Sorry about the long wait! School's been a bitch and vacation was somehow even busier...
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.
WARNINGS: Shounen ai, het. If you don't know what those are, you probably shouldn't be reading this.
Interlude: Sanq-continued
Milliardo stood as still as possible, feeling the sharp fangs barely scraping the flesh of his neck. His heart was beating a mile a minute, and he frowned, wondering if this would be the last moment he actually could breath.
"Milliardo!" Noin screamed, and before Milliardo could even move, Treize was dragged backwards, away from him. Noin's hand brushed his, and he clutched the vampire fang lovingly, desperate to keep it safe.
" Milliardo, run!" Noin shouted, and Milliardo turned to see her on top of Treize, a stake held in her slender hand.
Milliardo's mind stopped, fixated on Noin's desperate features, her mussed blue hair shadowing her eyes. He couldn't leave her, and yet, Relena was sick and didn't have much time left. His sister, or the woman he had come to care for with almost all his heart.
And then there was Treize. Treize, his best friend, and something more? It confused him, and he closed his eyes tightly, whispering a silent apology.
He feet carried him away from the clearing, through the forest, back to his sister.
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Noin pushed the stake forward in a vain attempt to pierce her opponent's heart. Treize caught her arm with a clawed one, holding it in place.
He was stronger than her, no doubt about it, but she couldn't give up. The thick darkness surrounding them was starting to lift, and it wouldn't be long until the sun rose. She just had to stall until then.
"Now now Lucrezia, you wouldn't kill a dear friend, would you?"
Noin paused for a half of an instant, but that was enough time for Treize. With inhuman strength, he jerked the stake from her hand, flinging her into a tree.
Noin slowly raised her head, blood dripping into her left eye and clouding her vision. Treize held the stake confidently, walking towards her slowly.
"Don't worry, Noin. Your death is an honorable one, spent protecting the one you love. Don't worry, I'll tell Milliardo how you struggled to give him time."
Kneeling beside her, he held the stake in front of him. Noin closed her eyes, a feeling of odd calm overtaking her. The sun was rising, and he hadn't realized it. He would die, and her precious Milliardo would be safe.
Treize grinned at the motionless woman in front of him and jerked the stake back. Staking someone through the heart might be a famous way to kill vampires, but it worked on most other species as well.
Thrusting the stake forward, he smiled victoriously.
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Milliardo crashed through the doors to the castle, heaving for breath. Wasting no time, he raced up the grand staircase, running past the various rooms to his sister's.
Her main room was completely pink with hand painted unicorns adorning the walls. Relena was sleeping fitfully, her mouth turned downward in a grimace.
"I'm here Relena, don't worry." His calm, reassuring voice didn't waver at all, something he was both proud of and ashamed of at the same time. Hurriedly, he placed the fang against her chest, praying that it would work. Noin had told him the fang would work almost instantaneously, but if she was ever parted from it, her life would end.
Milliardo hated the thought that his sister would be so dependent on something so evil, but at the same time, he only wanted her to live, and he would insure her life, no matter what the cost.
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Smirking, Treize made his way back towards the castle. The stake he held in his right hand gleamed red in the weak light. Treize knew he was in no danger from the sun though. He would be shadowed by his home long before then.
Slowly, life in Sanq started for the day. Fisherman walked out of there houses, eager to beat the competition. Treize snorted in disgust.
What was the point, when they were all going to die anyways? He was immortal, unchanging in this mortal world, first as a rider, and now as this creature, this bloodsucker.
It was power, power Treize could use to protect the weak, by destroying the strong. His father was strong, the riders were strong, lord Peacecraft was strong, and precious Milliardo was strong.
Noin had been strong, but in the end she was still weaker than him. Her love for Milliardo could not compete with Treize's obsession for him.
"Treize, what are you doing out before dawn?" A member of the riders that protected Sanq asked. What was their name again? It was something about angels, but honestly, Treize couldn't bring himself to care.
