When Duke got into his room, he faceplanted onto his bed. He couldn't move his body anymore. It felt like it was full of bricks.

"Yikes. You really don't feel good, do you?" Lance asked. "Does anything hurt?"

Duke buried his face in the bed. "I threw up in a trashcan earlier..."

"Did you get any on your mouth?"

"I think the store lady wiped it while I was resting earlier."

Lance rubbed his back. "Alright. I'll let you rest then. Holler if you need anything."

Lance shut the door behind him.

Duke shoved himself up and trudged over to the window. He wasn't a little kid anymore. He shouldn't have to take a nap.

Marshall was sitting by a fountain. Lee was nowhere in sight. She had to be around here somewhere, though.

Duke trudged back over to the bed and laid down. He put his arm over his eyes.

It had been about a year since he and Dawn left home. He didn't know when Marshall had found Lee.

***

Sand pelted the siblings as they pushed against the wind. Even with the goggles that they'd bought in anticipation of such a scenario, the sand wasn't kind to the eyes. They could barely see where they were walking.

Dawn went to rub her eyes but couldn't because of the goggles. "Was that Lee or am I imagining stuff because of this infernal sandstorm?"

Duke blinked a few times. "No, I saw her too."

"Who do you think that guy with her was?" Dawn asked.

"No idea, but I want to know why she's here." Duke put his hands on his hips. "She's too young to travel."

"True." Dawn sighed. "Granted, we are too."

"Yeah, but our situation is special."

Dawn took him by the hand. "Let's hurry up and join them before Dunstan buries us."

Yeah, that would be bad.

Dawn sighed as they made it to the cave. "Thank Dunstan, we made it."

Yeah.

"Huh?" Duke looked down and saw Lee.

She looked up at him beaming.

"Why are you here, Lee?" Dawn asked.

She let go of Duke and started to get teary eyed. "The villagers, they're all gone..."

"Gone?" Duke asked.

"T-the houses were empty," Lee squeaked out.

Dawn bit her lip. "Wait, your parents..."

Lee nodded.

Duke pulled her closer to his chest. "Where were they taken?"

Marshall put his hands on his hips. "What will knowing that do?"

Duke gritted his teeth. "What are you implying?"

"I should be asking you that." Marshall sighed. "If you plan to play hero, you'll regret it. At least wait until you're older."

Duke growled.

"Dice, he has a point." Dawn seemingly choked back a sob. "There's nothing we can do for Meir and Diana. We're just a pair of kids."

"I-I may be a kid but..."

Marshall laughed. "You got nothing, do you?"

"Who do you think you are anyway? You don't care as you didn't know any of them!" Duke shouted.

"True, but I do know the feeling."

"Dice, stop." Lee squeezed his shirt. "Marsh is my friend."

A stomach growled.

Dawn smiled at Lee. "Let me make you something to eat."

Lee looked like a deer that was about to be hunted. "But I can do that."

"I didn't say that you couldn't. I want to do this."

Marshall whispered into Lee's ear.

"Okay..."

Dawn got out the supplies to make a stew.

Duke folded his arms. "So, how did you meet?"

"It was a fluke really. I couldn't leave a little kid to starve in the rain. I did have to play hide and seek with her, though."

If it was raining, why did they have to play hide and seek?

Lee shrank.

Marshall squeezed her shoulders. "I'm not mad. That was like a year ago, anyway."

It had been that long since their village was wreaked? Why hadn't they heard about it?

"What about you?" Marshall asked.

"We're siblings," Dawn replied. "We left after we lost our parents."

Marshall nodded like he got it, but even two years into the future, Duke didn't know Marshall's story.

"Would you like to travel with us?" Dawn asked.

"Sure!" Marshall smiled, but it didn't seem happy. "I'm sure Lee would love to be with you again."

Duke wanted to growl. Why did Masquerade have to ruin this?

***

Duke slapped his cheeks before getting up. Lee had said that he didn't need to apologize for anything Mask made him do, but she still deserved one. It wasn't her fault that he loved to play messed-up games with her.

A groan escaped his lips as he got out of bed. Why did Mask's magic make them feel so bad afterward? Sometimes, it felt like they might as well as have caught a cold without how bad it could be.

When Duke stepped into the hallway, Courtney was watering a plant. She frowned. "Feeling any better, kiddo?"

"A little." He put on the best smile he could muster. "Do you know where Lee and Marshall are?"

"If you really think you feel up to it, they're at the end of the hall."

"Thanks, Courtney."

Duke knocked before entering.

Marshall raised an eyebrow. "The big kids would probably say I'm one to talk, but are you sure you should be out of bed?"

Lee put her arms around him, burying her face in his shirt. "Dice, I already told you. You never need to apologize to me for that. You're not responsible for what he does."

"But you still deserve one."

Marshall whispered into his ear, "Ai told me I should drop it. She and Lee don't need words for that. Admittedly, I've never gotten her to elaborate on why specifically."

Why was that? Ai could be weird sometimes, but she was nice. She didn't even get mad the one time he threw up all over her.

"Need a hand?" Marshall asked. "Being up for too long is probably a bad idea."

"Yes, it is." Dawn had her hands on her hips. "Although Ai and Lance have both said that you aren't really one to talk on that front."

Sweat beaded his brow. "Sadly, I can't deny that."

"Did you want some watermelon or not?" Dawn asked.

Duke's mouth watered. "Yes, I do."

"Let's get you back to your room then. I'll bring it up to you after that."

"Sounds good, sissy."

When he got back to his room, Duke sat on the edge of his bed. He didn't want to fall asleep before he got to eat his watermelon again.

Dawn came in with some cut up watermelon on a white plate. "Y'know, Dice, I overheard someone of your conversation with Marshall and Lee. I think Lee would be happier if you could make more happy memories with her whenever and however you can. You were one of her favorite people in the village."

But Zane was probably higher on that list. Alita! Why was the one thing he couldn't for her was to bring Zane back? How could she be so cruel as to take someone back when they were still just a kid?

"You're thinking about Z now, aren't you?"

"How could you tell?" he almost shouted.

"It isn't hard, little bro. You haven't mastered the art of the poker face yet." She ruffled his hair. "I know it sucks but try not to get yourself too worked up about it. Z wouldn't want that. I know he'd be sad."

Dawn shut the door behind her on her way out. Duke dozed off not long after that. 

***

Thoughts? Theories? Predictions?

~Shino out!