Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Time, Fault and Out ❯ Chapter 59 ( Chapter 59 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

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? Written for pleasure not profit.
 
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.
 
 
"Time, Fault and Out"
 
November. 2005 ShenLong
 
Chapter 59
 
Alex looked at Charlie and then back to the wound on his horse's cannon bone. "Go get Doctor Maxwell, now!"
 
Charlie didn't wait to be asked twice. He straightened up and turned, taking off at a run back towards the arena where he'd last seen Duo and Heero. His eyes scanned around as he checked his speed, forcing himself to a jog as there were many horses, riders and spectators around and he didn't want to spook anyone's mount and cause an accident. He spotted Heero, Duo, Treize and Zechs walking towards the stables and quickly changed course to intercept them.
 
"Whoa, Charlie," Treize exclaimed as the groom tore up to them.
 
"Doctor Maxwell, please, come quick," Charlie panted out.
 
"Charlie? What's up?" Duo asked as a small ball of fear lodged in his gut. Charlie was obviously very agitated about something and Duo only hoped that something wasn't Zero.
 
"Firefox, he's hurt."
 
"Hurt?" Duo began to walk towards the stables a little faster.
 
"I was taking off his jumping boots and found blood. His right front cannon bone."
 
"Right," Duo replied. Come on, let's go see what we can do. Duo broke into a jog, trusting that the others would follow.
 
It didn't take them long to reach the stable block and find Alex crouching beside his horse, a bowl of water and swab in his hand as he bathed the chestnut's foreleg. Joe hovered behind unsure of what help he could be. When Joe heard the panicked voices he'd left Goose and hobbled outside to see Charlie disappearing at a run and Alex crouched beside his horse. He'd gone to see what was wrong and had fetched the water, swabs and betadine solution for Alex.
 
"Let's have a look, Alex," Duo said as he crouched beside the rider.
 
"I think it will need to be stitched," Alex said quietly as he moved to the side.
 
Duo gently probed the back of Firefox's cannon bone, moving the wet hair aside to get a better look at the damage. Zechs came up beside him and scanned his own eyes over the foreleg. Duo lifted the foreleg up so he could better see the wound, Zechs assisting him by holding the leg so Duo could probe better. The cut was about an inch and a half long, running down the back of the cannon bone and then veering slightly to the side. It wasn't too deep, something Duo was grateful for, but it would need stitching and Firefox would be out of the competition with the injury. Even if the horse wasn't lame, the pressure on those forelegs from jumping would cause the stitches to tear and the wound to reopen.
 
"How bad is it?" Heero asked from the side where he was watching his lover work.
 
Duo lowered the foreleg and sighed. "I'm not going to lie here. It's a nasty cut and will require stitching. I'm afraid this puts paid to any further competition for you, Alex."
 
"There will be other competitions," replied Alex, his voice worried. "There won't ever be another Firefox. Please, do what you can for him, Doctor Maxwell."
 
"I will," Duo replied and then turned to Heero and Zechs. "Heero, can you fetch my medical kit from the car, please?"
 
Heero nodded and left to do just that.
 
"Zechs? Did you by chance come down in your work car?"
 
"Yes, I did," Zechs replied knowing exactly where Duo was going with his questions. "The boot is fully stocked."
 
"Good. I only have limited supplies in my medical kit. Would you mind if I used some of your supplies? I'll reimburse you for everything I use."
 
"Of course you can. Would you like a hand?"
 
"Assistance would be appreciated. Thanks, Zechs."
 
"No problem. I'll go get what we will need now." Zechs turned and headed out to the car park to fetch the items Duo would need to treat the horse.
 
"What I want to know is how he did it," Charlie said as he patted the chestnut neck.
 
"Judging by the wound and the placement of it, I'd say he caught his front cannon with his hind hoof, either taking off or landing over one of the jumps," Treize suggested. "I have seen it happen before."
 
"That would make sense," Charlie mused.
 
"It's my guess that he's done it when he landed over that wall. The take off was pretty hard and because he was so close to the jump when he took off, the landing would also be harsh. I'd say as he's landed his hind hoof has come through and caught the front before Firefox had chance to move it out of the way. The force of impact would be enough to split the skin like that despite him wearing jumping boots." Treize's eyes wandered over the chestnut. "If you take a look at the jumping boot you will probably find scuff marks or something similar."
 
