The overpowering stench of urine, blood and filth was the first thing he noticed when he awoke. Moving his hand to cover his nose, he noticed the heavy shackles that held his wrists together. He then began to shiver hard, he could see the snow drift inward from the cracks in the great stones.
"Where the hell am I?" he demanded out loud, trying to push himself into a sitting position.
"Don't you remember?" asked a hoarse voice. He turned, wincing as he strained his already stressed neck towards the sound. A figure was almost completely hidden under a grey ragged cloak.
"I remember yelling at some soldiers, more being called and... oh man! I got caught! I'm in the Duke's dungeon, right?"
"Correct! Sadly, I have no prize for you," said the person in the corner. The person stood and hobbled over to him. Their ankles, like his were fettered by chains. They removed the cloak and covered him with it. He could now see that the figure was a young woman around his age, wearing some type of leather collar with glowing red symbols on it.
Hampered as her hands were, she rubbed his arms and legs as vigorously as possible.
"What's your name Chestnut?" she asked. Her voice was hoarse from strain rather than age.
"D-duo. D-duo M-maxwell," he said through chattering teeth. She smiled at him. He could just barely see the light in her green eyes.
"I'm Nul Gaia. Why don't we move to my corner, it's warmer." Duo nodded and Nul helped him to the place where she had been sitting.
It was warmer. There was no snow and one whole stone was heated from the other side.
Duo's eyes focused on the collar she wore. "What did you do?"
She sighed. "I refused to heal the Duke's injured and instead healed the rebels' wounded. They pegged me as a sorceress and threw me in here."
"So that's a mage collar?"
"Yes." She looked deeply saddened by something.
"What is it?"
"I can still sense their pain. The hurt, the dying... The collar doesn't guard me from that, so I still feel helpless..." Duo put his arms around her shoulders and squeezed.
"We'll get out of here, I have faith."
She nodded and smiled at him. He smiled back. He removed his arms and they sat in the darkness, shivering every once and a while.
The door opened early in the morning, if the sliver of light coming through the stones was any indication.
Duo's eyes snapped open. A man stood in the doorway. It was difficult to determine what he looked like.
"Stand," he said shortly. Duo and Nul stood with an effort. He led them through dank, dark hallways until they reached the main anteroom of the citadel.
"Our newest prisoners. Well Yuy, how long will it take you to retrain them?"
"Not more than a month," their captor replied.
"Excellent. I expect them in the field in two weeks." The duke nodded and they were removed. Duo craned his neck to look at the man called 'Yuy.' He has unruly dark-brown hair that needed a comb, piercing blue eyes and a thin line of a mouth. He wore forest green leather armour with black leggings so tight they could well have been painted on.
His face was cold and blank, without so much as a hint that he was more alive than a painting.
That Duke wants us in two weeks, half the maximum time Yuy estimated for us.
"Hey Yuy!" No reaction. "That's your name, right? What make you think you can retrain us at all, huh? Hey I'm talking to you!"
Yuy reached out and cuffed Duo sharply. "No talking." Duo glared at him. "And my name is Heero."
"Fine hero you-"
"Duo shush!" Nul cautioned, touching Duo's hand to forestall any more comments.
"Hands where I can see them, mage," Heero said. Nul withdrew, shooting him a disbelieving look.
He doesn't feel human. No one can be that blank. His humanity has... disappeared. Heero led them silently to the outside yards. A large area had been cleared and packed down tightly, as if pounded by many large feet.
"Your training begins now. You will be ready by the end of the week."
Duo shot him a 'you've got to be kidding me' look. "What's with the changing dates all the frickin' time? A month, two weeks, one? We are humans after all. You can't just dictate to us what we can and cannot do!"
"You will be ready," Heero growled softly.
"Well excuuuuuuse me for being a mere mortal! Who says I even agree to your training?" Heero uncoiled a whip with one hand.
"I says." Duo stood straight and proud, despite the shackles.
"Go for it, I don't care." Heero reached into his pouch and pulled out a few items, displaying them for Duo in his gauntleted hand.
