Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine, never was mine, and never will be mine, but I can dream.

By: Crystalite

Heero moved swiftly through the halls. No one was here. Good. He

didn't want anyone to know he was here. Up ahead he saw the door he was

looking for. This was a breeze. No one was around, and he had had minimal

trouble doing this mission. As he neared the door, he heard footfalls. He

ducked into an empty broom closet and waited until a sleepy looking OZ

officer passed.

The coast was clear. Heero moved out and made his way toward the door.

He opened it slowly as it was old as it creaked loudly. Inside was the

reason for this mission.

He entered the room closing the door behind him. It was pitch black. He

reached into his pants and pulled out the pen light he'd brought with him.

His gun was also there.

The pen light gave off very little light, hardly enough to work by, but

Heero managed. The room was an office by the look of it. There were

certificates and photos hanging on the walls, but the Wing pilot ignored

them. They were unimportant. There wasn't much furniture but Heero's

attention was snagged by an ancient looking desk that sat in the room.

Moving silently Heero quickly examined the hunk of plastic crafted to look

like wood. The drawers were locked. Great. There was no key in sight,

whoever's office this was must have the key on them. That was okay. Heero

didn't need a key. Holding the light in his mouth, Heero dug his gun out and

used the tip of it to pry the first drawer open. It gave way without much

resistance, but his prize was not in there.

The object of his nighttime mission was not in any of the other drawers

either. 'No way. I was told it would be in this room without a doubt' He

thought to himself. A quick glance around assured him there was no other

hiding place in the room. Now a little peeved, Heero tried again. He looked

more carefully, taking his time. And now, the faint cracks in the back of

the bottom drawer did not escape his attention. Heero probed at the back of

it and supported a grim smile when he felt it give away. Behind the false

drawer, was a small hollow space.

Heero felt his fingers close around something and he pulled it out. 'Bing

o' He smirked when he saw that he had extracted a rather large book.

"Hey! What's that light?"

Heero blinked and looked up at the sound of the voice. An OZ officer?

Probably so. Best not to wait around to find out. Heero shut the drawer and

moved to leave, but as his fingers reached for the doorknob, it began to turn

itself! Heero was taken back as the door suddenly opened of it's own accord

and bright hall light spilled in blinding him.

The OZ officer who had opened the door was just as surprised. "Hey what the-?"

Heero quickly pulled his gun. "Move." He commanded. The guard didn't

but instead moved to pull his gun. Unfortunately for him, the Wing pilot did

not hesitate to shoot. Heero moved past the lifeless body of the guard that

now lay pumping blood onto the floor.

'That shot would have alarmed the rest of the camp. I need to move out

now and destroy it.' Heero moved swiftly and silently down the halls. But,

too bad for him, he was not fast or quiet enough.

"Freeze intruder!" Heero was suddenly faced by a line of guards. The man

who had spoke stood out a few feet in front of the others.

Heero maintained his emotionless stance, unfazed by the four

semiautomatics that were now aimed at his face. "Sorry, not today." He ducked

as the man fired and Heero knocked his legs out from under him and shoved the

man back into the other three. They all stumbled giving Heero ample time to

pull his own gun and fire. He didn't hang around to see if he'd hit anyone.

They would all die anyway, what did it matter if they died now or later?

Running from the base, the teen found no more opposers, or, if you

prefer, no more opposers found him. He left the same way he'd come, though a

secret entrance in the side of the base. He waited until he had retreated a

safe distance into the surrounding forest before he pulled the detonator and

set off the explosives he'd set previously.

His efforts were rewarded by a huge explosion accompanied by a thundering

boom. He turned and looked back savoring the wild flames that now licked

feverishly at the remains of the camp. Black smoke filled the night sky

blotting out the stars. No one could have possibly survived and Heero knew

that by morning nothing would remain to show that a military camp had ever

touched that land.

As the flames slowly died down, Heero glanced at the object in his hand.

