THE UNICORN AND THE DRAGON

by DRAGON GAL

Cobalt eyes watched a scene that was a turning point in the life of their owner. A unicorn, more familiar than any other creature, appeared out of the bushes and into sight. The majestic creature was silent, save for the muffled beat of his hooves; his mane, tail and tassels flew out behind him. The dream like creature was followed by the sounds of hounds, the heavy beat of racing horses and the shouts of men. The unicorn turned to face his hunters, a mighty figure, alone in the middle of the meadow, ready to do battle.

"You will not harm or kill these men," echoed in the watcher's mind. "You must not, no matter what happens to me. You must be like a unicorn to day. You must feel no more than sorrow for this day. No regret. No grief. Nothing stronger, nothing more crippling, than sorrow."

Dogs burst into the meadow, barking and baring their teeth savagely as they closed in on their prey. That prey lowered his proud head and readied a dangerously wicked spiral horn.

"I am a unicorn. If not in body, then in spirit," the watcher remembered replying in an emotionless voice.

"Yes and no. You may be a unicorn in spirit, but you are a human. You must recognize that you are both and that is why things must occur as I have said this day."

The unicorn fought off the dogs, slashing deep wounds, which would heal without infection, thanks to the healing magic of that very horn. The hunters burst into view, readying arrows.

"I raised you as my colt and I raised a colt to do any unicorn honor. Unfortunately, humans are supposed to experience a wider range of emotion than unicorns, and among us you have not experienced it. It is said that unicorns can only feel joy and sorrow. You know we feel more than that, but the range we feel pales next to the range you should know. You are capable of so many emotions, very powerful emotions, such as human love, which is more passionate and dangerous than the love of unicorns. You are reaching an age where you must learn these aspects of your heritage or risk being emotionally handicapped, unable to deal with all you are capable of."

The unicorn dodged the arrows and reared, horn striking the sky, glinting in the Sun.

"These hunters are from Chaz, a kingdom where there are people that may be able to help you. I do not wish you to leave, my colt, but this is for the best. I do this out of love."

The unicorn's hooves hit the ground and he ran across the meadow, disappearing in the woods beyond, lost to the hunters.

"Once I receive the help you want me to get, may I come back?"

"You may, but I doubt you will."

The watcher moved. He ran up the path before him, breaking out of the forest and into the meadow. He passed the surprised hunters, neighing out his farewell to the one that raised him, the unicorn Yuy.

In the distance, Yuy's reply could be heard faintly.

Heero, Colt of Yuy, was aware of motion behind him as he continued on his path. While the hunters perceived the boy to be running a good pace, he was barely moving in comparison to what he was capable of, giving the hunters a chance to catch him.

The unicorn hunters grabbed hold of the boy and held firm as he jerked away from them. What they thought was an attempt to free himself, was in truth an involuntary flinch caused by the unaccustomed physical contact.

Captured. Mission accomplished. Now, if the plan works, on to a place called the Other Souls Foundation to learn these emotions. The sooner the better. The faster I learn, the faster I can return to Yuy. A fragment from his last conversation with the unicorn who had been his father echoed in his mind. "...I doubt you will."

Heero arrived in Chaz none the wiser. He could not understand the language of the humans. The sapphire eyed teenaged girl, only a few years older than himself, that greeted him was another story. She had spoken with the unicorn hunters briefly and then turned to him, speaking in unicorn.

"My name is Safire, Hatchling of Flame. Who are you?"

"Heero, Colt of Yuy. Is this the Other Souls Foundation of Chaz?"

Safire looked mildly surprised. "Few Other Souls know of this place when the first come here."

"Yuy sent me here. You are to teach me the human range of emotion. The sooner the better. I wish to go home."

Safire looked at him sadly. "Yuy either didn't know what we actually do here, or believes this place is your best bet. I'd say it's the latter since he knew enough about this place to arrange your arrival. We don't teach emotions here. We teach Other Souls how to rejoin human civilization. By interacting with humans, you will experience your own emotions and, through trail and error, learn about them."

Heero was silent. This isn't going to work. I can't go back to Yuy without learning what I was sent here to learn and I know of no where else to go.

Another teenaged boy sat in a field of wild flowers, watching the passing of a caravan. He had little interest in the humans, save to see them leave the area faster.

"Just a while longer, Duo," the tiny dragon beside him promised, flexing his butterfly wings. "Then you can move about as much as you want."

"Easy for you to say, Pops. You can flutter about without risking the illusion. After all, you're as small as the butterfly you're pretending to be."

"Maxwell," a second dragon spoke up as she flew over. "We have a problem. The children want to stop and chase butterflies and the adults look like they may stop to let them."

"Must be nice to have the ability to understand any language," the long haired boy muttered.

"We can translate for you, Duo," Maxwell stated kindly. "Would you rather not be able to cast illusions? Many dragon-raised humans pick up the ability to speak multiple languages, very few of these hatchlings are raised by fearie dragons, even fewer still pick up our magic traits. You have a truly rare gift."

"You know the answer to that one, Pops. I wouldn't give up my talent! It's too much fun."

"That's my boy," the dragon chirped and flew in circles around the human boy's head.

"Maxwell," the other dragon drew attention back to the present situation with a hiss as the caravan stopped.

"Get everyone into the air," Maxwell ordered the other dragon. "You know the drill, Duo. Stay put. Don't break your illusion. To them you're just a rock."

The caravan children chased after what they thought were butterflies with nets. As they did so, Maxwell flew about, making sure everyone made a clean escape. He didn't see the net until it was too late.

"Pops!" Duo cried out in distress, feeling the dragon's illusion drop. Duo broke his own illusion and charged on the little boy who was examining his catch. Duo grabbed the net from the boy as shouts rang out about Duo's appearance. Duo ripped the net open and let Maxwell loose. Maxwell flew out of reach, visible for all to see
as one of the rarest of all dragons for a few seconds before recasting his illusion.

