Earthian Fan Fiction / Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Fallen ❯ The Art of Falling ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Category: Anime, Yaoi, Gundam Wing, fusion with Earthian, AU
Minor Anime: Fushigi Yuugi, Naruto, Sailormoon, Samurai Deeper Kyo
Warnings: dialogue, shonen ai, slight humor, fluff
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, RaphaelxMichael
Minor pairs: Tasuki-Chichiri, Birdie-Hinageshi, Yukimura-Sasuke
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina (a) hotmail . com
Website: www . geocities . com / arigatomina

Fallen

Part 3: The Art of Falling

Diedre turned out to be quite the morning person, her eyes wide and aware as if she’d been up for hours, and her long pale blue hair broken into three braids, two circling her forehead in a sort of crown and the third tied in a loop to hang halfway down her back. She almost jumped to attention when Duo entered the dining room, showing a spirited enthusiasm that made it exhausting to watch her.

Duo gave her a tired wincing smile as he half stumbled over to the surprisingly small table. A glance at her made him feel rumpled and fuzzy. He’d never been a morning person.

Muriel had woken him after what felt like two hours of sleep at the most. She’d explained the typical routine in the household, most of that consisting of warnings that Michael was rarely seen outside his office before noon, and that Diedre liked to read and snack rather than eating a formal breakfast so Duo wasn’t to disturb her if she didn’t greet him. Lunch was served on demand, meaning whenever he was hungry he would go to the dining room and request a meal. Dinner was the only time the family met at the table. Proper etiquette demanded he send notice if he were going to miss the evening meal.

He’d sat through the lecture, his attention on braiding his hair as tightly as he could. He didn’t want it to come loose during his test flight. And he’d purposely chosen the simplest outfit available since he expected whatever he wore would get dirty if not torn and stained.

Compared to Diedre’s prim yet fancy blue robes and perfect hair, Duo felt like a laborer who’d wandered into the wrong house. If he hadn’t been hungry he probably would have hidden in his room till Houjun showed up to get him.

It was just as well that he hadn’t. He needed to get used to seeing Diedre, however nervous she made him feel.

“Good morning, Duo,” Diedre greeted. “Have you read this week’s report, yet?”

She was holding a laminated scroll, the sort that were simply rolled paper for everyone else. Duo edged over to stand behind her, his attention still distracted by the table she was sitting at.

The formal banquet the night before had been held in the large dining hall, the one Muriel said was reserved for guests and special occasions. In comparing the two rooms, Duo would call the larger one gold, while this one was more…porcelain, maybe.

The walls were light cream, the floor a pale tan hardwood, and the table a slightly darker shade of brown. Even the dishes were simple glass and enamel, not a single goblet or silver lining in sight. The table itself had only six chairs and it was dwarfed by the empty space surrounding it, the door to the kitchen visible across the way.

Only one place was set, a covered platter residing as the centerpiece. Diedre was sipping a small mug on her right, a little glass bowl of toffee to her left, and the scroll spread out in front of her. She tilted the scroll back so Duo could see the headline.

“More debris landed in Gridel,” she said, waving at the photo that filled the top right of the scroll. “Two casualties, fourteen wounded, and more pollution to the forest. Skywatch reported the explosion of the Earthian shuttle three days ago, and not a single person evacuated from the area.”

Duo shot her a quick look, wondering if she realized he didn’t know what he was looking at. The photo showed a dense forest as seen from above. The only thing odd about it, as far as Duo could see, was that the canopy was darker than it should have been, a mottled blackish green.

“We’ve warned them again and again,” Diedre continued, her brows drawing into a dark scowl. “It’s one thing to remain in the contaminated region. Putting children at risk like that is inexcusable.”

“Children?” asked Duo. “You mean the casualties?”

Diedre looked up in surprise. “And the wounded. You don’t know about Gridel?”

As someone who’d been adopted for his supposed intelligence, Duo couldn’t help but blush at his ignorance. He dropped his eyes and shook his head.

“It’s all right,” Diedre said quickly. “We don’t get many reports from them, and they’ve managed to keep out of the history books for the most part. Gridel is part of the Deluvian region. It’s a small clan, mostly nomads. They rarely integrate with society.”

“Deluvian,” Duo repeated softly. “That’s the part of Eden closest to Earth during rotation.”

“Right,” Diedre nodded. “Most of the Earthian-caused pollution we’ve suffered has happened in that area. Skywatch can predict where debris will fall, often down to the exact hour it will land. But the leaders in Gridel refuse to evacuate, even with advanced notice. They seem to think we’d use a warning to trick them into giving up their isolation. So far we haven’t pushed them very hard. But this…two deaths that could easily have been avoided…it’s too much. Michael will have to act on this…”

“Does he cover this sort of thing?” asked Duo.

Diedre blinked rapidly for a moment, her expression startled. Then she let out a little laugh and waved for Duo to take the prepared seat to her right.

“Listen to me gossip,” she said. “You go ahead and start eating. I tend to get riled when I read the reports, so I automatically try to drag anyone I see into the discussion with me. You have more immediate concerns to tend. Hina tells me you’ll be taking your first flight today. You’ll want to eat a healthy breakfast for that, to build up your strength.”

“I’m actually looking forward to it,” Duo admitted softly.

“Are you really,” Diedre murmured, her expression more thoughtful than doubtful. “Did Chiri tell you that you’ll be learning with children half your age? I imagine it will be quite embarrassing at first.”

Duo’s eyes widened, color rushing from his face.

Children? He’d known most angels learned by the time they were old enough to run, but he hadn’t once thought that he’d be taking his test flight with children. Whether he failed on his first try or not, he’d be humiliated simply for not already knowing how to fly.

