Hey there, here's the next bit for your amusement and pleasure removes a wayward kitten from the front of her jumper. This bit should be longer than the last trips over a puppy and Duo… lands on her face.
As you can see we have some rather energetic animals with us today.
Wufei: You mean Duo? Gets hit by a flying kitten bomb (1) sent from Duo
Me: Yes, thanks to the wonderful PATTY and Jillian we have some puppies and kittens with us today, they are very adorable and I think the only time I've been glomped more was when I gave Duo his birthday present last year… but let's not get into that… it was a long day… Duo grins in the background and waves a kitten. All right picks up kitten and strokes it time for the disclaimer, Sally, would you do the honours?
Sally: Looks up from playing with a puppy and smiles Sure. Stand up with puppy in her arms Lucas does not own Gundam Wing or Disney, if you thought she did your obviously not the sharpest tack in the box. This story is 6X2, that means it's yaoi, if you don't like that sort of thing, don't read this story, it's that simple. All flames will be used in the ultimate weapon of destruction and then used on flamers. Looks stern until the puppy licks the screen
Me: The puppy kind of ruined the 'stern look' effect. Never mind.
Duo: May I say something?
Me: Looks apprehensive All right.
Duo: Lifts up kitten and puts it in front of his face MEROW! HISS! MEET THE KITTY OF DEATH!
Me: stares blankly for a few minutes I knew that was a mistake. Time to thank the wonderful people who take time to read this pile of waffle:
gundam06serenity – Thank you for the glomp ^_^ Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Thanks for your review gives gundam06serenity a puppy and a kitten to play with
Yu~ki~ko – That is a fab song, I agree. Thanks for your review gives Yu~ki~ko a puppy and a kitten to play with
Karina – Thank you for your kind words and thanks for the review gives karina a puppy and a kitten to play with
PATTY 40 and Jillian – Thank you for the animals, they're so kawaii! They also shut my cast up good and proper… ah… peace gets hit by a flying kitten bomb from Trowa. Glares at the offending pilot who hides behind a puppy. Removes the kitten from her face As to your request of Treize and Duo, I'll loan them to you at the end of this chapter, but I'll need them back before the next one. Be gentle ^.~ Duo looks intrigued while Treize looks, well to tell you the truth, lecherous.
On with the story!
EscapeWufei was leading Duo along another corridor, which was lined with suits of armour. Trowa and what Duo assumed was a dog, even though it was a footstool, were following as well.
"As you can see," Wufei began, "the pseudo-façade was stripped away to reveal a minimal rococo design. Note the unusual, inverted, vaulted ceilings," he said as he directed Duo's attention upwards. As Duo listened and walked along the corridor, the heads of the suits' of armour followed his progression down the corridor, though he didn't notice.
"This is yet another example of the late neo-classical Baroque period," Wufei said as he watched Duo walk past him, "And as I always say, if it's not Baroque, don't fic it."
Wufei chuckled to himself.
"Did you just attempt a joke?" Trowa asked incredulously as he sauntered past, Wufei merely glared at him. He turned around abruptly and addressed the suits of armour, "As you were!" he hissed. The heads suddenly faced forward again.
"Now if I could draw your attention to the flying buttresses…" Wufei began. He looked up to see where his charge had gone to the vision of Duo staring up some stairs. As Duo made to ascend them he was blocked suddenly by Wufei and Trowa crossed over in front of him. He stared down at them and raised an eyebrow as the dog/footstool began running circles around him.
"What's up there?" he asked interestedly as he looked up the stairs.
"Nothing," Wufei said quickly, "There's nothing at all of interest in the West Wing he said quickly as Trowa was shaking his head, "Dusty, dull, very boring," Wufei said as he nudged Trowa in the ribs who then nodded in an affirming way.
"Busted!" Duo yelled at the surprised objects, he grinned widely, "So that's the West Wing."
Wufei made a strangled noise in the base of his throat as Trowa snorted, "Nice going."
"I wonder what Fluffy's hiding up there?" Duo pondered as he made to move up the stairs, but was still obscured by Trowa and Wufei. Trowa stifled his laughter.
"Master Zechs?" he questioned as he attempted to hide his amusement, "Master Zechs is hiding nothing."
"Then it wouldn't be forbidden," Duo reasoned as he moved past them and up the stairs.
"You took philosophy didn't you (2)?" Trowa asked as he and Wufei jumped in front of Duo once again.
"Perhaps you would like to see something else?" Wufei coaxed, "We have exquisite tapestries dating all the way back to…"
Duo raised an eyebrow and moved past them once more, "Maybe later," he said dismissively, eager to make it more than a metre up the stairs. Wufei and Trowa moved again, determinedly blocking his path.
