Jaid: Hello and welcome to the first chapter! I’m sorry that it is so short, but I’m am exhausted and I still have papers to file and laundry to do. Oh, and by the way, Mariemeia is not a little girl in this fic, rather she is a young woman. Why? I have no idea…Please forgive the typo’s; it’s late.

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Chapter One

            Mariemeia sighed and leaned against the wall, then frowned and straightened at the incessant pounding at the door. Walking quickly, she paused to straighten her green dress and white apron, before opening the heavy, ornately carved oak doors.

            “Lord Chang!” she gasped and moved out of the way almost timidly. WuFei didn’t even seem to notice her. His clothing was torn and stained with old blood, his hair disheveled and his eyes had a steeliness to them that Mariemeia was not accustomed too.

            “Where’s your father?” he demanded.

            “The study.” Mariemeia answered in an almost inaudible tone. WuFei stormed off, his hand close to his sword as if he expected to be attacked, even in the great wizard’s home.

*  *  *

            Dorco stirred and sat up. It was early morning and a gloomy fog enveloped the land. The dwarf stood, and looked to where his companion should have been. Feeling slight alarm, Dorco looked about.

            “Quatre!” he shouted. “Quatre, where are you?” There was no sound but the echo of his voice. Dorco sighed, half with irritation half, with worry. Hefting his axe over his shoulder, he set off to find his friend.

*  *  * 

Plunk! Plunk! Another stone skipped across the small pond in the cave. A small black and gold dragon lifted his head and snorted.

            “That’s getting annoying.” he commented.

            “Tough.” the elf answered, his eyes fixed on the ripples. Strange, how one tiny pebble could make so many ripples; almost the same way one tiny mistake could lead to bigger repercussions.

            “Are you going to sit there and sulk all day?” the dragon asked, it’s tongue slipping in and out of it’s mouth.

            “Maybe.” the elf answered, then sighed. “It’s daylight.”

            “So, go take a walk.”

            “I don’t want too.”

            “Well,” the dragon shifted. “I would like to sleep, thank you. I don’t like your sulking, Duo.”

            Duo suddenly felt the urge to stick his tongue out at the dragon. “I don’t think I like your attitude, Deathscythe.” (A/N: So it’s lame, sue me…uh, I didn’t mean that…)

            Deathscythe yawned. “Well, I am most certainly not enjoying yours.”

            Duo stood and walked away.

            “Where are you going?”

            “To take a walk.” Duo answered. Deathscythe sighed and wondered if he would ever get around to understanding these creatures they called intelligent…

*  *  *

            Duo walked a little ways, mostly concerned with his own thoughts. The normally cheerful elf was downcast and somber this morning, as if a heavy burden was on his thoughts. Suddenly he stopped as his sharp ears picked up the sound of a song. It was beautiful and haunting, and well, sad. Duo cocked his head, then curiosity getting the best of him, he followed.

*  *  *

            “Trieze!”

            The wizard turned from the window, to see a young man in the shadows.

            “Lord WuFei.” He said gravely. WuFei walked closer.

            “You know then.” he said quietly.

            “The Eagles brought word of it, yes.” Trieze admitted. “I am sorry, WuFei.” he added, placing his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. WuFei shook it off and turned away.

            “I know they are empty words,” Treize continued. “But-“

            “I was too late.” WuFei murmured, almost too low for Trieze to hear.

            “Pardon?”

            “I was too late.” WuFei said louder, and Trieze could hear the tears in his voice. “I was too late to save them, to warn them.” He broke off, shaking visibly. Treize stood there, unsure of what to do. Finally, WuFei seemed to gain control of himself and faced Treize again.

            “What was it?” he asked. “I felt an Evil presence in the air, one that I could not identify.”

            Treize sighed heavily. “I think,” he said, “I need to call a council. There, all your questions may be answered, but for now,” he placed his hand on WuFei’s shoulder again. “You need to rest.”

            “If I can.” WuFei said bitterly.

*  *  *

            The singing had stopped. Duo sighed, disappointed. He continued walking for a ways when he saw another person, sitting cross legged on a large rock.

            “Hello?” Duo said, the other figure turned startled and Duo drew back. The other figure was already on it’s feet and had an arrow to it’s bow, although he did not draw back on it.

            “Uh, I’m not going to hurt you.” Duo said backing away, a little un-nerved. He had never, ever seen anybody move as fast as that. The other elf sighed, and replaced his arrow.