Diedre caught sight of his pale face and winced, dropping her head. “He should have warned you. But…I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

She flashed Duo a quick smile that reached her eyes. “Most children learn with their partners, so they’ll be far too busy competing with each other to really make a fuss over you. And you’re older, so you won’t actually be in the same section they are. I doubt they’ll make you work with a net.”

“A net…?”

“A saftey,” Diedre explained. “The main reason children aren’t allowed to take flights without an attendant is because they need a proper net, someone to catch them if they fall too quickly over land. My brother broke that rule quite often when we were younger, but we never started very high. At most, a fall would result in scrapes and bruises. The actual test flights start much higher, so they’re potentially deadly to children if there isn’t a safety. You’re tall enough that you should be able to take the impact without serious damage.”

Duo stared at her encouraging smile. Did she really think that would reassure him? He didn’t particularly want to have someone baby him, but the idea of breaking a few bones if he didn’t fly on his first try…

“Anyway,” said Diedre, “you should eat. I expect Chiri to be here shortly. He always takes an early breakfast, so you’ll want to head out as soon as he shows up.”

Duo lifted the lid off the platter in the center of the table, his attention being swallowed up by the savory aroma. He took a liberal helping of the sautéed and creamed vegetables, not bothering with more than a pinch of the rice. He was more concerned with taste than filler.

“Who’s Chiri?” he asked, glancing to the side as he arranged his meal.

Diedre jerked a little, her eyes wide and surprised. “You met him last night. Hina’s son…?”

“Houjun…?”

An odd look passed over Diedre’s face. She settled back in her chair and sniffed in audible distaste. “Raphael is so stubborn. Chiri is short for Chichiri. It’s the nickname Houjun took when he became a positive checker. It isn’t required, but some people choose to use nicknames when they’re on earth. Raphael seems to think the nickname only refers to him as a positive checker, so he hasn’t called him that since he switched to negative. It’s nothing. Chiri will answer to either, so it really doesn’t matter.”

“Oh.”

The woman turned her gaze back to the scroll, and Duo focused his attention on his meal.

His appetite had waned since learning about the children at the test flight, but he was determined to eat regardless. He was bound to be hungry later if he didn’t. Since he didn’t know who he was supposed to ‘request lunch’ from, he thought it best to eat his fill while it was offered to him. It was a habit that suited him well.

The orphanage had limited itself to two main meals and little better than a snack for midday. The result was that they’d started the day off with a nice treat, and had something even better to look forward to at the end of the day, going to sleep with a full stomach. Duo never took simple pleasures for granted.

Diedre was fully occupied with her reading, so Duo ate with more relish than he had the evening before. He’d never liked having people watch him eat. The almost companionable silence was comfortable.

He wasn’t sure how long it took him to clean his plate, but no sooner did he finish than a man appeared beside him. Duo froze on instinct, his expression shuttered as he glanced over the servant. It wasn’t the man who’d opened the door for him yesterday, but he had a similar look of forced politeness.

“What sort of beverage would you like, sir?” the man asked.

Diedre glanced up, her gaze snapping over to judge Duo’s reaction. She smirked when the boy turned to her with uneasy eyes.

“Anything you like,” she told Duo. “Once you’ve been here a while, Toumahs will know exactly what your preferences are. He’s very reliable.”

Duo glanced back at the servant just in time to see the man blush. Suddenly the man wasn’t uncomfortable because he’d been forced to serve Duo, but because he’d been trying to make a good impression. It was a misread that reminded Duo he tended to expect the worst of people. He might have dropped his guard after being put at ease with Michael’s family, but his instinct was still there.

“I have an established sweet tooth,” Diedre continued, “so I tend to alternate between cinnamon vanilla tea and a nice blend of caramel chocolate coffee. I just prefer a warm beverage in the mornings.”

“If I may,” Toumahs offered, his eyes not quite high enough to meet Duo’s gaze, “a hot spiced cider would sit well with this morning’s dish.”

Diedre laughed and waved a hand at Duo, encouraging him. “He would know. I rarely eat a proper breakfast, so I didn’t consider the meal.”

Duo was still feeling a dash of guilt at his quick judgment, so he flashed a smile at the nervous servant. “Both? The cider and a cup of plain coffee, the stronger the better.”

“Right away,” Toumahs nodded, his voice back to that ‘all business’ tone he’d used before.

After the man left for the kitchen, Diedre winked at Duo. “He’s only been working here for a year, so he’s still a little stiff at times. You should see how harried he gets around Michael.”

The door behind Duo opened a crack, a bushy orange head poking through and looking around the room before ducking back out. Diedre choked, coughing around a spurt of laughter.

“Raphael isn’t here,” she called, wiping the back of her hand over her eyes and grinning.

“Just checking,” the stranger chirped.

Duo turned around in time to see Houjun and a bright stranger enter the room. Houjun smiled at him as the two went to sit across from him and Diedre.

The stranger was dressed in blue, not the dark shade of the military, just blue. His outfit was unusual, consisting of a jacket with loose shoulders and tight long sleeves, a belt slanted over the front from one shoulder down to curve around his waist. The edges of the jacket were rounded in a sort of skirt, another belt keeping it secure to his waist. His pants were the same shade of blue, loose at the top and tighter at his ankles until they disappeared into high brown boots.

Duo stared at the boots for nearly a minute before he lifted his gaze to the man’s blazing orange hair. It was wild, swept back loosely in waves that tapered out a little beneath his collar. And his eyes, wide and bright, were the same shade of orange. He had a young face, not quite as rounded as Michael’s, but not nearly so slender as Houjun’s. His grin widened, flashing white teeth as he caught Duo’s stare.

“Tasuki,” he said, waving a hand at Duo from across the table. “Chiri snuck me in so I can raid Birdie’s candy bowl before we head out.”

Diedre arched an eyebrow and pulled her bowl a little closer to her. “Whose candy bowl…?”

“Ah,” Tasuki blurted, flashing a winsome smile at her. “The generous Madam Diedre’s candy bowl, of course!”

