KC: Finally, I know a lot of authors don't do this (if any at all) but the writing process is not a clean precise thing. It's messy and there are a lot of casualties. Therefore, I'll give you a rare behind-the-screen look at the stuff that didn't quite make it into the story. Some of them are notes, some of them are things I cut for various reasons, some are just loose ends I didn't care to tie up.

Duo: Oh, kinda like a DVD extra.

Wufei: Figures she'd stick it to us one last time.

Trowa: We should have just enough popcorn to last.

what does gun dam mean? damnio-gunnan soul machine--eat the user's soul--destroy gundams after

after battle--what the heck is in that basket trowa has? --- seeds bringing back to kingdom

Lagrange insignia--angel wings

Oz insignia--pair of white fangs that look like angel wings

White Fang--wolf angel

Meet Hilde and Howard in Corazon

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I. Mariemaia--trying to gain control of Lagrange, Corazon and Sank kingdoms; homunculi of Treize

A. she's a pawn of Derek Barton, who's manipulating the Romefellar group into doing his dirty work.

1. Romafellar - Duke Dermail, Inspector Acht, General Septem, Tsubarov (chief engineer), Quinze, Sedici,

2. Laoshi O is Dermail's sorcerer and the one targeting Wufei. Intends to kidnap him for clan's defenses. Hired by clan. Challenge to him, tried to get response, didn't count on him being more mature than that.

3. The Bartons are necromancers--Barton Consortium--Mobile Dolls--mannequins

a. The Bartons helped sink Sank before.

4. Chris Marly--blonde Zechs-imitation, secretary to Relena

5. Ralph Kurtz--used by Bartons, lost his colony along with Chris in battle.

1. Hilde--street vendor, fortune teller

Mariemaia, a homunculi from when Treize's hair when he rescued Wufei out of the slave market. Barton was a necromancer willing to buy, came just as Treize left with Wufei.

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Heero is actually the son of an assassin.

Duo--gets overly emotional (bursts into tears) when he uses his power

Trowa--Brother to Catherine, a member of an acrobatic troupe.

Wufei-- thao-thieh: terrifying form of a dragon. chhi-lin: justice bringer looks like a unicorn

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Duo smiled gratefully at both of them, but didn't say anything. Heero had told him to keep out of trouble, and for once he'd keep his mouth shut.

"I'll have you crying my name and begging for more."

"You really climbed these walls?"

"Yeah, it was easy! Walking on the tops, now that was hard."

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"...Treize?"

The officer halted at the door but didn't turn. "What?"

Wufei winced and wiped an annoying tear aside. "Do...do you have to...go...right now?"

Treize sighed in exasperation and whirled. "What on earth are you--?" He stopped. Wufei had lowered his head, his breathing came in irregular little gasps, and he didn't seem to notice how his hands plucked at the sheet covering his body, clutching at it like a security blanket. "Wufei?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "It's nothing important. I didn't mean to anger you."

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"You see," Wufei's voice echoed inside the baths. "I told you so."

Heero carried Duo in and over to the far corner pool where Treize and Trowa had their own slaves. Quatre waved, and Heero nearly dropped Duo when the boy waved back. "Did everyone sleep in?"

"They did," Trowa answered, tilting his head at Wufei and Treize. "Quatre just loves warm baths."

Wufei grinned at Quatre, who stuck his tongue out.

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"No honorifics. No titles." Zechs gave Noin a soft smile, an enigmatic look to everyone except his wife.

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Treize brushed the loose strands aside before he answered. "I...am not used to owning someone. I don't understand why you obey when you're so much stronger."

"Because you love me and care for me. Otherwise I'd buck you right off," Wufei chuckled. "Are you afraid your horse will bolt?"

Treize spared a quick kiss, teasing the corners of his mouth. "Not really."

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"We haven't had enough time to train with the gundams."

"I don't think we needed more time." Quatre spun one around in his hand. "Yesterday we were getting used to them. Now that we've had a little time, they feel natural."

