, and he couldn't find his way back. Milliardo growled. He couldn't even figure out who was winning.

A rustling sound reached his ears, and he nearly impaled Treize as he climbed through an opening in the trees. "It's only me Milliardo," he said, and Milliardo lowered the stake. Treize was dripping with blood, and his stakes were missing. His hair was tousled, and there was a large bruise on his cheek. He was pale, and his clothes were mussed, his collar stuck to the dried blood on his lower face.

Basically, he looked like shit.

"Where's Noin?" Milliardo asked worriedly.

"I'm right here," a voice sounded, and a beat up looking Noin stumbled towards him. Seeing Treize, she stiffened.

"Don't trust him!" She shouted, pointing to the rider.

"Now Noin-" Treize began, but he was cut off by Noin lunging at him.

"He was bitten. He's a vampire now!" Treize snorted, smiling at her. Milliardo couldn't see any fangs.

"Can you prove that?" He asked, and Noin pushed past him, grabbing Milliardo, and dragging him towards the scent of death.

He found himself back on the path, and he wrinkled his nose in distaste. The entire pathway was littered with vampires, holes where their hearts were supposed to be. Then, something else caught Milliardo's eyes.

A large dragon lay dead in the middle of the path, no wounds marring it, but dead nonetheless. Unless dragons died from wounds, the only way for them to die was if there rider was dead. And since Treize was walking besides them, that meant that he was already dead, but still alive, caught in the limbo between the two worlds.

He was not living but undead; a vampire.

Suddenly Treize was right behind him, pinning his arms to his side with unnatural strength. Fangs brushed his neck, and hot breath warmed his chilly flesh, sending goosebumps up his spine. A vampire. Dear god, what was going to happen next?

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Relena shut the book and tossed it back into Duo's bag. Even though every fiber of her being urged her to read on, she couldn't. It was her fault! The fact that Treize was a vampire, and the consequences that led from that one day, they were all her fault. Her heart cried for Treize, but at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to forgive him for everything he had done.

Sadly, she stroked the fang resting on a chain around her neck. It was the only thing keeping her alive. Even after almost three hundred years, the poison had yet to be flushed from her system. If she took her pendant, her curse, off, she would die within hours.

And as much as Relena felt guilty for what happened, she knew that she could never pull the fang off and end her existence. The worst part was that she didn't know if she was too cowardly too do it, or too brave.

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Quatre woke up in a cold sweat. That woman, the one in his dreams that looked like Zechs, and the book she was reading were real. Quatre knew it. Zechs Marquise, the masked man, was the same as Milliardo Peacecraft, the prince. Treize was once a hero, and Zechs the name of a dragon.

It confused him, muddled with his feverish mind and played with his sanity.

"Honey, are you ok?" A concerned voice asked, and Quatre looked up into the violet eyes of Catherine, Trowa's older sister. It took him a while to focus, and even then, nothing was as sharp as it should have been.

"Yeah, I'm fine Noin. I just had a nightmare." Suddenly violet eyes flickered to blue as a strange look crossed Catherine's face. At least, Quatre thought so. In this state, it was hard to tell a lot of things.

What did I just call her?

"What did you just call me?" Catherine's voice was sharp, and she suddenly looked more threatening than a simple, kind-hearted elf.

"I just called you Catherine, why?" Quatre lied, hoping it would fool the woman, Catherine or Noin, whoever she was. Quatre didn't know, and he was too tired to care.

"Oh!" Catherine replied. "I must be imagining things!"

She walked out the door, and Quatre stared after her. Something was up with that woman, and Quatre had a feeling it involved a certain blue-haired water spirit.

Then what about Trowa? Was Trowa not all he seemed as well? And Duo as well? What if they were all fakes? What was the purpose of keeping him here in the first place?

His head hurt, and he needed medicine.

Quatre rested his head on the warm pillow, and inhaled Trowa's scent, blushing slightly. After his encounter with Iria, he was constantly tired. It had been almost a day and a half since then, and still Quatre could walk only a few steps before he collapsed.

All his energy was gone, though he could still feel it pulsing in the gold band around his wrist.

Suddenly he felt another presence in the room, and emerald eyes met his gaze. A cool wash cloth ran across his feverish forehead, and Quatre snuggled closer to the warmth. Everything was blurry around the edges, but he could still make out Trowa's bright, emerald eyes.

"I talked to Iria," Quatre told the elf. This was the first time Trowa had visited him.

Trowa's eyes widened slightly, but besides that, no other facial expressions were recognizable on his face. The cool cloth stopped, just sitting there on his forehead. The water was starting to drip into his eyes.