Duo began to bound away from the caravan children, moving on all fours in leaps that simulated the way fearie dragons ran and appeared to defy gravity. Duo was caught off guard when one man proved to be a fast enough runner to catch up to Duo and tackle him to the ground.

"Pops!" Duo cried out.

"Duo!" Maxwell roared and attacked the face of the man holding his adoptive son, dropping the illusion of being a butterfly.

As other members of the caravan joined the runner, Maxwell was forced to fly out of reach. The butterfly-winged dragon was gathering himself for another run when Duo stopped him.

"Pops! No! You can't beat them. They'll just get you too."

"Duo, I'm sorry," the dragon called out as a struggling Duo was dragged back to the caravan. Duo fought until the travelers were forced to tie him drown. The caravan took up its path once more and the distance grew between father and son.

"Pops!" Duo's desperate voice held an edge of fear. The tiny creature that he had called his father, since before he could remember, faded from sight into the distance. A roar of anguish met his ears, sounding impossibly large to have come from such a small being.

Duo's captors took him to a building in the next kingdom. His captors were met by a man who spoke with them momentarily before gesturing to some large men behind him. The muscular men moved in and grabbed Duo with iron grips, dragging him towards the building.

"Hey! Get your claws off me!"

A new voice broke in as the caravan folk left, stopping the men holding Duo dead in their tracks. The voice belonged to a teenaged girl with light brown hair, heavily highlighted with flame-red. The leader snapped at her, but eventually consented to whatever she wanted. Flashing a smile she gestured for the men to let go of Duo.

"My name is Safire, Hatchling of Flame. Who are you?"

"Duo, Hatchling of Maxwell. You're another dragon? Please help me get out of here."

Safire shook her head. "I can't do that. This is the Other Souls Foundation, Duo. They don't let you go when you're brought in. Especially when the people that bring you in fear leaving you where they found you is a threat to their children.

"They'll teach you how to act as part of human society here, Duo. Afterwards, you may go home, if you want to."

"You don't sound like you believe I'll go home."

"No matter how much we miss those who raise us..." Safire said with a wistful sigh, "very few of us ever go back to where we came from." Safire turned to the men and spoke once again in their tongue. The men took hold of Duo again, this time more gently, and escorted him into the building.

They'll let me go after I learn what they want me to learn. I'm gone then. What could they possibly have here that would make me want to stay?

Duo, once the knowledge spell had been preformed, giving him the knowledge necessary to allow him to speak the language of the Chaz and knowledge of their culture, was very willing to speak to the man who came to visit him in the apartment they had locked him into. The man, named Jack, was to be Duo's Interactive, the one who would work with him through his adjustment into human culture.

Duo didn't understand why Jack was always telling him to sit still, and though he tried, he found he couldn't for very long, anymore than he could when he was with his father.

Duo was frustrated to no end by his inability to sit still when Jack promised him as much meat as he wanted, if he could sit still for a whole session.

Fearie dragons were vegetarians, so naturally, Duo had not known what the cooked substance he had been served beside his vegetables at his first meal was, but had fallen in love with the taste. Duo, who could eat quite a lot, found his meals never satisfied his craving for the 'exotic delicacy' they had introduced him to. This, of course, was why Jack had decided to use food as an incentive in Duo's adjustment.

Heero, unlike Duo, was not enjoying himself in the least. He had only learned two new emotions and stubbornly refused to speak to his Interactive. Heero had learned both of his new emotions from his Interactive, annoyance and disgust. His Interactive, Releena, gushed over him and spoke of weddings or she wailed, begging him to speak to her, only accomplishing the task of giving him an ear ache.

After being locked in the apartment that prevented him from escaping or harming people, should he prove dangerous, (standard practice with all new Other Souls, Duo knew, but found no less frustrating) for three months, Duo was moved to the Community. Duo, escorted by Safire, learned that the Community was where all the Other Souls lived together in a set of buildings, sitting on a large hunk of land that accommodated many of the various environments Other Souls grew up accustomed to. The Community was a place of freedom. When not at sessions, Duo could act as true to his nature as he pleased.

Duo liked the place and found what the Other Souls did to welcome new comers very much to his liking. Interactives were never told where the Other Soul they worked with lived. The Other Souls would cause the new comer's Interactive nothing but confusion as he tried to find the right apartment. The new comer usually got a week off as a result.

Duo liked the idea of a week's vacation from his sessions in the Community. He didn't feel sorry for Jack in the least. Jack was a nice guy, but weather he realized what he was doing or not, he had a habit of saying things that insulted Duo and suggested he was little more than an animal. Safire told Duo it was an uncontous behavior to be found in many normal humans and that Jack was one of the nicer Interactives, but that was no excuse for his behavior, nor had Safire meant for it to be.

Duo had been moving through the Community's forest, moving in leaps that seemed to defy gravity, his dragon upbringing showing clear in his movements. On all fours, his long brown braid snaking out like a tail, Duo was happier than he had been since he had been stolen.

Duo spotted a girl ahead of him he had never seen before with short black hair. "Hi!" he greeted her as his chosen path sent him bounding toward her. "I'm Duo."

"I'm Hilde. Duo? As in Duo, Hatchling of Maxwell?"

"Yep."

"Have you seen my brother? He's your Interactive."

"Nope. He didn't show up this morning."

"He probably didn't know which apartment is yours. It happens all the time."

Duo, who had been jumping up and down where he stood as he spoke, practically floating off the ground, gave Hilde a winning smile. "I hope you find him. Sorry that I can't help you. Maybe I'll see you around." Duo bounded off.