"They will pay for your defiance." Duo's face crumbled as he reached out to touch the items. Just one handkerchief and one scrap of leather and his strength was gone.
"No, you wouldn't. Hilde and Solo have done nothing to deserve that..."
"Then you will train. And quickly." Heero wound the whip in his hand. He turned to Nul, looking at her.
"You need to ask? I would not allow any harm to come to my family. What is it you want me to do?" said Nul.
Heero inclined his head to her. "You will be stationed in the front lines as a healer. You will be under constant supervision. Defy and be killed." He looked at Duo. "You will be working for the Spymaster. Defy and you will also be killed."
Duo, still looking towards Heero's hand with the keepsakes of his family just nodded.
Two days later, Duo was facing Heero on the training grounds. He was allowed two short swords to fight with against Heero's one long one. Duo held one in a low guard and the other high and waiting for an attack.
Heero merely held his sword level to his waist and waited.
Duo attacked first with an over hand swipe followed by one for the midsection. Heero deflected both easily and feinted for Duo's side. Duo had seen this trick and had already started a backhanded sweep towards Heero's temple. Heero moved, but not quite far enough and the blow caught him glancingly across the temple. As Heero stumbled and dropped his sword, Duo swept his feet from under him, dumping Heero on his back. Duo put a foot on Heero's throat and pointed both swords at his face. Heero ignored the blades and grabbed Duo's foot and twisted it. Duo tossed both swords aside and rolled with the twist. Landing on his back, Duo prepared to jump back up and found Heero on his front. Heero held both hands down with his own and Duo's legs were trapped because Heero was sitting on them.
"Concede," growled Heero. Duo shook his head, whipping Heero with the end of his braid across the face.
Heero sat back, giving Duo the chance to push him off and roll into a defensive crouch.
Heero shook his head slightly and went at Duo. Duo's foot shot out, kicking Heero's Achilles Heel. Heero stumbled and Duo dealt him a crippling blow to the diaphragm.
Heero grunted and backhanded Duo across the face. Duo went down, bleeding from tiny cuts on his cheek.
"Yield," Heero said. Duo couldn't answer. He nodded.
Heero stood after a good five minutes of laying there. Nul, the healer assigned to them both, examined Heero's head. Green sparks appeared around her fingers as she placed them on his temple. Heero felt the pain ease.
She then checked on Duo, healing his wounds.
"I am impressed. You were very close." Duo smiled wanly at Nul.
"Yeah yeah. I bet you say that to all the guys who Heero wipes the floor with."
"No, really. And you almost got him."
"She is correct. You have improved greatly in a short amount of time." Heero paused. Duo thought he saw his expression soften but it became twice as hard as before. "The Spymaster will have great use for you."
"Bully for the Spymaster," Duo muttered. Nul shushed the braided boy and shot an anxious look at Heero. He hadn't seemed to notice.
"You will be sent for documents in the enemy camps and will bring them here. Knowing their plans will help us end the war sooner."
"And why would I want to do that?" Duo asked. Nul despaired of ever getting this guy to shut up.
"This conflict is pointless. The Duke will win, he has more troops than the villages could ever come up with."
"But those troops would have come from the villages, what makes you think they would suppress their friends?"
"They would do it to protect their families. As would you." Duo lowered his head. He knew Heero spoke truly.
"What about you, do you fight to protect your family?"
Heero went stiff and walked away. He stopped just before entering his tent. "I have no family."
"You have been assigned your first task. The commander of the enemy camp has been careless and left his battle plans behind while he rouses the rabble. You will steal those plans and bring them here." The Spymaster was a woman with brown hair braided into two buns. She wore round spectacles and went by the name of Une.
Duo eyed the taller woman with contempt. "And you think I'll just go and do this? I'd run away first."
"That's what you think. This control collar will force you to execute your orders." She clipped a collar around his throat. "Retrieve their battle plans. Return here immediately. Deal with any opposition."
