April 14, 2001
April, 214 AC
The families were gathered again at Bridgelight, decked out in all their pastel-frilly-finery in celebration of a holiday most of them had forgotten or never understood the original reason for being. It was Saturday, a lovely spring day with a bright smiling sun and a fresh cool breeze fluffing the girls' lacy skirts and the women's flowery sunhats. Later that night they were gathered again at Peacecraft Manor for the annual Banquet his sister had instigated.
Not that he was against gatherings. No, it was nice to gather with good friends and family members. However, Milliard Peacecraft, or Zechs as he preferred to be called still, hated large affairs with slews of politically important people that his highly-politically-important sister was inclined to hold. And of course, it was required that *he* show. (He'd rebelled one year and had *not* gone--and regretted it for the rest of the year. His sister could be a *very* vindictive person, he'd learned.)
Still, that wasn't until later tonight. For right now he was allowed to enjoy the company he found himself in, enjoy the fine April day, and enjoy the laughter and smiling faces of his and his company's children. The morning festivities always began with the "Grand Egg Hunt", held in the small woods behind his home, Bridgelight, and this year was no different.
"On you mark!" Zechs called, cocking the small signaling pistol as the ten children fidgeted excitedly at the start line. "Get set!" He raised the pistol, looking over to the line of excited, smiling parental faces of his friends and loved ones. "Go!"
The retort of the little pistol cracked and was at once lost in the excited squeals and cheers of both the children surging forward and the parents held back by the thin ribbon blockade. Zechs moved back to join his wife and friends. Though neither of his two children was actually participating in the race--both being to old, Kit at fourteen and Adrian at eleven--they were helping some of the younger children. Kit was guiding a distracted Julian Mazzolla to a bright-yellow colored egg. The two-year old's face lit up when he saw the prize and he picked it up, turning to show his mother.
Farther up ahead, Adrian was walking beside Trinity Chang as the pair followed two hurtling bodies--four-year-old Dylan and three-year-old Calista--from one find to another. A little ways away from the four, six-year-old Mara Jade and Zechs' niece, five-year-old Regina were hunting up another find.
From the center of the woods a large whoop sounded.
"Told you they'd find them," Trowa leaned over to Duo, who just laughed.
Zechs shot both men an amused look, but decided not to ask. Some things were better not known, and the mysterious workings of the Winner twins were one of them.
It would be another twenty minutes before all the hunters returned with their catches; at which time the eggs would be counted and the "winner" would be presented with a large hallow golden egg. Every year a different prize would be inside, brought by one of the families. Zechs eyed the shining monstrosity sitting on a pedestal not too far away, idly wondering what Duo had hidden in there *this* year...
End of Part 4: Egg Hunt
Andrea Readwolf
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