“Hm.”

“So,” Houjun said, his attention on Duo. “How do you feel about horses?”

Duo blinked, his expression turning wary. “Horses…?”

“The nearest testing ground is a good way from here,” Houjun explained. “Usually parents will fly their children there, but I thought it would be better if we rode. It’ll give you a chance to enjoy yourself before the work starts. Tasuki’s family has some of the best horses on Eden, so you don’t have to worry if you’ve never ridden before.”

“Sure,” said Duo.

“Great,” Tasuki blurted from around a mouthful of candies. “See, Chiri? Didn’t have to con him at all. I could have slept another half hour, but no, you wanted to get here early in case we had to fly the kid.”

“It wasn’t just that,” Houjun protested, a little frown curving his lips. “You didn’t even eat breakfast. I told you we’d be demonstrating flight moves. You should eat something besides candy if you’re going to show off.”

“You’re stuffy,” Tasuki sniffed. “There’s nothing better than a sugar rush for flying.”

Toumahs entered the room, setting Duo’s drinks beside him and refilling Diedre’s mug. He moved so quickly he’d almost escaped before Tasuki centered on him with an order for the sweetest drink they had. Houjun sagged in defeat, and Diedre tagged on a request for more candies since her bowl had been all but emptied.

“Better drink up,” Diedre warned Duo. “It won’t take that fool long to finish off his sugar. And the next time he reaches for my candies, I’m throwing him out.”

“You’re so mean,” Tasuki scowled, huffing a little.

“What do you expect,” Diedre sniffed. “I was a negative checker. I only put up with you for Chiri’s sake.”

The two somehow managed to ignore each other after that, amazing considering they were seated so close. Duo finished his drinks in time to watch Tasuki down a thick glass of what looked like chocolate malt. Then Houjun hurried them out of the room before Diedre could make good on her threat.

Duo hadn’t had any opportunity to explore the manor, his getting lost notwithstanding. Houjun led him down a series of halls and out what seemed to be a back door. He was quick to explain that there weren’t drives leading to the nearest testing ground, so there was no point taking a vehicle.

Two horses were waiting outside, saddled and docile as they nipped at the flowerbed that lined the yard. Tasuki waved them over and stuck around long enough to see Duo safely astride the smaller of the two animals. Then he flew off with a quick promise to meet them halfway.

As much as Duo had read about horses – as they were used on Earth – he’d never actually seen one on Eden. The one he rode was a dark gray shade, patches of lighter gray over its back, and streaks of the two colors in its long tail and mane. It was rather tall, enough so that his chin didn’t quite reach over its back when he’d stood beside it. And, if Houjun was right, it was female. Duo hadn’t thought to look before Tasuki fairly threw him into the saddle.

Actually controlling the creature turned out to be surprisingly easy. He gripped the reigns the way Houjun told him to, and tightened his legs with a clucking sound for the horse’s tilted ears. He barely even had to guide it, what with Houjun leading the way. His mount followed until the two were walking side by side, sharing horse talk as they went along the path.

Duo hadn’t spotted what was behind the manor when he’d arrived yesterday. Now he found himself traveling through a rather colorful forest. There didn’t seem to be much wildlife aside from the cheerful raucous of the birds flittering in the canopy. They reminded Duo that it was still rather early.

The path was wild, cleared down by nothing more than footsteps over time. Considering horses were rare creatures, Duo imagined few people had ridden this way. Most angels flew or walked when going to areas of Eden that disallowed vehicles. There were other paths bending off from the one they started on. Houjun took him down the second, then the third on that path, then the first on the next…

Duo stopped trying to pretend he’d be able to find his way back alone. He just focused on the oddly soothing pace of the horse, and the nice breeze that swept through his bangs. If he’d been a little bolder, he would have been tempted to spur the horse on to a faster pace. He rather liked riding.

They traveled for about an hour before Tasuki showed up, swooping down with a loud whoop that should have spooked anyone, especially horses. The fact that Houjun’s horse merely flicked its black ear proved they were used to him. He lit on the back, crouching with his wings out for balance, one hand on Houjun’s shoulder to keep him in place.

“We’re up next,” Tasuki grinned. “Mits is running the show. Sanada’s had him booked for the last hour, but he said we could do a run before he goes to the kids. Pick it up a bit, or we’ll be waiting all day.”

Houjun nodded to Duo and spurred his horse onto a faster clip.

It was with some pleasure that Duo followed. He had a brief moment of fear at the shaking when the horse broke into a trot, but it quickly fell into a more rhythmic canter. This was just what he’d had in mind. He barely noticed when Tasuki lifted off to keep pace over their heads. And he was disappointed that the path ended after only a few minutes.

The forest gave way to a grassy field that stretched out for miles to the right. On the left, it went a few yards before falling off, a lake glimmering from below. Duo wasn’t sure how steep the cliff was, but it looked like an easy mile.

A rather tall, broad-shouldered man was standing a few feet from the edge of the cliff, his arms around a slender black-haired teenager. Off on the field, Duo could see a group of angels, probably parents, clustered around three smaller angels who appeared to be beating their wings in attempts to get off the ground. Practice? He suspected he should try that himself.

“Don’t you think you’re being a little excessive?”

Houjun had dismounted, and Duo followed suit, his attention shifting over to the two angels standing closest to the cliff.

The younger black-haired one was raising an eyebrow, his dark blue eyes gleaming with amusement at the man holding him. The older one snorted, his head tilted back as he watched the sky.

“He doesn’t need a net,” the man said, his voice low and sober. “Why do you even come when you know you can’t stand down?”

“That’s really not the issue,” the other sniffed, his voice a light tenor. “If your hand were one inch lower, I’d cry foul.”

