Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Time, Fault and Out ❯ Chapter 57 ( Chapter 57 )

Disclaimer: I don't own the G'boys, I just borrow them from time to time to play with and return them a whole lot happier, ne?

 

Rating: NC 17

 

 

Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4

 

Warnings: AU, OOC, Lemon, Yaoi, Angst, Fluff, Sap, Vet themes.

 

Summary: Set 2 years after Equinity. Heero is now riding for the Kushrenada stable as well as attempting to qualify Zero for the Nations Cup team and ultimately his dream of riding at the Olympic games. But life is never an easy ride.

 

Notes: All the information on showjumping, horses, etc is taken from my own knowledge of the sport having been a competitor and now judge for many years and is written from an Australian perspective. The rules and regulations are courtesy of the E.F.A Handbook. (Equestrian Federation of Australia) Should you have any questions just e-mail me.

 

Fic 2 in the "Equine Intervention" Arc.

 

Dedication: To Klingonpoodle who gave me the plot bunny for the first fic and has since supplied my muse with its own plot bunny farm, and to 'Teddy Bear' my own courageous little showjumper whom Zero is based upon.

 

Note: For those who are interested you can view a pic of the Nations Cup course that the teams will be riding here: http://www.gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com/gw/Nations%20cup%20course.htm

 

 

"Time, Fault and Out"

 

November. 2005 ShenLong

 

Chapter 57

 

Having handed Zero over to Duo to look after, Heero followed Noin and the rest of the team into the arena to walk the course. From the corner of his eye he noted the other teams with their coaches also walking the course and they all looked a lot more confident than he felt.

 

"They may appear to be confident and sure of themselves, but underneath they're just as nervous as you are," Treize whispered softly to Heero.

 

Heero turned and looked at the older rider. "They certainly don't show it," he replied.

 

"Ah, it's all part of the psychology."

 

"Huh?"

 

"Give everyone the outward appearance that you know exactly what you're doing, look down your nose at the opposition as if asking them the question of why are they here when they don't stand a chance. It's called psychology, Heero. By giving others the appearance that they're good and going to win has the opposition questioning themselves and their own abilities, the seed of self doubt is a very powerful thing. Ignore them, you're more than capable of jumping this course, Heero, Noin and the selectors wouldn't have picked you if they didn't have confidence in you or Zero."

 

Understanding what Treize meant, Heero did his best to ignore the other competitors and focus on the course. He was quickly absorbed in the jumps ahead and how best to ride the course to gain minimal penalties and give his team a good score.

 

"Everyone listening?" Noin asked as she faced the team. "Right, let's go then. Here are the start flags..."

 

Noin walked the course with the team, going over any possible problem points and answering questions that arose as they progressed around the various jumps. When they had finished, Heero and Treize went back and walked it again, Heero pacing out the strides between different jumps and working out his best angles for approach to the more difficult fences. Once he was satisfied he'd gotten the course firmly lodged in his mind as well as how he was going to ride it, he returned to Duo who was waiting patiently with Zero.

 

"What's it like?" Duo asked. He hadn't seen the course yet, staying outside with Zero and giving Heero a hand the more important issue at the moment. Duo would go inside and watch a little later.

 

"Actually, it's not too bad," Heero replied as he ran a hand absently down Zero's neck. "It's fairly straight forward from fences one to six. From six onwards it could get tricky. There's a tight left turn from fence six to seven and from eight to nine which is the triple. Once you're over nine C, ten and eleven are in a straight line with a right turn to twelve and the finish."

 

"Ah."

 

The turn from six to seven will need to be made with accuracy as seven's parallel bars which will require your horse to be balanced and full of impulsion if he's to jump it successfully."

 

"And the triple?" Duo asked.

 

"Again it's going to come down to whether or not the horse is listening. The turn shouldn't pose much of a problem, it's getting the horse re-balanced and driving forward that will be. Nine is the triple consisting of three separate elements; A, B and C. There's two strides between A and B then one stride between B and C. That's where you're going to need the impulsion. A and B are both uprights, standing five foot each, the third element, part C is a spread, again at five foot but with a spread of five foot eight."