Duo's sessions began once again and soon took the next step. Jack began to take Duo out in public. The first place they went was a market place.

"Duo!" Jack hissed. "Stand upright! Stop jumping! Duo!"

Duo, who had started to move about on all fours, moving in small leaps as he tried to follow everything at once, took notice of his Interactive. Maybe I could cast an illusion and make him believe I'm doing as he says ... No. It wouldn't work. I've tried it too many times in the past. It's the first thing he'd check for. With a sigh, Duo stood on only his legs and attempted to keep the uncontous magical bounce that boosted his every movement from showing.

All his effort was blown to the four winds when he saw the meat stand.

"No, Duo. We are not going to buy any!"

"Aw, but - "

"No!"

Duo was moving among the buildings of the Community, being followed by Hilde, not for the first time wishing she would leave him alone.

"They never should have let that girl be an Interactive, let alone Heero's. I knew the kid would be stubborn, but he's never going to get out of that apartment with Releena doing the job. Poor kid's been locked up for a bloody year!" Duo heard Safire complaining to Noin, Daughter of Lucrentia.

"What's that about?" Duo asked Hilde. Hilde was annoying most of the time, and had no official business within the Community, but was tolerated for a good reason. Nothing went on among the Interactives that the girl didn't learn and eagerly talk about.

"You've never heard of Heero, Colt of Yuy?" Hilde gasped. "He's been here longer than you. The boy was raised by a unicorn, who sent him here. Apparently this Yuy wanted Heero to learn the full range of human emotion before it was too late for him to learn to cope with them. He's never even spoken a word in a human language and has been utterly silent for a whole year! Poor Releena! She's his Interactive and is completely head over heals in love with him. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the feeling returned. She thinks he loves her, but I highly doubt it."

"Sounds like he'd be better off interacting with another Other Soul," Duo replied. "I certainly wouldn't want to interact with someone who's crazily in love with me if I didn't understand simpler emotions than love."

"Duo, that's a great idea!" Safire exclaimed upon overhearing. "And you're just the person Heero could benefit from!"

"Me?!? Are you crazy? My fellow dragon, haven't you noticed I'm still in training, myself?"

"Heero wants to learn about emotions. Emotions, unrestrained, are something Fearie dragons are experts in. Some one else can help Heero once he's caught up with you. Unfortunately, unless he gets help from someone who can invoke positive responses in him, he'll spend the rest of his life silent and locked in that room. He was raised by a unicorn - he's perfectly capable of ending up like that."

"It won't work," Hilde stated. "Alistair will never go for it. He's in charge of Interactive assignments and he won't let you substitute Duo for Releena."

"If Duo's willing, I'm sure I can convince him."

Duo took one look at Safire and he knew she didn't just believe he was a good choice, he was this boy's only chance. Safire, Duo knew, had an amazing talent for accessing personalities and what ones they will mix with. If Safire thought Heero's situation was drastic, it was. How could he refuse if this Colt of Yuy needed his help that badly? How could he condemn a stranger? "I'll do it."

"Just because you've managed to grab so much power and influence in the Foundation already, Safire, doesn't mean you can just take more. They resent you already."

"I'm not interested in power and influence, Hilde," Safire stated coldly. "Just in making sure the best interests of each Other Soul are dealt with the best they can be. Alistair isn't going to bother, so it's up to me to do what he should have been doing since he got the job. Duo, meet me outside apartment 501 in the main building tomorrow before eight. Hilde, please tell your brother tomorrow morning to take the day off. Tell him I've got Duo
occupied. I'm sure he won't mind delaying tomorrow's trip to the market place."

"With Duo's inability to behave there, he sure won't," Hilde stated. "Alistair isn't going to like this."

"That's beside the point. We're doing what's best for Heero, not Alistair's over blown pride."

As Heero prepared himself for another day of the ordeal called Releena, he heard shouts break out beyond his room. Curious, Heero walked over to the door and listened. He did not press himself up against the door. Releena was due any moment, so he left a good two meters between himself and the door so not end up in close quarters with the insufferable girl.

The voices overlapped so that Heero could barely recognize them, let alone figure out what they were saying. He recognized Alistair and Safire's voices from his first days at the Foundation and there was, regrettably, no mistaking Releena's piercing 'He~ero' cry.

What's going on out there? This place is always calm and quiet.

The voices got louder and louder and increasingly incoherent. The door shook slightly, unlocked, and jerked open violently. Heero caught a glimpse of the three people he had identified as Safire roughly shoved a fourth through the door. The door banged shut as an unidentified boy landed in an ungraceful heap at Heero's feet.

Who...?

The boy jumped and landed on all fours a good meter back from him. He turned his head to glare at the door, which was doing little to muffle the still arguing voices. The boy bounced into the air, and seemed almost to float before landing, as he turned his head back to face him, wearing the widest smile he had ever seen.

"Dragon Claws, can Safire be rough when she's ticked!" the boy bounced again, landing on his legs, standing upright. "I'm Duo, Hatchling of Maxwell. Nice to meet you, Heero!" he stated cheerfully. "Safire wants me to take over from Releena, but Alistair doesn't like the idea." Duo began bouncing, ever so lightly, rising just above the floor. "I'm not finished my adjustment, but I'm highly emotional. Safire believes you might be able to learn something about emotions from me."

Heero watched the bouncing boy, not responding. The boy never stopped moving, his face a light with energy and a cheerful attitude he'd never seen the like of.

Releena let out a shriek of protest and the boy jumped, hitting the ceiling and landing on his rear. "Ow! She's down right painful to be around!" Duo stated as he rubbed his head and started bouncing again.

Heero wondered at what was occurring as he felt his lips start to twitch upward and fought the action out of them before it was visible. This is a new emotion, this Duo might be able to help me.