Duo felt himself nod. He set out into the shadows. His dyed black leather armour made no noise, along with the skin-tight black leggings he wore.
Hey, they look a lot like Heero's, he mused to himself. The name brought back memories of the last few months. He'd finished training along with Nul, whom he hadn't seen since. Heero visited him sometimes, but mostly moved with the attacking armies or reported to the Duke. Duo had discovered that had the Duke held any stock in rank, Heero could easily have been a General or an Admiral. Heero didn't talk a lot but he seemed to be interested in what he said. Duo spoke of his little family, Hilde and Solo. Hilde and Solo were his younger sibs, twins, and the bright points in his life. Heero had just sat and nodded as he spoke of Solo's endless capacity for trouble and Hilde's love for the living.
Duo always asked Heero about his life and family but he always said he had none. Duo noticed the look of remembering on Heero's face when he spoke so he tried to remember every one of the crazy things the twins did, because it seemed to make Heero happy on some level.
He also asked about Nul. Heero vaguely said she was fine. After a while, Heero did say that she was feeling the strain. Heero was willing to deliver Duo's little messages to her, although Duo always knew that Heero read them first.
After winter broke, the fighting started in earnest. There were countless conflicts every day. Each skirmish sent the villager army fleeing into the hills, woods or any cover nearby.
Duo found himself just outside the command tent. Slipping in, he saw the plans right away. He read them quickly and saw that they were several months old. Duo almost laughed aloud when he realised that the Spymaster had been tricked. Yes, technically they were battle plans, but they were probably being reviewed to help write new ones. Still, his mission was complete and the collar told him it was time to go. Tucking the battle plans back where it was safe, Duo left and made it back to camp.
To say the least, Une was less than pleased. Heero was even less so. But Heero didn't blame Duo. He blamed Une. Une stood defiant and their argument attracted the notice of most of the camp, including Duo.
"Une, you have not done your duty by the Duke. I take payment." Une looked confused as Heero drew his sword and beheaded the former Spymaster. Duo ran forward and knelt by the fallen woman's head. He closed her clouded eyes and glared at Heero.
"For what reason did you do this?!" he hissed. Heero wiped the sword and put it back.
"It is my duty." He turned away and the crowd dispersed. Duo could see a faint glitter over her body and saluted the departing spirit of his C.O.
Summer grew later and still the campaign continued. The Duke's army had been defeated in several places and the Duke was furious. He had ordered the execution of the survivors of those battles, of which there were few.
This brought Heero into Nul's camp, a green and black Angel of Death, his sword bringing eternal rest to them. This, for obvious reasons, displeased Nul greatly.
She confronted Heero when he first came. He ignored her until his job was finished.
He turned to her and said at length, "Stop interfering."
"Heero, you have no right to do this! To them, to me, to anyone! They don't deserve to die!"
"If you do not cease, I will have to kill you."
"You already are killing me! Just do it and get it over with!" Heero nodded and swept his sword across her throat, not quite decapitating her. Duo saw this last and rushed to her, holding her as she went cold in the summer sun.
"I hate you," Duo said finally.
"I don't care," Heero replied and walked away. Duo whispered to Nul's departing spirit that he would stop Heero no matter the cost.
It was again a cold, bitter winter. The campaign had pretty much halted because of the cold. The ground was hard packed snow and it was on this hard packed ground that Duo challenged Heero to a duel, to the death.
Heero accepted. Duo barely waited until Heero drew his sword before attacking in a flurry of blows slicing the air inches away from his chest. Heero parried the blows and circled left. Duo shifted his attack to Heero's less protected side. Heero managed to flick away one of Duo's swords, then the other. Duo stood before him, waiting.
"Kill me. I know you want to. I know you don't have any problems with killing the disarmed. So just go ahead and kill me!"
Heero nodded and with finality swung his sword and slashed Duo's throat. The boy's eyes remained open as he fell to the ground, blood soaking into the snow.
Duo opened an eye and had to shield an eye against the sun. Once he adjusted to the strong light, he sat up to look at his surroundings. He was inside a tent. He took stock of himself and walked outside. The grass was silky and soft, the sky was a beautiful blue, the clouds a fluffy cotton white.
