Disclaimer: Don't own Gundam Wing... or the characters. Just this silly story.

Chapter 13:
The Three Honorable Siblings

Quatre couldn't help but feel nervous when he looked out over the two armies that were amassing at opposite ends of the plain below. He and Mariemaia had traveled to the battle front to personally oversee this great battle that will ensue. Even after having lived through both Eve Wars back home, he could not ever remember seeing such a large amount of people before in the whole of his life. When he had read that there was an army of a hundred thousand strong waiting for the young goddess's own army, he thought that Duo had exaggerated a bit. He was sure that that number had not been reached by either side, but now he wondered how the braided man had been able to gather so many people in such a short span of time.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he swallowed as his light eyes swept across the plain. He brought his hand up to his chest and held onto the cloth lightly. That strange feeling he would usually get when something unexpected was about to happen was stirring within him once more.

"Pfff!" the young girl brushed him off with a wave of her hand. "You always have a bad feeling about everything."

Quatre eyed the young girl over. He wanted to protest, but his mind couldn't get away from this feeling that filled him with dread. He couldn't explain it, no matter how hard he had ever tried. Most of his sister had just accepted it as a sort of sixth sense, his father had dismissed this side of him completely, and for the most part, only Duo and WuFei seemed to realize that there was something more to this feeling then meet the eye.

An officer strolled up to the two god's tent and knelt down before them. "Hail, O' merciful Amaterasu O-Mikami! A convoy approaches from your Honorable Brother, Susano-o's camp," he informed the two gods.

Mariemaia glanced over at Quatre. He shrugged slightly. She returned her gaze to the man before her. "What do they want?" she questioned, annoyance clearly in her voice.

"I do not know, but I believe that the scouts have spotted Susano-o himself among the convoy."

The young girl's eyes narrowed threateningly. What could Duo possibly want now? Didn't any of them get it? She wasn't giving up her claim no matter what any of them said or did. They would have to force her off her new throne if they really wanted her out of power, and that wouldn't go over very well with the natives. She was a goddess to the people and of this land and they would not stand for it, even if it was her godly bothers who dethroned her.

"Make sure he is well received," she waved her small hand at the officer, dismissing him from her presents. The officer bowed his head before turning and leaving.

"What do you think he wants?" she questioned angrily.

Quatre huffed amused by the question. Of course she already knew the answer to that. "To ask you to surrender before this meaningless fight begins."

"You don't think I can take them on, do you?" she eyed Quatre menacingly.

The blonde crossed his arms, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breathe. "For your age, you're quit formidable, and stubborn to boot." He heard the young girl breath sharply. "You're very much like your father," he continued on a much softer note. "He surrounded himself with capable people and got things done. He could be rather underhanded at times, but he got the results that he wanted. He knew how to get a crowd's attention, how to work them and seemed to love being in the lime light. People describe him as 'charming'. I say 'manipulator'. Regardless of the wording, it's all the same in the end. Even though I never personally met him, I think he was a great man. Clear minded with high expectations, for himself and those he surrounded himself with. You're much the same way, just a bit more flamboyant."

Quatre looked down at the young girl. A warm smile was now embedded on her delicate lips and her features soft. Even though she had never met her father either, she was quit fond of hearing what others had to say about him, the good and the bad. But especially the underhanded bad parts.

"Well," she began in a much more upbeat tone, "might as well go see what he's up to." And with that, the young girl made her way down the improvised walkway to what would be her receiving area.

Quatre followed close behind. A sly grin on his face as he mentally tallied another victory for himself over Mariemaia. Now, if only he could figure out how to make her surrender and return with the others before things got way out of hand.

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Mariemaia and Quatre's eyes went wide as Duo and two generals made their way forward. He had unbound his hair from its usual braid. It now looked like a dirty and completely knotted mess at his back. For some reason, he was walking around barefoot and the animal hides he was wrapped in made him look like some sort of caveman.

