By the Red Moon Part 23

"Shiiiiit!" Duo screamed as he gripped the hand hold of his saddle tightly enough that his knuckles whitened.

His violet eyes squeezing closed, he fought the nausea that came on while Deathscythe made several complete turnovers on herself, switching the direction from her left side to the right while airborne.

Only when he felt the black dragon stay upright after three revolutions made in either direction did the prince peel his eyelids open again.

Catching his breath in pants, Maxwell swallowed roughly against the bile rising in his throat. "Holy crap," he sighed as his racing heart came back down.

To say the least, it had already been a very long morning for him with his flight training. About the only relief in sight was the dark rain clouds rolling in quickly. He had been promised that the lesson would be called to an end when the storm started.

Ingier swooped up to soar completely upside down overhead so that Anna was just before the braided rider. Giggling, she shook her head, "See, that was not so bad, now was it?" Duo refrained from answering beyond glaring and growling at the wrong-end-up archer.

Crossing her arms, the redhead's ponytail whipped over her shoulders and blew on the wind so that the ends of her long, wavy hair tickled the prince's nose. "I know that you may not like us right now for forcing these maneuvers on you," she smiled sadly.

"But you need to get used to these if you are ever involved in another mid-flight attack," Anna shrugged. "You already know that Deathscythe will do whatever she has to in order to keep you safe, whether you're ready for it or not."

Of course there was a reason for his friends pushing him like this, but Duo was still anything but thrilled over it. He would have said something to that effect, but he still did not exactly trust his voice at that moment while trying to keep his stomach from churning at the same time.

At Scythe's right, Nataku appeared with Wufei smirking, "I think that we need to solidify his confidence in his steed, love."

Blinking her blue eyes at her lover, Anna slowly turned her head to face the prince with a mischievous grin. "Forgive us for this," she urged. "This is only for the best."

His violet eyes widening with dread, Duo almost whimpered, "W-what the hell are you going to do?"

Biting her lip, the archer patted her steed's scales that were in reach to have him fly upright next to the black dragon. "Anna?" the braided teenager frowned at her. Looking to his other side when she did not respond, he peered over to the swordsman and pleaded, "Wufei?"

Quickly, Chang moved first, brining Nataku in close so that he was within reach of Duo's saddle. At that same instant, Ingier swooped Anna there as well. "Oh, God, no!" the prince cried when they undid his harness in the blink of an eye.

"Go get him, Scythe!" the swordsman cried as he gave one swift and strong push that knocked his struggling friend.

Duo only managed one shouted 'No!' when he was completely thrown from the saddle and began to freefall for the treetops hundreds of miles below. The moment that her rider was in open air and screaming throughout his fast descent with his limbs flailing, the black dragon snorted and shot downward head-first for him.

Coming in close enough to the forest that he could make out the pines of the trees, the prince ended his yells to scream, "Scythe!"

And right then, his steed soared past him and made a sharp turn upward to have him land back into his saddle.

Stunned, Duo gripped the hand hold and pulled himself to sit properly in the leather confines. Panting as they continued to climb back into the heavens, he finally felt the sting of tears in his eyes that had been brought on by the violent wind of his freefall and pushed them away with a couple of blinks.

His head turning as he continued to brace himself in his saddle, he scanned around wide-eyed. And instead of screaming as he usually would, he released full and loud hoots and laugher instead. "Good girl!" the braided rider called to his steed while reaching down to pat her. "Good girl!"

Deathscythe turned her head back to smile at him before she leveled back out when they reached the others. "My God, that was..." Duo breathed to his grinning friends, shaking his head when he couldn't find the right description of what he had just experienced.

"Exhilarating?" Wufei snickered in offering.

Yes, that was certainly the word.

Nodding, the prince replied, "Yea. I mean to go from feeling like I was going to die to being perfectly safe... I never felt anything that exciting before." With a wince, he grinned sheepishly, "Kind of makes me feel stupid for yelling my lungs out during every takeoff."

Anna tilted her head and smirked, "Now just remember this, so that you do not have to be afraid again. Under no circumstances will your steed ever let you fall."

It was the lesson Duo needed and he knew that. Horrifying as it was at first, it was needed for him to get over his doubts. Still...

He bent down to take up the straps to his harness and strapped himself back into the saddle and chuckled, "I think I'll stick to this being on before I feel comfortable going without."

The knights just laughed and brought their steeds around to lead the way back down to camp as the last bit of clear sky in sight was covered by the storm clouds.