 

Duo gave a low whistle.

 

"My thoughts exactly," Heero said. "By the time you get to part C, your horse is going to be running out of steam if you haven't approached the first element properly and with enough impulsion."

 

"I'm glad you know what you're doing," Duo muttered.

 

"There's a water jump too."

 

"Eh?"

 

"Fence eleven, it's a water jump."

 

"Oh. Has Zero jumped water before?"

 

"Yes, he has, but it's been a while since he did. He's pretty good though, the water didn't bother him before so it shouldn't bother him now."

 

"I wonder how many riders will end up taking an impromptu bath?" Duo mused.

 

Heero laughed. "None by rights. At this level all the horses should be used to jumping water."

 

"What exactly is the water jump?" Duo's mind was conjuring up pictures of bath tubs, spas and the like.

 

"Basically it's a shallow square cut into the ground and lined with plastic to keep the water in. It's only about eighteen inches deep, but it's thirteen feet five inches wide with a low rail at the jump off point. You aim to clear it. Putting a hoof in the water counts as four penalties."

 

"What if you put the entire horse or rider in the water?" Duo snickered.

 

"Then you end up with one soggy rider, soaked horse and elimination."

 

"Good job you didn't pack your speedos then."

 

Heero opted to shake his head instead of replying.

 

The last of the competitors for the cup competition exited the ring, all muttering amongst themselves in regards to the course. Heero walked Zero around for a bit, trying to settle himself a little as well as his horse. Looking at the cool, outward appearance of his rivals who were also keeping their mounts on the move, Heero found it hard to believe that they could be as nervous as he was. Despite Treize's words from earlier about playing the psychology game, Heero still felt as if he had 'new comer' tattooed on his forehead.

 

Duo watched from his position close to the arena entry, he could see Heero walking around, leading his horse and knew his lover was battling the butterflies. He really wanted nothing more than to take Heero into his arms and kiss him senseless right now, anything to chase away the nerves. Duo almost jumped out of his skin when Treize appeared next to him.

 

"He's nervous," Treize said, stating the obvious.

 

"I know. I've never seen him this nervous before," Duo replied, biting absently at a thumbnail.

 

"Looks like he's not the only one," Treize mused as he watched Duo's face redden at being caught biting his nails.

 

"Yeah, well."

 

Before Duo could say anything else, Treize had walked over to Heero and spoke with the younger rider for a moment. Then Heero passed Zero's reins over to Treize with a nod and then began walking towards Duo. Duo raised an eyebrow.

 

"Bathroom break," Heero muttered and proceeded towards the Gents.

 

Duo followed. Slipping inside the mens toilets, Duo quickly grabbed Heero and shoved him into a stall, locking the door behind them. Without giving Heero a chance to say anything, Duo wrapped his arms around his lover and seized Heero's mouth in a fierce kiss. The kiss deepened, Duo putting all the love he could into it and trying to give his partner reassurance as well as confidence. When they broke apart, Duo kept his head resting against Heero's, violet fire burning deep into cobalt as he nibbled on Heero's bottom lip while speaking softly.

 

"You're going to go into that arena and jump your heart out, Heero. Zero is in fine form and will take care of you. You're going to ride like you've never ridden before and show these other people just how good you are. You can do it, Heero, Zero can do it and the pair of you together are going to make us proud. Jump a clear round, Heero, do it for your country, do it for me; but most of all, do it for yourself, for the love you have of the sport." Duo took Heero's lips again, in a tender kiss this time.

 

When they broke apart again, Heero gazed deep into Duo's eyes, seeking and finding the strength he needed there. "Thank you, Duo." He didn't say any more and neither did Duo. The vet simply gave a nod and then released his partner. With the toilets vacant, they slipped back out and rejoined the rest of the team.

 

Treize handed Zero back to Heero and walked over towards Zechs and Joe who held Duck and Goose between them. As he passed by Duo, he gave the vet a wink and the thumbs up sign. Duo smiled softly and mouthed 'Thank you.'