By the dying light of the explosion, he could clearly see that it was an

ancient looking leather bound book with intricate designs burned into the

cover. It was a thick book and, as Heero now noticed, heavy too. 'Right out

of a horror sci-fi flick.' The teen decided, wondering vaguely why the old

book was so important to the colonies. He heard that it contained the only

magic still alive today but, 'Magic. Ha, that's a laugh. There's no such

thing.'

He sighed as the last of the fire's light disappeared and he had only the

stars for comfort. Now all that was left was to go home.

* * * * * *

Heero slipped in the door of the house he and the other five pilots were

staying in and was relived to find that everyone had already gone to bed.

Good, it was late and the last thing Heero wanted now was to be confronted.

He was tired and wanted to go to bed, badly. He moved as silently through

the house as possible, which was hard when you considered the fact that five

teenaged boys living together weren't the neatest people in the world,

especially when Duo was involved.

Moving to his own room, he by some miracle, failed to wake the others and

managed to get to his room in one piece. There he tossed the book down on

the little table beside his bed. He kicked his shoes off and crawled into

his unmade bed without bothering to change into his pajamas. His tired body

relaxed under the soft covers as the sheets caressed his skin. But sleep

wouldn't come and he found himself staring out at the blackness of his room.

It took a moment for his sleep-deprived brain to figure out that he was

staring at the book he'd been sent to fetch.

'I wonder what it's for. It must be important if the colonies wanted me

to get it. But it's nothing more than a book.' He stared at it a moment

longer then finally his curiosity peaked. "I'm turning into Duo." He

muttered as he reached for the hard pile of papers that were bonded together

and flipped the light on and sat up.

"What about me?"

Heero blinked and looked back to see the aforementioned teen standing

behind him looking at the book over his shoulder.

"What... Duo what are you doing?!?" Heero demanded, a little ticked to

find that Duo could enter without his knowing.

Duo shrugged. "Just wondering why you had to take off on a mission so

late at night." He paused studying the book. "Is that what you were sent

after?"

Heero didn't bother to answer that. "Duo, go to bed."

"What is it?"

"Duo did you hear me?" Heero stared at Duo, who nodded.

"I just want to know what it is."

"It's a book." Heero's voice had a hard edge to it.

"Duh, I can see that." Duo reached to take the book from Heero's hands.

The Deathscythe pilot sat down on the edge of Heero's bed and began flipping

through the leather bound book, oblivious to the annoyed look on the other

teen's face. "Whoa, this is freaky." Duo held the book so that Heero could

see the bizarre pictures of various magical creatures. Dragons, unicorns,

griffins, angels, demons, the works. Duo supported and innocent grin as his

gaze passed over the detailed drawings.

Heero scowled wishing Duo would leave so he could go to bed, and so, for

that reason, he was looking the other way when the expression on Duo's face

changed dramatically.

"What the- ????"

Heero looked back to see the bewildered look that now rested on Duo's

facial features. "Look. What is this?" Duo held the book out for Heero to

examine.

Heero found himself faced with a strange picture of three people. One

was a beautiful young woman who was either pregnant or really need some slim

fast. Next to her was an old man who looked like he was diving into her

bulging stomach. Above the odd couple was a creature that was supposedly an

angel smiling down at them. Heero frowned. What would a picture of a crazy

old coot molesting a pregnant woman be doing in a magic book? And why the

heck was the angel smiling about it? "Weird." He commented. Duo turned

around into a position so both of them could see the book at the same time.

"Look at the writing." He pointed at some funky writing on the next

page. Heero looked at it. Duo shook his head. "That is some bizarre

handwriting."

"Better than yours." Heero muttered.

Duo made a face at him. "And I suppose YOU can read it?" He put a lot

of influence on 'you.'

Heero stared at it a moment before answering "Hai."

Duo's mouth nearly hit the floor. "You ... you can...?"

Heero mealy nodded. "It's Japanese, baka."