For some reason, whether it was the fact that he was feverish, or the effects of being a hormone driven teenager, Quatre lifted himself up, using his elbows as a balance.

The world was cold around him, but he was hot. The washcloth on his head, slipped over his neck and shoulder, landing with a plop behind him on his pillow. Trowa looked cold, with hard eyes and a cool disposition.

Quatre hated being hot, and Trowa's coolness was as inviting to him as food was to a hungry Duo.

Trowa hadn't moved besides pulling his arm away. Quatre leaned towards him, focusing on his lips. He knew it was stupid, but that didn't stop him from doing it.

Wrapping an arm around the elf's neck, he pulled his sown to his level, brushing Trowa's lips with his own.

He pulled away, and did it again, adjusting the angle to get more contact. Then he was lying flat on his back in bed, his head spinning.

Trowa was no longer in the chair next to his bed, and Quatre might have been able to ignore his presence, if it wasn't for the open door. His neck pressed against the cool washcloth from before, splashing him with a wave of conscious thought.

He just kissed Trowa! Why? What? When? How?

Quatre groaned. He felt like Middie had just run him over, and then come back and stomped on him to make sure he was dead. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

Leaning over, he threw up the meager remains of his now unsettled stomach. The world spun around him as he collapsed back against the bed. He spat out the remainders of the bile from his throat, shivering violently.

He couldn't even reach up and wipe the rest of it from his face. He was so tired.

Another violent shiver wracked his body, and Quatre nearly laughed. Before, he was hot, and he wanted to be cold. Now, he was cold, and he desperately needed heat.

The desert was like this; cold during the day and dark at night, but at least it was a regular pattern. Tears spilt from Quatre's eyes, washing away some of the bile on his cheeks.

He didn't even know why he was crying.

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Duo groaned and poured some more water into the small tub he was using to wash dishes. The thing was leaky, and the water kept draining out the bottom. Why Duo, the most impulsive and impatient one of their group was washing the dishes, he would never know.

As quickly as possible, he started to scrub the dishes, drying them in what must have been record time. He reached for a fifth dish, and dunking it in the water he sighed when it met only air. The damn water had leaked again!

"Damn it!" he screamed, gritting his teeth. Tossing his head, he heard a crash. All of his clean dishes, which he had spent hours cleaning, had just been thrown to the ground by his rebellious braid, over half of them smashed, and the rest dirty.

"AHHHHHHH!" Getting on his hands and knees, Duo tried to collect the shards, but one of them cut his index finger open.

Sticking the finger in his mouth, he got up, only to trip over a stick in the short grass, and flip into the tub.

With a groan, he tried to climb out, but the edges were slippery from soap and water, and Duo managed to flip the tub over, landing in the muddy grass underneath it, where all the water that leaked from the tub collected.

"Shit! &&$&$&#$---Fuego!"

A raging fire lifted around him, burning all the sources of frustration around him to smithereens before disappearing.

Duo stood up and kicked at one of the few remaining dishes.

"Mwahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Take that, evil dishes of doom!"

Suddenly, what he had just done hit him as hard and fast as an angry rhino. Had he just used magic? Yes, he had just used magic!

"Holy shit! Duo, you are the man!" Twisting his hips from side to side, Duo started a weird ritualistic dance, known only by those people who have overcome a large and extremely annoying source of frustration, or were epileptic. His braid flopped from side to sde, spraying mud everywhere.

Suddenly, a giggling was heard, and Duo stared at Relena, who was suddenly standing right next to him.

"What's so funny?" He asked accusingly.

"You," Relena answered, her cheeks red from her giggling. "It's just that, we do this with all new recruits to introduce them to magic, and yours has been, by far, the most amusing."

Duo blinked, his jaw dropping. "Introduce to magic say what?" A hand pushed his jaw closed, and Sally smiled at him.

"Usually, when a student doesn't already know magic, we find that they have to be either extremely scared or frustrated for it to work, so we give them an impossible task to complete, like washing dishes when the basin is constantly leaking. When they get frustrated enough, they scream out a spell, and poof! They can now use magic."

Duo scowled, splashing Sally with his braid. "So now I know magic?" Duo asked. As it was, his mind felt open. He could feel things more clearly, and their, lying in the back of his mind, was something that seemed foreign and familiar at the same time.

"No," Relena intoned. "Now you know how to use magic. I will teach you magic itself, the ways to use it, when you should use it, spells you can use, and its limitations."

Duo felt like a rock had just fell from the sky and landed on top of him. "Usually," Relena continued, "that takes years, but given the circumstances, we're going to just cover the basics"

The things I do for you, Quatre.

"OK!" Duo shouted, dragging Relena by the wrist, "the sooner we get started, the sooner we can finish!"