"May I come in?" He asked politely, smiling, but not broadly enough to expose his fangs. The young man nodded, stepping to the side to let him into the castle. Treize roughly grabbed him by the hair, pulling his neck back to an almost impossible angle and biting into the sweet flesh there.
He lapped up the salty metallic liquid as if he was a starving child set in front of a feast. Dropping the man to the ground, he licked the remaining blood from his lips. Somewhere, another dragon like Zechs had just died. Treize smiled. This place was no longer a land of Angels, it was a land of demons.
El Talon de Diablo was born that day, destroying the angels and enveloping the land in darkness.
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Noin gasped, slowly allowing herself to stumble to her feet. There was a large gash inches from her heart, and Noin almost couldn't believe she had been that lucky. Apparently, Treize had missed and punctured her left lung instead of her heart. It was still a dangerous wound, but the town was close, and the town healer was even closer, less than a mile away.
Clutching her wound, Noin half walked, half crawled back to the village.
Milliardo, I will always be by your side. I cannot die until I know that it hasn't been in vain.
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Noin. Somewhere, Milliardo could hear her. He could feel her strength even though miles of forest and town separated them.
Noin. He had never told he cared for her, never repaid her. A scowl crossed his face. What type of man was he?
By his side Relena clutched the fang, holding it to her heart.
"Milly!" She screamed. "Footsteps are comin' dis way! We gotta go!" Her free hand pulled at his, and Milliardo scooped the girl up, carrying her out of the room. His footsteps echoed through the stone corridors, and Milliardo clutched his sister.
He knew he could not be the true heir to his family's legacy, he was meant to be a warrior, not an aristocrat. He'd rather face his death bravely than hide behind parliaments and guards. He would fight to bring about peace, and his sister, precious Relena, would maintain it.
However, Treize's force's were catching up quickly, and Milliardo knew that he could not outrun them for long. "Relena, I want you to go to the healer's cabin at the edge of the village. A nice woman named Doctor Po lives there, and she can take care of you."
"But bwother!" Relena pouted, obviously not wanting to leave her brother.
"GO!" he shouted. Her eyes widened, and Milliardo knew she wasn't used to people yelling her. Turning, she ran in the direction he told her. She didn't look back once.
Milliardo was glad. He didn't want her to see what he was about to become.
Pulling on the silver mask of a knight long forgotten during the era of peace, Milliardo wasn't surprised to see that it fit perfectly.
It was who he was. With this mask on, he was a warrior. He wasn't a hormonal teenager lusting after his sister's babysitter or a spoiled prince that refused to get along with his bodyguard, he was a knight.
Pulling one of the decorative swords hanging on the walls from its sheath, Milliardo felt himself calm as the familiar weight settled in his right hand. With this on he was no longer prince Milliardo, he could soar as freely as Treize's dragon once did.
Milliardo smiled at the new name he had chosen. From this day on, he was Zechs Marquise, a knight bound to serve Sanq until it's princess returned. He would join Treize under false pretenses and wait until the day Relena grew up and returned to her rightful place.
Turning, Zechs Marquis face a smirking Treize. He bowed. "Your excellency, I am Zechs Marquise, a knight of Sanq. I am here to serve you."
He watched as Treize smirked, and he knew the man realized who he was. Anger boiled in his veins as he saw the bloody stake in the man's hand. Zechs struggled to keep the grimace from his face. If he convinced Treize that he wanted to help him, then he would be allowed in, and he could insure Relena's safety.
Deep down, he knew that Treize did not want to kill him. By taking on a new identity, Milliardo had become a new person, one that didn't need to be Treize's enemy.
Treize walked forward, placing a hand on Zech's shoulder. For one horrible instant, Zech's thought that Treize was going to bite him, but instead he just smiled, exposing his sharp fangs.
"Welcome to El Talón del Diablo, Mr. Zechs Marquise."
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Trowa leaned against the wall outside Quatre's room, a hand pressed against his warm lips. Trowa couldn't believe the other boy had done that, and he couldn't believe he let him do it.
It felt nice, Trowa admitted. He'd wanted more, wanted to pull the slightly smaller boy flush against his body, or push him down on the bed.
