Legend-2

    " Man, they're such asses, makin' us try to talk with that wolphen . . ." Duo stopped Deathscythe and looked around. Hm . . . I could've sworn I saw a flash of white . . . Must be my imagination."
     Quatre's tired, yet awed voice broke through his anger. " Duo, look over there."
     Turning slowly, Duo saw a shimmery silver unicorn. For a moment, it watched them as they watched it and then reared, spreading equally beautiful wings to either side. Its hooves came in contact with the earth and it stepped into the sunligh, causing its coat to shine even more brightly.
     As it made its way toward them, they heard a soft voice say, [You two look tired. Why not rest? I can help. Just hold out your hand.] They did so without thinking and the pegacorn touched its crystal-clear horn to their palms. They began to slump over their mounts' withers. [If you ever need my help again, just call for me. Call for Seraph.]
                                                                   *~*~*
     It started to leave, but Heero wasn't about to let it. He burst out of the brush, the other three behind him, and grabbed a coil of rope from his saddlebags. He aimed precisely and pulled back as the ropes settled around the creature's neck. The pegacorn let out a strangled sound as it fought its captor, to no avail. It couldn't escape, no matter how much it thrashed and pulled. Reasoning that it may find a way out of this later, it gave up.
     Heero tied the animal to the pommel of his saddle before looking over to where Trowa was checking their friends. " So?"
     Trowa looked up. " They're out. Whatever that thing did, it's making them sleep pretty deeply."
     Heero glared at the pegacorn. " You'd better start talking." The creature did nothing but glare right back at him. " Did you destroy that town?" It snorted. Heero growled. If only Duo or Quatre were awake . . . Iie, I'm relying on them too much. I have to figure this out myself.
     But the pegacorn was unresponsive to any threat thrown at it. It just refused to speak. So it was placed next to the wolphen, who gave it a look and said something the other squealed angrily at.
                                                                    *~*~*
     " It's about time you two joined the living."
     Duo ignored him and got up. " That was one flashy pegacorn, ne Quatre?"
     " Sure was. All silvery and that clear horn . . ." Quatre glanced around at the other four who were staring at them scrutinizingly. " Nani?"
     " Feeling all right?" Zechs asked.
     " . . . Hai."
     Duo finally took notice of the others. " What bit you four in the ass?"
     " Nandemo nai," Heero snapped. " We're just making sure you both can function properly."
     " Doushite?" Duo thought for a moment. " Oh. It didn't hurt us." He turned and disappeared into the kitchen. " Actually, it was really nice. I wouldn't mind talking to it again."
     " Good. It's in the cell beside the wolphen."
     " I can't believe you locked it up!" Quatre exploded. " That's so cruel! It was trying to help us!"
     " We would've let it go," Trowa put in, " but it wouldn't tell us anything. All it did was stare at us."
     Quatre opened his mouth to yell, but Duo's stopped him before he could make a sound. " Give that back you theiving reptile! That's my sandwich!" There was a pause as everyone heard a quick, light pattering followed by a running Duo's longer, heavier steps. Both sounds suddenly stopped. " What in the lava pits of Hell happened to the dragon?!"
     They all followed Duo's gaze to the only other doorway in the room. A girl stood there with Duo's peanut butter and jelly sandwich in her hands, which were covered by fingerless black gloves. She wore a hip-length black satin robe that was tied behind her back, leaving everything from the waist up exposed except for her arms--which were covered by the robe's sleeves--and her breasts, which were secured in a sports bra. Her legs were clad in the same satiny material as the robe and though it hugged them it didn't restrict any excessive movement. Velvetish black ankle boots seemed connected to the pants and lastly, her long, gold-tinted chestnut hair was in a braid tied off with a black band, making it possible for she and Duo to be mixed up from behind. She wore a strange black pendant made of onyx and her eyes, contrary to Duo's, were marine blue, which none of the guys had ever seen before.
      She looked around the room at the six staring at her and the sandwich disappeared, reappearing in Duo's hands. " Gomen. Couldn't resist."
      The sandwich disappeared again as Duo raced toward the girl and tackled her, pinning her to the stone floor. " You were a dragon! And though dragons are adept at magic they sure as hell can't shape-shift, which means you're a Mystik!"
      The girl struggled. " I only came here because you're hold some aquaintances of mine a---" She closed her mouth, not willing to say any more.
      The guys came to the same realization at once. They stared at each other in bewilderment. They had three female Mystiks when there weren't supposed to be any. Duo looked back at the girl and yelped.
      " Duo?" Quatre asked.
      " Look at her eyes! They changed color!"
      Indeed they had. Instead of being marine blue as before, they were now turquoise and reflected her growing anger.
      Shaking off his surprise, Duo pulled the girl to her feet and practically drug her down to where the wolphen and pegacorn were. He held her shoulders so she couldn't escape. " There they are, Mystik. Free them if you think you can get away with it."
      The girl looked at the caged creatures. " You two are real good, no da? Getting yourselves captured."
      The wolphen snarled. [Go away, Cosmos. We don't need your help.]
      " The hell you don't, Halcyon! Look at you! You're both stuck inside with nothing to help you out! I know the cells are warded, I can feel it. You two are a pair. You don't see the rest of us getting caught, do you?"
     The pegacorn stomped a hoof. [You don't exactly look like you got off scott-free yourself, Cosmos!]
     " Ha! I could leave whenever I pleased! I just wanted to come see you all and ask if you wanted help! Obviously you don't need any!"
     [We don't accept help from Death, Cosmos,] Halcyon growled.
     " For Pete's sake, are you going back to that?"
     [Hai.]
     " What's your problem?! Death is my Element! There's nothing I can do or say about it! Do you see me complaining when it rains to much or the sun doesn't go down on time? Ii~ie. Yet you complain just because my job is to escort the dead to where they should go!"
     [You kill people too!]
     " Shimatta, that's part of my job! I just don't kill people because I can! I'm told who's to die when and where they are, then wait for that time! I don't murder!" Cosmos seemed to be getting hysterical. " Do you think I like my job?! Do you think I like killing people?! If you do you're totally fucked up in the head!"
     Duo didn't know why he did it, but he hugged the girl from behind, speaking softly in her ear. She stiffened initially, but soon quieted and relaxed, turning into his embrace as if it happened all the time. She hid her face in his shirt for a while, then looked up. " You understand," she whispered. " I see it in your eyes."
     Once more, Duo reacted without knowing why. He nodded just before passing out.