Author: SkyLark
Pairings: 1x2x1, 5xOC
Warnings: Serious AU, Angst, Violence, Sap, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Betaed by Katherine/Shini
Archive: Debs-Dragon - GW Diaries
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, or its characters. I just love playing with them.
The Knights' Chronicles Part 1
Stepping into the Sanq stables, Duo reached up with his free hand to remove his red baseball cap from his braided head. Under his other arm, he carried one of Odin's journals, a blanket and a pillow.
As he made his way to the back of the large facility, the king snickered to the scaly beasts craning upward from behind their closed stalls and greeted, "Hey, gang." The steeds of the ever-growing Sanq army including those that had served as part of the Elite Nine smiled back and bowed their massive heads in response.
Howard appeared from around a corner and grinned widely at the sight of his young friend. Chuckling, he folded his arms on his hips and stated, "I had a pretty good feeling that you would be camping out here for the night the moment I told you Scythe's eggs should be hatching any moment now."
"Good, then I haven't missed anything?" Duo asked as he paused before the Head Squire, his violet eyes glowing with anticipation and hope at actually catching his steed's little ones come into the world. "I tried to get out of my meeting with the advisors as quickly as I could. I was going to wait for Heero to get back from his meeting with Wufei and Anna in their army discussions, but they were taking too long."
One again shaking his head in amusement, the old man laughed, "No, you have not missed anything yet. You look every bit as antsy as that black beast of yours." Pointing back over his shoulder, he smirked, "Go on and sit with her. She'll appreciate your company. I'll be sure to let the others know when they return so that they don't have heart attacks when they can't find you in the castle."
With a friendly smack to his back, the king beamed, "Thanks, Howie!" All but running past, he was followed by the squire's snickering. Unable to help the wide smile on his face, he hurried for the last stall in the long stretch.
Pausing just before Scythe's haven, Duo peered over one of the neighboring closed doors. Lying together with their tails and necks draped over each other's bodies were Nataku and Ingier's hatchlings in a variety mix of their green and purplish-blue hues.
Still the size of six-month-old lab puppies, the little dragons slept soundly in a pile of one another. Weaned from their mother for over a week, they were handling her absence well. Some of them were also beginning to show the first bumps of horns and shields.
At the top of the mesh, Spot garbled something in his sleep as he rolled back-and-forth a moment before settling once again. "Cute," the king whispered to himself as he quietly pushed away from the door.
Reaching the last stall, Duo pushed himself inside. Her long neck and large head lying curled against her side, Scythe looked every bit the picture of bored and almost irritated when he caught first sight of his steed. In spotting him, however, her brilliant green eyes widened and blinked. Wiggling, her tail flopped against the straw bed and she raised her muzzle to stretch it out for her rider.
"Hello, little mother," the braided teenager grinned, patting the end of her snout affectionately. "Any cracking yet?" Carefully shifting her large body, Scythe revealed the five giant eggs that she had been protecting and keeping warm for weeks on end.
Bending at his knees, her braided rider took a close inspection and hummed to himself. "Not even a sliver, huh?" The black dragon's head flopped back down onto the hay and she released a frustrated sigh that came out in a plume of white smoke through her nostrils.
Duo laughed and ran his hand back over her muzzle and reassured, "Don't worry. Howard is certain that your younglings will be hatching soon." With a gesture to the possessions under his arm, he smirked, "And I plan on being here to see it." An appreciative smile curling her long mouth, his steed settled her hide back over the eggs as she watched him make a place for himself with the pillow and blanket he had brought.
Sitting atop his 'bed,' the king propped his back against the wall behind him and opened Odin's journal for the sections that he wanted to read over again. He only managed to get a few lines in, when he heard several feet making their way towards the stall. Lowering the book, he stood up and peered over the wall to see Heero, Wufei and Anna approaching with their own steeds behind them.
Her son gently harnessed against her chest, the archer spotted the violet eyes watching them and giggled, "So, we were all right to assume that we would find you here."
"Yea, well, I want to make sure that everything is alright. Scythe is my steed, after all," Duo huffed, a bright blush coloring his cheeks. "Besides, I still never had the chance to watch dragons hatch since I was away when Ingier and Nataku's pack was born."
Snickering along with the others, Heero opened the door to Scythe's stall and entered as he reassured, "It's perfectly alright, love. No need to be defensive over this, especially since we all plan on being here for the births." Gently wrapping his arms around his husband's waist to pull him flush against his chest, he smirked, "You can just be adorable in your predictability, is all."
A shiver running through him on account of the slight chill of dusk that had settled into his partner's skin as well as the passion in those cobalt eyes that seemed to reach right through his soul, the braided king blushed all the more and could only manage a quiet, "Oh." And so his lips were claimed in a gentle kiss when the former Commander leaned in.