As soon as they touched down in a clearing and Duo jumped from his steed, a certain white-and-silver dragon charged onto the scene to sniff and examine him worriedly. Smiling, the prince reached up to pat his long muzzle and reassured, "I'm fine, Wing. No need to be worried."

Ever the 'doting parent,' the Captain's steed was never too far away whenever he was out for his training, so it was clear that the last stunt had given Wing a fright.

Coming out into the opening, Heero shook his head in amusement, "I had to keep him from rushing to save you when he saw you fall like that." He turned to face his fellow soldiers and nodded firmly, "Nice thinking on that little plan to make a point."

"Just... a little more warning would be nice the next time you try something like that," Duo requested, half-heartedly glaring at the couple now that he completely had his bearings back. "I just about had a heart attack back there."

Since Anna was too busy giggling, Wufei bent at the waist in a bow and spoke for the both of them with sincere, "Of course. No more tricks like that." All forgiven, they were rewarded with a wide smile from the prince.

Deathscythe lowered her own head when she became jealous of the attention that Wing was receiving from her rider. Throwing his arms around her nose as far as they would go, he kissed the end of it and told her, "You did great back there, girl. Thank you for catching me."

That was about as far as he got before her white-and-silver nemesis nudged her away and they began wrestling.

Watching from he sidelines, Ingier paced back and forth anxiously before he decided that he wanted in and joined the 'game' until they became a large ball of scales as the riders stood back to watch on with wide eyes.

Her shoulders sagging, Anna sighed deeply. Nataku lowered beside her with an exasperated grunt. "I know," the archer snorted while absently running a hand over the steed's long nose. "That boy is hopeless."

A few thick droplets of rain fell atop the group's heads and Heero suggested, "We better get back to camp and find shelter while they work this out."

Not about to argue, those not involved in the skirmish headed back into the cover of trees together just as the skies opened up to a heavy downpour. A flash of lightning stretched and branched across the clouds followed by a rumbling clap of thunder.

*  *  *  *  *  *

The storm continued on for the remainder of the day and into the night. Luckily, the foliage coverage was thick enough that it caught much of the rainfall.

Campfires were able to burn on without the need for constant maintenance and the hooded, slick shrouds that the soldiers wore over their clothes was more than enough to keep them dry as they walked about between the tents.

Duo threw on a shroud to join them in their tent for dinner that evening at their invitation. In their continued display of appreciation to Heero, that same invitation was passed on to him as well. Pulling on their shiny shrouds, they headed for that end of camp together.

Sharing quiet conversation, they joked by placing bets on how long it would take Wing, Scythe and Ingier to tire of their skirmish. They spoke about sword techniques and knight training. Really, it was one of the best times that Duo could recall having with the Captain... besides one certain night that they had shared together.

As through the dampening grounds, it was easily the longest and most pleasant conversation that they had shared between them.

Chuckling, the prince looked over to his friend and asked, "Don't you think that you could have found a less... dangerous way of drawing Wing out besides jumping from a cliff the way that you did?"

Heero smirked and shrugged, "I had felt him watching me, hiding close by wherever I went for ages. After a week of his little game of hide-and-seek, I decided that if he was truly my steed, I would have to make him come after me for a change."

With a whistle through his teeth, Duo shook his head, "And if he wasn't your steed, you would have died."

"You understand more of the connection between a rider and their dragon," the Captain reminded. "There was no question in my mind that Wing was bonded to me. He would not have stayed back when it came to protecting me, no matter how much he may have enjoyed his game up until then."

Since he truly did know of that link through what he had with Deathscythe, the braided teenager nodded and they fell into a brief silence again when something caught his eye. Two knights were standing close together by one of the fires wearing cloaks to shield them from the slow trickle of rain.

Their heads lowered, the men both smiled and shared a quiet discussion when Duo realized that their hands were joined at their sides.

Completely unaware of the people and activity going on around them, the only thing that they seemed to know that existed in the world at the moment was each other. That much was evident in the warm gazes that they gave each other.

It was a sight that the prince followed with his own head as he and Heero walked past. Then, the taller of the two men reached up with his free hand to brush his fingers over the other knight's face. And very slowly, they leaned in for a long kiss.

Gasping, Duo quickly turned his head away to do anything but stare. "What's wrong?" Heero frowned in concern as he looked over at him.

His hand raising to discretely point at the knights who continued to kiss without anyone else around paying any mind, Maxwell sputtered, "T-that just caught me by surprise." When he looked to the confused cobalt eyes watching him, he blinked in shock. "You mean that no one here is judged or ridiculed for... that?"

