I'm sorry this part took so long to write.  It was hard to get
through since it's mostly conversation (*snore*).  There should be
only one more part after this, plus Akuma's lemony 2x1 epilogue.  ^_~

Title: Sí Beag, Sí Mór 7/8+
Author: Caroline (chibirei @ hotmail.com)
Rating: this part, R - overall, NC-17
Pairing: 1x2, 3+5, 4+H
Warnings: AU, OOC, a tad angsty at times, fantasy, magic, lemon
Spoilers: none
Comments: why not?
Archive: Anyone who's been archiving my stuff, sure.  Anyone else,
email me.  ^_^
Disclaimers: don't own 'em.  never will.  'nuff said.


::Seven::

Heero peered around the corner, scanning the darkened hallway for
signs of life. He'd beaten Trowa and the others to the city by just a
few minutes. He didn't have much time if he wanted to get to the king
before Mueller. Fortunately, he knew more secret passages of the
Seleigh palace than anyone did. He also had an "in" with the king.

Seeing no one in the hall, Heero quickly crossed to the other side
and pulled on one of the sconces set in the wall. A secret door
opened before him to reveal a dark passageway. Heero hurried inside,
careful to close the entrance behind him. He cast a mage light so he
could see and almost ran down the narrow passage in his haste. A few
moments later, he came to the end. He pushed the door before him open
and stepped inside the dark room, banishing the mage light as he did.

Through the dim glow of the moonlight streaming in the windows, Heero
could make out the outline of the large canopied bed at the far end
of the room. He crossed the room quickly and shoved aside the bed
curtains to shake the sleeping occupant awake.

The girl in the bed sat up, startled. "Wha? Heero?"

"Relena, I have to speak to the king right away."

Cornflower blue eyes blinked at him in astonishment. "Can't it wait
until morning?"

"No, princess," Heero explained, tugging at her arm. "By morning we
may be at war."

Relena's eyes grew wide as she shimmied off the bed and grabbed a
robe from a nearby chair. "What has happened?"

"I'll explain everything when we wake your brother."

"Zechs won't be in bed yet. He'll still be in his study."

"Good. We can use the hidden passages to get there. I can't be seen."

Relena cast him a questioning look but didn't say anything as they
stepped back into the passageway. Several twists and turns later,
they found themselves facing the back end of a large bookcase. Relena
pulled a secret lever and pushed the case aside as if it were a door.

On the other side of the secret entrance stood the king, sword in
hand. He shoulders sagged with relief as both Heero and Relena
stepped inside the well-lit room.

"Relena. You startled me."

"I'm sorry Brother, but Heero insisted on seeing you. He said it was
urgent."

"Urgent?" The king looked at Heero. "What could be so urgent that
couldn't wait until morning?"

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry to disturb you, but this could not wait,"
Heero explained, stepping forward. "In a few minutes, Mueller, Alex,
and some others will be coming to see you. They're planning on
exposing me as a traitor."

The king sat down. "That is a pretty serious charge, Captain Yuy. Do
they have any basis for their claim?"

Heero and Relena glanced at each other. "You should tell him," Relena
urged gently.

"Tell me what, Captain?"

"This evening when Princess Relena told you I could not attend dinner
because I was ill… that was not exactly the truth," Heero
explained.

"I can see that," the king replied, eyeing Heero's motley colored
wings. He clasped his hands together under his chin
thoughtfully. "And why did you feel the need to get my sister to lie
to me?"

"I… went to meet someone."

The king waited patiently for Heero to continue.

"The Unseleigh prince we caught a few days ago. I went to meet him."

King Merquise stared at Heero for a long moment before
speaking. "Relena, would you excuse us please?"

"But Zechs…"

Heero turned and clasped Relena's upper arms. "Princess, Trowa's
bringing Duo here. He's hurt. Could you check on him? Please?"

"But…"

"Please?" He looked at her imploringly.

Relena sighed, glancing at her brother then back to Heero. "All
right. But I want to be kept informed." She leaned forward to place a
small kiss on Heero's cheek. Then, casting one last look at her
brother, she hurried back down the passageway.

When she was gone, the king spoke. "Now Heero. I want you to tell me
exactly how we now have an impending war on our hands."