 

The commentator's voice broke through the chatter in the warm up and collecting areas, announcing that the judges were taking their places and the first round of the Nations Cup was about to begin. An official looking man appeared at the entry to the arena, clipboard in hand and began to scan around. Duo moved over to join Heero as the rider brought his horse over to stand by Treize. They were soon joined by Zoe, Carol, Alex, Charlie and Noin.

 

"That's the head steward," Noin said. "He will be the one to call you up to be ready and send you into the ring when it's time for your round. All the number ones will go first then the number twos, threes and fours." Noin stopped speaking as the head steward raised his megaphone and began to call out for the English team's first rider to present himself and the Italian team's first rider to be ready to go.

 

"He should do a pretty good round," Noin said as she watched the English rider trotting his horse around in a circle while waiting for the steward to give him the all clear to enter the arena. The steward gave a nod and the gate was opened, the English rider disappeared inside the arena to start his course.

 

The Australian team all gathered around, as close as they dared to the entrance to the arena, craning their necks to see how the English rider would fare. They couldn't see a great deal and had to rely on the commentator for the majority of what was happening. Noin slipped inside to get a better look, promising to let her team know how the course was riding. A few minutes later, the English rider was exiting the arena, applause following in his wake and a score of four penalties. Noin returned and let them know that the turn from six to seven was what had caused the problem, the English rider's horse having taken the top rail off fence seven. The Italian rider was preparing to enter the arena, Noin requested Treize and Zoe join her inside to watch at least a couple of riders go through the course before their turn came to jump.

 

Joe was walking much better on his bound ankle now and with Duck tied securely to one of the outside railings, well within sight and snorting distance of Goose, Joe dismissed any protest and insisted on holding Goose so Treize could watch some of the other competitors. Duo was also pressing Heero to go watch, knowing if his partner could sit and study other riders on the course it would help him with his own strategy of riding the course as well as calm his nerves a little more. Heero didn't want to go without Duo, but couldn't put up a proper argument with so many people around. In the end, Joe and Charlie solved the problem for them, Joe stating he would also hang onto Zero while Charlie kept an eye on both horses and Joe.

 

Zero and Goose got on well together so they wouldn't be any trouble to Joe and eventually Heero and Duo caved, leaving Zero in Joe's capable hands. They slipped inside the arena as the Italian rider was turning to face the triple. The horse was coming in a little fast but took the first element in its stride. Landing and taking two more strides it was becoming evident that the horse was running out of impulsion, the height of the jumps combined with the short amount of space in which to gather momentum clearly telling. Pushing his hindquarters underneath him, the horse pushed gamely into the air and snagged the top pole with its forelegs. Poles went crashing to the ground but the horse recovered, his rider sitting down into his saddle and bringing the animal back under control. By the time they reached jump ten, the horse had settled again but found the stretch over the water at jump eleven a little too much and had a hoof in the water. They completed the round with eight faults.

 

"Those are the tricky areas in the course," Noin said as the Italian rode out and the Swedish rider came in. "It's going to be very difficult to get a clear round. Your horse is really going to need to listen to you at all stages of the course, that turn from six to seven can be done, as can the one from eight to nine and still have the impulsion needed to clear the triple. Be aware of it and have your horses balanced."

 

Treize, Zoe and Heero all nodded. Duo watched carefully as the Swede began his course. He rode slowly, letting his horse increase speed slightly as they progressed. When they got to fence six, the Swede had his horse beautifully balanced and came perfectly into seven. He continued successfully over eight and nine and headed for ten. Clearing ten the water was next and this is where the pair came to grief. The rider didn't push his horse on enough so consequently the animal didn't have the stretch it needed to clear the water. The steward's flag went up indicating a hoof had indeed landed in the water. The horse didn't seem to like having wet feet and completely messed the wall, sending bricks showering everywhere.

 

"Eight faults,' the commentator said. "Next we have John Green from South Africa..." The commentator went on to give a little spiel about the current rider before falling silent as the bell rang for him to start.

 

The South African's round wasn't spectacular, but it wasn't bad either. Twelve penalties. As the horse and rider were half way through their round, Treize stood up and made his excuses.

 

"I need to get ready. The Kiwi is next and then I'm after him."