"The gardens," Trowa said desperately, searching for options, "Or the library, perhaps?"
Duo's eyes lit up, "You have a library?" he asked excitedly. Wufei and Trowa's mouths dropped open in disbelief for a few seconds before they quickly recovered.
"Yes, yes," Wufei said hastily
"With books," Trowa added, a little unnecessarily.
"Gads of books," Wufei added as they led Duo down the stairs.
"Mountains of books," Trowa said gleefully (An: O.o)
"Forests of books!" Wufei exclaimed as he, Trowa and the dog wandered down another corridor. Duo was following but then his curiosity got the better of him.
"Cascades," Trowa was saying from ahead of Duo. Duo bit his lip and turned back to the stairs.
"Fountains!" Wufei said excitedly.
"Swamps of books," Trowa continued as they walked off.
"More books than you could ever read in a lifetime," Wufei's voice was getting fainter, "Books on every subject ever written…"
Duo started up the stairs as the voices of his two guides faded away into the distance. He wandered along a dank corridor; similar to the one he had traversed to get to his room. After a short while of observing the less than reassuring décor, he came in front of a large door. He stared at the beast-head shaped handles and bit his lip again. After a moments hesitation he grabbed the handles and pulled the doors open. A large room full of broken furniture was revealed to him and he was a little disappointed. The way Zechs had gone on about not going in here he had expected sacrifices to the heathen gods, at the very least. He moved further into the room, avoiding broken tables and chairs left, right and centre. He was looking around when he knocked into a table, he gasped but caught it before it fell. As he returned it to its upright position a flash of something caught his eye. He turned around and inhaled sharply. Blue. Bright blue eyes staring at him. He moved closer to the ripped portrait. It was of a man with platinum blonde hair, long hair, and those beautiful eyes. The rips obscured the rest of the portrait and Duo wanted to know what this man looked like. He grabbed the torn pieces of canvas and lifted them, attempting to put them back into their rightful places. Just as he was making a little progress another flash of light caught his eye. He jumped and stared at the pink light. It was coming from a rose that was underneath a glass bell jar. Duo abandoned the picture of the handsome man and moved towards the table that the rose was sat upon. As he got closer he could see that the rose was floating as well as glowing. This could mean one of two things Duo reasoned. Either the inside of the jar was a parallel dimension where gravity didn't exist, or the rose was enchanted. As tempted as Duo was by the first theory, he thought the second was more in the vein of the castle… it being enchanted and all. Duo stared at the rose, mesmerized until his curiosity got the better of him. Taking hold of the bell jar, he gently lifted it up and over the rose and placed it next to a mirror, which happened to be on the table as well. He stared at it for a short while before reaching out a tentative finger to touch it. Before his digit could make contact, a noise startled him and he snatched his hand away. He looked up to see the beast standing outside on a balcony, staring at him. Duo jumped backwards with a small yell as Zechs leapt in, grabbed the bell jar and placed it over the rose. He held his arms over it possessively and looked at Duo accusingly. Duo backed away slightly.
"What are you doing here?" Zechs questioned in a low, menacing tone.
"I'm… sorry," Duo all but whispered.
"I warned you never to come here," Zechs said, his voice getting louder.
"I'm sorry," Duo said again.
"Do you realize what you could have done?" Zechs growled at him, baring his teeth.
Duo moved backwards behind a table, "I didn't mean any harm…"
"Get out!" Zechs roared as he smashed the table. Duo moved backwards into a wardrobe.
"Stop it!" he cried desperately.
"GET OUT!" Zechs roared, louder. Duo gasped and ran away from him out of the room as Zechs smashed the wardrobe. Zechs watched Duo sprint from the room as his chest heaved with the effort of not screaming. He watched the boy flee in fear and his face fell as his breathing returned to normal. He groaned and dropped his face into his hands in disbelief and defeat.
Duo sprinted down the stairs and leapt over Trowa and Wufei, who were standing at the bottom.
"Where are you going?" Trowa asked as Duo grabbed his cloak and threw it over his shoulders.
"Promise or no promise," Duo bit out, "I can't stay here another minute."
"Oh please," Wufei pleaded, "Please wait."
Duo shut the door quickly and sprinted towards the gate, where Deathscythe was waiting impatiently. He wrenched the doors open and leapt onto the horse's back. Deathscythe, who was desperate to get away, bolted and Duo let him. He clung on for dear life as the horse sprinted through the forest, away from the castle. As Deathscythe ran, he disturbed a ground nest and birds swarmed up and around him. This frightened the horse and he nearly threw Duo off. Duo struggled back into the saddle properly, only to see a large group of wolves slowly surrounding them.