Trowa shivered. He was disgusting, lusting over another man. It was wrong, wrong, wrong.
Quatre's lips were warm and ever so soft, and the arms that had wrapped around the back of his neck seemed to fit there perfectly. Quatre's skin was soft and smooth, even though calluses marred his hands from weaponry training.
Quatre was kind, caring, and smart. Like Trowa, he could appreciate nature, and Trowa had a feeling the two of them would be able to spend hours discussing literature, music, or sitting in complete silence under the starry sky.
Still, these emotions were bad. They were the ones he needed to keep away. Attachment was bad, not something to be relished. If he got attached to Quatre, then when the blonde boy died the scar would be that much deeper.
Trowa was already scarred enough. He had shed enough tears to last an eternity, been through too many emotions to count, and now he lived as a shell, as empty and hollow as a cave.
The sound of retching reached Trowa's ears, and he internally winced with sympathy pains.
Quietly, he looked into Quatre's room, finding the boy lying amongst tangled blankets, shivering. It looked like his fever had broken at least. Trowa grimaced in disgust as the horrible smell of sickness and bile reached his sensitive nose.
Humans were so fragile, their bodies succumbing to sickness so easily.
Trowa walked towards the boy, noting his closed eyes and his harsh breathing. His usually pale skin was red, and sweat collected on his forehead, gluing his blonde locks to his face.
Without those, big, beautiful eyes staring at him, Quatre's face seemed empty.
Grabbing the wet cloth, Trowa tenderly wiped the remaining bile from Quatre's face, using a cleaner part to wipe away the sweat.
One of his long fingers stroked Quatre's cheek, and he immediately pulled away. These emotions that the boy raised inside of him were troublesome and confusing. He didn't like it all.
He barely knew the boy, but already he felt more connected to him than he had to anyone else.
Dropping the cloth, Trowa walked out of the room, didn't noticing the troubled blue eyes that watched him.
He did, however, see his sister down the hall, just out of ear shot.
Standing next to Catherine was a person Trowa had only seen once but heard about several times. Wondering what his sister was doing associating with that thing, Trowa followed them silently.
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Heero smirked as he watched Duo fail another one of Relena's 'lessons.' Relena was teaching Duo to expand his mind in order to use the magic stored their. It was a trying exercise, one that required patience and concentration. Regularly, that would have been no problem for the intelligent brunette, but with Iria's chirping, Solo's stomping, and Relena's chattering, the poor boy dropped pebble after pebble, instead of moving it in the graceful, intricate patterns shown on the diagram.
"Come now Duo," Relena lectured, "tune everyone out and concentrate."
"That's easier said than done lady!" Duo retorted, his brow furrowed in concentration, sweat gleaming on his forehead. He didn't even notice Heero standing ten feet away from him.
It was some ninety degrees outside, and while Relena sat a large, pink umbrella, using her magic to fan herself, Duo stood in the hot sun, training. While Heero relished the weather because of all the dry heat, Duo obviously was adverse to any type of extreme climate.
"Good Duo, only one pattern left." Heero watched with mild interest as Duo shakily lifted the pebble, moving it in a large figure eight pattern, before moving it in circular patterns of various sizes. Finally, Duo collapsed, allowing the stone to drop back onto the grassy plain.
"Oooh! Good job Duo! Now it's off to your sparring session with Heero."
"That asshole will have to come over here and drag my lazy ass off the ground if he wants me to fight him on a day like this." Duo proclaimed, lying spread eagle on the soft grass.
Heero's smirk widened, a sight rarely seen by anyone.
The intense heat had given him a burst of energy and good spirit, so Heero decided to ignore Duo's "asshole" comment. Instead, he walked over to the sweaty boy, amused to see Duo's wide, violet eyes staring at him in shock and disbelief.
"Hey, buddy." He said. Heero grabbed him by his braid, jerking him to his feet.
"Owwww!" Duo whined, pouting. Relena giggled, transforming into a cat and heading inside. Apparently, her thick fur couldn't handle the extreme heat.