 

Good lucks were whispered and Treize departed. Duo was constantly shifting in his seat, unable to keep still with the tension. Heero was beginning to feel a little sick in the stomach but kept it to himself. Zoe appeared calm while Noin remained her usual, collected self. Once the South African rider exited, Noin left to speak with Treize one last time, the other three remaining in the arena to watch. They could see Treize walking Goose around, Joe still holding Zero who appeared relaxed and happy. That made Heero feel a little better.

 

The Kiwi rider went well, clearing the difficult jumps but snagging four faults at jump four, one of the easier ones. /Just went to show that you needed to remain focused for all the fences, not just the ones you knew were difficult,/ Duo thought to himself. As the Kiwi rider left, the commentator announced Treize.

 

"Riding for Australia; Treize Kushrenada on Tall Geese." The commentator waited for the applause to die down a bit before continuing. "Treize started riding when he was only five, competing in local Pony Club shows before taking up show jumping. He progressed rapidly through the grades and fast established himself as one of this countries top show jumpers by the time he was twenty. Treize has represented Australia in International competition twice now, one other Nations cup and the Olympic games two years ago where he brought home the silver medal for Australia in the individual competition."

 

While the commentator was saying his piece, Zechs joined Heero, Duo and Zoe inside the arena. he smiled nervously at Duo who returned the smile with what he hoped was a reassuring one of his own. Having been with Heero to numerous shows he could quite appreciate the nervousness that the other vet must be going through. Regardless of how many times he watched Heero jump, Duo still felt on edge until his lover was safely through the finish flags.

 

The bell sounded and Treize was on his way.

 

The first four fences were easy to Goose, the big bay clearing them with inches to spare and beginning to enjoy himself. Heero could see the skill Treize was using to keep his horse from getting too confident and possibly making a mistake. The double was taken with the same style and the tension began to mount in the arena as Treize sat down in his saddle and brought his horse together for fences six and seven. Goose landed just right over six, turned and came in spot on for fence seven. The parallel bars were also cleared and Treize rode on towards eight and the following triple.

 

Zechs began to twist a lock of hair in his fingers, silently willing his partner on while praying for his safety. Duo was equally silent, hands clasped together as he forced himself to breathe, eyes locked on the tall rider and his horse as they flew over fence eight and Treize set Goose up for the triple. Heero held his breath. He'd been closely watching Treize and how the man approached each of his fences, taking mental notes and planning his own strategy out in his head. Goose came into the triple on the correct stride, ears pricked and eager to jump. They cleared part A, landed and took two strides before the bay was once again airborne. The landing wasn't as smooth as Treize would have liked but he immediately sat down and applied his legs, pushing his horse together as Goose took off for part C. The jump was wide and Goose stretched with all he had, unfortunately his hind leg just touched the back rail, causing it to rock in its cups and then fall.

 

Zechs let out a groan, Duo joined him while Heero grit his teeth. Treize didn't seem to let it bother him though and had his horse perfectly collected for jump ten and then the following water. Goose flew over the water and sailed over the wall, zipping between the finish flags as the arena erupted into cheers and applause.

 

"Four penalties for Treize Kushrenada and Tall Geese, the first of the Australian team to go," the commentator stated and then went on to introduce the next competitor.

 

"Damn!" Zechs said as he took a deep breath.

 

"It was a pretty good round," Heero commented, "He will be pleased with the result I would imagine. It's not an easy course at all and I think clear rounds are going to be few and far between."

 

"Ain't that the truth," muttered Duo as he watched the first of the Japanese team members send poles flying at jump five B.

 

"I'm going to go find him and congratulate him," Zechs said as he stood up.

 

"We will be out in a minute, Zechs. I want to watch the German rider first, he's next to go," Heero said.

 

"I'll let him know," Zechs replied and left the pair alone.

 

The Japanese rider finished with eight faults and then the German rider came in the arena. Heero recognized him as Herrman Schultz, the one that had come second to Treize in the A grade competition. "This will be a good round," he said to Duo as his eyes tracked the German rider.