The door opened again and Alistair grabbed Duo's braid as he floated, mid-hop, and pulled him out of the room. Duo let out a dragonic squawk of surprise as he left the room. Releena darted in, closing the door behind her.

No! I need Duo to complete my mission! Don't leave me with her again.

"Oh, Heero!" Releena wailed and Heero's eardrums trembled. "That horrid boy, that - that uneducated urchin is going to take over your training! Alistair agreed only because he was tired of arguing with that Amazon freak and our lack of progress. Oh He~ero! If you say just one little word, I'm sure Alistair will change his mind and you'll never have to put up with that braided monster."

Heero was determined to be more silent than ever, if he could figure out how.

"That's an odd guy!" Duo stated as he rubbed the back of his head. "You sure I'm the right Other Soul for the job, Safire?"

"You're the only one for the job, Duo," Safire stated with a certainty Duo thought she should have no way of having.

The next morning a routine began. Duo would enter Heero's apartment with a loud and cheerful "Good morning" and would begin chatting about anything and everything that came to mind in his ever expressive and emotional manner. Duo learned early on not to touch Heero.

Duo had been bouncing from one piece of furniture to the next, describing an incident that occurred the night before, when he had landed on the back of the large chair Heero was sitting in. Duo had put his hand on Heero's shoulder as he described the stranger Safire had called him over to meet, by the name of Wufei of the Chang, and had found himself against the far wall. Heero didn't have the dignity to look apologetic or offer any explanation, by it verbal or physical.

"Ow, that hurt! What was that about?" Duo demanded angrily. Of course, Heero did not respond, he never did. "All I did was - You don't like being touched. Is that it?" Heero still didn't respond. "I guess you wouldn't be used to physical contact, raised by a unicorn. I understand they're a nice people, but they don't encourage the kind of physical contact most peoples do. I'll assume that's the problem, then."

I'm not learning about emotions, Heero thought a month into the substitution. Duo just talks and talks and talks and almost never on the subject of emotions themselves. I feel a few unfamiliar emotions around him, but I'm none the wiser. I'm no closer to completing my mission than when Releena was here. At least she's gone, though. Duo is an incredible improvement. Duo is tolerable.

"Dragon Claws! I might as well be talking to a stone!" Duo cried to the ceiling in frustration then glared at Heero. Duo's grin returned and he laughed. " A stone might be more responsive. I've known a few that turned out to be my dragon friends playing jokes. You're a really skilled conversationalist, but you know that, don't you, Heero?"

"Hn," Heero made the noise out of amusement. Past his own shock that he had lost control of himself, he saw Duo's response.

Duo froze. The boy who was never still was as motionless as the stones he had referred to. His mouth a gape, his eyes wide, the precariously balanced boy toppled over and hit the floor. The boy scrambled up off the floor and regained his perch on the arm of the chair he had just fallen off of to stare some more, his mouth moving in silent vowels, at a loss of what to say. His balance hadn't improved and he barely managed to right himself before he fell for a second time.

"And here I thought your vocal cords didn't work!" Duo exclaimed. "Well, I guess that's progress, but not enough that Releena won't be back next week."

Heero couldn't believe his ears. He had suffered Releena for a whole year and didn't get even three months with Duo? The fractional widening of his eyes didn't escape Duo.

"You don't like her. You don't want her back. So why won't you talk to me?" Duo asked, almost sounding mournful. His expression changed to indifference. "Hey, no scales off my back! The sooner I get through my own training, the sooner I'll be fit to travel through human kingdoms and find my way home."

Home? This isn't your home either? Were you sent away too? You may not want to help me with my mission, but I'll speak to you to keep her from coming back.

"How much do I have to say for you to stay?"

Duo bounced into the air and ended up hitting his head on the ceiling. "If that hadn't hurt, I'd say I was dreaming! Why would you suddenly care weather or not I'm here?"

"I prefer you over Releena."

Duo eyed the other boy curiously. Unicorns always have a reason for everything they do. There is a reason behind his choice not to speak. Right now, he doesn't want Releena back and is speaking as much as necessary to keep her away. It's not enough for him to speak just to keep her away. Safire was worried that he'd
never say a word, but it goes deeper than that. There's a reason why he won't speak and that reason is his problem. I got to figure it out while he's talking, or I may never have another chance.

"Why wouldn't you speak?"

"You and the others are not interested in helping me, so I choose not to humor you."

"This emotion thing? Heero, emotions can't be taught like that! You learn about them by experiencing them." Duo looked about at the plain apartment. "Of course, this setting doesn't exactly inspire emotions..." Duo closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. When he opened them, the room had become a wild flower covered rock field beside a caravan pass, the one where he had last seen his father. The field was complete with the odd Fearie dragon fluttering from place to place.

Pops was right! I am improving as I get older.

Heero had looked about, cautiously, as he sensed the build up of a kind of magic he had never felt before. He was surprised when he found himself sitting in a wild flower field. We're still surrounded by magic ... it must be an illusion.

"Is this a real place?"

"Yea," Duo said softly. "It's where I last say my Pops. How about describing where you last saw yours?"

Heero looked about at the illusion, one dragon in particular caught his eye. Somehow he seemed realer than the others did. As he followed the path of the dragon, a voice echoed in his mind. 'You must feel no more than sorrow for this day. No regret. No grief.' I do not want to see that meadow again. Heero closed his eyes and
willed away the illusion. The illusion disappeared, like poison before a unicorn's horn.

Duo had been watching the image of Maxwell and had missed Heero's brief expression of something stronger than sorrow. The dragons and field faded away against his will before he had time to realize what Heero was doing, let alone stop him. Like that day ... gone, and there's nothing I could have done about it, he thought as the apartment returned to normal. Duo turned to Heero.