Charlie picked up the boots he'd removed from the horse and took a long look at the boot that had been on the injured foreleg. Sure enough there were scrape marks on the brown leather. "Looks like you're right," Charlie said as he passed the boot over for Treize to look at.
 
Heero and Zechs both returned then and Duo began to get the items he would need gathered together. Filling a syringe with local anesthetic, Duo quickly infiltrated the horse's lower leg with it and then waited for the anesthetic to take effect. Zechs had located a small pair of clippers and once the anesthetic had done its job, he quickly clipped the hair away from the wound site. Firefox stood calmly, letting the humans do their work. He felt no pain at all and had no reason to move about.
 
Duo began to swab the wound out, cleaning it thoroughly and trimming the ends of the wound to make stitching easier. Once he had cleaned the leg to his satisfaction, Zechs began to pass him the threaded needles, Duo stitching quietly while Charlie held the horse's leg for him. It took a little while to complete, but finally the wound was closed, a neat line of tiny stitches just visible. Duo dusted the area with penicillin powder, placed a piece of gauze over the wound and bandaged it.
 
"Is he up to date with his tetanus shots?" Duo asked as he prepared to give the horse a shot of antibiotic.
 
"Yes. He had his booster just six months ago," Alex replied.
 
"Good, we won't need to repeat the injection then. Now, he's going to be quite sore once that anesthetic wears off. The main thing we need to watch out for is swelling and infection. The dressing can be changed tomorrow and he will need a five day course of the antibiotic. I'll check the wound tomorrow and give him the shot if you like."
 
"Thanks, Doctor Maxwell, and you too, Doctor Merquise." Alex patted his horse.
 
"My pleasure," Duo returned.
 
"Glad to be of assistance, although I would have preferred not to if you know what I mean," Zechs said as he packed away the items.
 
"I guess we better tell Noin the bad news," Treize said.
 
“Bad news?”
 
Everyone turned at the sound of Noin's voice.
 
“You said to tell me the bad news,” Noin repeated, looking directly at Treize. “What bad news would that be?”
 
Alex stepped forward. “I'm afraid that Firefox has injured himself and won't be able to continue to compete, Miss Noin.”
 
“Injured? How? What happened?” Noin started to look concerned. “He will be okay though?”
 
“It would appear that Fox has caught his front cannon bone with his hind hoof when landing over a jump and as such, he's split the skin open,” Treize said quietly.
 
“Oh?” Noin said.
 
“Yes. Doctor Merquise and I have looked at the wound and stitched it. Luckily it isn't deep and the horse will make a full recovery, but I'm afraid there won't be any more jumping for him for at least three weeks,” Duo said. “I'm sorry.”
 
“I see.” Noin's brow furrowed for a moment. “I can't say I'm not disappointed, but it isn't the end of the world. Alex, I'm sorry your horse was injured, you rode a great round and I'm proud of you. It's a shame you won't be able to compete again tomorrow.”
 
Alex nodded. “Thanks.”
 
“However, the team can still compete seeing as the rules state that the best three scores count for the final team score. I don't have to tell the remaining three of you what that means, do I?”
 
Zoe, Treize and Heero all shook their heads at the coach. It would mean that all three of their scores on the 'morrow would count and it was more important than ever that they give their best and go clear if they were to stand any chance of winning. Heero felt his arm ache and quickly ignored it. He couldn't afford to have his arm playing up now, not when his team was counting on his and Zero's score.
 
Noin sighed. “Okay. What's happened has happened and there's nothing we can do to change it. I've been into the stewards' room and now have the current running scores. I dropped one of the four fault rounds from our score which leaves us with a total of four penalties going into the second round. We are currently tied with the German team for first place; they also dropped one of their four faults and were left with a score of four penalties for the first round. The New Zealand and English teams are tied for third place having a total of eight penalties each and then the rest of the teams follow on from there.”
 
Duo gave a whoop, which he managed to turn into a sort of strangled cough when he spotted Noin's look. Treize, Heero and Zoe all smiled, Zechs gave Treize a slap on the back and a huge grin.
 