"I went to meet Prince Duo by the pond near the northern end of the
borderlands. I must have been followed. I heard a noise and left Duo
to investigate. Mueller and his cronies found him… hurt him.
They're
bringing him here. They're going to say I've been conspiring with the
enemy."

"And have you?"

"Your Majesty - you've known me all my life. Relena and I grew up
together. My first loyalty has been and will always be to you and the
throne."

The king stared at him for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. "I
know. I didn't doubt you. I just wanted to hear your answer. So if
you weren't out there consorting with the enemy, what were you
doing?"

Heero coughed and shifted uncomfortably. "Consorting with the enemy,"
he mumbled quietly.

King Merquise raised an eyebrow.

"From the moment we first met," Heero continued, "I've been…
strangely drawn to him, and he to me. I couldn't stop thinking about
him."

"Go on."

"I thought at first he'd put some kind of love spell on me. I know
love spells don't work, but I was… scared. I'd never felt
anything
like what I was feeling for him. I accused him of it, and he was so
distressed by that…"

"That he let you place a truth spell on him," the king finished when
the younger man hesitated.

Heero nodded. "He was innocent of my accusations. He'd been feeling
the same things I was feeling. Neither one of us knew what was going
on. So before I let him go, we agreed to meet again. Tonight."

"To figure out what was going on?"

Heero felt a blush spread across his face. "That was the intention
but…" He trailed off, looking at the ground sheepishly.

"I see," King Merquise said, smirking a little.

Heero opened his mouth to reply when a wave of pain and fear washed
over him. He stumbled forward, catching himself on the edge of the
ornate desk. King Merquise jumped up and rushed over to him.

"Heero? Are you all right? What's wrong?"

"It's Duo," Heero answered, gasping for breath. "He's awake. He's in
pain and he's frightened."

King Merquise stared at him in shock. "You can feel him?"

Heero fought for control of his emotions. Only through the years of
disciplined training as a member of the Royal Guard was he able to
block out most of it, pushing the pain to a corner of his mind where
it was more bearable.

"I hadn't noticed it before tonight, but… it's like I can feel
his
presence in the back of my mind. Only now… it's stronger. I can
feel
what he's feeling."

"Great Mother," the king murmured as recognition filled his eyes. "It
can't be…"

Heero looked at him curiously. "Can't be what?"

A loud knocking at the door of the study interrupted whatever the
king was about to say. Instead, he grabbed Heero by the upper arms
and stared him in the eye. "Answer me quickly, Heero, and tell me
true. Do you love the Unseleigh prince?"

The knocking came again, this time more urgent.

"More than anything in this world, Your Majesty," Heero replied, a
little surprised at his own answer.

King Merquise gave him a small smile. "Go hide in the secret passage.
I'll see to Mueller. And then, somehow, we'll sort this mess out."

Heero nodded and hurried over to the bookcase as the king moved
toward the door. He slipped behind it, then opened the little
peephole on the other side. Now he would be able to see and hear what
was going on in the room in safety.

As Heero had anticipated, the person on the other side of the door
was Mueller. He and two of his fellow Guard members entered the room
as if they owned it. Heero saw the king frown at their behavior.
Following the three men were two of the king's advisors, Jay and
Quinze.

From his hiding place behind the bookshelf, Heero couldn't hear much
of what was being said. Their voices were muffled and Heero could
only hear snatches of the conversation. Mueller and his friends were
agitated. Heero heard his name mentioned contemptuously several
times. The king's advisors looked distressed. Quinze was pacing
nervously back and forth across the carpet. Heero could hear his
words quite clearly whenever the man approached the bookcase.

"…all over the city," he was saying, wringing his hands. "News of
the
capture of an Unseleigh prince…"

Heero cursed as the man moved away again. He strained his ears to
hear what they were saying about Duo.

"…do nothing the people may riot," he heard Jay explain in his
raspy
voice.

"…prince on Seleigh lands…"

"…act of war…"

"…getting information on us from that traitor, Yuy…"

That last was from Mueller, his eyes gleaming triumphantly.