"Why'd you do that?" the normally cheerful boy hissed angrily. Heero was shocked by the reaction, though it did not show on his emotionless features. Before he could react to the unexpected turn of events, the other boy regained himself and put on a grin. "Oh well, it doesn't matter."

Heero did not know why, but it did matter, at least to Duo. There was nothing in his violet eyes to support his grin. Heero silently watched as the other boy increased his rate and amount of motion.

"Heero, to learn what you want to learn, you've first got to do what I'm doing. You got to learn what they're trying to teach you. Then you've got the range of motion and enough change goin' on around you to let you experience the emotions you won't ever experience in here. How about co-operating? It's not like you've got to be as loud as me."

Heero began to co-operate, though he rarely spoke as much as on the day he broke his silence. His co-operation resulted in his transfer to the Community. Lead by Duo, Heero learned the location of everything important, note worthy and amusing to Duo.

"Personally, I prefer it here in the forest over any other terrain. How about you, Heero? You like forests? What kind of unicorn is Yuy, anyway? Forest? Plains? Mountain? Or one of the others?" Duo asked as he bounced ahead of Heero, on all fours, performing what he considered walking.

"Hn."

Can't win 'em all, Duo sighed. At least he puts up with me when he doesn't have to and does answer the rare-than-odd question. Duo noticed someone off to the left through a thin section of foliage.

"Hey, Wu-man!" Duo cried out. "Heero, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Duo left the path and crashed through the undergrowth. Heero followed after him, along the same path as the Dragon Boy and the damage caused by their passing was healed behind him.

"My name is Wufei, Duo. Stop calling me 'Wu-man.' I assume you want to introduce me to your friend."

"Yep. Wu-man, this is Heero, Colt of Yuy. Heero, this is Wufei of the Chang."

"This is the one you've been playing Interactive for?" Wufei asked Duo.

"Yea," Duo answered. "Now you've met someone more stubborn than yourself."

"If you're as stubborn as Duo says, how did he get you to co-operate?"

Heero noticed the stranger's sword and a series of small broken branches. Sword practice. Heero chose to heal the injured trees over answering Wufei.

When Duo realized Heero wasn't about to respond, he spoke up. "Heero's former Interactive, Releena, is worse than a dozen Hildes. It was me or Releena. He decided I was more tolerable." Duo shrugged expressively with a goofy grin. "I haven't figured out how to convince him to respond to people outside of sessions yet, though," Duo told Wufei.

Wufei, not much of a conversationalist himself, shrugged at Duo's statement. He nodded to Duo and left.

"If either one of the two of you turns out to be sociable, the pair of you could be good friends," Duo told Heero.

Heero did not respond as he healed a bush.

Silent, but not still, Duo watched as Heero moved from plant to plant gracefully, healing them with the faintest brush of physical contact. Just like a unicorn, Duo thought. You can take the boy out of the unicorn herd, but you can't take the unicorn out of the boy. A flower bloomed as Heero passed it. But who would really want to?

A week later, the pair were having a session at the base of one of the cliffs at the back of the small forest. Duo was bouncing from out cropping to out cropping over looking the tree trunk Heero was leaning against. Heero watched Duo as he scrambled out of view behind a large rock resting on a low ledge and reappeared on top of
the rock.

Duo had been talking about an adventure from his early years when he stiffened. "Oh crap!" Heero felt the now familiar build up of Duo's magic and watched as the braided teen was replaced by a green lizard.

Heero heard movement in the forest behind him and turned to see a girl with short black hair walking up the path he and Duo had used to arrive at their current location. The girl spotted Heero and waved to him as she came over.

"Hello! I don't believe we've met. I'm Hilde," she introduced herself with a smile. Heero did not respond. Hilde's
smile slipped when she realized Heero would not speak to her. "Have you seen Duo?"

This is the Hilde Duo talks about? I wonder what makes her more annoying than anyone else. "Hn." Heero dispelled Duo's illusion with practiced ease.

"Duo!" Hilde said in surprise. A cross look appeared on her face. "Why were you hiding from me?"

"Geeze Heero, what'd you do that for?"

"How often do you use your magic to hide from me?"

Not often enough! "I - I don't do it as often as you're thinking," or maybe I do, who knows? "I was just doing what comes naturally. I grew up hiding from humans, you know." Duo jumped down to the ground and Hilde grabbed his arm.

"I don't like it, Duo. Promise me you won't use your magic to hide from me anymore."

Heero felt a whole new emotion as he watched Hilde trying to make Duo promise her. He found himself too wrapped up in the feeling to analyze it as his gaze focused on the contact Hilde's hands were making with Duo's arm.

"Okay, okay," Duo told Hilde, squirming but not managing to get out of her grip. "I promise. I won't use my illusions to hide from you. But I can't talk now, Hilde. I'm in the middle of a session."

"Oops! Sorry about that Duo! Bye." Hilde let go of Duo's arm and left.

That emotion isn't as strong now that she's gone, Heero thought. I don't understand it at all. I didn't want her touching Duo ... and at the same time I was wishing I could be in her place. This emotion doesn't make any sense.

"He~ero!"

The two boys, sitting on the beach of the Community's lake, looked up one morning to find Releena, Alistair, Jack and Safire coming towards them. Releena was running ahead of the others. She was obviously happy to see Heero, Alistair and Jack had serious attitudes, while Safire looked decidedly displeased.

Releena came to a stop in front of where the two boys sat and smiled at Heero, then gave Duo a hateful glare. "I will be doing your sessions again, Heero. Duo has to go back to his own sessions with Jack."

Heero looked at Duo, who didn't look any happier than he felt. "They didn't tell me, Heero. Otherwise I would have warned you."