“Tomorrow, people, will be the crunch. We need to give it our all if we are to win this cup. While I would love for you all to go clear, I know that isn't always possible. Just give it your best and I will be happy with that, whatever the result. Now, I suggest you all go back to the hotel once you've finished tending to your horses, get a good meal inside you and a good night's sleep. The course will remain the same for tomorrow, but the heights and widths will change. I will see you all at breakfast. Thank you all for a great effort today, you have all done your country proud.”
 
Heero felt the heat flush his cheeks with the praise and made a silent vow that tomorrow he would ride and jump like he'd never done before. As Noin departed so he turned to Duo and the pair went to settle Zero for the night.
 
* * *
 
Dinner passed smoothly, Heero eating a lot more than he normally did. All the exercise and excitement had made him hungrier than normal. Word of Firefox's 'accident' had managed to make its way through the grapevine and several riders stopped to pass on their 'condolences' and wish the rider and his horse well.
 
With dinner over and done with, people began to drift off, out to visit the town or to their rooms. Duo and Heero headed for their room, a shower and watching some television the main priority. Duo took his shower first, stepping out in his boxers and toweling his mane of hair.
 
“Shower's free,” he said to Heero who was reclining on the bed watching something on the screen. “What's on?”
 
“Springer,” Heero replied.
 
“I don't know how you can watch that crap. It's all orchestrated, you know.”
 
“I know, but it's fun to see them get all riled up over stupid things,” Heero snickered.
 
Duo rolled his eyes and then nudged his partner. “I said, shower's free. As much as I love you and Zero, I'm not particularly that keen on having the horse smell in my bed.”
 
Heero grunted but stood up and began to remove his shirt. As he went to push it from his shoulders, his arm sent a spasm of pain shooting through the muscles and Heero gave a soft gasp and wince.
 
Duo spotted it immediately. "Okay, tough guy. What's up with your arm and don't say it's nothing, I saw the wince."
 
Heero sighed, he knew there was no getting out of this one. "I strained it when Zero stumbled. It's not that bad, just a twinge every now and then."
 
"Right," Duo snorted. "And I'm the tooth fairy."
 
"Really? I thought you were a vet," Heero deadpanned.
 
"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny. Come here and let me take a look."
 
Duo's tone told Heero that joking wasn't a very good idea right now and he obediently moved across the room to let Duo take a look at his arm. The vet removed Heero's shirt and began gently probing around the upper arm where the pins were still in the bone. He frowned as his skilled fingers moved over the flesh. While he may be a doctor of animals, the basics were the same and he could tell if anything wasn't right.
 
"What's the verdict?" Heero asked as Duo finished his examination.
 
"I don't think there's any damage, the pins all feel in the right place. I'd say you've probably jarred them and possibly torn a little of the tissue surrounding them inside."
 
"You're not going to tell Noin, are you? We can't afford for me not to ride, not with Alex out of the competition. The team needs me, Duo, I have to ride." Heero stopped, realizing he was on the verge of whining.
 
Duo chuckled and shook his head. "No, I'm not going to tell Noin. I think I can trust you enough to know your body's limits and not ride if it would put yourself or Zero at risk. I'll take your word that you're fit enough to ride - "
 
Heero's face lit up.
 
"However..."
 
Heero's face fell.
 
"I insist that you let me strap the arm and protect it from further damage."
 
Heero nodded vigorously. "That's fine. You can do what you like with it just as long as I can still compete."
 
Duo couldn't help it, he laughed. Heero was like a little kid that had just been given the key to the candy store. "Go, take your shower and clean up. I'll strap the arm when you come out." Duo swatted his lover's backside and pushed him towards the shower.
 
"Thanks, Duo. I owe you one," Heero whispered as he stole a kiss.
 
"Mmmm. You can pay me back after your shower," Duo replied, licking his lips.
 
"You can bet on it." Heero disappeared into the bathroom.
 
Duo looked at the retreating back and grinned.
 
* * *
 
Breakfast was a mixture of emotions. Tension was thick in the air with the thought of the day's competition ahead and the weight of a nation on their shoulders. Heero had a bad case of the butterflies again and had to force himself to eat. Treize wasn't much better, Zechs giving his lover glares from time to time as the older man simply nibbled on a piece of toast. Zoe had managed to eat a bowl of cereal and was now wishing she hadn't. Alex managed to eat a little, although his lack of appetite was because he was feeling disappointed that he wouldn't be competing. Duo, as usual, cleaned his plate.
 