Tasuki snickered and went to stand by Duo, directing the boy’s gaze to the sky. Two angels were hovering above, a tall slender man in dark blue, and what appeared to be a small white-haired boy. Duo blinked, his gaze shifting from the pair, down to the ones on the ground.

“Is this a test?” Duo asked, his voice soft.

“Sort of,” Tasuki grinned. “That big guy’s Mits, Mitsukake, but that’s a mouthful. Anyway, he’s the attendant for the flight tests. The one he’s got his hands on is none other than Yukimura Sanada. Better get an eyeful of that. You won’t see anyone else trying to tell him what to do.”

“Why’s he holding him back?” Duo frowned. “I mean, if the kid up there is the one taking the test, then…”

“Non-participants aren’t allowed to interfere,” Houjun explained. “Mitsukake will act as the safety – the catcher – if the child falls too fast. A relative is allowed to be the one who drops the person, but only an attendant can act as the safety net. I hear Yukimura’s had some trouble obeying that law.”

“That’s right,” Tasuki smirked. “I hear they had to switch to Mits because Sanada went and broke the ribs of the last attendant who tried to hold him back. Seems he doesn’t trust anyone else to keep his partner safe.”

“Partner?” Duo blurted. He tilted his head back, squinting at the figures hovering above them. “The kid’s the one taking the test, right? Don’t they usually pair people by age?”

Houjun explained, his smile a little teasing. “Yukimura Sanada is nineteen this year, but he’s failed the entrance exam for the academy two years running. This year, he was supposed to be the top rival to Heero. He came in third, five points behind Heero, twenty behind you. If you decide to aim for the top spot, you’ll want to keep an eye out for him.”

Duo’s eyes widened in disbelief. Someone who’d actually failed the test two times in a row had suddenly all but aced it? What, had he cheated? Or failed the first two times on purpose? He couldn't think why anyone would do that.

His attention went back to the blackhaired teen, really looking at him this time. He was a little shorter than Michael, his black hair hanging loose till the edges curled outward just below his collar. His clothing was unusual, a tall yellow collar, six red circles on the back of his pale yellow coat, a red sash wrapped around his waist, and yellow and red stripes on the edges of his short sleeves. He was rather slender, and what little Duo could glimpse of his face looked effeminate. Duo didn’t think he’d be called beautiful, but he was certainly striking with that odd outfit.

The attendant appeared overly masculine in comparison. He wasn’t just tall and broad, Duo could clearly see the man’s thickly muscled arms, tan against his dark gray shirt and pants. His hair was a short brown, spiky on top and held there by a red bandanna wrapped over his forehead.

Mitsukake was currently holding the teen with one arm around Yukimura’s shoulders, the other crossed in front of his waist and holding his right wrist. It was the sort of hold meant to restrain, but considering how much bigger the man was, Duo didn’t see the need to do more than hold one wrist.

“Does Heero see that guy as a rival, then?” asked Duo.

“Perhaps,” Houjun shrugged. “Heero is hard to interpret. I know he’s taking lessons on swordsmanship from Yukimura, but that doesn’t have anything to do with the academy. The Sanada clan is known for their skill with weapons, so Odin as much as ordered Heero to learn from him. As far as the academy, they would be rivals…if either of them cared to compete. Like I told you, Heero cares more about perfection than competition. I only mention it to warn you that the two of them have the best chances of graduating with top marks. If you want to compete with Heero, you’ll have to stay ahead of Yukimura.”

“There he goes!” Tasuki blurted, waving Duo to look up. “Poor Mits…”

Duo looked up in time to see the little white-haired boy unfurl his wings. He took one look and stumbled back into Houjun.

He had seen Tasuki’s wings, and his own wings, so Duo knew the proper wingspan was three-fourths bodylength per wing, making the total distance from tip to tip just about one and a half the person’s height. The boy in the sky had a wingspan at least twice his height. A person so small simply didn’t have the strength to control such heavy wings.

Duo gulped, grimacing at the way those wings shook, buffeted by the wind and the pressure of holding them outstretched. The boy’s arms were curled in front of him, his wrists crossed as if to brace him for impact. Duo could imagine the effort required to make those heavy wings beat a single downward stroke against the fall. At best, the kid was slowing his descent just enough to keep him from breaking a few bones. It wouldn’t stop him from getting pummeled when he hit the grass.

“He really doesn’t need a net,” Houjun murmured, his voice soft as if the kid would hear him. “With a little more practice, he’ll be able to slow himself enough to land on his feet.”

“Tell that to Sanada,” Tasuki grinned.

A choked groan caught Duo’s ear. He glanced down in time to see Mitsukake fall back, his arms raised to shield his face. Yukimura darted away, aloft just in time to pluck the falling angel out of the air four feet before he hit the ground. Two minutes of silence later, and three angry voices lit up around the black-haired teen.

“How many times have you been fined for attacking an attendant?!”

“You are so embarrassing! I hate you!"

"Yukimura, you promised...!"

"Are you listening, Sanada? Using your force like that, you could have broken my neck. It's a flagrant violation of-"

"Stop it! Let go! I'll kill you in your sleep."

"When your father hears about this...you promised...!"

"Sasuke," Yukimura whined, blinking wide midnight blue eyes at the struggling boy in his arms, "you don't mean that..."

"Yes, I do," the boy growled, kicking and writhing to get free. "You've humiliated me for the last time!"

"Yukimura, please," the tall black-haired man whispered, "people are starting to stare..."

"That's it," Mitsukake stated, his voice fairly booming. "Yukumura Sanada, from here on you are forbidden from coming within two miles of this training field. That's final."

"I guess we'll have to find another attendant," Yukimura sighed, patting a hand on Sasuke's smooth white hair.

"I hate you so much..."

Duo turned a stricken look on Houjun, his eyebrows slanted in despairing disbelief. "That guy got third place on the entrance exam...? How?"

"Hard to believe when he puts on displays like that," a voice called from above them.