"Come on," Heero replied, letting go of Duo's braid and standing across from him.
Duo lunged at his brunette fighting partner, but he was tired and his form was sloppy. Heero dodged the blow easily, backing away from the braided brunette.
"I'm soooo tired," Duo complained. Suddenly, he fell backwards, his arms spread and eyes closed.
Heero ran forward, catching him before he could hit the hard ground. "Duo!"
"I knew you would catch me Heero," Duo replied, smiling. His cheeks were red and his lush lips were parted in a wide smile, showing off straight, white teeth.
"Heero's my hero!" He giggled. Heero raised an eyebrow at that particular comment. Duo was sarcastic and silly at times, but he always retained a serious, determined attitude that was as clear as day if a person took the time to look. It was that determination that, to Heero at least, made Duo a person worthy of his time. Duo was a strong, capable individual capable of driving himself to unknown limits. Stoic as Heero might seem, that determination is what separated Duo from all of his victims. It's what made him alive, not just another unfortunate soul wondering through the pathways of life.
Concerned at Duo's almost drunken attitude, Heero lifted a hand to his forehead, not surprised to find that he was warmer than usual.
Heero knew that Duo had been training extremely hard, ever since they arrived five days ago. Between training all day and his nightmares keeping him awake at night, Heero figured it made sense for the poor boy to become sick and weak from exhaustion.
"Let's get you inside and let you rest." Heero intoned, hoping that Duo was sick enough to forget the emotion in his usually monotone voice.
Duo's eyes closed, the smile still on his face.
How can you smile with your world crumbling around you?
Heero's left hand itched suddenly. The pattern glowed a bright red, and Heero felt his heart jerk. He was bound to Duo only by this mark. After that, he would leave and never see the other one again. He might even go back to being enemies with the braided boy.
Why is it that, even though it has only been a few days, that thought hurts?
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Muttering to himself, Wufei kicked the blonde rider's door open, said rider's food balanced on a plastic tray.
Wufei sighed. He and Meiran had just had another fight, and their families (or at least Treize had told them it was their families) wanted to speed up the engagement process, hoping to get them to settle down together sooner. That was mostly what their fight had been about.
The blonde was asleep on the stiff bed, and he smelled of sickness and discomfort. Really, it was an injustice to treat a guest like this. The healer hadn't even been sent to see him! Really, it was no wonder he didn't want to join Treize.
Setting the tray down on the bedside table, Wufei prepared to head out when the blonde spoke.
"Trowa..." It was a weak moan, barely heard by even Wufei's sharp ears. The rider frowned in discomfort at seeing the boy in such a weak position.
There is no place on the battlefield for women and bleeding hearts.
Wufei closed the door behind him with a sigh. He wondered if becoming a rider was something Quatre was proud of, or if he had been randomly chosen, like Wufei himself.
Of course, even though Wufei was happy with his dragon now, she still brought several problems with her. His family's rivalry with Meiran's family, their engagement, working for Treize, and many other things as well.
Still, he owed much to Treize, which was why he worked for the honorable man, even if he didn't always agree with Treize's intentions.
Treize had saved his family from going to war with Meiran's family, and as much as Wufei hated to admit it, he'd much rather be engaged to the frustrating woman than fighting against her. He couldn't kill her. Her lifeless eyes would haunt him forever.
He could remember the day Treize came into his life perfectly, even if it was nearly ten years ago.
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Wufei launched a kick at Master O, his fighting instructor, disappointed when the man caught him by the ankle.
"You have to try harder Wufei, or you'll never amount to anything." The giant man let go of Wufei's foot, and Wufei stumbled before he regained his balance.
Wufei sighed, pouting. He pushed his glasses farther up on his face, wishing he could go back to his room and read. He hated fighting!
"I don't wanna!" Wufei replied, stomping his foot and crossing his arms. Master O sighed, about to go into 'lecture mode,' when screams ripped through the village.