Once breakfast was finished, Noin arranged to meet them all at the stables, wanting to check on Firefox before going to the stewards' room and notifying the proper people that Alex and Firefox would be scratched. The second round of the cup competition was scheduled for one o'clock so they had plenty of time to tend their horses, warm up and be prepared before the course was open for walking and the competition began.
 
Arriving at the stables, Heero went straight to check on Zero, Duo pausing briefly at the gray's stable before continuing on to Firefox's to check on his patient. Charlie had the chestnut out of the stable and ready for Duo. Noin arrived and Duo began to remove the bandage. Zechs appeared at his side with fresh supplies and Duo thanked him. Once the bandage was off, Noin got her first look at the injury.
 
The stitches were holding firmly, the skin looking clean and pink. Duo was happy about that, infection was always a big threat. The leg had swollen though as Duo had predicted and he recommended Charlie hose it for a good twenty minutes to help take the swelling down a bit. Before Charlie took the horse to do just that, Duo gave Firefox his next injection. The chestnut was a little sore on the leg, a slight limp evident as Charlie led him away to hose off the leg.
 
Having seen the injury, Noin straightened and asked Duo to accompany her to the stewards' room. For Firefox to be scratched she needed a vet's certificate to confirm that the horse was injured and unable to compete. Duo didn't have any of his 'official' paperwork with him and neither did Zechs and as Duo was the treating vet, Noin knew the stewards would accept a verbal confirmation from him.
 
With the formalities out of the way, Noin and Duo returned to the stables and the remaining riders.
 
* * *
 
Heero cringed inwardly as he looked at the size of the triple. They were walking the course and even though the course was the same as it was for the previous day's competition, the heights and widths were different. The last element of the triple, nine C, now stood at maximum height and width. Five foot two with a spread of six foot five, it was a formidable looking obstacle. Heero could tell that the course designer was planning on the competitors having to really work to score a clear round. Idly he wondered if there would be any at all. The water was now thirteen feet six inches, Heero recalled Duo's words and wondered if any of them would be taking an impromptu swim.
 
"There's nothing to worry about," Noin said as they exited the arena. "All of you are more than capable of jumping that course as you proved yesterday. You know how it rides, where the traps are and how best to ride it to give your horses the maximum chance of clearing each jump. The only difference is the height and width of some jumps. I wouldn't let that get to you though, all your horses were clearing those jumps yesterday with inches to spare."
 
"Except for the one's we hit," muttered Treize under his breath.
 
Heero overheard the soft mutter and couldn't help but grin. Technically, Treize was right.
 
"Right, all of you are to remount and continue to warm your horses up. The order will be reversed today, the number fours will be jumping first followed by the number threes, twos and ones. As we don't have a number four, we won't be competing until it's the threes' turn. Heero, that means you will be up first."
 
Swallowing hard, Heero nodded. He turned and left the group to find Duo and Zero. He spotted his lover over to one side of the warm up area walking the gray around. Pausing for a moment he watched the scene, a small smile gracing his lips. Duo was leading the gray around and obviously talking to Zero as his lips were moving. Zero's head was lowered, almost level with Duo's and his ears were flicking back and forth. It would appear that Zero was listening intently to whatever it was Duo was saying. From time to time Duo dipped into his pocket and fed Zero a carrot, the stallion taking the treats with polite ease and crunching them down. Heero wondered if Zero was seriously addicted to carrots, judging by the way Duo kept feeding them to him he was surprised the gray hadn't turned orange by now! Although that could explain why Zero bounced and hopped around at times. Would Zero suffer withdrawal symptoms if the carrots were to suddenly be removed from his diet? That thought had Heero chuckling to himself and after watching the quiet scene for another minute he headed over to the pair.
 
Zero was walking happily beside the nice human, the soft voice soothing and the carrots more than welcome. The tone of the human's voice let Zero know that whatever it was they were doing today was going to be important; just as long as it included the jumping Zero loved then he would give it all he had.
 