A teenager landed next to Houjun, gifting him with a sharp nod. His dark blue gaze passed over Tasuki with just a hint of a wince, and stopped on Duo. He folded his wings without retracting them, proof that he wasn't going to stay on the ground long.

"Are you here for a flight test?"

The boy was definitely talking to him. Duo gave a vague nod, uncomfortable with the fact that he didn't know how to fly, and with the way the stranger was staring at him like he was some strange bug.

"I heard," the boy stated. "I'm here to meet Sanada. I didn't come to watch you fall."

Duo's eyes widened, an angry flush breaking over his face. Sure, he probably would fall his first try. But for a perfect stranger to throw it in his face like that?

"Heero," Houjun murmured, pretending not to notice the way Duo stiffened, "How is Hiko?"

"Fine," Heero shrugged, turning bored eyes on the older angel. "He's been excessive lately, but we expect the child to be born within the week. Odin's still threatening to throw them out if it's a girl. He'll move into my wing if that happens."

The two continued speaking to each other, and Duo's hands curled into tight fists at his sides. He was insulted, but more than that, he was angry and embarrassed and he had a burning urge to do some sort of violence toward the teen. All he could think was that he'd expected the boy to be taller, and that it wasn't fair Heero had recognized him on sight like that. It must have been because he was with Houjun, or because Odin had seen him last night.

Heero was his height and appeared to have a similar build. His hair was the same dark brown his father had, but it was short and wild, thick strands falling in disarray, possibly from his flight. Duo thought he should have recognized the boy's sharp eyes and thick dark eyebrows. True, Heero's eyes weren't quite so narrow or hawkish as his father, but they were close enough.

He was wearing a loose black jacket, and pants, a dark green shirt visible beneath. That might have been what had kept Duo from guessing his identity. He'd imagined Heero would be glittery and gaudy and pompous, just like his father.

Well...he seemed to have the pompous down pretty well. Duo glared at the boy's profile, disliking the fact that he was talking to Houjun like that. Houjun was on his side. And he was the one who'd gotten the top spot, Heero should have been paying attention to him. The boy wasn't just conceited, he was rude, too.

"Kind of annoying, isn't it," Tasuki muttered softly, moving to stand beside Duo. "Chiri gets along with just about everyone, but you'd think he would be a little more discriminating when it comes to that family. At least him, what with you being right here and all."

"Ask me if I care," Duo snorted, glaring at the two of them.

Tasuki's eyes widened, a faint smile breaking over his face. "Chiri said you were sweet. You sure you want to be a positive checker? With a glare like that, you could probably hold your own with the likes of Heero, easy."

Duo winced and did his best to wipe the expression off his face. He was still angry, and he was starting to see why Michael was so set on snubbing the Lowe family. But he didn't want that dark look on his face where others could see it. That wasn't the impression he wanted to give of himself, especially to friends.

"I'm sure I want to be a positive checker," Duo smiled. "For that, I shouldn't worry about anything but flying right now. You said I'd get to go next?"

"Right," Tasuki nodded slowly, his expression just a little doubtful. He wasn't going to forget the boy's glare as quickly as Duo had replaced it with that bright grin. "As soon as Mits is done railing at Sanada, it'll be your turn."

Duo turned to watch the group of angels, his gaze drawn to the boy who'd been the subject of the test. He was almost smaller on the ground, the top of his head just reaching past Yukimura's waist. He certainly didn't look old enough to be entering the academy. And his wings were actually longer than he'd thought. The boy was hopping with impatience a little ways from the three older angels. His steps were combined with light sweeps of his wings, taking him a few feet in the air before he landed and fidgeted up again.

The boy was slender and pale, his hair an odd ivory sheen, not quite white, not cream enough to be blonde, with faint blue highlights. It was what Duo might have described as a bowl cut, thin and curved close to his head, the edges angling inward so they framed his face. His eyes were very wide and young, a pale shade of gold. And he seemed to have permanent frown lines between his narrow eyebrows.

"He's sixteen?" asked Duo.

"Sasuke Sarutobi," Tasuki nodded. “He’s like you, fifteen or sixteen, no definite date of birth.”

They'd turned their backs on Houjun, so they didn't notice when he and Heero moved over to stand behind them.

"He's from Gridel," said Tasuki. "You probably don't know that name, but-"

"I've heard of it," Duo said quickly. He didn't mention that he'd only heard it that morning from Diedre. "The clan in the Deluvian region."

"Right," Tasuki said, looking a little surprised. "It's pretty rare to actually see one of them outside their forest. The Sanada clan does whatever it can to turn Eden on its ear, so naturally they had to take one of them as a ward. You see the tall guy with them? I think his name is Saizo. He was supposed to be Sanada’s partner, but then they took in Sasuke a few years ago. If you ask me, they’re both negative checkers. I don’t see how Sanada plans to pass himself off as a positive checker.

“But Sasuke's not as strange as you'd think, considering where he comes from. It’s the size thing that makes him stand out. They say it's the pollution that stunts the growth of kids born in Gridel. After they hit puberty they just stop growing. The wings, though, those keep growing till they're twenty. That's why most of them never leave the forest, not a one of them can fly. Sanada plans to make Sasuke the first, first checker, too."

"You know a lot about him," Heero remarked. He wasn't the least bit bothered that Tasuki and Duo glared at him when he stepped between them. "That's the first time I've heard you say something useful. You should do that more often."

Tasuki flushed bright red, his left eyebrow twitching furiously, and Houjun hopped over to clap a restraining arm around his partner's shoulders. He winced and whispered in Tasuki's ear, drawing him further from Heero.

Duo started at Heero in something akin to awe. The boy was so rude! And yet...his tone was entirely serious, as if he weren't aware of how insulting his words were. There wasn't a hint of malice on his face, just that sober, almost bored look, and a vague dissatisfaction around his eyes.