Grinning anew when they broke away, Duo asked, "So how was the meeting?"
His husband answered, "It went well. Progress with the newest knight-in-training recruits are running smoothly." Peering over to his long-time friends, he smirked, "Not that there was ever a doubt of that with the both of you in command."
Both Wufei and Anna grinned back in thanks as the archer carefully released Odin from his harness and lowered him onto his back in a bed of hay that they had made for him. In the neighboring stall, Nataku and Ingier curled up along either side of their sleeping pack facing their expectant ally's space so that they could keep an eye on the eggs' progress as well. Other than a few muffled sounds of stirring, their babies all stayed in a state of contented sleep.
Hurrying into the stall that had been expended to accommodate him as well as his mate, Wing approached Scythe's side and gently nuzzled her head with his own. Their bond officially established, the black dragon did not bulk at his showings of affection. In fact, she sighed in content and returned the gesture with a smile on her scaly face.
More blankets and pillows that had been carried in were made into 'beds' for the royal and knights where they settled together in silent anticipation of the new babies to join their family. Raising his head from its lean against Anna's on his shoulder, Wufei peered over to the braided teenager and gestured to the book beside him. "I'm surprised that you haven't grown tired of reading that journal yet," he commented.
Duo shrugged as he rested his treasure in his lap and shrugged, "I actually really like reading all of the stories about the three of you. Apparently, you all had made an impact on Odin Lowe through your training since you're the focus of a lot of his entries." The knights' eyes flashed with a swirl of emotions along with Heero's at the sentiment. Certainly their fallen Commander had made an impression on all of them as well.
Leaning against his husband, the braided king smiled, "You know, I never actually have had a chance to hear about your experiences through your own perspectives." He gestured to the journal in his lap and stated, "All I've had to go on are what Odin wrote down of what he saw and felt about everything. I'd like to hear more from you some of the things you went through growing up."
"Oh, I suppose that we can fill in some of the gaps there," Heero smirked, wrapping an arm around his husband's waist and pulling him closer against his side. Across from them, Wufei and Anna's lips curled up as they nodded in agreement. Peering down at his lover, the former Commander asked, "So, what would you like to hear about first?"
Quickly sitting up, the braided king met all of their eyes and responded, "Well, we can start at the beginning with how the three of you met and go from there." And like a child waiting anxiously to be told their favorite story, he folded his legs underneath himself with a brilliant grin on his face.
For Duo, having not only Odin's perspective in his mind but now knowing the scenes of Sanq as well, he was finally about to have clear images of the puzzle pieces of his history.
Chuckling, his partner began, "Well, that would be back one month after we reached the required minimum age of thirteen to become knights-in-training..."
* * * * * *
(Flashback)
Odin Lowe took in a deep breath of the fresh, forest air and released it with a contented sigh. Alongside his longest friend, Captain Justin Fraise, he settled the long table that they had carried to the entrance of the knight encampment. Finally, chairs were set and filled by the commanding troops of the arms so that they could face the crowd that was standing in the sunlight that poured down through the opening a few feet ahead.
The day was going to be an exciting one, this being the first open enrollment for knights-in-training in many years. With the last batch of trainees officially knighted, the time had come to bring in a new class.
For those officers in charge of the training, the next few weeks would be their chance to have a good look at the fresh talent that would be trained, shaped and molded over the years. And for their pupils, this was the start of something that they had dreamed of doing all their lives.
Such a sentiment was no truer than in one new enrollee in particular. To none of the head knights' surprise, that said hopeful was at the front of the pack waiting for the enrollment to begin. Unlike most of the youngsters around, the boy stood alone. There would be no one of his family there to see him off as he had none besides the burly men that had helped raise him... the same who would soon lead him into knighthood.
A warm smile tugged Odin's lips when he met the teenager's cobalt eyes. Having been the one to really look after the boy over the years, the Commander knew how the child had looked forward to today.
Clearing his throat, the tall leader rose from his seat and addressed the mass, "Welcome, everyone." He paused for the quiet conversations taking place amongst the recruits and their guardians so that he had their full attention and a hush fell over the forest.
Lowe grinned and continued, "By the looks of the lot here, I can see that we are going to have quite the group of new soldiers coming in. We thank you, the new recruits, for your desire to become knights and you are gladly welcomed. To your guardians, we very much appreciate your trust in us to care for your children and you have my solemn word that they will be in good hands over the course of their years of training."
Holding an arm out to his team of officers, Odin concluded, "At this time, we would need all of the new recruits please step forward to report in and be assigned to your teams."
As his guardian returned to his seat, his young charge step forward first with a hand running through his short and unruly brown hair. His sleeveless, deep blue tunic only made his brilliant eyes stand out even to reveal the determination in them that matched the sureness of his measured steps. Gangly in frame now, there was no doubt by any of the officers that the boy would certainly grow and fill out into a strong force.