Duo blinked and looked back at the writing sure enough, it was. Duo

shook his head. He knew a little Japanese and he realized now that he could

read some of it, but most of the kanji's were too faded for him to read, and

the handwriting was pretty bad. "I can't read it." When Heero gave no

response, Duo prompted a little more. "So if you can read it, then what does

it say?"

Heero scowled. "None of your business."

"You won't tell cause you don't know."

"I know but I'm not going to tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so. Go to bed."

"Oh come on. Humor me."

"No."

"Please?????"

"Duo! If you don't go to bed right now-"

"Please Heero! If you tell me I'll go."

"NO!!!"

"Hey!!!!!!" Wufei's voice cut in from across the hall. "Some of us are

trying to sleep you know!"

Long pause.

"Duo, go away."

"Tell me and I will."

Heero stared long and hard at Duo who gave a huge innocent smile. "Omae

o korosu." Heero finally mumbled after a moment.

Duo sighed. "Yeah, you've told me, but don't I get a last request?"

"No" Heero answered.

Duo sighed. "Fine, I'll read it for myself."

"Fine, but read it in your room."

"Nope, gotta do it in here." Duo smiled and began trying to decipher the

faded kanjis. "Um...the..um..ah...something is no...not of wat..water..by,

no wait that's a but..."

Heero growled in annoyance and snatched the book out of his hands. "Give

me that, baka." Duo gave another innocent grin. "It says 'The fountain of

youth is not found in water or flesh, but in the spirits around us'." Heero

clarified.

"What? That makes no sense." Duo protested.

Heero read some more of it to himself. "It's a spell that's supposed to

give people renewed youth." He paused and handed it back to Duo. "The

picture is of a man reentering the womb."

"Ohhhhhh, I get it." Duo paused. "I still think it looks like the old

man is molesting her." He looked over the page a moment then an evil grin

lit his face.

Heero was suddenly alarmed. Duo only looked like that when he was up to

something. "Wha- ?"

Duo stood up and held the book. Pointing at Heero he suddenly started

chanting in Japanese.

Heero blinked and stared at the other boy. "Duo, are you okay?"

"Wait, I'm not done." Duo preceded to make some very weird motions with

his hands. Then, just as Heero decided Duo really had lost his mind, the

teen quit.

"Okay, now I'm done." The Deathscythe pilot grinned.

Heero stared long and hard at him. "Duo, you scare me sometimes."

"Really?" Duo smiled.

"Hai, now GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF MY ROOM!!!!!"

Duo held his hands up. "Okay okay, I'm going I'm going!" The braided

pilot left and Heero sighed.

"Braided baka." Heero mumbled to himself. He picked up the book and laid

it back down on the table. He flipped the lights off and laid down, willing

sleep to come. And it did. Heero was soon lulled into a deep sleep. A sleep

so deep that he failed to see the old book of magic when it stared glowing

with a queer light.

* * * * * *

"Where is Heero? He doesn't usually sleep in this late." Quatre

commented the next morning at breakfast when the other four pilots were

gathered around the table.

Trowa looked up. He'd known something was wrong this morning. Heero was

just too quiet for him to notice that the teen was missing.

"Someone ought to wake him up before the breakfast is gone." Wufei

commented. He fixed his eyes on Duo who was practically inhaling his food.

Trowa hid a smile. "I'll get him." Trowa moved from the room and walked

down the hall stopping front of Heero's room. Knocking at the door he

called. "Heero? Are you awake?" Trowa was answered by silence but he could

have sworn he heard a giggle. "Heero?" Trowa pushed the door open. There

was nothing different about the room and in the bed was a human shaped lump

buried under covers. Trowa sighed good-naturedly and moved over next to the

bed. "Heero wake up." He reached out a hand to wake the teen but when he

touched the lump he knew immediately that something was wrong. He yanked the

cover back revealing the lump to be nothing more than a pile of twisted

sheets and a pillow. "Heero????"

"TROWA!!!!!!!!!!!"