Duo couldn't find anything wrong with his surroundings until he remembered something. He was dead, Heero had killed him. I must be in Summerland, Duo thought sadly. On this note, he began to look around. If this was Summerland, it looked more like a tent-village than a Realm of the Dead. People were everywhere, but they didn't seem to notice him at first.
Duo stopped short, bringing his hand up to his face. Heero. He was here. Heero wore a loose forest green tunic with no shirt underneath and the same tight black leggings he always seemed to wear. He moved through the people, smiling at them, laughing at jokes, teasing the ladies. Duo wondered if Heero had an identical twin but Heero turned and waved to Duo.
"Hello Duo. Sleep well?" Duo blinked.
"Heero? Is that you?" Heero nodded. Duo was attacked from his blind side and tossed to the ground.
"Duo! You're okay!" said a voice Duo hadn't heard for a long time.
"Nul? You're here too?" Nul ruffled his hair. She was happier than he'd seen in a long time.
"But, I saw you die..." Duo started and then spotted another familiar face.
"Spymaster Une?" She nodded and smiled. Her hair swung loose and her spectacles were gone.
"Just Anne, please," she said.
"I really am in the land of the dead," Duo remarked. He heard laughter from all over.
"No Duo, you are very much alive. I will explain everything," said Heero. He smiled at Duo and offered him a hand up. Duo accepted the hand up and wondered what the heck was going on. And who was this guy and what had he done with Heero?
Duo sat in a tent with Nul and a young blond man. Duo looked towards the open flap of the tent, wondering where Heero was.
His question was answered as Heero entered with a young woman with honey-blond hair. He was escorting her carefully, their arms linked. He helped her to a seat and looked to Duo.
"Now, I did promise to explain. It really started about a year ago, when the Duke first started implementing more and more unfair policies and taxes. People couldn't take it anymore and began rebelling. I was a high ranking officer already when he had all the others executed. I was in charge. My job as Commander and High Executioner was to find and kill or convert any powerful dissidents, particularly magic users. The first I found was Quatre." Heero nodded to the blond boy who smiled.
"Quatre is a mage, particularly talented in illusion magic." Quatre nodded and took on the tale.
"Heero put me in the dungeon, but he didn't want to kill me any more than I wanted to be killed. But if he didn't, he himself would killed and someone else with fewer scruples would take over. So we devised a plan.
"This plan was, that when Heero 'killed' me, I would weave an illusion that showed me dead, but was actually invisible. The illusion would look and feel real, so no one would suspect.
"We created this place, deep in the valley beyond the villages. At first it was very wild, but as Heero was forced to 'kill' more and more mages, we made this place what it is now. A haven and a paradise for the hunted."
Heero nodded. "We have almost, no, exactly 1000 people here. Nul was 999, you are the 1000th Duo. This means that the time has come to fight back." Duo looked sharply from Quatre to Heero to the thus-far silent blond lady.
"Time? To fight back? Are you insane Heero? The Duke has 10,000 troops! We have 1000! How do you expect to win?" demanded Nul.
"What she said," added Duo.
"An army of 1000 will face an army of 10,000 and shall be victorious. When the tyrant's army sees the hero's army, it shall crumble without a sword being raised. And the tyrant shall be denounced and a new kingdom will rise, the hero at the helm." said the woman. Duo looked over at her, almost not believing the words dropping from her lips.
"M'Lady Relena is a Sage. She is the one who has given us all hope," said Heero. Duo could see that hope shining in his eyes and knew that one battle had been lost this day.
"The time is now," Relena said, looking towards Heero. "We must leave for sunrise."
"I hear and obey, M'Lady." Heero picked up her hand and kissed her fingers, then assisted her out of the tent. Duo tried to fight the bitterness in his voice as he stood.
"Well, we'd better get some rest. Tomorrow sounds like a busy day." With a cheery salute, Duo left the tent and returned to his own.