When the teenager stopped before him, the Commander smirked and greeted with a firm nod, "Heero." Stretching his arm out, he said, "I must say that I am happy this day to be the one welcoming you to your journey into knighthood."
The normally stoic boy gave the tiniest hint of a smile and shook the offered hand before he straightened himself and saluted smartly. "I am honored with this opportunity, sir," he replied. "I promise I will not let you down."
Chuckling, Odin smirked, "Not a chance of that, I assure you, lad." That said, he took up his pen from its ink holder and wrote the name 'Heero Yuy' at the top of the list. Gesturing to the wide space just within the encampment, he told his protégé, "You will be the first of Captain Lewis's team. Please take a spot where the rest of your group will gather."
Not needing to be told twice, Heero turned and made his way around the table and walked through the opened swinging doors of metal.
Leaning towards his friend, Justin Fraise's short red hair shone in the dim light that peeked through the thick leaves overhead as he grinned, "You have not been the only one waiting for him to come of age for this. I am very much looking forward to seeing what that boy can do." Humming in agreement, Lowe nodded and looked up to the wave of young people approaching the table.
The officers took down names, made quick physical evaluations and continued to assign the boys and girls of the ages of thirteen through fifteen. From there, six teams were taking real form that fit the age groups as well as the first impression of personalities that would work best together.
When more than half of the enrollees had been passed through, one face that none of the officers recognized appeared to capture all of their attention. Politely holding off the line before him, Odin waved the newcomer to check in with him. Silently, the Oriental-featured boy was quick to obey. Reaching the table, he stood straight and tall as he could with a cool resolve in his ebony-shaded eyes.
A frown marring his face, Lowe appraised the youth. He could not have been more Heero's age with his raven dark hair pulled into a short ponytail that fell against the back of his neck. Clearing his throat, the knight stated, "Forgive me, son, but I have walked the streets of Sanq for many years and I cannot recall ever seeing you around the city."
"That would be because I only arrived from Capricorn two days ago," the young man answered calmly, his resolved unshaken. Reaching into the slit of his brown tunic, he removed several folded papers and handed them over.
Blinking in surprise, Odin opened the documents and read them over. The first thing that he noted was the name of his prospective recruit. Wufei Chang. According to the rest of the legal papers, he was orphaned not long before with the death of his parents in a house fire. With no next of kin, he had stowed off on his own to seek residence in Sanq in the hopes of joining the knights there.
His officers watching and listening in with rapt interest, the Commander raised his eyebrows at the end of his read and folded the papers again. "Wufei," he began when he met the boy's eyes again. "First, let me say that I am terribly sorry for the loss of your parents," he said sincerely. At that, the officers' eyes widened and saddened when they fell back on their guest. Heero, in particular, gazed on the newcomer with a keen interest in having that much in common with him already.
Back and shoulders still rigid and with the weight of his world that he was carrying, Wufei nodded his head firmly with a quiet, "Thank you, sir."
Taking a deep breath, Odin went on, "I see that you are still waiting for the approval of citizenship here in Sanq with the interest of becoming a knight to our homeland, as is your right now that you are of the required minimum age for our enlisting..."
He paused, tilting his head before he questioned, "But why travel here to your neighboring country to become a knight instead of enlisting with Capricorn when that option would have be much less hassle for you?"
Without hesitating, the boy answered, "Because Capricorn's next knight enrollment will not take place until I turn fifteen, many years from now. I did not want to wait that long."
Odin smiled. Already, Chang showed a heart that few other recruits at his young age held. he needed a sense of purpose, of belonging. That alone would make him a most valued soldier.
"I like him," Justin smirked as he glanced over to the Commander, voicing what every officer at that table was already thinking. More than expressing his appreciation of the lad, he had also extended an invitation that was not lost.
Keeping his eyes on the raven-haired boy, Lowe grinned, "As do I." That said, he held his hand out and stated, "I will personally see to it that your citizenship is finalized. Welcome to Sanq and our encampment, Wufei Chang. Please go and join Captain Fraise's team." Behind him, Heero and his established teammates smiled.
The strain of the tension instantly melting from him, the new knight-in-training blinked in wonder at the hand offered to him. Finally, breaking out into a wide grin, Wufei accepted it in a firm handshake and sighed, "Thank you very much, sir. I promise that you will not regret this." With a wink, Odin quietly snickered to himself as he and the others watched the boy hurry to join the rest of his crew.
Eyeing the faces before him, Chang swallowed roughly at not having anyone familiar amongst him. That discomfort was quickly forgotten when he was greeted by the teenager in the front of the pack as another hand was held out to him. "I'm Heero Yuy," he introduced with an almost nervous grin in a display of how out of his comfort zone he was in speaking to someone he did not know.