Heero met his gaze with a sidelong look that felt as if it pinpointed every single flaw he had. Duo found himself wanting to flush again, or maybe twitch in frustrated anger the way Tasuki had. There was just something very annoying about that cool look on someone his own age. It made him want to turn the tables, make Heero bristle in irritation instead. Duo wondered if that weren't the reason Michael behaved so strangely - to ruffle cool birds like Heero, and stuffy ones like Heero's father. But looking at those piercing eyes, Duo wondered if anything would successfully ruffle the boy. A person would have to be very annoying to manage that.

"Your scores were a fluke," said Heero. "I've seen your answers. There was no consistency at all. That won't carry you at the academy."

"Wh - why?" Duo blurted, "why do you do that? It's like you go out of your way to say the most insulting thing you can think of. Do you do that to everyone, or is it just me?"

Heero frowned, the first real expression to cross his face. "I'm only telling you the truth."

"Well keep it," Duo snapped. "You're not even right. Sure I answered each question differently - they were all different people! Who would expect each one to react the same? You really don't have any imagination, do you."

The dark-haired boy didn't answer, his brows lowering into a somewhat intimidating scowl. Duo took it as a point in his favor and opened his mouth to continue. He was getting an idea on how to irritate the seemingly stoic boy. Heero cut him off by turning his back on him and walking past Houjun and Tasuki.

"Try not to land on your face when you fall," Heero called without glancing back. "It would scar before you can get back to Raphael."

Duo's hands clenched and he jolted after the boy. He wasn't sure exactly what sort of bodily violence he had in mind, but he couldn't stand it. Heero had actually turned his back on him. He hadn't even bothered to look when he'd tossed that last insult. What kind of argument was this?

Houjun caught him before he'd taken more than two steps. "Duo! Mitsukake is ready to watch your flight now..."

Duo stopped in his tracks, thrown by the sudden reminder of why he was out there in the first place. His anger melted away, replaced by shivering nervousness. He didn't even bristle when he saw that Heero had taken a seat on the grass near Yukimura, obviously planning to watch the spectacle. With the prospect of flying for the first time - or falling painfully - he didn't really care about the rude boy who was supposed to be his rival.

Yukimura noticed Duo's stare and waved a hand at him, a wide smile spread across his face. "Good luck! Heero's rooting for you!"

Duo gaped for a long moment. Then Heero raised an eyebrow and looked from Yukimura to Duo. Duo turned his back with a hot blush. Oh, he hated them both.

"Wow," Tasuki murmured, sending Duo a playfully fearful look. "You've got Sanada's attention without saying a word to him. And you even made Heero scowl...! I had to talk his ear off for nearly an hour before he got annoyed enough to walk away. You're pretty good to do it the first time you meet."

Houjun sighed at his partner, shaking his head with a quiet tisking sound.

"Come on, Duo," said Tasuki. "Your audience is waiting. Don't want to disappoint them, right?"

Duo choked a little and sent a disbelieving look at the orange-haired angel. Was Tasuki trying to make him throw up before he even got off the ground?

"I'll take you up," Tasuki continued, unfurling his wings as he spoke. "We'll wait for Mitsukake's signal, but you tell me when you're ready to be dropped. The moment you're free, let your wings out. I'll get out of the way, so you don't have to wait till you've dropped a few feet."

Tasuki bent a little so he could hook an arm around Duo's waist. Then he kicked off with a strong downward thrust of his wings. Duo blanched, his eyes locked on the retreating ground.

He wasn't afraid of heights. Duo was sure he wasn't. But...the only thing holding him up was Tasuki's arm. And he hadn't even tried to get his wings to hold his weight - those exercises the children had been doing out on the field. Didn't he get some sort of practice before he had to fly or fall? Was Mitsukake going to be a net for him and catch him if he fell too fast? What if his muscles were too underdeveloped to hold him and his wings broke?

"Hope you're a good swimmer," Tasuki teased, his head ducked close to Duo's ear. "That lake's a mile deep, easy. I sure wouldn't want to land in it. Of course, I'm a little afraid of water. Good thing you don't have that problem."

If anything, Duo's face went paler, taking on a grayish shade. Water. He shot a look at the ground and stopped breathing altogether. Tasuki was hovering over the lake Duo had spotted at the bottom of that cliff. Compared to the distance the white-haired boy had fallen, Duo was at least twice as high. And Tasuki planned to drop him over the lake?

He wasn't just going to humiliate himself if he failed to fly. He was going to drown...

"There's the signal," said Tasuki. "Just let me know when you're ready to be dropped."

Duo swallowed and forced himself to take a deep enough breath to speak. "I can't swim..."

The words came out as a soft whisper. Tasuki frowned. "What was that? You ready?"

His heart was pounding in his ears. Duo forced his voice to raise in volume. "No! I-"

Hours, perhaps days later, Duo would understand how Tasuki had confused his vehement 'no' for an excited 'go'. At that moment, when he lost all support over a potentially watery grave, he had no sympathy or understanding. One thought flew through his frozen mind. If he lived, he was going to kill him.

Duo closed his eyes, blocking out the absolute panic and horror screaming through his system. He unfurled his wings and clenched his fists at the way the air buffeted him. His stomach lurched, his breaths catching in his throat as if he were already underwater.

He couldn't seem to bring his wings down. All it would take was one thrust, just one downward sweep to break the momentum of his fall. He'd seen the boy do that during his flight, and surely someone his age would have more strength. But he couldn't. He couldn't even get his wings stretched out horizontally. The force of the wing was keeping them straight out behind him.

Everything was going so fast. Duo forced his eyes open, the wind striking blurry tears that weren't quite kind enough to keep him from spotting the sheen of water fast approaching him. He was going to hit it face first. The impact would send a gulp into his lungs and he'd drown before anyone realized he couldn't swim.