Only appearing all the more puzzled by his friend's reaction, the Captain shrugged, "Why would that be such a surprise-"

Cutting himself off, realization suddenly flooded over him and he smiled sadly, "So clearly, people of the same gender are looked down on where you come from." Relieved and now feeling like a complete fool for his behavior, Duo nodded.

"Ah," Heero smirked as they resumed their walk. "Well, that is anything but the case here. Why should anyone be treated that way for who they love? No one can help where their affections and attractions are drawn. Love is love."

It was as simple as that, so Duo came to terms. And really, it was exactly how he always felt about same-sex relationships. But there was more to this whole situation that was really intriguing to him...

Taken aback as he was over unexpectedly watching two men kissing, there was something... that excited him about the whole thing, too. Never before had he really thought of the prospect of being with another guy in that fashion as anything that appealed to him. However, he had to admit that it was far from a turn off as well.

Yet something else that he did not know about himself.

And then the prince caught himself staring into those cobalt eyes that never left him. Briefly, he glanced down to the Captain's lips that were damp from rain droplets and felt his heart pick up its pace in his chest. Just as he could feel his face flushing, he forced his head to stare forward and he cleared his throat.

"Well, that's a nice change from what I'm used to," Duo smiled when he regained his voice. "I always kind of sided on the 'live and let live' policy."

Humming, Heero turned his own attention forward as he replied, "And it is one of the many things that will make you a fine leader. I very much look forward to the day when this war is over and Sanq is rebuilt so that you can take your rightful place as king."

The smile on his face growing, the prince said quietly, "Thanks, 'Ro."

*  *  *  *  *  *

Later that night...

The table cleared of emptied plates at the end of their meal, Noin reached into a bag that she had brought to dinner with her. Removing a brown woven cloth that had been folded several times over, she looked to her nephew across from her and told him quietly, "I have waited anxiously for the time that I could give this to you."

Sitting up in his seat, the braided teenager carefully accepted the cloth that his aunt handled as though afraid she would break it. "This is the one and only family portrait that had been painted of you with your parents not long after you were born," the queen all but whispered.

Eyes widening, Duo's jaw fell as he stared back at her. Biting his lip, Heero shifted a bit closer to his side for support and discretely rested a comforting hand on the small of his back.

With a deep breath, the prince slowly unfolded the cloth that opened without so much as the hint of a crease in it and in the end was actually much larger than it seemed at first. The image at the center of the fabric left him completely shaken.

In the painting, his mother, was dressed in fine silks of lavender, red and gold with a crystalline crown on her head of long chestnut hair. And she was absolutely breathtaking. Violet eyes the same size and shape as Duo's own smiled out at him along with her lips as she held her only baby close against her chest.

Seated beside her in the same colored robes was his father with a face that was almost a complete mirror of his own. Grinning proudly with one hand over his wife's arm and the other over the blankest wrapped around their infant son, the king's long hair was pulled back in a braid and a gold crown donned his head.

For as many times as Duo had people telling him what a spitting image he was of his parents, to actually see that to be the case was overwhelming. Relena had been right in so many ways when she told him on their first meeting that they had left him with gifts of their own.

Though all that he had was the painting in his hands... in a strange way it was like having his parents back in his life. He now knew their faces, their eyes and their smiles.

"I miss them terribly, Solo and Sophia," Zechs said softly. Chuckling quietly, he shook his head, "Your father always preferred to go by his nickname from his childhood of growing up as the only one in his family."

Solo. Hence his own name, Duo thought to himself.

All of a sudden, his being able to hold onto his name meant more than he ever realized before. Turning to face Heero with watering eyes, he smiled and reached down to squeeze his hand in appreciation... for everything, not simply his being there when he needed him right then.

The meaning was not lost to the Captain as he grinned and squeezed back.

Leaning his head in for a closer look at the painting, Heero stated, "They are just as I remember them in this image." Across the table, Noin and Hilde both wiped their tears from their faces and nodded.

His hands gripping the edges of the cloth in his hands, Duo's eyes narrowed as he looked up to his family and declared, "I am not going to let their deaths be in vain. Whatever happens, Dekim will see my parents' face in me again one day... whatever the outcome of that meeting should be."

"Yes. He will know the wrath of all of us," Zechs vowed with a smirk that promised no end of nightmares for the dark sorcerer.

Overhead, the light drizzle of rain continued as a clap of thunder shook the air.

TBC...

 

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