Disclaimer: not mine

AN: New seriesfun funit's the first series that I've written in a llllloooooooonnnnnnggggggggg time!! .^_^ It's an AU fic as well, (something I've never done, YAY! Ehh heh heh.) Well, enjoy minna! Have fun, I know I will!

"The Mid-Land Nation have grown stronger." Two men sat on opposite sides of a table, rheumy eyes gleaming slightly in the ominous darkness of the room, the only sound accompanying their voices were the quiet scrape of chair against marble as they leaned forward, seemingly absorbed in the chess pieces that stood in two neat rows. A gnarled finger tapped casually at the chessboard before picking a single piece up, caressing the dark pawn before moving it forward one step. "We have taken over the Eastern Sphere, and in the West, the TransDiem Nations as well as the once mighty Kingdom of the Three Rivers are ours." A laugh, nasty and sharp, snapped through the air like a whip. "Tuberov is to be congratulated, by the way, for his ingenuous work with the dikes. Releasing them all at once and flooding their own villages was such anexpedientway to take care of the problem."

"Hmmand the Dominion?"

"Our dear Commander Dekkam is whittling away at the farther provinces as we speak." The dark knight was moved over three steps up, then one to the side, the rearing horse making harsh sandpapery sounds against the black and white squares before landing decisively in the white. "Unfortunately, Treize has become so desperate, he even asks the Sanq Kingdom for their aid."

"That pacifist nation? The Prelate is willing to protect the Dominion, is she?" The white queen moved forward seven paces to be captured by the knight, "Good move."

"Thank you. I did think so." Was the sardonic reply, but the first man ignored his companion as he picked up the fragile piece, inspecting the glass figurine minutely before tossing it to one side. It rolled precariously on the edge of the wooden table before falling to the marble floor in a tinkle of breaking glass under the watchful gaze of the two men. "Did you have to do that? I was winning." The nasal voice complained, but the other man was already rising out of his chair.

"Come, we have much to do. More than playing around with pretty baubles, at the very least." He strode out of the room, the door opening in a brief flash of light before creaking shut with a hollow bang. For a minute the remaining contestant sat thoughtfully in his seat before reaching out with a casual hand to inspect the knight. With a shrug he dropped it onto its side, letting it loll around forlornly before coming to a halt at the base of the dark king's feet. Smiling coldly, he stood up to follow his colleague out of the room, then paused.

"All hail the Queen," he muttered snidely, then tipped over the white king before he too walked out of the room. The king clattered against the black knight, causing it to tumble to the ground, rolling until it rested near the shattered remains of the queen. The moonlight gleamed slightly on its marred surface, revealing the cracks that ran through the surface of glass like spider webs running through water

***

Sand and dust blew across the arid plains, driven by the harsh winds that rippled the grass and forced saplings to bow their heads to the incoming storm. A hint of rain darkened the skies, turning the clouds a smoky gray in stark contrast to the metallic sky. A trio of riders sat motionless on their steeds, eyes fixed ahead of them with quiet intensity, unmoved by nature's screaming, as they seemed to wait forsomething. A thrush called raucously from a gnarled branch in shrill counterpoint to the lower moaning of the winds, but as they ignored the antics of earth, so they ignored the small bird which, disgusted, flitted away to taunt something worthier of its time.

One of the men lifted his head slightly, then glanced at his companions, features hooded and unemotional from underneath a shock of terra-brown bangs that covered the right side of his face. "Rain." He commented simply, and the others nodded curtly in acknowledgement.

"Hai."

Obsidian eyes narrowed in annoyance as the mare shift uneasily beneath him, tossing her head restlessly as the corded muscles of at her neck bunched, then relaxed in a series of tiny ripples. He laid a soothing hand on the beast's flank, caressing the tough hide with his knuckles, then raised a brow in surprise to find her dripping with saltine runnels of sweat.

"Nataku is restlesswe have stayed here too long." He reined his horse in more firmly as the thoroughbred tossed began pawing at the ground, gouging a small hole in the loose soil. He shifted in his seat to scowl at the brooding features of one of his bodyguards, but the other merely glanced back at him indifferently. "They are late, Nanashi."