"You be extra careful out there today, Zero. Those jumps are a heck of a lot bigger than they were yesterday. You're gonna have to pick your feet up even more and be careful to come into each jump on the right stride. I know Heero will be doing everything he can to give you the best chance to clear those jumps, but he can't do it by himself. I don't want you stumbling again, that little slip yesterday almost gave me cardiac arrest and I'd really like to live to see my twilight years. Your master isn't completely fit either, his arm is hurt and I don't know if that's going to affect his riding or not, but please take care of him, Zero, I want you both back safely." Duo fished in his pocket for another carrot and was about to continue when Heero stepped up beside him. "Hey, Heero. What's the course look like?"
 
Giving a soft smile, Heero ran his hand along his horse's neck as he answered. "It's okay, going to be tough though. The jumps have all been raised, widened, or in some cases both. It's not going to be easy to come out clear."
 
"You'll be fine."
 
"Giving Zero some last minute advice?"
 
Duo flushed. "Not really, just chatting to him in general and asking him to look after the both of you. How's the arm?"
 
"It's okay." Duo had strapped the arm expertly, winding the bandage tight enough to support, but still give Heero the movement he would need. Since the bandage had been on, Heero felt a bit more confident in his own capabilities.
 
"You make sure you're careful. I don't want to have to be treating any more injuries," Duo said with a mock glare.
 
"I promise, mother."
 
"Any more of that and I'll be forced to put you over my knee and smack you," Duo retorted.
 
"Really?" Heero teased with a raise of his eyebrow. "Ohhh, goody."
 
Duo's jaw almost hit the floor. "Idiot," he muttered when he realized that Heero was just baiting him.
 
Heero snickered.
 
"Come on, get on this animal and finish warming him up, you'll be required to jump soon and you don't want to be going in there with Zero not ready."
 
"Yes, mom," Heero continued to tease. The light banter was helping him to relax and so he continued with it as he checked his girth and lowered his stirrups.
 
Duo stepped forward and lowered his voice, chin resting on Heero's shoulder as he spoke. "Once this competition is over, your ass is mine. I'll teach you to tease me."
 
Heero shivered. "Then I'd better get mounted and get this competition over with if that's going to be my reward."
 
Shaking his head, Duo held the gray while Heero mounted and adjusted his stirrups. "Good luck, Heero. Go out there and knock their socks off. Go clear and I promise you a night to remember." Duo's voice was low and husky, his eyes letting Heero know Duo was intent on keeping his promise.
 
"I'll do my best, Duo. Once this is over, I want you to take me to bed and make love to me all night long."
 
Duo's throat constricted and he lowered his eyes for a moment before opening them and looking directly into his lover's deep blue depths. "Just remember my words, Heero."
 
With a loving smile, Heero took up his reins and nudged Zero into a walk, Duo watched him ride off and sent a silent prayer that they would both be okay.
 
"Nervous?"
 
Duo jumped at the sound of the voice and whirled around to see Zechs standing beside him. He sighed. "Yeah. I'm nervous for him. I really hope they come out of this clear and in one piece."
 
"I know exactly what you mean," Zechs returned. "I'm worried for Treize too."
 
Suddenly Duo laughed. "Look at us, a pair of grown men reduced to shaking, worried boys! Of course they will be fine, they're both seasoned professionals and used to competition."
 
Snickering softly, Zechs had to agree. "We're acting like weak housewives, scared that the man of the house is going to get injured and not be able to provide for us."
 
Duo snorted. "I'll have you know, Zechs Merquise, I am no housewife and I don't need to be taken care of. I'm all male and you're just gonna have to take my word for that as I don't intend to prove it!"
 
Laughing, Zechs shook his head. "I don't want confirmation, thanks."
 
The pair stood and watched their respective partners and horses as they warmed up, Carol joined them a few minutes later and the three shared their respective worries over their charges and riders.
 
The public address system crackled into life and the commentator announced that the second round of the Nations cup would begin in five minutes. The head steward began to call for the number four riders to be prepared and ready to go, starting with the English team. Charlie and Alex showed up to wish the team good luck and offer moral support. With the round about to commence, Joe took over Tall Geese and Charlie offered to walk Zero around so both Heero and Duo could go inside and watch the number four team members all jump. They would also get the chance to see how the new heights and widths were affecting the riding of the course.
 
