The boy peered, uninterested, at the meager offerings.  "How the heck am I supposed to use this?  Money.  I need cash, man."

The older man shrugged.  "This is all I have, take it or leave it."  He smirked at the fuming boy.

He made a face and absently flipped back his thick chestnut braid, tapping his fingers lightly against his side.  "Maa, ii yo.  I'll take..."  He let his slender hand drift over the old relics.  Most were rusted and pitted with old age, but one caught his eye.  Half-hidden under an ugly statue of some mushroom headed jiji wearing a toga, he spotted a glimmer of something...

It was a tiny dragon charm.  Dull with age and mishandling it hung from an old chain.  The dragon stood on powerful hind legs, wings spread as if preparing for flight...or in warning of an imminent attack.  Tiny sapphire gems for eyes winked at him.  He cupped it carefully in his hands, the charma warm weight.

"I'll take this one then, " he announced firmly, slipping the chain over his head.  The charm lay comfortably against the hollow of his throat.  The two shook hands.

The younger boy hit the streets once more, whistling cheerfully.  The older man watched the slender boy walk off, sunlight glinting off the steel frame of his glasses and claw.  He chuckled once more before fading into the shadows.  "Now, how'd I know you'd pick that one?"

"Duo, baka! How could you have accepted this stupid necklace for money?" cried Wufei, black eyes flashing.

Trowa stood unobtrusively in the background, arms quietly folded and watched the black-haired boy rant at the other.

Duo pouted, "Well, I think it was a good idea."  Possessively, he clutched at the charm, feeling an answering vibration and a tingle of warmth.  He would not return this!

Wufei snorted, not without a large dollop of exasperation and an amused sort of affection, "Ba~~~~ka!  This is why we never let you do the trading."  He lightly thumped the relieved boy over the head.  "Well...look's like rations 'till we can salvage something else."

A calm, deep voice spoke.  "I found another site.  There should be more gundamanium that we can dig up there."  He smiled faintly as Duo let out an enthusiastic whoop.

"See!  Told you it was a good luck charm."  He grinned and ran over to grab some of their excavating tools.  "I'll go right now!"

Wufei and Trowa rolled their eyes and also picked up their tools.  Duo hadn't asked where the place was.  He'd end up digging holes everywhere.  Companionably, the two followed the trail of Duo's cheerful singing.

The dark haired boy smirked in satisfaction, irritably brushing back his messy bangs.  Finally...after all this time.  He gently traced the laughing features of the charming boy in the water.  The surface rippled with the touch of his hand before once more focusing on creamy skin, laughing kissable lips, a beautiful heart-shaped face, and a wide violet eyes framed by ridiculously long lashes...

"Ryoukai.  I've found you again.:"

"He~~~~ero-kun!" (no not Relena ^^;;) The boy looked up frowning, reluctantly turning away from the captivating boy within reflected within the water.

"Heero!" The blonde boy ran up, smiling and waved cheerfully.

Heero's frown softened, and he nodded briefly in acknowledgement.  He was one of his closest companions since seeking refuge in this castle.  "Quatre."

"King Treize wishes to speak with you...concerning the usurpers."

Casting another look at the braided boy, Heero gestured with his hand, dispelling the spell, before making his way out of the room.

Hn.  He'd see the other soon enough.

And he'd never let go.

"Is he dozing already?"  Wufei's exasperated voice rang dimly through his mind.

"Ah.  Let him.  He did do most of the work."  Trowa's.

Wufei snorted.  "You mean because he's the dirtiest?  You think he'd be better at it by now."

"Ah."

Duo smiled drowsily before falling asleep...and into dreams.

A young boy, a toddler really, ran as fast as he could towards the pond...where is friend waited.  Bright violet eyes excited as he called out, "Hi-chan!  Hi-chan!"

"Down here."

He crowed gleefully and ran down to the lake's edge, barely managing to catch himself in time.  He peered down into the lake's surface with wide expectant eyes.  The golden brown haired boy waved chubby fingers at the image reflected within.  A dark haired toddler, his own age, waved back, absently flicking back iridescent pale wings before folding them against his back.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

The boy on land nodded, closing his eyes, and concentrated.  They had found that if Duo focused long enough, Heero could emerge from the watery depths.  He twitched his nose irritably as a breeze carrying pollen wafted by.  Itchy.  He rubbed his nose, cracking open both eyes and peering cross eyed at the tip...

"Pay attention!"

Oops.  He promptly shut both eyes once more and felt that tingly sensation run through his body, singing through his blood.  The feeling was indescribable.  His entire body felt light, almost floating, while at the same time a comforting warmth surrounded him...

"Finally."

Duo opened his eyes, a wide smile breaking across his chubby face.  With a gleeful yell, he threw himself at the suddenly materialized boy before him, sending both tumbling to the ground.  Which promptly started a wrestling/tickling match.

The forested area surrounding the pond soon echoed with the sounds of play.

"Oi!  Duo, wake up.  We're finished up here.  We have enough."

Duo abruptly awoke, his dream fading once more into the recesses of his mind.  He blinked and sat up.  Trowa and Wufei stood over him, watiting patiently.  "Was I sleeping?"

Wufei rolled his eyes.  "Let's go home."

"Ah!"  Duo jumped up, brushing grass and twigs from his hair and clothing.  "Ne, you guys ever dream about...before?"

Wufei and Trowa exchanged long looks before answering.

"Sometimes.  I take you just had one?"

"Yeah...it was nice."  A bit wistfully, he tried to recall some traces of it.  All that was left during his waking moments was an occasional flash of a solemn dark-haired toddler and the faint impression of wings...Forcing down a wave of nostalgia, he smiled at his two friends.

They all had flashes of their lives before meeting one another.  Wufei, of his life with some tribe, and Trowa of a family, most especially of a sister, and himself...the loving arms of parents and a playmate...before...