Wufei and Master O rushed outside. There was fire everywhere. The red flames danced among the wooden frames with alarming vigor. Soon there would be no more of the town. Wufei watched as men with gleaming weapons attacked his family and friends. Wufei gasped, wondering why anyone would want to attack his family.
Master O growled, a few words escaping his mouth. Wufei's eyes widened in wonder. He had never heard those words before! He had to hurry and write them down before he forgot them!
"Wufei," Master O turned to him, harsh anger gleaming in his eyes. "Run into the forest and hide. I'll come and get you as soon as possible. Don't trust any strangers, no matter how nice they seem."
Wufei nodded and ran into the dense forest that surrounded their village. At six years old, the poor boy was too young to understand what death was, and in his mind he thought this was all a joke and when he came back, everyone would be there to greet him.
Never did it cross his mind that he might never see the people he grew up with again.
Stumbling through the underbrush, Wufei tripped and nearly fell several times. His rich silk robes now had dirt and mud in them, but Wufei didn't really care.
BAM!
Wufei stumbled backwards, holding his sore skull. Whoever he had just run into had a hard head!
"OWWW!" Wufei heard a voice whine. His eyes widened. He didn't know that voice, and Master O had told him not to talk to strangers!
Suddenly an arm reached out and whacked him. "You meanie! You can't just go around bumping into other peoples!"
Wufei looked straight into the eyes of a little girl with teary black eyes. Still, the girl had just hit him!
"You're the one who ran into me, you cantankerous cow!"
The other girl's eyes narrowed in thought. Wufei grinned. He was the smartest boy in his class, and he even read the dictionary so he could use words no one else could!
"My name's Nataku, you dishonorable donkey!"
Wufei clenched his fists at his sides, glaring at the little girl. She mirrored his motion, her short pigtails sticking up like horns. The flames from the village danced behind her, making it look like she were immersed in fire. Wufei couldn't help but shiver. In his childish, cooties-filled world, the little girl looked like the devil.
"Now now children, shouldn't you get along and play together?" Wufei and the little girl turned to face a tall man with red hair. It was dark in the forest, since it was almost nighttime, and Wufei and the little girl couldn't see much of the man besides his bright hair and even brighter eyes.
Wufei felt something cold crawl up his spine. There was something wrong about this man. He couldn't place it, but something was not right.
Wufei and the little girl forgot their new found animosity, huddling together to face this newer, bigger threat.
Squatting so that he was around their height, the strange man held out a hand to both of them.
"Why don't the both of you come with me?" The man asked, smiling slightly.
The two children shook their heads, unconsciously mirroring each other.
"I don't talk to strangers!" Wufei told the man.
"Well then, my name is Treize. You're Wufei, and you're Meiran. See, know we all know each other."
Wufei looked at the little girl, seeking an answer. "I guess he's not a stranger no more, since he told us his name."
Wufei nodded, and together, the both of them took his hand, not realizing how it would change the future for them and their families.
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After that, Treize had brought them back to Wufei's village, negotiating with the villagers. By giving governmental control over to El Talón del Diablo, Treize divided the land between the families. He also agreed for Wufei and Meiran to marry, inheriting the land when they both came of age and ending the dispute. To stop the both of them from being manipulated by their families, he took them both away to learn and train with him.
Wufei could never thank Treize enough for what he did, and was continuing to do, for his family.Even though he hadn't seen any of them since that fateful day, he knew they were much better off than they would've been if Treize hadn't of come.
Still, lately things seemed odd, and he knew Meiran could feel it. For the first time, Treize had insisted that they wear these cuffs to control their magic. He wasn't even allowing Wufei to communicate with his dragon!
"Wufei Chang," Zechs muttered as he passed the oriental teen, interrupting his thoughts. Wufei bowed respectively to Treize's right hand man, but he couldn't help but notice that even Zech's now wore a gold cuff around his left wrist.
What's going on?
Honestly, what would make Treize fear any of his followers?
Wufei couldn't help but wonder…
He could never trust anyone who kept him in chains.
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Noin looked at the healer's cabin from her spot on the ground. The sun was fully up in the sky, and the villagers had already gone to work.