"Come on, Duo," Jack sighed. "Lets see if you can get through the market place without causing a commotion."

"I can't blame you for not liking her, Heero," Duo said as he bounced along side the silent boy. "But can't you say the odd word to her? The faster you finish your adjustment, the sooner she's gone." Heero did not respond.

"You're never going to reach to the end of your adjustment if you don't work with you Interactive. They won't put the responsibility back on my shoulders. Oh no! You've got to be able to work with normal people, not Dragon Boys. Help me out here, would you Wu-man? Maybe you can make him see the sense in this. Antisocial to antisocial?"

"My name is Wufei. You're the one who broke his year long silence, who's going to have more influence with him than you?" Wufei asked from just short of a meter further back up the forest trail. "He is correct, though, Heero. You are prolonging your time with her."

"Let her try to plan her wedding to you and see if you want to co-operate," Heero stated flatly.

"She's doing what!?!" Duo exclaimed.

"Duo?" a voice called out.

"Not again," Duo moaned.

Hilde cut through the undergrowth and stopped in front of Duo. "Hi Duo!" she greeted and grabbed hold of Duo as the boy's bouncing increased.

"Hi Hilde," Duo replied with false cheerfulness.Hilde turned serious, her grip on the fidgeting boy tightening.

"Jack told me what happened at the market today. Why can't you behave? If King Travole gets wind of your repetitive disturbances you could be in a great deal of trouble. Everyone knows he hates Other Souls."

As Hilde continued to scold Duo, Wufei turned and started back up the path.

"Hey, Wu-man! Where you going?"

"I am going far away from this nonsense," the elven warrior raised boy stated and was gone.

Hilde didn't miss a beat before she was lecturing Duo again, her grip hindering the teen's normal movements. As Hilde continued her lecture, Heero felt the usual, still unnamed emotion that accompanied Hilde's harassment of Duo and her physical contact with him.

Physical contact is rare among unicorns. So rare that I avoid it while many humans seek it out. Yet ... I want that contact with Duo and dislike it when others get it. Hilde's presence brings about an emotion I don't enjoy and it also forces me to face others I feel towards Duo. Strange. I'm supposed to learn about emotions yet I avoid facing these ones.

Finally. Duo sighed as Hilde disappeared down a bend in the path. She may just be trying to be friendly, but she sure is annoying. Duo turned to Heero with a goofy grin on his face.

"I guess I'm not one to talk about co-operating with an Interactive, eh Heero? I'm certainly no good when it comes to doing what an Interactive wants. Though in my case it isn't really a deliberate act."

Heero, predictably, didn't respond. However, Duo noticed some emotion he couldn't identify in Heero's eyes. That's odd. You only see a spark of emotion in his eyes on the rarest of occasions. He's good at hiding what he feels, even when he doesn't know what it is. What could have caused him to feel something so strongly that it's visible at all? I didn't notice anything unusual. Hilde was just hanging off me, extracting promises to do better as usual ... Is Heero attracted to Hilde? A sense of loss filled him. Aw, come on Duo, he told himself. You knew he'd start feeling like this towards somebody sooner or later. Just because you care about him doesn't mean he'll care about you. Just look at Releena - No. Don't go there. I don't want to compare myself to her. Even if Heero likes Hilde instead of me, I'm better off than Releena. I'm Heero's friend.

Even if Duo hadn't been caught up in the misery of the idea of Heero being attracted to Hilde, he never would have expected it when Heero suddenly grabbed his arm and started to pull him off the path.

"What's wrong, Heero?" Duo asked in surprise as he was pulled through the undergrowth.

Heero didn't respond as he came to a stop and swung Duo so that his back hit the trunk of a tree. Heero held him against the tree, his eyes appeared to be searching for something.

I don't know what's wrong, but I wish he'd let go of me. It's shocking enough that Heero-don't-touch-me-Colt of Yuy is making physical contact, but he's close enough to kiss on top of that.

A similar thought seemed to cross Heero's mind as he closed the little distance left between their faces and devoured Duo's mouth with an inexperienced kiss. Amazed and stunned, Duo did not resist as Heero explored his mouth clumsily. How often have I dreamed of this? Duo wondered with a shiver. Even more often than that, I didn't dare.

Before Duo could meet Heero's demands with those of his own, Heero abruptly cut off the kiss and jumped over a meter back. Heero regarded Duo with open shock at what had occurred.

What? What was that? What was I doing? I don't understand ... but I want to do it again.

What? What happened? What'd I do? Stupid! Of course he'd react like that. He's scared himself with this little display. He probably has no idea what just occurred.

"Duo ... I ..."

Duo jumped forward in one of his usual leaps as Heero found himself at a loss to explain himself, even to himself. He landed in front of Heero, closer than he normally would, ignoring the boundaries of Heero's personal space and stood upright, bringing himself face to face with the confused boy. I can't let you run away from here confused, Duo thought as he smiled at Heero. If you do, you might never come back. Heero took a step away from the smiling boy and Duo threw his arms around him. Duo pulled Heero in and kissed him, demanding as much as Heero had.

Just before Heero could pull away, Duo broke the kiss, his arms still around Heero's neck. Violet eyes stared into blue. "I care for you, too."

"How's Heero these days?" Safire asked Duo.

"Huh? He's great. He still won't co-operate with Releena, but he's starting to understand emotions and that's what he came here to do. But why don't you ask him?"

"Because I knew I'd get an answer out of you. I trust he's not the only one benefiting from your relationship."

"Our relationship?" Duo asked. "We haven't told anyone ... That was your plan all along! You put us together playing matchmaker from the very start."

Safire shrugged, looking a little on the pleased side. "My main concern was Heero's situation when I pushed you into that room ... but I figured the two of you were a match, yes. It's no secret that I've got a gift for these things."