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Seeing his victory snatched away, Dermail slowly stood and drew his sword. "You little whelp..." He raised his sword but felt claws pierce his hand. When he looked up, he had a brief glimpse of Nataku screeching before she whipped her tail into his eyes, then dragged one clawed wingtip over his throat, sending blood gushing onto the top of the chariot.

When he fell to his knees, the chariot shuddered, but when he dropped forward and blood poured out of him in a large pool, the chariot stopped and the glow died altogether.

Quatre landed on the chariot and untied Wufei before scooping him up, taking him back to Treize who could only look at his love, in too much pain to move.

"Ah, silver. That explains it. Is there a way to take it off?"

Wufei opened his eyes and found Treize in front of him. He put his hand out and touched his lover's bloodied uniform. "I did good?"

Treize smiled. "Yes, you did very good. Do you think you can take that collar off?"

"Why? It feels good."
"You need to take it off."

The sorcerer shook his head once. "It'll hurt."

"Wufei...don't try my patience right now. I'm in no mood for it."

With a noise that sound vaguely like a whine, Wufei fingered the ring of metal around his throat. Without any lights or power surges, the collar merely slipped off of his throat and dropped to the ground. Immediately Wufei shut his eyes and leaned against Quatre.

On the ground, Duo sighed and leaned back into Heero's arms. "Are we done now?"

Heero stared at the chariot in front of them. "If Wufei can dismantle that thing."

"Well, let's go ask him. I don't wanna be out here anymore."

"Agreed."

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"Yes, I think we're done. I'll let Zechs and Noin assign cleanup details and...Zechs...where's Zechs?"

"Oops." Duo pointed up at the pair still dangling in midair. "I caught them but I forgot to bring them down."

Both of them upside down with their long blonde hair covering their faces, Dorothy and Zechs did their best to glare at Duo without seeming ungrateful.

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A horse head nosed through the canvas and popped in front of Quatre, making him scramble towards Duo. "Don't let it eat me!"

After a glare at Zechs, Duo hugged Quatre close while trying not to laugh. "Q', it's not gonna eat ya. It's a horse. Horses don't eat people."

"It's Rashid's fault," Zechs said, turning his horse sideways so its head left the wagon. "He told him some myth about a pack of meat eating horses."

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"Guards!"

Lord Barton found himself surrounded by twenty Maganacs, each taller than the last. "But sire!"

"Take this man to the deepest dungeon and lock him there."

High in the tower, Wufei watched as Barton was escorted out of sight. "Damn...he'll be in the dungeon then. Nataku, we're going to have to be exact about where we place our defenses."

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"Hilde?" Duo asked. "Is that you?"

"Duo?"

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"Things were getting bad in Lagrange, so I came to Corazon. After war, everyone wants to hear good prophecy." She shrugged. "I tell 'em what they wanna hear."

"And this troupe thing?"

"Catherine takes care of me. Everyone's nice, and I don't have to go out on the street too often."

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Noin: Preventer Fire

Sally: Preventer Water

Zechs: Preventer Wind

Une: Preventer Earth (Two-face behind her back)

Wufei: Preventer Dragon

Heero: Preventer Angel

Duo: Preventer Shinigami (Braid later)

Quatre: Preventer Sandrock

Trowa: Preventer Lion

Treize: Preventer Thorn

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. I'd dreamed of possessing you, of you possessing me...

"I never dreamed I'd find myself in the libraries...that I could be so brutally influential...it's a nightmare."

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"Une and Mariemaya were both controlled by others."

"Une set me and Wu' and the doctors free before we suffocated."

"You're making my own point for me. Treize wanted you alive, and she did whatever he wanted."

"Why would Treize want us alive if he was so bent on taking over the colonies? He was trying to prolong the war to a climactic end and show people how awful and pointless battle is."

"Then he was a warmonger."

"He was a pacifist," Duo said. "That's why that war was so awful, it was a war fought by people who hate war."

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"Treize wasn't trying to take over the colonies, he was trying to prolong the war to a climactic end and show people how awful and pointless battle is."

"He was a pacifist," Trowa said. "That's why that war was so awful, it was a war fought by people who hate war."

"That's insane," Heero whispered.

Zechs nodded. "That was the point."