There was nobody to hear her scream. There was nobody to watch her die.
She had dragged herself this far, but her strength had given out, and she knew she couldn't even make it a foot farther. Her vision was beginning to blur at the edges, making everything brown and dull, and she could barely move her arms. A trail of blood pooled around her.
There was so much blood. Noin had so many regrets, and despite herself, she felt tears prickling in the corners of her eyes. There were so many things she would never do, so many people she would never meet.
Milliardo, forgive me.
"Miss Noiny!" A worried voice called, and Noin glanced up, only to see princess Relena herself, clutching the fang to her chest as if it were a holy relic.
If only she knew the truth.
But, the truth was too vile for a child that sweet and pure.
"Miss Noiny! Somebody help! Miss Noiny's going to bleed to death!"
Relena grabbed her arm, attempting to drag her towards the house. Noin felt as if she were watching a movie. She couldn't even feel the girl's grasp on her arm.
And then…
"Oh my!"
The healer came.
That's all Noin could remember, up until Milliardo, or 'Zechs Marquise,' found her. Memories after that were scrambled together. They left Relena with the healer's family, and generation after generation they promised to take care of the princess and keep her secret safe.
Noin had joined El Talón del Diablo in order to stay by Milliardo's side. Since then, things had been one mission after another, committing unspeakable sins, all in the name of peace and the devil.
Noin had impersonated countless people, like she impersonated Catherine now.
She had murdered people who she thought should live and formed alliances with people she thought should die.
One of those people was standing before her. A wealthy human who had fallen in love with Treize, Lady Une was one nasty piece of work.
"What can I do for you ma'am?" Noin asked, a false smile plastered on her face. What was the Lady doing?
This could blow her cover. Trowa was right there!
"Miss Noin, I need to speak with you." She paused, glancing over at Trowa, who was sitting outside Quatre's room. "Alone, if that's okay with you."
Noin nodded, sending one last, worried glance at Trowa before following the lady. Nothing good could come of this.
"I'm afraid, Noin, that Mr. Barton is getting suspicious with your Catherine impersonation. If you cannot find some way to keep inconspicuous, then I'm afraid we'll have to terminate him."
Noin's eyes widened at that. Trowa was just a baby. He couldn't even be over one hundred!
Noin's eyes narrowed. Still, she couldn't disobey an order from Une. The woman was her superior.
"Lady Une, how many times must I tell you to be more graceful."
Une turned, only to come face to face with Treize. He was back! That was unexpected.
"Lady Noin, you are dismissed."
Noin bowed before hurrying from the room. Lady Une's vindictive eyes followed her. It had been tough, working against her beliefs for all these years, but for Sanq kingdom to rise again, she knew it was necessary.
Noin hurried down the hall, when suddenly she was slammed against the wall. Her head bashed against the wall, temporarily blinding her as stars flashed around her. Startled, her disguise faded, and she felt her self shift from Catherine back to Noin. This was great. It was just freakin' great.
Angry and ready to yell at anyone foolish enough to run into her, Noin looked up…
Straight into the eyes of Trowa Barton.
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Quatre sat up slowly, his head still spinning. Slowly, he reached over for the food tray that had been set in his room. At the movement his stomach turned. Quatre dry heaved, his stomach aching as if someone had stabbed him there, repeatedly.
Carefully, he let his gaze wonder around the room. The door was opened. Quatre didn't know why, but for some reason that scared him.
Shifting his gaze to the left, he started, nearly falling from the bed. Sitting beside him in a rickety old chair was Mr. Khushrenada himself. The man reached a pale hand out to touch Quatre's forehead. Quatre stilled, fighting the urge to cringe.
"I see your fever's broken. That's good."
"Why are you here?" Quatre asked, annoyed at how soft and weak his voice had just sounded.
Treize leaned over him, his presence pushing Quatre back into his mattress. Gazing up at the vampire above him, Quatre noticed how long and very sharp those fangs seemed at such a small distance. Treize's eyes shone with amusement as he leaned even closer, his fangs brushing the shell of Quatre's ear.