"Have you ever heard of a brush?" Mariemaia questioned rather disgusted by his new look.

Duo stopped and his generals knelt at his side in the presents of the three honorable siblings. "Gotta look the part," he replied, a Cheshire smile on his face. He shifted a bit uncomfortably as the other two continued to gawk at his new look. "I still have the comb you gave me," he began reaching up to the small red comb which pinned a portion of his hair back. He pulled it out and held it in his hands for a moment. "I kinnda miss you brushing my hair out."

Mariemaia smirked as Quatre smiled warmly. About the only thing that had kept the two from killing each other when they lived together was the fact that Duo allowed the young girl to play with his hair. In all honesty, it had taken Quatre by surprised. He knew the other pilot was protective and particular about his long mane. Trowa had once offered to cut it for him, leaving the dark clad youth appalled by the suggestion. Yet, Duo had allowed Mariemaia to care for his hair. She had spent hours brushing it out with that little red comb, thoroughly absorbed and enjoying herself with the seemingly endless task.

"Anyways," Duo pinned his hair up again, "this is your last chance, Marie. You don't want to do this. Not with Trowas, Heero, and WuFei plotting this all out. Those guys are crazy intense!" Though, deep down inside, he wished that Quatre had been the one on his side. The other three combined could never outshine the Arab man's tactical brilliance, even if the blond failed to see that himself.

"Mariemaia!" she snapped back, anger rising once more. She hated being called Marie. There was just something about that name that rubbed her the wrong way. And don't even get her started with Mia. She swore that she'd punch that next person who ever dared to 7butchered her name again.

Duo's grin was lost to confusion before he sighed heavily. She wasn't going to budge. Of course she wasn't going to budge! Why had he expected otherwise? Hope? Like when he had hoped that peace would magically come to the colonies so that he wouldn't have to descended to earth in Deathscythe? He frowned before turning around and quietly making his way back out, his generals at his heels. There was no point in staying any longer, besides the sun was going to set soon and he needed dinner.

Quatre sighed and tried one last time. "Please reconsider?"

"Hell no!" she got up and started heading for her quarters.

"This isn't going to end well…" Quatre was practically her shadow. He rarely let her out of his sight nowadays and it was staring to annoy her.

Halfway up to their quarters, the two turned to watched as Duo and his generals rode away into the distance. They both knew that the fighting would begin in earnest as soon as the sun rose the next morning. So, for now, they would retreat to their tents for much needed rest and-

A horn wailed in the distance and the two gods turned their attention back to the retreating convoy. As they watched, the two generals who flanked Duo raised red flags and sounded their horns once more before breaking off and heading in separate directions.

"What are they up to..?" Mariemaia questioned as her clear eyes narrowed. She was a bit edgy and very distrustful of those horns.

Quatre shrugged. She couldn't seriously be thinking that Duo was going to make his move now, could she? The sun was already setting. No one was stupid enough to fight a battle in the dark. Especially two bronze aged armies. There was a reason all historical battles had been fought during the day time, and it was simply because no one could see anything at night. It was meaningless to fight once the sun had set. You were more likely to stab someone on your side then your enemy during such an encounter.

A flicker to the far east side of the plain caught both of their eyes and the young girl gasped. Quatre's jaw dropped open as his eyes widened. He didn't know how, but the rice patties at the far end of the plain were being set on fire. One by one, they watched in stunned silence as the evening sky was lit up in a blazing glory.

"There goes our food rations for this upcoming winter," Quatre said dryly. "Still won't reconsider?"

A/N: Ohh, Mariemaia! You're such a strong-headed and steadfast young lady!

Anyways, I missed out uploading a chapter back in March (I think) and felt kinnda bad about it. Mostly because I broke my self imposed deadline of one chapter a month. So I will try to get a second chapter out sometime around the 20th- 26th of this month. Two chapters this month! ENJOY!