The voice seemed to come out of thin air and suddenly something collided

forcefully with his back. Trowa was thrown off balance and tumbled belly

down onto the bed. The thing on his back squirmed and then Trowa found

himself looking into a remotely familiar face. It was Heero and yet at the

same time, it wasn't.

"Ohayo Trowa-kun!!!" Chibi-Heero exclaimed happily.

"Nani?????" Trowa mind was over come with shock. The little boy grinned

and jumped away landing on the floor gracefully.

"Ha! Now you're it!" The child version of Heero announced cheerfully.

"Huh???" Trowa was still hopelessly confused as the boy suddenly darted

from the room. Trowa was still for a moment as he tried to compensate what

he had just seen, when a yell brought him running.

"What's wrong?" Trowa asked as he entered the living room. Quatre was

standing in the doorway watching something with a look of horror written

clearly across his face. Trowa turned to see what had him so shook up and

saw Wufei standing in the middle of the room. The solitary dragon looked

like he was in shock as Chibi-Heero was sitting in the overstuffed chair

looking confused as to why Wufei was so surprised to see him.

Duo suddenly came trotting in. "I heard the ye-"

He was suddenly cut off as Chibi-Heero jumped up from his seat and lunged

at Duo. "DUO!!!!!!!!"

Duo yelped as he was knocked over and landed on his back with a loud

thud. Chibi-Heero was sitting on Duo's chest holding him down. "Ohayo

Duo-kun!"

Duo blinked trying to removed the vision he now had of stars orbiting

around his head. Shaking it off he saw Chibi-Heero now for the first time.

"Did... Did I...did I miss something???"

Chibi-Heero giggled. "You're funny, Duo."

Duo stared at Chibi-Heero for a long moment. "Right. Um...who are you

and where's the real Heero?"

Chibi-Heero laughed again. Duo stared at the boy in utter confusment.

"What is going on here!?!?" Wufei demanded.

"I know this is scary, but I think I know what happened." Duo answered

after a moment.

"Well?" Quatre prompted.

Duo was silent for another moment, something very unusual for him, before

asking. "Can someone get him off of me?"

Trowa strode past Quatre and picked up Chibi-Heero. He left the child on

the sofa and switched the TV on to some cartoons.

"Arigatou." Duo thanked him and led the three pilots back into the

kitchen.

While Chibi-Heero innocently watched a cartoon about some skinny blonde

with meatballs in her hair as she ran around with a talking black cat saying

some nonsense about an evil queen, Duo told his story about the magic book

and his late-night encounter with Heero, the normal Heero.

"...and that's all I know." Duo finished.

"I don't buy that." Wufei said. "There is no such thing as magic

spells."

"Well, that's what happened." Duo said sounding more desperate than he

wanted.

"Duo, if what you say is true, then where is this magic book?" Quatre

asked.

"It's in Heero's room." Duo answered. "I'll get it."

Suddenly Chibi-Heero's head popped up over the back of the couch. "Nani?

Are you talking about me?"

"No, finish watching your show." Trowa answered.

Chibi-Heero made a face. "But I'm bored! I wanna DO something."

"Tough luck." Wufei answered for Trowa. Chibi-Heero responded with a

pouting face. The boy turned away mumbling something about never getting

what he wanted.

Duo returned from Heero's room with the thick book that caused all this

mess. "I know it's in here somewhere." He muttered as he flipped though the

dust covered pages. A rather large cloud of dust arose and Duo was forced to

end his search in a fit of coughing.

"Let me." Quatre took the book and continued the Deathscythe pilot's

hunt. Trowa looked over his shoulder while Quatre made a face at all the

funky drawings and writing. "What IS this?"

Duo recovered from his attack and looked. "There! Stop! That's the page

I found the spell on."

"How can you tell?"

"Cause I remember the picture."

Wufei frowned in disbelief. "Nani?!? The old man is molesting the girl!"

"No, he's reentering the womb." Duo said casually. Wufei raised an

eyebrow but remained silent as Duo pointed at some words. "See? I said this

stuff and now look what happened."