At that moment the door opened. Trowa entered the room, followed by a
*very* agitated Relena. Heero saw the princess glance around the room
looking for him. The king's eyes flickered briefly to where Heero was
hiding behind the bookcase. Relena noticed the motion and gave a
slight nod, indicating that she understood. She moved closer to the
bookcase before she started speaking. Heero smiled to himself and
silently thanked his friend.

"I've just been to see the prisoner," Relena explained, her posture
rigid with anger. She turned her accusing gaze to Mueller. "Would you
care to explain to me how he managed to get three broken ribs, a
dislocated shoulder, and a broken wing?"

Heero felt faint. He knew Duo was in pain… he could feel it. But
he
hadn't been aware of how extensive the young prince's injuries were.
He fought down the urge to leap from his hiding place and strangle
the life out of Mueller with his bare hands.

"The little mongrel fought back," he barely heard Mueller say. "We
had to defend ourselves."

"Six well-trained King's Guard against one small boy. None of you
have a scratch on you and yet the Unseleigh prince is black and
blue."

"He used powerful magic on us, milady," one of Mueller's friends
closest to the bookcase said.

"Bullshit!" Heero heard Trowa exclaim loudly. "I find that hard to
believe since I placed him under a geas last time. He is unable to
use offensive magics against us."

"…must have had it removed," the other friend said.

"I find that highly unlikely," Trowa continued, moving closer to
Relena. "What I would like to know is what you would have done had I
not come along. Before I walked in, I saw you molesting that boy. How
far would you have hone had I not stopped you?"

Mueller sputtered in rage. "How dare you accuse me…"

"How dare *you* do something as disgusting as that?" Relena
interrupted, jumping forward and pointing an accusing finger at
him. "That boy may be of the Unseleigh court but he is *still* a
prince. Even as a political prisoner his status his higher than
yours. You have not only disgraced yourselves, but you have disgraced
our clan and our king!"

"The princess is right," King Merquise said as he stood. "You and all
the men who were with you tonight are dismissed from my service. Get
your things and get out. And if I were you, I'd move to some remote
location on the outskirts of our land because if I see you near the
city again, I will have you all executed for treason."

Mueller stared at the king incredulously. "You can't do this!"

King Merquise pointed to the silver circlet adorning his head. "See
this? This crown tells me that I can indeed do this. I am your king.
You would be wise to remember that. Now go. I never want to see your
faces again."

Mueller's face contorted with rage as he and his comrades were
ushered out of the room. King Merquise turned his back on the former
Guard members to address Trowa. "Will you please see to their
removal, then check on the prisoner?"

Trowa nodded once. "Yes, Your Majesty." He turned and left the room,
closing the study door behind him.

Jay stepped forward. "What will you do with the Unseleigh prince?"

"Barton will see to his safety," the king replied.

"We need to let a healer in to see him," Relena added. "He's in
pretty bad shape."

The king started to nod but was interrupted by Jay.

"With all due respect, Princess Relena," the wizened old man
said, "we shouldn't be wasting healing magics on an enemy - not when
we've an impending war hanging over our heads and certainly not on a
prisoner who will be executed soon."

Heero felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. He heard Relena gasp
and the king cry out in outrage.

"I gave no such order! That boy is not to be harmed!" the blonde
ruler declared, slamming his hand down on his desk.

"My apologies, Your Majesty," Jay continued. "Mueller made sure to
tell everyone he saw as he entered the city with the prisoner that
your right-hand man was conducting secret meetings with a member of
the Unseleigh Royal Court. The people are beginning to gather in the
courtyards below. They're angry and they're frightened. They're
calling for the deaths of the traitor and the prisoner."

"Heero is no more of a traitor than I!" Relena shouted, jumping
forward. "How dare you accuse him of such!"

"Princess," Quinze said, "the events surrounding the boy's first
escape are suspicious enough. Combined with this latest accusation,
Yuy has been branded a traitor to the throne."

Jay turned to face the king. "Your Majesty, I was your father's top
advisor. Now I am yours. So let me advise you. The people outside are
beginning to get restless. An Unseleigh spy has been caught on our
lands, consorting with a high-ranking member of your Guard." Heero
froze as the man appeared to glance in the direction of the
bookcase. "You can't take a pacifistic attitude with this matter. The
people are calling for war. The army is already assembling. If you
let the prisoner go, the people will riot. If you let Yuy go
unpunished, they will depose you. Our clan would be thrown into
chaos. And since I assume the Unseleigh Court will not take the
capture and abuse of their crown prince lightly, they will be
preparing to attack us as well. If you are not on the throne to lead
us, we *will* lose."