 

Duo watched closely as Schultz started his course, his horse willing and attentive. Jump after jump was approached and cleared and Duo found himself partially hoping the rider would make a mistake and partially hoping they wouldn't. Jump six was taken, the horse landing and making a perfect turn onto fence seven. The parallel bars were also cleared and the pair bore down on fence eight. That was similarly cleared and then Duo watched in amazement as the German rider seemed to bring his horse back until it was almost cantering on the spot.

 

"He's building up the impulsion," Heero whispered.

 

"Ah."

 

With the horse almost bouncing on the spot, Herrman eased it closer. Three strides away he let the horse go, following the animal with his own body and staying in perfect balance with it. The horse seemed to explode, bounding over the first element, landing and taking the two strides before leaping over the second. Then one stride and the horse was airborne again, clearing the last part of the triple and cantering away towards fence ten.

 

"Well shit!" Duo exclaimed. "That horse seemed to be like a coiled spring over that triple."

 

"He has the education, experience and good enough hocks to be able to do it," Heero replied.

 

"I'm thinking you're gonna need to convince Zero he's part kangaroo to bound like that over the triple!"

 

Heero couldn't help it, he laughed.

 

"Clear round, ladies and gentlemen," the commentator announced. "Our first clear of the competition, but it's early yet, we still have the French rider to go and then the second members of each nation will begin their rounds."

 

Duo and Heero didn't wait to hear any more or watch the French rider, they left the arena to find Treize and offer their congratulations. Heero also wanted to find out if Treize had any information on the course he could pass on and give Heero a bit of an edge when it came to his turn to ride.

 

* * *

 

The French rider completed his course with eight faults and then it was time for the second riders from each nation to begin. Zechs and Treize had taken Goose and Duck back to the stables as they wouldn't be jumping any more that day. The second round for them would be tomorrow so there was no reason for Goose and Duck to be standing around. Joe remained behind holding onto Zero despite Duo's protests that he would take over and give Joe a break. Joe flatly refused knowing Heero wanted to watch more riders go through and with Duo beside him it would help to settle Heero. Duo gave up in the end and after wishing Zoe the best of luck, he joined Heero inside the arena again as the second Swedish rider was half way through their course.

 

The Swede left the arena with ten penalties, eight for knocking down rails and two time penalties. The South African rider entered and was unfortunate enough to suffer a fall. His horse came in wrong to fence seven and gamely tried to jump it. Hitting the poles upset the animal's balance and the horse jarred on landing, his rider sailing clean over his horse's shoulder and hitting the dirt. He wasn't hurt but the fall meant he was eliminated from that stage of the competition. The New Zealand rider came in the arena and proceeded at a steady pace around the course. The jumps were taken slowly and Duo was holding his breath over each one, wondering if the horse had enough energy to clear them as its belly was just about scraping the top of the poles. But clear them it did and the Kiwi came out with the second clear round of the event.

 

"Next rider, representing Australia; Zoe Lang riding Periwinkle. Zoe took up riding when she was ten, showing her pony in hacking classes before progressing to dressage. The sport of show jumping caught her attention when she was just fifteen and it wasn't long before she was competing successfully in A grade competition. Zoe has represented Australia in the Pacific cup, a competition held every two years between Australia and New Zealand." [1]

 

The crowd went quiet as Zoe turned her mare for the start.

 

Duo was biting his fingernails again, Heero looked a little pale as he willed Zoe and Periwinkle around the course. Zoe started off slowly and built up her impulsion as she cleared jump after jump. The double was nothing to the little mare, with ears pricked she sailed over the formidable looking obstacle and turned easily for jump six.

 

"Please clear it, please clear it, please clear it," Heero chanted under his breath.

 

Duo quirked an eyebrow but refrained from saying anything, if he had said anything it would probably have been a mirror of what Heero was chanting or something very similar.

 

Periwinkle skipped over the gate and turned to meet the parallel bars dead on. She cleared those with a whisk of her tail and motored towards fence eight, the rustic hedge. The mare hopped over the hedge like it wasn't there and then turned for the triple. Heero could see Zoe checking the mare, driving her hocks underneath her and trying to contain as much energy as possible. Three strides away, Zoe gave the mare her head and she bounded forward.