Gladly accepting his teammate's hand, the other boy responded, "Wufei Chang. Nice to meet you." As the remainder of the knights-in-training gathered close to make the Capricornian fell more at home, Lowe peered forward to the other enrollees waiting in line to be taken in.
As the remainder of the new recruits thinned out with the parting of their parents, the teams were filled with twenty hopefuls or better. Ten came another unexpected surprise for the officers when a certain head of red hair pulled back in a high ponytail that ended down at the middle of her back appeared near the end of the line. Standing at almost five feet, a girl with a bow and quiver of arrows slung over her waif frame came into plane view.
With a glance up, Justin's hand froze in the middle of its writing the name of the young man before him when he spotted the young woman. "W-what in the world is sh doing here?" he sputtered, his blue eyes traveling over the weapons that the girl bore.
Behind the table of the stunned officers, Heero's cobalt eyes widened in disbelief with a gasp. "Anna?" he muttered.
Directly at his side, Wufei looked over at his teammate and asked in a whisper that would not travel over the hush that had fallen, "You know her?"
Nodding, Yuy met the dark eyes on him and informed, "She is Captain Fraise's daughter. I did not know that she was interested in becoming a knight." 'And apparently neither did her father,' he thought to himself when he peered over to find his team leader's stiffened state.
Slowly taking a deep breath, Justin glanced back to the young man before him and said, "Juan, you will be with Knight Garon's team." Bowing his head, the boy took his leave and made his way from the table as quickly as his feet could carry him to avoid the Captain's building tension.
A less-than-pleased expression fell on Fraise's face as he met the matching blue eyes of his daughter once again. Without a word, he raised his hand and hooked his finger back and forth in a silent command for her to approach. Straightening herself, Anna never paused and walked forward to come to stop before him.
The Captain pushed himself back in his seat and measured her with his gaze. Stretching his arms out, he opened his hand in another demand. Once again respecting her father's wishes, Anna slipped her quiver of arrows and her bow over her head. Handing the weapons over, she readjusted her purple tunic and waited as her items were inspected.
After scanning the quality of the bow, Justin raised a red eyebrow and asked, "How were you able to pay for these?"
"I made them after studying your weapons for a long time now," his daughter responded, her voice calm despite the building butterflies in her stomach. Many of the officers at the table only began to take quietly amongst themselves, their gazes trained on the redheaded girl before them.
His jaw falling, the Captain echoed, "You made these?" Both a craftsman and an archer himself, there was certainly ample opportunity for Anna to pick up on both things. Still, how she had managed to hide her interest in such things was a marvel to him... as well as an overwhelming realization that he clearly did not know his child as well as he should have.
Carefully handing the weapons back over, Justin cleared his throat and folded his arms over the table. Peering over his shoulder, he scanned over the eight other girls spread throughout the teams that had been established. His blue eyes locking onto his daughter's, he said quietly, "You are well aware how difficult this training is on young women, are you not? There has yet to be a knighted Dame."
Nodding firmly, Anna stated simply, "And I plan on being the first." Odin smirked and chuckled quietly to himself at that confident remark. As long as he had known the girl, he knew her to have a good head on her shoulder like her old man, as well as his determination when it came to accomplishing whatever it was the mind had been set on.
Both things were very important qualities of a good knight.
Heero and Wufei exchanged amused glanced over the exchange between the Captain and his daughter. Already, she was showing more boldness and will than any of the other girls, and even some of the boys, that had enlisted that morning.
After a long pause, Justin finally took a deep breath and grinned, "Very well, Anna. If that is your wish, then you will join my team to have it tested." Leaning forward, he fixed her with a stern expression. "There will be no favoritism from me, quite the opposite in fact," he promised in a low voice. A smirk tugging the corner of his mouth, he concluded, "But if you really want this and do everything that is demanded of you... I'll make sure that you run laps around the boys."
Blue eyes widening, the girl blinked in surprise and a wide smile lit her face. Bowing her head, she replied, "Thank you, father." Quickly gathering up her bow and quiver in hand, she ran around the table to join her team.
With the addition of the last few hopefuls, the enrollment had ended and the large doors to the encampment were closed as the teams gathered close when the Commander beckoned them. Hands balled into fists at his hips, Odin slowly turned his head to appraise the whole of almost seventy youngsters.
"Welcome, to your new home for as long as you are in training, everyone," the Commander smiled. "Once you are shown to your team's living quarters where there will be new clothes and other needed provisions waiting for you, we shall gather again for dinner to discuss your schedules."
On that cue, the officers moved forward to lead their charges deeper into the encampment where the tree-branch-high buildings waited. Staying behind, Lowe kept his gaze on the backs of Captain Fraise's team... most specifically Heero, Wufei and Anna spread out at the middle of the pack.
Already, Odin was quite certain that they were going to be three to watch.
TBC...
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