That wasn't acceptable. Duo stopped trying to sweep his wings down and focused on changing the angle instead. He felt the pull as his lower feathers spread out to catch the updraft. And the world jolted around him at the same time as a burning sensation lit up beneath his shoulder blades. For one shocking second he thought he'd tip all the way into a genuine backflip. Then he hit the water feet first.

Among the watchers on the edge of the cliff, Heero was the first to comment. He gave a slow frown. "He can't fly, but that last move was different. I've never seen that before."

"No," Yukimura smiled. "He's very flexible."

The two angels behind him slapped their hands over their foreheads, Saizo blushing and Sasuke grumbling under his breath. Heero merely gave a nod of agreement.

Beside Mitsukake, Houjun let out a soft sigh. "How long do we wait?"

"One minute," Mitsukake said, his tone sober. "If he doesn't surface, I'll retrieve him. Don't worry, I've been doing this for years."

"I know..."

The shock of chilly water after all that numbing wind and that last second half flip made for a nasty combination. Even though he entered feet first, Duo had a terrifying thought that 'up' might not actually be up. The only thing he could think of was Raphael's tip to 'go still' and float to the surface. He tried that for all of twenty seconds before his need for oxygen ruled out that option. It wasn't fair.

Not being able to fly on his first try was one thing, nearly drowning was absolutely unacceptable. So maybe his muscles weren't enough to push against an updraft during such a high fall. But this was just water. How much resistance could water really give? He already knew water rolled right off his freakishly mutant feathers. If he had to be different, he might as well use that to his advantage.

Duo ducked his head, his orientation telling him how to angle his wings. Then he set them into motion, powerful downward sweeps that stirred up a strange current around him. He had just enough thought to pull his braid over his shoulder before it could get caught in his feathers.

Raphael had been right about using wings under water. Duo was sure he could have kicked his feet till his ankles went numb and he'd never have risen so quickly. It was almost too quick. The change in pressure made him heady and a little sick to his stomach. None of that mattered when he broke the surface of the lake and took his first breath of air.

The speed of his rise took him up until his wings left the water. Duo imagined he looked as silly as a large fish would, jumping free of the water only to crash back in a few feet later. He glared through dripping bangs and kept his wings moving, determined to fly to land. There was no way he'd wait for someone to realize he couldn't swim.

The tips of his wings slapped against the water with each flap, the sounds poking at Duo's ego like a hateful little needle. He was sure he looked ridiculous, but he absolutely didn't care. He was sick of being humiliated.

It wasn't until Duo reached the grassy lakeside that he let go of that burning anger. He sank down on his knees and shoved his bangs out of his eyes with shaky hands. Anger was nice motivation, but the effort to stay aloft like that made his shoulders burn. So much for getting it right on the first try. And his wings were actually shorter than that boy's were. Did that mean he was especially weak, or that the boy was unnaturally strong? Not that it really mattered.

They were almost assuredly watching him. Duo kept his head ducked and focused on twisting the water out of his thick braid. Now that his anger was spent, he just wanted to go home…

Tasuki flew down to Duo, Houjun setting out his wings so he could follow. Mitsukake was shaking his head beside him.

"He didn't slow his fall at all till that partial turn at the last second,” said Mitsukake. “Angling like that would be too dangerous over land. He’d have to get into position at least twenty seconds earlier, or he’d break his legs on the landing. You should advise him to use the gliding method to set his wings. I suspect he was trying to follow Sasuke, but he doesn't have the length difference as a problem. With his arms set, he should be able to work better."

"No comment on the lift-off?" Houjun teased with a sly smile.

Mitsukake sent him a suspicious look. "I can't comment on that. I've never seen anyone lift off underwater. Either water offers less resistance to him, or he was too startled to use his full strength during the fall."

"He has powerful thrust," Heero remarked.

He was disturbed by the display. There had been a lot of rumors and theories regarding the black-winged angel. It was obvious that the boy wasn't grounded, the way the Gridel children were, with their disproportionate wingspans. But that fall had been completely without resistance. If anything, the boy had sped up on the way down. That didn't fit with the maneuvering he'd done right before he hit the water, suggesting that either he'd realized the skill at the last second, or he'd done it by blind luck. The most disturbing was that underwater lift-off. With such powerful downward thrust, he should have been able to stop himself in midair after falling only a yard or so.

Heero didn't know how to place someone who seemed to have potential, but who also seemed unable to use that potential with any consistency. It reminded him of the boy's entrance exam results. Did he really rely entirely on luck?

"What do you think, Heero?" asked Houjun. "Water or land?"

Heero turned away, his tone careless. "Do the next test over land, without a net. He has the strength to stop himself. It's just a matter of making him use it."

"Harsh," Houjun winced. He shook his head at Mitsukake's dark expression. "I'll see to it that he builds his strength before he tries again. Don't worry, I wouldn't let him take a test without a safety net, not this soon. That water lift-off was the first time he's even gone aloft on his own."

Mitsukake flinched, his mouth opening in disbelief. "That's-"

"Dangerous," Houjun nodded, his smile almost too happy to be trusted. "But I have an idea it will give him the motivation to try that much harder from here on out. I'd much rather see him confident in his flight abilities, than too worried to find his true potential."

Duo was sitting with his legs curled, his wings folded over his back so the tips trailed the grass behind him. Tasuki glanced up when Houjun joined them.

“Not bad for his first try, eh?” Tasuki beamed. “Did you see him shoot out of the water? Man, if it weren’t water, I’d love to try that.”

Houjun tilted his head with a weak smile. “If it weren’t water, there’d be nothing to try…”

Tasuki waved the comment away, still intent on conning a response from the damp boy seated in front of him. “I guess you were a good swimmer after all. I refused when they tried to drop me over the lake. Told them I’d rather be a smear on the dirt, than fish food.”

“I can’t swim,” said Duo, his voice dull. “I thought I was going to drown and I panicked. No one told me I’d be dropped over the lake.”