An equally cold voice replied softly, "They'll be here, Wufei."

Wufei clenched his teeth before allowing his body to relax, unwilling to upset the already taut mare as he answered bitingly, "It is a trap. Perhaps the Prelate of the Sanq Kingdom has no intention of allying itself with the Dominion." He looked to the last rider for support, but Heero shook his head, his unruly bangs hiding his expression, saying nothing in defense or support of the woman.

Nanashi did not turn to look at the Chinese, merely lifted his shoulders in a negligent shrug. "She is an honorable woman; her people say she has ruled her country well"

"Oh?" Wufei challenged, "And how do we know that this onna has done as you say, Nanashi? The Dominion has never initiated any contact with thisthis Kingdom." Wufei almost spat the word, dark eyes hard, "You have no proof to substantiate your claim."

Nanashi threw him a single ironic glance before turning his attention back to the ever-shifting prairie. "The Dominion has offered political alliances to no one before the war."

"Nonetheless-"

"Enough." Heero's calm voice interrupted Wufei's diatribe, causing the two other Dominion warriors to glance at him in askance. He nodded slightly towards the long plume of dust clouds that was quickly approaching them. "They are here." Kicking his horse into a swift canter and he left Wufei to narrow his eyes at the guard before turning Nataku to follow.

"It remains to be seen whether they can be trusted." Wufei muttered doggedly but Nanashi merely smiled, saying nothing.

***

Six horses galloped across the dusky fields, the expressions of their riders masked by hoods and sashes tied across their face to combat the affects of the stinging sands. They rode in a pyramidic shape, one in the front, two flanking her, and three behind them, ducking their faces deeper into their hoods. A man with a long braid grinned mischievously at one of the other guards at his side, violet eyes twinkling in wicked cheer as he whispered, "If I didn't know better ojou-san, I would think that they sent for us at the harshest season of the year."

Her azure eyes lit up in quickly suppressed laughter before the amusement was concealed beneath a serene façade as she murmured back, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were right, Duo."

They both turned as their companion, a petite girl with raven-black hair gave another not so petite sneeze, hands wiping tears away from her cheeks as the sand irritated her sensitive eyes. "I hate this wind, damnit" She coughed and choked again as a particularly strong gust of wind tore her scarf from her mouth, filling it generously with a handful of sand before she managed to tuck the fly-away edges back into her hood. "Damn them, damn their sand, and most of all, damn their ever cursed wind!"

Duo smirked, his characteristically wicked charm surging to the forefront again as he teased, "Not used to a little breeze after the easy life as a Mandalore guardswoman, eh?" then immediately ducked with a yelp that was only half-feigned as she raised a threatening fist in his direction.

"Not used to it after this because I am a Sword-sworn of the Prelate and I stay as a Palace guard." she retorted, jabbing an elbow into Duo's side before another sneeze shook her. "Gods aboveassassins and thieves and the occasional court function, I can handle. This godforsaken land has wind! Why couldn't we have waited for them to come to us? Or at least waited until fall when the worst of the summer sand-storms are over?"

Duo shrugged, then glanced at Relena, who sighed wearily.

"The Mid-Lands have taken the provinces of Chelsi and NorthBank from them alreadythey do have legitimate concerns," She replied. "With those two provinces stripped away, they have just lost the only buffer zone they had. The Sanq Kingdom can replace that and in return, we get protection from the south. The Mid-Land Nation is growing stronger with every new conquest, it is a surprise that the Sanq Kingdom has even remained intact thus far" Worried eyes glanced at the other two. "Lady Une petitioned for an audience with the representatives of the Dominion for a long timeIt was only last winter that they responded with anything except a noncommittal answer."

"Of course," Duo smirked, flipping his braid casually over his shoulder, "I was there, remember? Stoic soldiers, all of them. Old saying goes that every Dominion warrior has a sword in his hand and a sword up his ass." He shook his head, "But manI have never met a fiercer pack of wild dogs in my lifehaven't gotten one of their warriors to say more than three words either."