"What would you do I wonder?" He whispered, his voice deep and breathy.
"What?" Quatre croaked, too scared of the man's fangs to say anything smart.
"What would you do if I told you your families death wasn't an accident?" Quatre's eyes widened. After all these years…
"What would you do if I told you they were murdered? If I told you I knew who murdered them and could help you get revenge?"
"No!" Quatre shouted, pushing Treize away. If Quatre killed the people who killed his family, then the survivors would come after him and the people precious to him, creating a never ending cycle of death.
Treize laughed as Quatre struggled for breath. He got up and walked towards the door.
"When you are ready to know, find me and I'll tell you."
Quatre gripped the sheets in white-knuckled fingers. A part of him, a large part of him, wanted to know who did it and extract revenge. The other part of him believed in the pacifism taught to him by his sisters and father.
"Get out."
Both sides were at war with each other, and despite Quatre's vehement refusal of Treize's help, he still knew that one day he might be back here.
Every since his family's death, the kind, pacifistic side of Quatre started to rot away, leaving his thirst for revenge greater than ever.
Quatre gripped his heart, holding back his tears.
Treize closed the door with a smile.
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To say Trowa was mad would be the understatement of the century. Trowa was livid. He felt betrayed, foolish, and confused at the same time.
Events leading up until this point and time flashed before his eyes. Catherine crying, tangled up and held hostage by Dorothy. Dropping his weapons. Watching Quatre drop his weapons. The suffering spell, watching as the blonde writhed in pain, screaming, and not being able to do anything about it, all to help a person who wasn't even his sister. Another emotion followed the others. Guilt: horribly heavy guilt that threatened to crush him were he stood.
"Who are you?" To a person that didn't know Trowa, they would think that he was perfectly calm and collected. Trowa was an expert at hiding his emotions, mostly because he hadn't believed he had any emotions left.
"My name is Noin, Trowa." Calmly, the woman moved his hands off of her. Though Trowa seemed to be in perfect control, Noin knew he was only a teenager by elfin standards and a mere baby by hers.
Trowa opened his mouth to speak, but Noin held a hand up, silencing him. In her actual form, he was nearly his height, so it wasn't too hard.
"I am a water elemental." As she spoke, the woman's formed changed. She suddenly became about three inches shorter than Trowa, with golden blonde hair and blue-green eyes.
Trowa took a step back, alarmed at the sight of 'Quatre.'
"I mean you no harm Trowa," she even spoke in his voice!
"You see, I am also against the Devil's Claw organization." Trowa frowned in disbelief, but 'Quatre' smiled before shifting back into Noin.
"Prove it," Trowa told her, an eyebrow raised.
Noin took his hand in hers, leading him to a very special room, one that hadn't been opened for hundreds of years.
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Zechs Marquise stepped out from his hiding place. As Trowa and Noin left his sight, he smiled. It was time. The tables were turning, and this time Treize would be the one to pay.
Carefully, he knocked on the temperamental rider's door.
"Who is it?" the boy asked, his voice muffled by the thick door.
"Zechs Marquise." There was a pause, some shuffling, and the door opened, revealing the lithe teen. His slightly slanted eyes glared up at Zechs with cold determination.
"Why are you here?" Zechs almost laughed. Wufei and Heero were so much alike. They were blunt, and neither had any regard for tact.
Zechs decided he would be just as blunt.
"Treize Khushrenada has lied to you." Zechs half expected the rider to slam the door shut in his face, but Wufei had been losing trust in Mr. Khushrenada.
"How so?" Wufei stepped away from the door, allowing Zechs to enter the meticulous room and sit down on an expensive, iron-wrought chair.
"Do you want to know the real reason why neither you or Meiran has seen your parents since you were brought here?"
Wufei's eyes narrowed. Zechs sighed. That was as close to a yes as he was going to get. It was time to tell Wufei everything. After all, Relena's Sanq would amount to nothing if she didn't have knights to defend her.