Duo groaned, "Pants," he said as he pulled on the reigns and made Deathscythe run as fast as he could. The wolves were closing in, so Duo did some fancy reign work and made his horse run one of them into a tree. Glancing back over his shoulder, Duo did not notice the lake until he plunged into its icy depths. He gasped and manoeuvred Deathscythe through the water, the wolves close behind, snapping at him. He continued to urge the horse on but there were wolves everywhere. Deathscythe panicked and threw Duo off of him and at the same time managed to get his reigns caught around a tree. Duo struggled to sit up in the snow; his long hair had come loose from its braid and was flying about his face. The wolves were jumping at Deathscythe and Duo defended the horse with a big stick while he struggled to free the reigns but the wolves were already back, circling and growling. One of them appeared to be licking its lips, which Duo thought was odd, but decided the immediate danger to his life was more important. He shook the stick about wildly, trying to scare off the wolves, but it only seemed to bait them more. One of them bit the end of the stick and broke it. Duo cursed softly then screamed as a wolf jumped at him, grabbing his cloak and dragging him down into the snow. Duo pulled at the cloth, trying to free himself. He stared at the wolves that surrounded him with wide eyes; there was nothing he could do. The wolf that had grabbed his cloak lunged, and Duo closed his eyes and waited fro the impact. It never came and as he opened his eyes he saw Zechs with the wolf in his arms. Zechs roared loudly and threw the wolf to the side. As he crouched over Duo protectively, he glared at the wolves and growled low in his throat, then launched himself into the fray. Duo watched as Zechs fought with the wolves fiercely. He gasped and groaned in all the dramatic places, such as when Zechs was bitten on the neck and scratched on the arm. Eventually, Zechs was victorious and the remaining wolves retreated. Duo stared at Zechs who stared right back before collapsing, unconscious. Duo turned away and grabbed hold of Deathscythe's saddle, about to climb on. He waited for his body to kick in, but it wouldn't and, sighing, he turned around and looked at the fallen Zechs. He let go of the saddle and moved over to Zechs, kneeling beside him in the snow. He reached out his hand to touch him, but retracted quickly. He sighed, pulling off his cloak, placing it around the beast's shoulders. He may have appeared slight, but Duo was strong, lifting the beast and carrying him over to Deathscythe and placing him on the saddle. He untied Deathscythe's reigns and led them all back to the castle.
Zechs sat in his large chair in front of the fireplace, licking the wound on his arm as Duo used Sally to pour hot water into a bowl. Trowa, Wufei, Quatre, Treize and the dog/footstool were there, watching in fear and intrigue. Duo put a soft cloth in the water. He wrung it out and then looked at Zechs.
"Here," he said gently as he scooted forward to the chair. Zechs continued to lick the deep scratch.
"Don't do that," Duo urged as he touched Zechs' arm. Zechs glared at him, moving his arm slightly further away.
"Just hold still," Duo said as he attempted to press the cloth to the cut. Zechs was moving his arm away evasively but Duo managed to get the cloth onto the damage. Zechs roared in pain and Duo quickly removed the cloth.
"THAT HURT!" he yelled, making Duo's loose hair fly backwards. His servants jumped in fright and hid behind another chair.
"If you'd hold still it wouldn't hurt as much," Duo retaliated.
"If you hadn't run away, this wouldn't have happened," Zechs said with a smirk, pointing at his arm.
"If you hadn't frightened me I wouldn't have run away," Duo said defensively. Zechs seemed at a loss for a few seconds before his face lit up.
"Well you shouldn't have been in the West Wing," he said triumphantly, thinking he'd won the argument.
"Well you should learn to control your temper," Duo said fiercely, crossing his arms. Zechs pouted and put his chin in his hand, turning his face away from Duo and sulking. His servants began edging out from behind the chair, sensing the fight to be over.
"Now," Duo said, breathing deeply. He lifted the cloth again, "This might sting a little," he said. Zechs looked up in alarm and winced theatrically as Duo placed the cloth over the wound. Duo looked up at him and smiled, shaking his head. He continued to clean the wound.
"By the way," Duo said, "Thank you, for saving my life." He looked up into Zechs' eyes and smiled. Zechs looked back, his expression softening.
"You're welcome," he said quietly as he watched Duo clean his cuts.
TA DA!! That took me so long to write that I thought I was going to cry! Here Patty gives PATTY Treize and Duo Take good care of them, and remember to give them back before the next chapter ^_^
(1) A kitten bomb (or a cat bomb) is when you launch the aforementioned animal at someone. This generally works best when done at a run ^.^
(2) This bit is a running joke between some friends and I. Philosophy is the art of winning any argument by being annoying and vague. I like to call it the art of bullsh*tting.