"You probably annoyed the Hell outta them, last time, and that was the only reason they said anything to a braided baka like you!" Hilde retorted and he laughed in tacit agreement.

"Yeahcracked jokes and behaved like an idiot until finally, this guy says his famous three words. 'Omae o kuruso.' That's it, end of story."

"Omae o kuruso? I will kill you?" Hilde asked incredulously, then glanced at Relena, who shook her head in ignorance and disbelief. "At a peace delegation?"

"No joke." Duo replied, then grinned, "Lady of the Shiny Glasses just about strangled me with my braid when she told me to shut uppolitely, of course."

Relena stifled a smile before answering, "Remember Duo, Lady Catalonia is just as strict, and she won't stop at 'just about'; she will do some strangling when you get out of line." The Guardswoman glanced at him in warning, "If you do anything to jeopardize relations with the Dominion, I might help her."

Duo smirked, "Sure ojou-sanI believe you. Come oneveryone knows that beneath that nasty little Agiel, you're a pacifist, born and bred. You wouldn't harm a fly." He was nearly unseated as the small duel-bladed Agiel sang inches away from his face before the gold-link chain spun to wrap around Relena's slender wrist again, the blade caught between her fore and middle fingers as she raised a questioning brow.

"Oh?"

Beside her, Hilde choked in laughter at the surprise and indignation that was evident on Duo's lean face, even beneath the layers of sash and cloth while Relena merely smiled serenely, tucking the small weapon back into her sleeve.

"Apparently, she thinks you're lower than a fly," Hilde said mischievously, then glanced towards their blonde companion. "What do you think, Rel?"

"Enough." The three looked up as the ambassador reigned in her horse, skillfully calming it as it snorted, shifting uneasily as the sand whirled around its hocks with stinging viciousness. "They are here. I want no pranks, no provocation this time," Her flaming azure eyes lingered particularly on Duo before the swept over the rest of her convoy, before she nodded once sharply, turning back to the incoming warriors. "Or be assured, I will to take matters into my own hands."

"Sheesh, who died and made her Prelate?" Duo muttered as Odin and Quatre fell back with the rest of the guards, forming a single straight line. Odin raised a brow and Hilde grimaced beneath her sash, even though they all smoothed their faces into unrevealing masks, silent sentinels that were as dangerous as they were skillful.

"Quiet Duo," Relena murmured quietly, "we are her guards; the Prelate trusts the Lady with foreign relations and you are out of line questioning the Prelate's decision."

"The Captain is correct, Duo." Quatre said, quiet strain and anxiety marring his face. He brushed back his light blonde hair with agitated restlessness before glancing back at the braided man. "This is not the time to joke. You know the temperaments of these warriorsthey have much pride and honor.They are very dangerous people and strong fighters. We don't need another enemy against us. Especially not-" Duo's soft laughter interrupted him and he grinned, holding his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Oi oi oiso little faith, ojou-san, Quatre-sanwould I do anything to endanger relationships between us and those sword-wielding Dominion representatives?"

"You would be the first," Hilde muttered darkly, but Duo's retort was lost in the thunder of hooves as their three guides skidded to a stop. For a second, only the wind's voice howled as the two groups seized up on each other, analyzing each other's strengths and weaknesses warily, as hands strayed to fidget absently with still-sheathed weapons.

Finally, a man in pristine white dismounted, bowing in a perfunctory manner before he snapped coldly, "My name is Chang Wufei, head of the Clan of the Dragon. These are my escorts, Heero Yuy and Nanashi. We will be the ones you deal with upon coming to the White Fang Dominion." Dorothy's back stiffened at the lack of traditional greetings and her horse, sensing a sudden change in her rider's mood, bared her teeth, and flattening her ears in subtle warning.

"My my, isn't that nice," Duo whispered sarcastically, "Queen of Cats meets Chauvinistic Pigcould this day get any better?" then he grunted slightly as Hilde kicked him in the leg.