"Yea. You got a real talent for meddling," Duo said with a grin.

"It's but one of many, many talents," Safire replied.

"So why'd you drop by? Jack is supposed to be here any minute and I know you avoid any contact with the Interactives between demands and plots to let things cool down."

"I've heard from Hilde that you have been trying to use your illusions to hide your mistakes in the market place."

"Yea. I'm tired of Jack's lectures."

"It's dangerous, Duo. People are going to remember a kid who can cast illusions."

"Why is that dangerous?" Duo's question remained unanswered as Jack walked into Duo's apartment.

Jack's eyes narrowed at the sight of Safire. The hateful glare was more evidence for the already converted Duo's belief that there would never be a real peace between the Interactives and the unofficial leader of the Other Souls. Safire accomplished what needed to be done the only way it could be done. Unfortunately, the Interactives were not forgiving when they found their toes stepped on; their authority undermined; their plans smashed and reconstructed by a woman they had once had full control over.

"You can talk later, Duo. It's time to go," Jack snapped, his gaze never leaving Safire. On more than one occasion an Interactive had discovered the gifted Dragon Girl had more in her arsenal than previously thought and with humiliating results.

"Bye Safire!" the Dragon Boy bounced out of the room.

It was not Heero's nature to pace. The Unicorn Boy stood absolutely still as he waited. The Sun had long ago set, but he had not lit a light and stared motionlessly out the picture window of the apartment he shared with Duo, into the darkness of the moonless night.

The door of the apartment opened, but the teen did not move.

The footsteps that had proceeded the one entering the apartment were not the bouncing thumps or scramble noises associated with Duo, merely the quiet half scuff Safire made as she walked before she fully adjusted to being on the ground after a long flight.

"I would have been back sooner, but Jack didn't want to co-operate." Safire paused and studied the back of the motionless boy in the dark. "It's not good, Heero ... Duo went missing in the market place. Jack believes Duo decided to go home. He always used to say he was out of here as soon as he finished his adjustment. Jack doesn't pay close enough attention to Duo to realize my fellow dragon hasn't been determined to leave for quite some time. He didn't run off. The bloody Interactive has written him off as a runaway, but it's not true. Whatever happened, Duo wouldn't abandon you, Heero."

"You think you know what happened," Heero stated, never moving from his position by the window or looking at the Dragon Girl, as he made his observation.

Safire sighed. "I probably do know. Duo has become rather skilled in his illusions, the only problems coming when he tries to do too many things at once. He has been using them in the market place to try to bring less attention to the trouble he causes with all his bouncing about. You know how Duo is. He tries to follow everything and can find something amusing about almost anything. Naturally he can cause a lot in the way of a commotion, even when he's not causing mischief. People couldn't help but notice his illusions ... I think he was kidnapped."

"You're most likely right," Wufei stated as he walked in the door and lit the lamp neither of the others had touched. "And if so, there is little we can do this night but rest." Safire and Wufei left to do their best to sleep with their burdens of worry for their missing friend that night. Heero didn't bother. Safire found that he had not moved an inch when she checked on him in the morning.

Duo rocked under the blow. When he recovered he glared at his captor, unable to fight back with his hands and feet bound.

"Do it. Now," growled the scarred woman, known only as "Hell's Spite," as her henchmen lifted Duo to his feet by his braid.

Hell's Spite unsheathed a blade as Duo gathered himself for a vicious retort and moved in to place the knife against Duo's pants.

Duo got the message. The leader of the gang of thieves holding him didn't believe he needed that particular body part to do what she wanted him to do. Duo swallowed hard and concentrated.

A display case, visible in the window of a nearby building was suddenly filled with what appeared to be it's former contents and intact alarm systems. Duo knew what would occur next, even if he could not see or hear it. The thieves, disguised as the household servants, sent to dust the room, would exit the room. The guards would check to insure the display was intact then let the "servants" go about their business.

Duo saw the thieves signal Hell's Spite and the dangerous woman smiled evilly. I have to escape this bitch! Her mussel bound freaks are too afraid of her to fall asleep when they're guarding me ... I could solve that with an illusion if they didn't regularly hit me to make sure I'm not doing anything like that. That would still leave these ropes ... I don't know how to get out of this, but not giving up.

Heero's head jerked up as he felt it. Faintly, he felt Duo's magic in the distance. The distance between him and his lover was enough that he only knew that Duo was off to the east.

The only traveling Heero had done in human lands had been his journey to the Foundation, which had it's buildings beside the Community. Heero had never been further east than the Community. Heero knew if he was ever going to see Duo again, he had to penetrate even further into human lands. The sense of Duo's magic was
faint enough that he might have missed not have picked it up if he had been occupied with even a thought of something other than Duo's whereabouts.

If I stay here, I won't find Duo. If I even stay long enough to get help & I might not sense him the next time he uses his illusions. The faint sense of magic faded and Heero felt a stab of pain. I'm coming, Duo.

Heero, a silent boy that walked upright, unlike many Other Souls raised by four (or more) legged parents, did not draw the attention of those around him as he walked by. Heero, carrying no money and having used what food he had in his first week, grabbed food, such as apples, from along the side of the road he had chosen or went hungry. His healing magic stalled off the worst effects of hunger.

Duo was constantly using his magic, which allowed Heero to correct his course several times. Duo was always to the east, but his position was never constant. Whoever holds you is moving you around a lot. Only in the deepest part of the night does your magic ever come from the same location more than once. When I find whoever took you, Heero thought, I'm going to kill him.

Duo glared about as he was escorted through the capitol's market place. No one noticed, of course. Hell's Spite had him casting an illusion to conceal them. He was also casting an illusion that was hiding the mugging that no one else could see.