            “I won’t harm you.” he said in a low, quiet voice.

            “Oh, that’s good.” Duo swallowed. “Wood Elf?” he guessed. The other seemed surprised.

            “The bow and arrow thing. Only a Wood Elf would move that fast.” Duo explained. The other smiled.

            “Dark Elf?” he guessed. Duo nodded.

            “Yeah.”

            “Why out in the sun?” The wood elf asked.

            “My dragon kicked me out of our cave.” Duo grinned at the other’s expression and then stuck out his hand. “My name’s Duo.”

            The other hesitated, then slowly offered his. “Quatre.” he said.

            “Mind if I ask why you’re all the way out here?” Duo asked.

            “Exiled. You?”

            “The same.” Duo sighed. “Apparently I was too cheerful or something.” He was pleased to see the other’s mouth turn upwards a little at the corners. “Frankly, I’m surprised you haven’t run me through by now.”

            “Being exiled has taught me many things.” Quatre said in the same quiet tone. “Among them is that things are rarely as they seem.”

            “Oh.” Duo wasn’t sure how to answer that one. There was an awkward pause. Suddenly it was broken by the sound of someone shouting and swearing (quite heavily) in dwarvish. Presently, a dwarf made it’s appearance and came over to the wood elf angrily.

            “A pretty chase you led me on, Master Elf!” he practically shouted, shaking his axe at Quatre. “Did you stop to think that I might be worried?”

            “Sorry, Dorco.” Quatre apologized. “I had a dream and I decided to go for a walk to clear my head.”

            “Meaning you didn’t sleep at all.” Dorco mumbled and glared suspiciously at Duo. “Who’s he?”

            “My name’s Duo.”

            “Humph.” Dorco glared at him. “I wasn’t asking you.”

            “Well, it is my name.”

            Quatre sighed. He had a feeling this was going to be a looong morning.

*  *  *

            Relena sighed, looking at the small but delicate pedant on an equally delicate chain. It had been a gift, from an elf she had loved dearly. But he was gone now, she thought.

            Dorothy walked into the small pavilion and paused, then walked up to her younger sister.

            “He’s not coming back.” she said. Relena looked up, eyes full of tears.

            “I know that, Dorothy. Do you have to rub it in?” Relena stood and went to the stone railing, looking at the water fall below. Dorothy came up behind her.

            “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. What I meant was that maybe it’s time to move on.” she said softy. Relena sighed.

            “Did Father send you out here?” she asked. Dorothy’s cheeks grew slightly red.

            “Yes.” she admitted. “Frankly, I think he’s glad that you two aren’t involved any more. It would have been…complicated.”

            “Why?” Relena asked. “He was an elf, I was an elf; it’s not like  I was marrying a commoner or a mortal!”

            Dorothy was silent. A part of her wanted to understand Relena to sympathize, while the other half was almost glad she had lost her love. Glad, because Dorothy had loved him too.

            “He promised he would see me again one day.” Relena murmured. “And I believe him. Quatre was not one to break his word.”

            “Yes.” Dorothy agreed softy, then turned and walked away.

*  *  *

            “A Council?” Sally asked. Heero nodded his head slightly. Sally sighed.

            “I was wondering what took him so long. What’s happened?” she asked.

            “Tenar Sun has fallen.” Heero answered. Sally’s blue eyes widened.

            “Oh no. WuFei. Is he…?”

            “He’s alive.” Heero assured her. Sally breathed a sigh of relief.

            “Good. Does Relena know?” She said.

            “Treize is sending Ablar after her.” Heero turned around. “You’d better get what you need and then come.”

*  *  *

            Five days later, in Cart’ah’rath, the five wizards sat assembled. Treize was standing in the midst of them, he face grave.

            “My friends, we have come to a time all of us had hoped never to see. The Evil we thought was gone has returned. It has risen again in the South.” Treize paused and looked at WuFei, who was gazing rather emotionlessly into the fire pit. “Tanar, it’s capital and it’s people are the first fallen. We must seek out the other races and prepare them of the danger.”

            “But that won’t help if this Evil isn’t destroyed.” Heero pointed out. “How are we to do that.”

            Trieze sighed and his shoulders slumped slightly. “That, Heero Yuy, I do not know.”

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Jaid: *looks at scene with Relena and Dorothy* Quatre? Where the heck did that come from?*sigh*

Naga & Jad: *snicker*

Jaid: -_- I thought so…(hee,hee, I’ll bet you all thought she was going to say Heero, huh?)