Treize, Zechs, Heero, Duo, Alex, Zoe and Noin all headed inside the arena and found seats where they could watch the second round of competition. The fourth rider from the English team entered and rode towards the judges, saluting and waiting for the bell to ring so he could start.
 
"He went clear in the first round," Noin said. "Let's see how he copes this time. Don't write the English team off yet, they're tied in third place with New Zealand right now and they're bound to give it everything they have."
 
Heero heeded the words and watched the English rider carefully. He noted how the man kept his horse more 'in tune' this time, keeping the impulsion in his horse at all times. The look of concentration on his face was evident and the arena remained silent save for the sounds of thudding hooves and the odd grunt from the horse.
 
Jump after jump was cleared, the extra height not making a lot of difference to the Englishman's horse. Moments later they exited to deafening applause with a clear round.
 
"Goes to show you that it can be done," Noin said to her team.
 
The team remained silent, each locked in his or her own thoughts.
 
The Italian rider was next and he completed the course with four faults. The Swedish rider also knocked down a rail and gained four penalties, the South African didn't have any luck, completely demolishing parts B and C of the triple and scoring eight penalties. The New Zealand rider put up a good show and came out with four faults and they were from one of the easier fences. As Alex was no longer competing, the Japanese rider went next and completely astonished himself by completing the course without any penalties to give him two successive clear rounds.
 
The German rider was next and Heero could tell by the set of his jaw he was out to go clear and improve on his first round score of four faults. Riding with precision, keeping his horse balanced and full of impulsion he succeeded and exited with a clear round. The French rider was the last of the fours to go and gained four faults when his horse left a foot in the water, the long stretch being just that little bit too much for the animal.
 
"That concludes the rounds from the number four riders from each nation, ladies and gentlemen. We will now take a few minutes recess to rake the course and then we will continue with the number three riders," the commentator informed everyone.
 
"It's still anyone's competition," Noin stated as they stood up and exited to see how the grooms and horses were. "The Germans are an excellent team and it will be hard to beat them, the English are also making a last minute stand and I wouldn't discount the New Zealanders either."
 
Heero frowned and felt the nerves tying his stomach in knots. He had to do well, the team was counting on him and Zero.
 
Understanding the pressure Hero must be feeling, Noin took the young man aside for a brief word.
 
"Heero, don't get too worked up over this. All I want from you is for you to go out there and give it your best shot. Zero is a good horse and can jump this course easily, keep your mind focused on the course, have your horse balanced and full of impulsion, especially as you come into the triple. But, most of all, Heero, enjoy yourself." Noin gave the worried rider a smile and patted his shoulder. "You're a fine rider with a lot of talent. You'll go far, young man."
 
Heero felt his cheeks color with the praise and muttered a soft thank you to the coach. The steward began to call for all the number three riders to be ready and Heero took his reins from Duo, tightening Zero's girth and preparing to mount. The rest of the team came over and wished Heero all the best, Zoe even stopping to give him a kiss to the cheek for good luck, much to Heero's horror and Duo's amusement.
 
With everyone else moving back inside the arena to watch, Heero found himself alone with Duo.
 
"Be careful, Heero," Duo said softly as he held Zero's reins ready for Heero to mount.
 
"I will be," Heero replied and ducked behind Zero's shoulder, checking that no one could see and stole a quick kiss.
 
"I love you," Duo mouthed as Heero swung himself into the saddle.
 
"Love you too," Heero returned as he slipped his feet into the stirrups and gathered up his reins.
 
"Good luck and just do your best."
 
"I plan on going clear," Heero replied and with a cheeky grin he added, "You promised me a night to remember if I do."
 
Duo laughed. "You can count on it, Heero." Reaching into his pocket he found a carrot and fed it to the stallion. Pulling the horse's ears gently he whispered to Zero. "Take care of yourself and your master, Zero. Jump as if you have wings and clear everything in your path."
 
Zero wuffled and nudged the nice human. He could feel the tension in the air, sense it in the way his master sat upon his back and the slight tremble that came down the reins from his master's hands. This was important and Zero puffed himself up as his master guided him away to loosen up a bit. He would show them all just how good he could jump!
 
~ * ~
 
tbc...