 

Duo's eyes widened at the size of the mare against the size of the triple. He felt his admiration grow for the smaller horse as she gamely tackled part A.

 

Periwinkle sailed into the air, cleared part A, landed and took her two strides, Zoe's legs pushing hard to keep the momentum going. They cleared part B, took a stride and were launching into the air again. Periwinkle's back hoof just tipped the top rail, it rocked for a moment before settling into the cup again. Both Duo and Heero reached a hand to their respective chests and released sighs of relief.

 

Turning towards fence ten, the mare could sense the finish coming up and bounced neatly over fence ten before lengthening her stride out to clear the water. Only the wall remained between Zoe, the finish and the Aussies first clear round.

 

"I can't watch," Duo hissed and covered his eyes.

 

"Neither can I," Heero muttered but forced himself to keep his eyes on Zoe.

 

The mare steadied a little and then launched herself into the air. All that could be heard was the soft thudding of hooves as she landed cleanly on the other side. Then the arena erupted with shouts, cheers and applause.

 

"Clear round for Zoe Lang of Australia!"

 

Heero and Duo didn't hang around to watch any more, they jumped to their feet and scrambled to get outside to congratulate Zoe and make a fuss of her mare.

 

Periwinkle knew she'd been good and accepted all the praise heaped on her with the dignity only a 'lady' could show. Carol was ecstatic, patting and petting the mare, feeding her sugar cubes while continuously telling her what a good girl she was. Zoe was in tears with happiness, unable to quite believe she'd gone clear. The scoreboard though proved it, a big, fat 0 sitting in the penalties box.

 

Noin was really pleased, overall they had just four penalties thus far and it was much better than she'd hoped for given the difficulty of the course. Once everyone had finished with their congratulations, Zoe and Carol took Periwinkle back to the stables to settle her before returning to watch the remaining competitors. While everyone had been outside with Zoe, the Japanese and German teams second riders had completed their courses with eight and four penalties respectively. Noin went back inside to watch the French rider complete his course with four faults.

 

Zechs and Treize returned just as Zoe was leaving and stopped to offer their congratulations. Noin came back out to announce they had a ten minute break while the ground crew raked the arena, especially the take off and landing points at each jump to keep the competition fair for all riders. With so many horses jumping, the take off points especially were getting a little cut up. The arena surface was a rich, sawdust type material and tended to get a little boggy after a while.

 

Noin announced that by her calculations the New Zealand, Australian and German teams were currently all sharing first place with four penalties in total. Heero didn't really need to hear that and turned a little green with the thought that he could be the one to make or break their current standing.

 

“You'll be fine, Heero,” Duo murmured. He knew his lover well and the weight of responsibility would be heavy on his lover's mind. “Both you and Alex have yet to go and you're perfectly capable of clearing that course as well.”

 

Heero gave his lover a soft smile. “I know. I just hope I can keep it together and not let the team down.”

 

“You won't let them down.”

 

“How can you be so sure?”

 

“Because you're a good rider and Zero loves to jump. He's going to go out there and do what he does best; and so are you. Now, quit with the nerves, get on that horse and show them all just what it is I love about you.”

 

“You mean you want me to go out there and show them my sexy ass?” Heero whispered.

 

“You show them that and I'll be forced to take drastic action,” Duo growled softly, but there was a twinkle in his eye. If Heero was teasing back it meant he was feeling more confident in himself.

 

“Only you, Duo. Only you.” Heero sent his partner a gentle smile, one he kept only for Duo and went to fetch his horse from Joe.

 

Heero rode his horse around, loosening the gray up again. Treize came over and spoke with him, giving him some advice on how best to take the triple. “It's quite tricky, you really need to have your horse together and listening to clear it. Goose ran out of steam over that last element, but you can be sure I'll have him clearing it tomorrow.”

 

“Thanks, Treize.”

 

“No problem. Go in there, forget about the crowd, in fact, forget about everything except the jumps in front of you and enjoying yourself. Win, lose or draw, Heero, it doesn't matter. It's how you play the game that does.”