As the mugging occurred, Duo shifted his attention to the stand he was beside. The merchant was selling a variety of weapons. Casting a third illusion over one of the daggers closest to him, Duo managed to grab the actual dagger, leaving the illusionary one in its place, without being noticed.

If I can hold on to this, my plan might work.

Heero looked about the crowded market place with a scowl. Duo wasn't there, but he hadn't expected him to be. The last spell had come from the market place, but that had been hours ago. The merchants were slowly beginning to pack up as the Sun began to set. The shoppers were almost gone, yet the market appeared crowded to the perception of the Unicorn Boy.

A groan caught the ear of the Other Soul as he toured the market, trying to decide his next move. Heero followed the sound to its source and found a man coming to in an ally, cut and bruised. The man's eyes fluttered open and he groaned again as he looked about with a head that appeared to protest the motion.

Heero went over to the man and knelt beside him. "What happened?"

"I think it's obvious that I was robbed," the man replied. "So you're wasting your time."

Heero ignored the man's last comment and tore open the man's ripped shirt. As the injured man protested, Heero pressed his hand against the man's heart and concentrated. When he looked back up at the man's face, he found the man looking at him in surprise. The man looked up and down the length of his body and back at Heero.

"Amazing. Thank you." The man stood up. "I don't have any money, but you look like it's been a while since you last ate. Come with me, back to my stand and I'll fix that. Do you have a name, boy?"

"Heero, Colt of Yuy."

"An Other Soul? Well that explains your talent. You are an awfully long way from the Foundation, Heero. What brings you so close to King Travole?" The merchant guided the boy towards a stand where the servants were packing up.

Heero was silent for a moment before he decided the man might give him information, should he have any. "Another boy, by the name of Duo, Hatchling of Maxwell, was kidnapped. I've followed traces of his magic to this city. The last time he cast an illusion was here, this afternoon."

"Illusions? That might explain why no one noticed while I was attacked. If that's the case, your friend is in a lot of
trouble. The people that mugged me wore the markings of Hell's Spite's people. They're a very dangerous group of thieves and their leader can be every bit as cruel as her name suggests. I would tell you to leave this to the authorities, but there's no mercy nor aid for your kind."

As soon as the guard who hit him, as part of the hourly ritual to insure he wasn't casting illusions when he shouldn't, backed off, Duo began to cast one over himself. The boy dug the dagger he had stolen out of his boot and turned it so that it would cut the ropes around his wrists. Keeping a careful eye on his guards, well aware that they wouldn't fall asleep, even at such a late hour, the Dragon Boy cut at the thick ropes. Patience, Duo told
himself. Take your time, maintain the illusion, and don't screw this up.

Heero sensed Duo cast his illusion and started towards Duo. I'm coming, Duo.

Duo cut away the remaining ropes and cast a second illusion to cover his movements as he left what the guards believed to be a sleeping boy behind. His plan was working except for one very important detail. The door to Hell's Spite's lair was bolted shut and guarded.

That thing creaks and groans to wake the dead, Duo thought, his hopes sinking. This late at night it's not going to open before the next time my guards try to hit me. They'll go right that illusion.

His problem was solved when the door was busted in.

Heero!?! Duo nearly dropped his illusion in surprise when he saw who had singularly taken down the door with unnatural strength for one so slight.

Heero began to kill every thief he saw as the inhabitants of the lair drew knives and swords. Heero possessed healing abilities, and inhuman strength and speed, as a result of his up bringing, but Duo had never seen Heero use the second and third of these talents to such a degree.

With an insane grin, Duo picked up the sword of a fallen murderer and joined Heero in the fray, his illusions causing him to appear to come out of no where, an unholy merchant of death.

"Heero!" Duo cried out as he dropped his illusion. The Dragon Boy jumped over the body of his final victim and landed in front of his lover. Dropping the sword, he wrapped his arms around the other boy, who kissed him fiercely.

"Let's go," Heero said, when they came up for air.

"Wait. Did you see what happened to a cruel looking woman with black hair and a scar down her face?" Duo asked, looking about.

"No."

"She must have escaped."

"This woman, is she Hell's Spite?"

"Yea," Duo answered.

"If she has any sense, she won't bother you after this," Heero told Duo, gesturing to the carnage around them. "And should she prove not to have any, we'll kill her."

"Not much else we can do," Duo agreed. "I have no idea where she would go."

"Hn."

"You fight really well for someone raised by a unicorn," Duo told Heero as they left.

"Unicorns are not just healers," Heero responded with a scowl. "When the time calls for it, our talents can be used to fight mercilessly."

Months later, Duo was bouncing happily along side Heero in the Community, not far from the apartments.

"My adjustment's finally complete. No more Jack!"

"When do you plan to leave to find your father?" Heero asked.

"What?" Duo asked and came to a stop.

"You told me you were going to find your father as soon as you were done your adjustment."

"Heero, when you finish learning about emotions, do you plan to find yours?"

"No," Heero responded. "I plan to track you down."

"If your plans were changed by our relationship, what makes you think mine haven't changed, too?" Duo jumped, closing the space between them, wrapped Heero in his arms and captured the boy's lips. "I'm not leaving you. I love you. We're meant to be together."

"Always and forever?" Heero asked Duo.

"Always and forever," Duo promised. The pair kissed again.

Shortly after the kiss broke, a roar rang out through the air. Safire was calling in the fearie dragon language for the pair of them to come over.

Duo bounced up into the air, spotting two boys he had never seen before with Safire, one with brown hair that hid half his face and a visible green eye, the other a golden haired blond with blue eyes. He pulled on Heero's arm.

"Let's go see what she wants," Duo suggested and started bounding over to Safire. He landed in front of Safire on all fours and stood up, smiling mischievously. "You called, my fellow dragon?"

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