The ascending moon found Duo sitting on a tree branch about five minutes from his tent. Too many thoughts flew in his head like a bat startled by bright candle light.
His fingers found his pendant, a cross delicately carved with endless knot patterns. He ran a finger across one line in particular and the top popped off. Duo could feel the tiny piece of paper inside. He knew what it said by heart. He didn't know what it meant but every time he read it, he felt stronger.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" asked Heero from the ground. Duo ignored him. Heero swung himself up to the branch Duo was sitting on and sat down.
"Can I sit here?" Duo shrugged, not taking his eyes off the moon.
"It's your kingdom, do what you want. Or at least, it will be." Heero looked long and hard at Duo for a moment then shifted his gaze to the moon. For long minutes they sat in silence until Heero finally broke it.
"So, has it told you what you want to know?" Duo shook his head and looked at Heero. In the pale light, Heero noted that Duo's eyes were dilated and huge. The violet eyes looked vulnerable but closed.
"No. But you might." Duo paused. "What will you do once you win?"
Heero thought for a moment. "Well, the people will be free. They will no longer be afraid to express an opinion or to disagree. The first step is to give back to the people what they had take from them. Then... we will work to make this kingdom prosperous. We'll still need an army, other kingdoms will try to destroy us if they think we are weak. But we won't try attacking anyone else or forcing people into the army. We'll have people to make sure everyone is treated fairly. Then... we'll try to establish policies that will last long past when we are ash. Clear to understand, but flexible enough in times of change."
Duo nodded. "Well that seems like a good start. Luck to you."
"Won't you be around to see it?" Duo ignored that.
"You say 'we' all the time. Sounds like you already have a person in mind for that other throne. Who's the lucky person?"
"Well... I haven't asked them yet, but I believe that they would be a great co-ruler. If they accept, that is."
"Well why wouldn't they? I-" Duo yawned. "I'm getting really tired. I think I'll head to bed now." Heero dropped down first then waited for Duo. He caught Duo at the hips as he slowed his fall.
"Duo... I-" Duo looked at the hands still placed on his hips. Heero moved his hands up Duo's sides and left them to rest on his shoulders.
"Good night Duo." Heero turned and left.
Duo returned to his tent, determined to figure out what happened. However, his body had other plans. The second his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.
Dawn saw the camp rushing around like uncovered ants to ready themselves for the upcoming confrontation. Soon, many were ready, weapons of any kind prepared.
Heero, Relena and Quatre were mounted on horseback while everyone else was on foot.
They rode and walked for hours. Finally, as the noon sun spilled over the hard-packed snow, they reached the rise of the hill before the Duke's citadel.
Before them spread the Duke's army, the Duke himself at the head. The armies, with no perceivable signal, charged at each other. A hundred metres... seventy-five... fifty... thirty... twenty... ten... five... stop. The armies halted. There was a certain stillness in the air until the silence was broken by a single cry.
"Duo!" Duo's head snapped to the direction that the sound came from the other army.
"Duo!" the second cry made a grin split his face.
"Hilde! Solo!" Duo ran forward and picked up the twins and held them tightly.
"Big brother, I missed you!" said Hilde, burying her head in Duo's shoulder.
"He said you were gonna get killed unless we joined the army," added Solo, clinging to Duo's arm.
"No one's gonna get hurt," promised Duo. As if a barrier had been broken, people from the Duke's former army began dropping weapons and rushing forward to greet their lost and found loved ones.
"Quatre!" cried over a dozen voices in almost unison. A group of men of many ages and not too few women rushed to the side of the blond mage. Quatre grinned and greeted the group by name as his horse bore it stoically.
"My family, I've missed you all!" The husbands of his sisters and his Maguanac friends offered him greetings, teasing remarks and an occasional ruffled hairdo.
"Cathy!" called an unusually tall young man with an equally unusual bang.
"Trowa!" his sister called back. He hugged her tightly and released her quickly when she professed she couldn't breathe.