King Merquise was silent for a long time. Finally, he lowered his
eyes in defeat. "Very well. Please inform the rest of the Guard that
they are to capture and detain Heero Yuy on sight."

"Zechs! You can't…" Relena protested.

"I have to Relena," the king replied sadly. "The clan comes first."

"A wise decision, Your Majesty," Jay said. "And the prisoner?"

"The Unseleigh prince will be executed tomorrow."

Heero clutched at the back of the bookcase so tightly that his
knuckles turned white. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. His
king had ordered Duo's death. 'Please Blessed Mother, let me be
dreaming,' he begged silently as he struggled not to rush into the
room and demand that the king take back his words.

"We'll see to the preparations," Quinze said as he and Jay walked to
the door. Quinze opened it and stepped outside. Jay started to follow
but turned back to look at them from the doorway.

"It'd be a shame if the prisoner were to escape before the execution.
Perhaps you should double the Guard on the cell? Just in case the
traitor decides to try and rescue him." Once again the older man
glanced toward the bookshelf. This time, Heero could have sworn he
saw the man wink.

"Yes, that would be unfortunate," the king mused quietly. "An
excellent suggestion, Jay. I'll see to it myself."

"Very good, Your Majesty." With those final parting words, the old
man left, closing the door behind him.

As soon as Jay was gone, Heero stepped out from behind the bookcase,
trembling. "Y… your Majesty," he began, his voice shaking at the
thought that his king… his *friend* had just ordered the death of
his
lover.

King Merquise looked at him with sorrowful eyes. "I'm *so* sorry,
Heero. But it had to be done. Too many people know about the
Unseleigh prisoner this time. I can't let him go or the people will
revolt."

"But you can't just have him killed!" Relena argued, clutching
Heero's hand in her own. "He's a *prince*! If you have him executed,
we *will* have a war on our hands!"

"War is inevitable now, sister dear," the king replied. "Didn't you
hear what Jay said? Simply finding a member of the Unseleigh Court on
our lands is enough of a motive for our people. Tensions between our
two clans have been building steadily for two summers. This is the
breaking point. There will be war."

"So you're just going to have Duo executed in order to save your
crown?" Heero asked bitterly, avoiding the king's gaze.

The Seleigh king's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I can understand what
you must be going through right now, so I'll ignore your
foolishness." He walked over to Heero to lay his hands on the younger
man's shoulders. "Heero, I only gave the order for the execution.
Your prince is not dead yet."

"Nani?"

The king gave him a small smile. "You must be taking this *really*
hard if you haven't figured it out yet. Jay said it might be a good
idea to post extra guards around the prisoner in case the traitor -
that's you remember? - tried to rescue him."

Heero's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean…"

"In half a candlemark, I'm sending ten warriors to watch over the
prince. If the two of you are not gone by then, there will be nothing
I can do to help you."

"Why are you doing this?" Heero asked, staring at his king in
amazement. "We're going to war anyway. Why would you take this risk
to let me spare his life?"

"I don't like unnecessary killing, Heero," the king replied. "That
boy is innocent, as are you. Besides, if what I suspect is true, you
wouldn't live much longer past his death anyway."

"What do you mean? Do you know what's happening with us?"

"I don't know for certain, and we don't have time to go into it. All
I can tell you is to trust your feelings. And wish you luck."

"Heero," Relena added, her lovely blue eyes filled with concern and
sadness. "You know what will happen if you do this. You can never
come back. You will be declared an Exile."

Heero nodded. He knew. Being declared an Exile was the worst
punishment a sidhe could face short of death. Even Mueller and his
cronies hadn't been declared Exiles. They'd only been banished to the
outskirts of Seleigh lands. Being declared Exile meant one had to
completely leave the safety of his homeland. An Exile could never
return, and no one would ever be allowed to speak the Exile's name
again. All records of an Exile would be destroyed. He or she would
disappear from the memory of the clan forever. No one had been
declared an Exile for hundreds of years. But Heero didn't care about
his impending fate. All he cared about was getting Duo safely out of
Seleigh territory before it was too late.