"Shut up Duo." She whispered, gripping her reins tighter. But she didn't look away from the three newcomers as her fingers touched her mare's sweat-sheened neck. "Even Aries is behaving better than you are. Just shut up and pretend that your half as competent as you think you are."

Duo's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to hiss back at her. But once again, he denied action as Relena threw a cautioning glance at him, hand touching her Agiel beneath her voluminous sleeves. With a disgusted mutter, he subsided into silence, smoothing his braid down before once again sitting still on his battlesteed, caressing the long cloth-bound pack that hung at his side.

The Sanq representative raised an eyebrow coolly at the chilly reception, not deigning to reply and not bothering to dismount as she sat glaring down at him from her tall mare. Instead she regarded him as one might regard an insect about to be crushed beneath a boot heel, causing him to flush in angry embarrassment. Before relations could be cancelled before they had been begun, Relena slipped off her horse, ground-tying the stallion before walking up to Dorothy and offered a hand up to her with a slight bow. Dorothy smiled slightly in feline amusement before calmly accepting the proffered assistance, sliding off the horse and straightening her ornamental mantle. She turned, nodding regally at the furious ambassador of the Dominion as she stood slightly in front of Relena. "Lord Chang. I am Lady Dorothy Catalonia of the House of Catalonia, eldest of my family and Advisor of the Prelate."

Wufei choked, "A woman?!"

Dorothy narrowed her eyes but ignored the remark, as she glanced around her at the barren plains and smiled mockingly. In subtle retaliation, she purred softly, "The Lady Relena Peacecraft is my Captain at Arms and this is her unit, the Preventers. Duo Maxwell and Hilde Schliebecker of the Imperial Guards, Quatre Rebaba Winner of the House of Winner, and her Second in Command, Odin Lowe. They have acted as my guards and my escorts, journeying across your," She glanced around her again in an almost deprecatory manner, "holdings, in an effort to speak with you at the Prelate's behest. Tell me, representative, is this where we will carry out the peace talks? Does His Majesty Trieze wish to freeze and sand-blind us into submission?" Wufei stiffened at the insult, hand going to the hilt of his katana, and Dorothy instinctively slid her own fingers around her saber's hilt as the two combatants squared off. But Relena was suddenly in front of Dorothy, her gleaming Agiel spinning effortlessly into her hand.

"Ambassador Chang, I am bound by loyalty to the Sanq Kingdom to ensure Lady Catalonia's safety on this mission. I will not allow you to harm her in any way. Therefore I would asknoI demandthat take your hand from your blade." The Guardswoman's voice muffled by the heavy cloth that covered the lower half of her face, but her flashing eyes were warning enough. "You have your own loyalty to the Dominion-"

"Do not lecture me on how to do my job, onna!" Wufei spat insolently, causing a shift in the line of riders as the Preventers responded to the veiled insult of their commander, but it was another voice that cut into the conversation, calm yet as deadly as a steel axe.

"Ambassador Chang, His Excellency Trieze waits for us at the capital." Relena glanced up warily as one of the Dominion bodyguards moved forward, azure clashing with dark Prussian and her hand tightened around her Agiel instinctively. There was a primitive wildness in his gaze, hot emotion masked by the subtler façade of a soldier, and then it was gone in the next second, leaving her shaken and wondering if she hadn't only imagined it.

Dorothy nodded briefly before she turned towards Wufei, lowering her lashes to hide the mistrust that sparked in her eyes, brushing wayward bangs from her face. "Forgive me for rousing you, Lord Chang," She said, as a brittle smile, as false as the apology had been, crossed her face, "It seems that this war has brought nerves taut and tolerance to the breaking point, does it not?"

He nodded once, his own face cold as ice. He did not bother to smile as he gestured behind him. "Of course. Please follow us into the capital. We will be your guard for-"

"Again, I must ask forgiveness," Dorothy interrupted and Relena glanced back to her unit, praying that cooler head would prevail. Their eyes were narrowed and face set at the newest insult, however unwittingly offered and their gaze was focused solely on Wufei's form. Odin fingering his dagger maliciously.