"Meiran! Don't you ever scare me like that again!" yelled one of the warriors from the Duke's former camp. His wife gave him a 'oh stop' look and kissed him on the forehead.
"Wu love, I don't ever plan these things!"
Couples and families began reuniting faster and faster. Twins Alex and Mueller greeted each other and so did the sisters Sally and Noin. Une and Treize met with an embrace fiery with passion as the long separated lovers saw each other.
A man with platinum blond hair rushed forward and pulled Relena from her saddle. Far from alarmed, she giggled with delight and hugged him tightly.
"Brother Zechs, I missed you so!"
"I missed you too Renee!"
Heero looked through the crowd, searching... searching...
Nul was embracing her twin Rei but he couldn't see...
"Heero!" A little girl came running as Heero slipped off his horse. He picked up the girl and turned her around in a circle.
"Keiko, my dear little Keiko! You are safe!"
"Uh-huh! And so's Mary." The puppy barked happily at Heero as he bent to pet her.
The Duke's army was in shambles. Not one of the people in it were truly loyal to him. Panicked, he looked around to see 11,000 very angry sets of eyes boring into him.
He was surrounded and forced off his horse. Several men held his arms as Quatre and Heero stood in front of him.
"What now?" Heero asked.
"We read the spell of Denunciation," Quatre replied. Heero gave him a slightly exasperated look.
"So what is it?"
"I'm not entirely sure. What I do know is that it would require knowledge of his full name. Most people don't know because he refused to disclose-"
"Dermail del Catalonia will be denounced," said Heero, smoothly cutting off Quatre's discourse.
Dermail visibly winced.
"Next, he cannot be harmed, because the spell will not work if his blood is shed."
The guards nodded.
"And finally, the spell itself. It is said that it is written somewhere, but in the year I've been looking, I haven't been able to find it."
Heero lowered his head. Without that spell, the whole thing would be worthless.
"What would this spell say, if you had to guess?" asked Duo. His sibs looked up at him. He smiled gently and put them down.
"Well, I would imagine it would say something like 'You are denounced and banished to the place between the planes never to be seen again.'" Even guessing, the words carried enough power to make the Duke shudder.
Duo nodded and opened up his cross. He pulled out an old and much wrinkled piece of paper.
"How about 'We, the people you have oppressed for so long denounce you, Dermail del Catalonia. We, the people you have imprisoned, return the favour. We, the people whom have been denied justice for so long, bring you to the justice of the gods.'
Power rolled in Duo's voice. People stared as he tucked the paper back into the cross.
"You have it? How?" asked Quatre in awe.
"I've had this cross since I was a kid. I found the poem, or I guess spell, in there and I memorised it. The only thing missing was a name."
The Duke broke from the grip of his guards and rushed at Duo. He pulled a knife just as Duo recognised his danger. He only had time to throw the cross before Dermail had him pinned. Eyes crazed, Dermail held the knife at Duo's throat.
"He dies if you don't hand it over," he said.
"No! Duo!" called the twins.
Heero's eyes filled with sorrow. He looked from the cross in his hands to Duo.
"Open it Heero. Finish the spell," gritted out Duo as the knife cut into his throat.
"Duo-"
"Do it, damn you! Save your people! Do it for them!" Heero nodded and opened the spell. "I knew I wouldn't be there to see it..."
"We the people declare your rule has ended. We the people send you to the place between the planes. We the people denounce you, Dermail del Catalonia. We call upon the gods to bring justice upon you. As the gods will it, so mote it be!" Nothing so dramatic as a thunderclap happened. It was the silence that filled the field, save for Heero's heavy breathing and Duo's wet gasps.
Then the snow stirred. Silvery threads crept onto the Duke's feet. He looked down as the silvery threads shot up his body, pulling his hands away from Duo, who struggled to stand.
"Nnnnnooooooo!" cried the Duke as he was consumed and disappeared.
"Heero... you did it," whispered Duo. Heero ran to catch the falling boy.
"Duo, you'll be okay now. It's all over. You'll be fine..." Duo smiled, lips red with blood.