"I have already been branded a traitor," he said, squeezing Relena's
hand. "I am not afraid of being declared an Exile if I can save Duo's
life. I love him."

Relena smiled up at him, unshed tears shining in her eyes. "I don't
care what the rules are - I will *always* say your name in my
prayers."

"Be careful, cousin," the king added. He glanced at the time-keeping
candle on the mantle. "You don't have much time."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Relena reached up to bring Heero's head down to her own. She kissed
him deeply for a moment before breaking away. "May the Great Mother
watch over you two. I'll miss you terribly."

"I'll miss you too, 'Lena," Heero said, smiling down at her. Then,
with one last look at two of his closest friends, he turned and
slipped behind the bookcase once more.

He ran down the passages with ease, trying hard not to think of the
fact that this would be the last time he'd travel down these
corridors. His heart clenched at the thought of leaving his home and
friends forever. But if he didn't, Duo would die. The choice was
simple really. Duo was more important. He would see his love safe no
matter what he had to sacrifice.

He rushed down a flight of stairs and came to what appeared to be a
blank wall. He pressed on one of the bricks and cautiously swung a
portion of the wall outward. He peered around the bricks, looking for
signs of life. Finding none, he stepped into the well-lit corridor,
closing the passage behind him. Quietly he walked down the hall
leading to the dungeon cells. Reaching the corner, he glanced around
to see only one Guard on duty.

'Good. The king has kept his word. The extra Guard members have not
arrived yet. But I don't have much time…'

Stepping back, he spread his wings and flew down the hall at break-
neck speed. The Guard had time to give one startled yell before Heero
was on him. They grappled for a moment before Heero hit him hard on
the back of the neck. He caught the sidhe as he slumped forward,
unconscious. He lay the Guard down gently on the floor. He knew the
man from their training days and bore him no ill will.

'Forgive me, friend. But I need to get past you.'

He grabbed the iron keys off the man's belt and hurriedly opened the
door. Beyond the locked wooden door was a large, circular room. More
locked doors were spaced evenly around the room. In the center of the
room was a Guard's station consisting of a table and several chairs.
Heero walked in with his sword drawn, ready to face whoever was
inside. But there was no one there.

Flickering light and murmuring voices drew his attention to one of
the cells off to his left. The door to the cell was slightly ajar.
Heero crept up to it and peered inside. He let out a sigh of relief
as he caught sight of the figures within. He pushed open the door and
stepped inside.

"Trowa, Wufei…" His voice trailed off as he saw the small figure
huddled on the threadbare cot in the corner. With stumbling steps, he
moved forward. Wufei, who had been sitting on the cot next to the
bruised and battered form of the Unseleigh prince, moved aside for
Heero. The Seleigh warrior sat down gingerly by his lover's side,
taking one small hand in his own.

Duo's eyes were closed. Heero had felt the young prince slip back
into unconsciousness a moment before he had entered the cell. His
skin, the parts that weren't darkening with ugly purple bruises, was
a sickening shade of ash gray. A fine sheen of sweat covered the
boy's skin, soaking through the thin tunic Duo wore. One wing was
bent at a sickening angle. Trowa had had to tear the wing slits in
the back of the garment to get the wing through without harming it
further. Duo's hand was clammy, and his skin felt hot to the touch.
Heero looked at Trowa imploringly.

"Wufei managed to wrap his ribs and set his dislocated arm while I
was away, but we don't have anything here to set the wing with," the
green-eyed sidhe said, placing a wet cloth on Duo's forehead. "He
needs to see a healer. He's going into shock."

"King Merquise won't send a healer," Heero replied flatly, brushing
chestnut bangs away from Duo's face. "Duo's to be executed in the
morning."

"Great Mother!" Wufei swore, leaning against Trowa for support. "That
will send us headlong into another war for certain."

"We're headed for war either way," Heero answered. "If the king
hadn't given the order, the people would riot and we'd be without a
leader when the Unseleigh *do* attack."

"Has it come to this then? Is war our only option?" Trowa asked
sadly.