 

Treize's words rang true and Heero nodded in acceptance. Setting his jaw, he pushed all nerves to the back of his mind and concentrated on keeping Zero moving.

 

The commentator called for all the number three riders to be ready and the competition was underway once more. Noin, Treize and Zechs went back inside the arena to watch, Joe stayed by the entry way to relay the results to Duo who was watching Heero keeping Zero loose and relaxed.

 

The steward sent the Kiwi's third rider into the arena and called for Heero to be ready. Heero brought the gray to a walk and then halt beside Duo. “What's the scores?” Heero asked as he ran a hand along Zero's neck.

 

Duo stroked the velvet muzzle, Zero blowing softly through his nostrils. “So far the English rider made four faults, the Italian four, the Swede eight and the South African eight. Don't know about the Kiwi yet.”

 

A loud groan came out of the arena on the air.

 

“I'd say he's just made four faults,” Duo said and then turned his attention to Zero. Pulling gently at the stallion's ears, Duo spoke softly to the horse. “You take care of my partner, Zero. Keep him safe and don't get hurt yourself either. Jump like you've never jumped before, give it everything you have, buddy, and I promise you all the carrots you can eat.” Reaching into his pocket, Duo pulled out a carrot piece and slipped it to the delighted horse.

 

The Kiwi rider came out of the arena patting his horse, the commentator announced eight faults and then the steward was calling for Heero to enter.

 

“Good luck, Heero.” Duo gave Heero's knee a squeeze. “Knock their socks off.”

 

“I'll do my best, Duo.” Heero gathered his reins and pushed Zero into a trot. “This is it, my son. This is what we've been practicing for so let's not make any mistakes.” He ran a hand along the hard muscle of Zero's neck and the stallion gave a soft snort and toss of his head in reply. He could see the jumps and was eager to be off, doing what he loved best - jumping.

 

Duo took a deep breath and watched Zero's disappearing tail, then he headed inside to watch his lover achieve his dream.

 

“Rider number three for the Australian team. Heero Yuy riding Zero!” Once more the arena erupted into cheers and applause. “Heero began riding in his early teens, show jumping becoming the sport he most enjoyed. He achieved moderate success for a few years with his first horse, Alliance, but it wasn't until he purchased, broke in and educated his current mount, Zero, that he broke into the big scene. This is the pairs' first appearance at International level.”

 

Duo found Treize and Zechs, the pair keeping a seat for him. He sat down and tried to swallow the butterflies.

 

“How is he?” Treize asked.

 

“Nervous, but not as bad as before.”

 

“He'll be fine once he starts the course, you'll see,” Treize replied kindly.

 

“I know just how you feel,” Zechs said as he patted Duo's knee and gave the other vet a sympathetic smile.

 

“You know, I don't think I was this nervous when I sat my final exams in vet college,' Duo replied. “I think I'm gonna be sick.”

 

“If you are, could you do it that side? I really don't feel like having to get the stains out of these jodhpurs,” Treize said with a grin.

 

Duo's eyes widened and he gave Treize a look that clearly said 'I don't believe you just said that', but it had the desired effect of calming Duo down.

 

Heero rode towards the judges box and saluted. Turning Zero, he pushed the horse into a canter and settled himself into his saddle. Beneath him Zero remained calm and relaxed, although the power in the stallion's body could clearly be felt. To Heero it felt like he was sitting on a stick of dynamite; one touch would be all it would need for Zero to explode.

 

The bell rang, Heero pushed his hat further onto his head, collected his reins and turned Zero towards the start flags and following first jump. As the flags flashed past, Heero forgot about the crowd, forgot his nerves and let the adrenaline take over.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc...

 

[1] Pacific Cup: I have no idea if there is such a competition, although Aussie and NZ used to have a competition several years ago which was held alternately in Sydney and Wellington I think. (may have been Auckland) So for all intents and purposes the Pacific cup is just something from my imagination.

 

Note: For those who are interested you can view a pic of the Nations Cup course that the teams will be riding here: http://www.gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com/gw/Nations%20cup%20course.htm