"Duo, how can you read this?" Quatre questioned.

"It's all in Japanese kanjis." Trowa answered. "See? It says 'all

spirits hear my cry and do my bidding. I command you come and grant this

mortal youth again'."

"That's all very nice but how do we reverse the spell?" Wufei questioned.

"I'm looking." Trowa scanned the page and was silent for a while.

"Well...?" Duo prompted.

"It doesn't say." Trowa announced as he took the thick book and flipped

a couple of pages.

"Maybe it's in the back." Duo suggested.

"The back? Why would it be there?" Wufei asked, a look of disbelief on

his face.

Duo shrugged. "That's where the answers always are in the puzzle books."

Sweat-drops popped up over the other three's heads while Duo failed to

notice what was wrong. "What????" He asked.

"Never mind." Trowa sighed as he closed the leather book. It closed

with a thump and a single piece of paper flew out and floated gently to the

floor. "Man, this thing is falling apart." Trowa commented as he leaned

down to retrieve the run away paper. It was folded and when he opened it

Trowa found himself faced with something that seemed to resemble a map.

"What the- ??"

"What is it?" Quatre asked looking up at him.

Trowa shook his head. "I don't know." He squinted trying to read the

kanjis that were even more faded than the ones in the book. "It says.... I

think it means...." He lapsed into silence that was interrupted by Wufei.

"Here, let me try." When the letter was handed to him the Senlock pilot

read slowly " 'To whomever.... fin...finds...this book: If this.... if this

fall... falls into the... the... the.... the.... the wrong ha... han...

han... hands, the eff...effects...effects will be... disastrous. These

spells.... spells can...cannot...cannot be undone...."

"Cannot be undone? But if we don't undo it then Heero will be a little

kid forever." Duo sounded very alarmed. "Man, this sucks! If Heero's a

little kid then he can't pilot his Gundam. Then we'll be a man short!"

"Wait it doesn't end there." Wufei broke in. "It says something about

another book that has all the counter spells, or at least that's what I think

it says."

"Duo, did Heero have any other books like this with him?" Quatre asked.

The teen to whom the question had been directed shook his head. "No, I

didn't see any other weird books."

"Well, if there were two, I'm sure OZ kept them together." Wufei

announced. "So if Heero only came back with one then the other must still be

there."

"But then OZ would be expecting us to come back and their defense would

be built up." Quatre pointed out.

"I dough that." Trowa commented quietly.

"Naze?" Quatre asked.

Trowa looked up and met his eye. "Because that was a find and destroy

mission. After he took the book...." The teen trailed off.

"So if there was another book then it is gone. Save maybe a scrap of

paper."

Trowa nodded.

"Man, this sucks!!!!!!!!!!!" Duo exclaimed. "How the crap are we

supposed to fix all of this?"

Suddenly Duo felt a tugging at his pants leg. "Duo-kun?"

He blinked at the sound of his name and looked down to find Chibi-Heero

holding his pants. "Duo, will you play with me? Onegai?????" Chibi-Heero

asked innocently with wide blue eyes, which Duo was not accustom to seeing on

his face.

"Ano... I guess so..." Duo heard himself answering. In truth he didn't

want to but he was finding it very hard to say no to such an innocent young

child.

Chibi-Heero's face lit up. "Sugoi! We can play hide-and-go-seek.

You're it!"

Duo nodded looking a bit dazed as he led the small child out into the

backyard.

"Awww, you know, Heero is cute as a kid." Quatre commented.

Wufei snickered. "Bet Duo doesn't think that."

Trowa frowned. "You know what I just realized?"

"What?"

"With Heero being a kid now... that means we'll have to take care of him."

All three stared at each other and then simultaneously screamed.

~To Be Continued ~

Konnichiwa minna-chan!!!! This is my first Gundam Wing fic, so I would love

to get feedback. Please? It will only take a moment and you don't know how much I will appreciate it. Thankies!