"It is. The king had no choice but to order his death," Heero
replied, stroking Duo's face.

"Damn it, Yuy! How can you sit there and talk so calmly about your
lover's death?" Wufei demanded.

Heero looked at Trowa.

"I told him," his tall friend said.

Heero shrugged. "You'd have heard the rumors soon enough anyway. And
Duo's not going to die."

"What? I thought the king…"

"King Merquise *did* order his execution, but you can't execute
someone who isn't here."

Trowa stared at him. "You're going to help him escape."

"Heero you can't be serious," Wufei added incredulously. "If you do
that, you'll…"

"I've already been branded a traitor, Wufei. It's of no concern to me
if I am declared Exile as well."

"You really do love him," Trowa said, somewhat in awe.

"With all my heart and soul." Heero stood up and wrapped Duo in the
threadbare blanket on the cot. "I don't have much time. We have to
leave before the other Guard members get here."

"I can't just let you walk out, Heero," Trowa said, stepping in front
of the Seleigh warrior.

Heero's eyes narrowed. "I won't let you stop me, Barton."

"And I don't intend to, *Yuy*. But I can't just let you walk out of
here without a fight. You need to knock me out."

"Trowa…" the taller sidhe's dark-eyed lover began but closed his
mouth when Trowa held up a hand.

"I trust you Heero."

"Thank you, old friend." Heero smiled then reached out and delivered
a sharp blow to the base of Trowa's neck. The green-eyed warrior
slumped forward. Heero caught his friend and gently handed his limp
form into Wufei's waiting arms.

"You came in after I had left and found him on the floor," Heero
explained as he picked up the bundled form of his own unconscious
lover, cradling him in his arms.

"Where will you go?" Wufei asked, holding his lover's body close.

"He needs a healer."

Wufei sucked in a breath. "You're taking him home."

Heero nodded.

"But Heero, you'll be taken prisoner. And with their prince in that
shape, they'll probably kill you."

"I know."

The two warriors regarded each other in silence for a long moment
before the noise of approaching feet echoed through the corridor
outside. Wufei gave Heero a weak smile.

"May we see each other again, Heero."

"I hope we will one day. It was an honor to serve with you, Wufei."

"As with you." The footsteps grew louder. "Go now, Yuy. And don't get
caught. I'd hate for you to have had to knock poor Trowa out for no
reason."

Heero smiled. "Good-bye, Wufei."

He left his friends on the dungeon floor and hurried down the
corridor in the opposite direction of the approaching footsteps. He
moved in the shadows, clutching Duo tightly in his arms. He knew he
couldn't carry Duo all the way to the Unseleigh Court in his arms. He
needed to get to the Royal stables. Unfortunately there were no
secret passages to the stables. He'd have to reach them the hard way.

The Great Mother must have been smiling down upon them. He didn't see
a soul as he hurried down the path to the stables.

'All the Guard must be out front trying to placate the crowd in the
courtyards.'

He could hear voices being carried on the wind as he walked down the
darkened path. From the sound of things, there was quite a gathering
going on just outside the palace walls. Heero was amazed at how
quickly word of Duo's capture and his apparent betrayal had spread.
And all this would lead them to war…

Heero sighed as he pushed the stable door open with his shoulder.
He'd had hoped that he could have gotten to know Duo's people by
associating with the young prince. If all the Unseleigh Court were
like this boy, Heero couldn't understand why their two clans were
enemies. He'd wanted to learn about his lover's people, find some
common ground on which to build some kind of peace. But that fragile
hope had been irrevocably destroyed. All he could do is somehow make
amends by returning the prince to his people.

He gently set Duo on the ground just inside the door. Running into
the tack room, he grabbed a saddle, bit, and bridle from their place
on the shelves. He hurried back out and ran further into the
building. Opening the first stall he came to, Heero saw two bright
eyes staring back at him from the darkness.

"Easy girl," he said to the startled creature within. Reaching into a
nearby trough, he pulled out a large sliver of acorn. Come on, girl.
I have a treat for you."

A nose twitched in the darkness, stretching towards the proffered
treat. Slowly, the furry creature stepped forward out of the shadows.
Its big, bushy tail twitched excitedly as it took the acorn in its
front paws and began to nibble.