"Seems to me t'Lord needs t'be cut down a few inches from his pedestal," He murmured softly to Duo, who nodded once, a wolfish smile crossing his own face.

"Damn me if you aren't right," Duo answered quietly, eyes hard as sparkling amethysts, "What say we do the cutting; you get his head, I get what makes him a man."

"Are you sure he's even that?" Odin rumbled, and the cloth merely stretched tighter across Duo's face as his grin widened, but he made no reply as he listened avidly to Dorothy's rebuttal.

"This is my guard unit, Lord Changas I have mentioned before. Youneedn'tbotheryourself worrying for my safety. They are here for more than ornamental purposes, trained to be our finest and most efficient soldiers." Dorothy smiled mildly, showing all her teeth, as she eyed the Oriental man with cold eyes. "They do understand the ways of warfare, Lordling, even if you believe that I do not. I trust they can defend me adequately, is that not correct, Captain Peacecraft?"

In response, Relena bowed her head, murmuring, "Of course, my Lady. We are here to serve."

Wufei ground his teeth together before mounting his horse, signaling curtly to his own men to follow, not bothering to look behind him. Dorothy narrowed cat-like eyes before swinging gracefully into her own saddle as Quatre and Odin moved up again to flank her sides. With a sigh, Relena whistled softly, causing her stallion to perk up his ears and trot forward obediently. She swung on as he passed, righting herself before gesturing for the others to follow in guard positions, as she scanned the flat plains for any potential danger as she moved to Dorothy's right side, next to Odin.

"What do you think of the Dominion warriors, Odin," She murmured quietly, eyes staring straight ahead. "I sensed nothing from them."

"Th'lord's restless," Odin whispered softly, "An'his guardscold as ice, both of them. They're hiding something."

She nodded, turning her head slightly so that only he could hear her above the wind, "YesI wonder if this bodes ill for the conference then. Lady Une made no mention of their inflexibility with women." There was worry in Relena's eyes that she couldn't mask. "Perhaps the Wolflings should have come in our stead"

"The Wolflings are n'inexperienced pack a' hotheads, and the Prelate knew." He glanced at her, then grinned crookedly, "You, of all people, should trust n'the decision of the Prelate, Capt'n. For 'er Kingdom, she has sent her best." Relena sighed, then wrapped the silken material more closely against her mouth against the sand that seemed to dig its way in through the folds of cloth.

"Sometimes I wonder if this fight isn't so meaninglessso many battles, so many lives. The Mid-Landers have lost as many, if not more of their men than the nations they have conquered. Have they no reverence for human life?"

"You don't have th'Barton mindset," Odin replied, his eyes gleaming with sympathy even as his voice turned to ice, "And th'Bartons are th'ones who govern the Mid-Lands. They're ruthless bastards, the whole Clan of 'em; insanetoo much inbreeding, maybe?" He gave a cynical laugh. "Th'want to keep the power in the family, you see, so marrying first cousins ain't unusual. They don't care if men die in wareven their own family. To them, men are just pawns in a game o' chess...insignificant and easily replaceable."

 Relena couldn't suppress a shudder that made its way up her spine, and suddenly, the winds became that much colder. "That's disgusting, Odin."

"Aye, Captain, t'is. But also true."

 ***

TERMS:

Agiel: a small bladed weapon with no handle and no hilt. Instead, a long chain loops through a hole bored into the center and twines around the wielder's arm and attaches at a collar around her throat.It's twin blades were sharp enough to cut through ordinary steel when thrown, the chain at the hand of an experienced wielder allowing her to maneuver the slight weapon. But in inexperienced hands though, it can easily be turned against the wielder, choking the person around the neck or if it isn't spun right, slicing into the person's own skin. Usually an expertise in this form of combat is a sign of skill or nobilityor both.

AN: This is the first AU fic I've ever written, and for once, sap isn't at it's core. *shock* I know^_^ I was kinda like "what the hell???" at my muse too, lol. But if you want to be updated when new chapters come out or when another one of my stuff comes out, just give me your email and I'll notify you when it comes out. Luv ya lotz minna!