"Heero, you're a real hero now. You are worthy of that name. I knew you would do it. Gods bless you Heero. Good bye..."
"Duoooooooo!"
Duo woke and, for the second time, was sure he was dead. There was no way Quatre had managed to create an illusion to save him in time.
"This is ridiculous. How's a guy supposed to know when he's dead or not?" Talking hurt, a lot. Duo raised a hand to his neck and felt the thick bandage. His hand came back with a small amount of blood on it.
"Duo, don't talk, you'll strain the healing." Nul walked over to him and sighed. "See, you did it already. Sleep now, I'll have to heal you again." Duo didn't have much of a choice as he felt himself fall asleep.
He drifted in and out, imagining he was seeing his sibs looking in on him. He even saw Prussian blue eyes hovering over him occasionally.
About a week after he initially woke, Duo woke again. Deciding to check his neck before he started talking, he was pleased to discover he was completely healed.
He slipped on a black shirt with a high collar and black leggings. He was in one of the rooms in the citadel. He crept along in the shadows until he reached the main anteroom, the place he'd first met the Duke. And found out who Heero was.
Heero...
Duo had resolved to talk to Heero about how he felt. If the feeling wasn't mutual, and Duo was pretty sure it wasn't, Duo would leave the kingdom. He trusted that Heero would take care of his family when he left.
Steeling himself, he started to walk in and stopped dead.
"I have foreseen great things for this kingdom. You have chosen a name, Heero?"
"Haven. A haven for all, much like our little haven." Duo heard applause and realised the room was completely full.
"Indeed. This kingdom will be strong and long living. Your line will continue through-" Duo turned and ran, refusing to hear any more. Pain greater than any he'd ever felt before filled him. He ran through the halls to the stables to prepare his horse. He wouldn't say good bye, he was leaving now.
Heero heard Duo leave, seconds after Relena had finished speaking. He stood and ran after the boy, taking the hidden passages to the stables, where Duo was sure to be heading.
Choked with tears, Duo could barely fasten the girth on his horse. He dropped into the hay and gave into his misery.
"Oh Heero..."
"Duo, why do you cry?" Heero asked. Duo couldn't move, or refused to. Heero sat next to Duo and pulled him over to him, holding him tightly.
"Don't cry Duo." Duo pulled away from Heero and sniffled.
"Idiot, what are you doing here? Go be with your bride, that Relena-girl. The one who your 'long lived line' will continue through. I wish you every happiness-" Duo couldn't speak further.
"Idiot. I don't love her. I love you." The simple admission caused Duo to stop breathing quite suddenly.
"But why?"
"I've loved you for a long time. I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else." Heero swiped at the tears leaking from Duo's eyes. "I love you with all my heart and would be honoured if you would share my throne and my life with me."
"But you were always escorting her everywhere, holding her arm..."
"She's blind Duo. She has great visions, but can't see to walk safely to her room."
"But what about your line..."
"It will continue through my sister Keiko, as Relena was saying just as you left. It's a great responsibility, but my sister is up to it. In fact, she already has her eye on Solo."
Duo blinked and smiled. "Little Solo, huh? Wow." He frowned for a moment. "But shouldn't you marry someone special?"
"I want to marry someone special. You are just as much a hero as I am. The entire kingdom owes you their lives."
"Oh." Duo just couldn't find a rebuttal to that statement.
"So, will you do me the honour of becoming my husband?"
"Yes, I will." Heero leaned to kiss Duo, but at that moment, Duo's horse lifted it's tail and released the contents of it's bowels inches away from his master.
Heero and Duo stared at the pile and then looked at the horse. He blew out through his mouth impatiently. He glared at them as if to say 'this is all very well and good, but either get this thing off me or put it on properly 'cuz it's UNCOMFORTABLE!'
"Oops," said Duo. Heero laughed. Together they groomed and put the horse in it's stall and together went to the anteroom to announce the new co-ruler of the kingdom of Haven.
The End
Prepare to wait a very long time for the sequal: At Haven's Gate.
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