Heero grabbed the tack and quickly secured the saddle on the
squirrel's back while the animal finished its treat. The bridle was
next, and a moment later, they were ready to go.

Heero led the squirrel out of the stall and over to where Duo lay.
Gently he picked the boy up, trying not to jar his injured ribs or
wing. He fluttered his own wings slightly, mounting their steed from
the air so as not to jostle Duo any more than was necessary. Settling
down in the saddle, Heero grabbed the reins and spurred the squirrel
out of the stables.

Immediately they took to the trees, using the thick summer foliage
for cover. Heero clutched Duo as tightly as he dared, not wanting to
lose his grip on the boy as they jumped from limb to limb. The
Seleigh city was quickly left behind. And while Heero felt a pang of
sadness at leaving his home, he did not once look back.

The tightly bundled figure in his arms stirred. "H…Heero?"

The Seleigh warrior brushed a kiss across Duo's forehead. "Shhh, Duo
love. I'm here. I'm never going to let you go again."

Pain-filled violet eyes looked up at him. "I can feel you… inside
my
head."

"I know. I can feel you too."

"Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home."

"Home?" Duo smiled weakly.

"We'll be there shortly."

"Good. 'm tired."

"Go back to sleep, love," Heero admonished gently. "I'll wake you
when we get there."

Duo nodded sleepily and closed his eyes. Heero knew the exact moment
the boy drifted off to sleep. Duo's presence in the back of his mind,
while always constantly there, wasn't as noticeable when he was
asleep or unconscious. Which was a good thing at the moment. Duo was
in so much pain. Again Heero felt a surge of anger towards Mueller.
One day, he vowed, Mueller would pay dearly for hurting his love.

He reined the squirrel in as they approached the borderlands. The
borders would be patrolled by a number of military units. They'd have
to be careful if they were to cross into the borderlands without
being seen. By now someone should have discovered Duo missing and
would have magically alerted the border soldiers. They'd be watching
for them.

Heero steered the squirrel down the tree, deciding on a ground
approach through the tall grasses. They crept forward slowly, trying
not to make any noise. In the distance he could make out the Great
Oak which marked the boundary of the borderlands.

He brushed his fingers across Duo's feverish skin. "Hold on, love.
We're almost there."

"Halt! Identify yourself!" a voice called out from the darkness.

Heero didn't bother looking for the source of the voice. They were so
close… Heero dug his heels into the squirrel's flank. He could
hear
voices behind him as they scampered across the grass toward the Great
Oak. A levin blot exploded just above their heads. Glancing over his
shoulder, Heero saw five warriors chasing after them with swords
drawn. And they were gaining.

Heero urged the squirrel to go faster. They were so close. Once they
reached the borderlands, the Seleigh warriors could not follow. They
were forbidden to enter.

Heero heard another magical bolt zipping through the air towards
them. He wrenched the reins to the right. The bolt grazed his
shoulder. Heero grunted in pain; Duo whimpering as he felt it through
their bond. Heero gritted his teeth and held on. He couldn't let go
of Duo long enough to fire back. If they could just hold on a little
longer…

Bolt after bolt was fired at them. He didn't know how they managed to
avoid every one of them, especially since he could feel himself
getting weaker as he continued to lose blood from his wound. Then
suddenly, the attacks stopped. Through hazy eyes, Heero saw that they
had passed the tree and were heading deeper into the borderlands.

The Seleigh warrior slumped forward in relief. They'd made it. Duo
would be safe.

He didn't know how long they traveled. He drifted in and out as they
rode. Finally, as the first rays of dawn began to light up the world,
a movement off to his left caught his attention. Before he knew what
was happening, half a dozen Unseleigh warriors had surrounded them.
One of them said something to him, but Heero was too weary to make
out what it was. As the sidhe came closer, he handed the man his
precious burden.

The Unseleigh warrior looked down and cried out in surprise. "It's
the prince!"

Other voices joined in. Heero barely heard them. His Duo was
safe. "Take care of him," he implored as darkness began to creep up
on him. And then, he knew nothing more.

tbc...

next part: the conclusion!  war and stuff... and yes folks, I'm
killing off Heero.  well, sorta...

Caroline