His ‘flight advisors’ shared a startled look, and Duo lowered his gaze. He didn’t really blame them for not telling him. It was just that he felt horrible and hearing Tasuki’s chipper voice was making him feel worse. “That boy, Sasuke, they didn’t drop him over the lake. So I thought it would be the same.”

Houjun’s face went sober, and he dropped into a light crouch in front of Duo. “The first test is aimed at giving the participant as much time as possible to experience freefall, and to try setting his wings out. They do it over water because it doesn’t require a net that way. If you fell that far, whoever tried to catch you would be injured from the force of the impact. I didn’t realize you couldn’t swim, or I’d have warned you. But you wouldn’t have drowned. Mitsukake is trained in resuscitation. No one has ever suffered injury from the water drop.”

“Then the land drop comes later?” asked Duo.

“Yes. Once you know how to set your wings out, the land drop is the final test. You have less time, so your focus is on stopping yourself or slowing your fall as much as possible. Sasuke was doing a land drop without a net because he’s already learned to set his wings out. We wouldn’t start you out with something like that.”

Houjun stood and turned to send a slow glance back at the cliff behind them. “Heero left, you know. He’s already made up his mind about your potential. If you pass the flight test in the next two days, he’ll be shocked when he sees you fly at the academy.”

Duo snorted softly, glaring over his shoulder at one of his damp wings. Of course Heero would consider him a failure after that pathetic performance. He’d been flying for years. But…if a kid like Sasuke had already passed the water drop, and he still couldn’t actually stop his fall, then maybe failing on his first try wasn’t that important.

Duo knew he’d been frozen at the shock of being dropped over water. His reaction was slow, and he’d been completely unprepared for the effort needed to use his wings. That didn’t mean he couldn’t use them, just that he didn’t have experience using them. He’d felt it when he was flying over the water. His wings were strong enough to hold his weight. With more exercise, there was no reason he couldn’t get strong enough to catch himself against the wind and gravity as well.

It wasn’t like him to give up without trying. This wasn’t like his failed attempts at adoption. The only thing his flying depended on was himself.

“What now?” Duo asked, shooting a wan smile at Houjun.

“Mitsukake is working with children at the safety net stage, so they’ll be on the field. We can practice down here till your wings are dry. Just general flying, you know we can’t do any actual tests without the attendant watching.”

“Is it okay to fly, then?” asked Duo. “I thought kids weren’t allowed to fly at all without an attendant watching.”

“There’s a limit,” Houjun admitted. “You can’t go any higher than twenty-five feet, and you absolutely cannot retract your wings during flight. That would constitute a drop. And you can’t fly alone until you’ve mastered the flight test. Mostly you should work on lift-offs and maneuvering yourself in the air. Once your wings are dry, I’ll teach you how to glide. That should help you set your wings out during the drops.”

Houjun reached a hand down to pull Duo to his feet. Then he stepped back, waving for Duo to spread his wings out. “Lift-off is different for everyone. Some people find it easiest if they push with their legs and hold their wings arched high. Others depend entirely on thrust, keeping the wings angled high over the shoulder, and out at a low angle behind. If you do that, you’ll spread the feathers to give the most surface area against the air beneath you. You can also use your lifeforce, but we’ll get to that later.”

“Thrust is what you used when you came out of the water,” Tasuki put in. “But your wings were really flat. That had to hurt...”

Duo gave a noncommittal shrug and looked away. It had hurt, a tight burning strain on his muscles. But it had given the most power. Having his wings perpendicular to his body let him push straight up. He’d never actually seen an angel do that. His inspiration had come from birds. He hadn’t really seen many angels in flight.

Houjun stretched his wings out, holding them up above his shoulders and angled out to each side. “If you use a pose like this, you’ll go forward and up, and you won’t need to push off with your legs. It takes a little longer to do it manually, but it’s the position most people use once they’ve mastered their lifeforce. Tasuki is the opposite. He tends to enjoy the more strenuous approach, so he pushes off.”

Tasuki rolled his eyes and shot Duo a conspiratorial look. “He’s just jealous because I can lift-off faster than he can. He doesn’t use any more energy than is absolutely necessary. Really boring.”

The two angels demonstrated the different methods, hovering overhead for a minute before coming back down. Duo spotted the differences immediately. Houjun’s method required more downward strokes and was at a definite forward angle, while Tasuki’s was closer to being vertical and looked like it took more physical strength.

“In practice,” said Houjun, “angels rarely lift off from a flat standstill position. Most homes are at least two stories, allowing them to fly out from a balcony. That lets them glide, which is the easiest way to fly. In the field, you’ll probably find yourself lifting off midrun, in which case your own momentum lets you use the wind to go airborne.”

“Now you try,” Tasuki grinned. “Do that horizontal thing you did in the water. I bet it’s a lot harder when you’re standing on the ground. You only had three feet beneath your wings, so if you thrust too hard like that, you’d hit the ground.”

“I figured that much,” Duo admitted. “I kept hitting the water.”

Houjun shook his head, his expression turning worried. “That’s because you had your wings stretched down so low they were almost spread out at the middle of your back. It really was painful to look at, Duo. There’s no need to hurt yourself.”

Duo shook his head, glancing back at his wings as he watched the angles he could form. “If I could keep them high and still have them flat, I wouldn’t hit the ground. But…would it be best to have them behind me, or out to the side? I’d think having them behind me would send my body forward, but if I stretch them too high on the sides, they’ll hit my shoulders when I sweep them down…”

“Just find what feels comfortable for you,” said Houjun. “There aren’t any rules on what position is best for each person. The main point is that you don’t do anything that feels wrong. If it hurts, it’s not worth it.”

Duo was reminded of his record of not lying as he bit his tongue and flashed the man a quick smile. His shoulders did hurt, but he thought that was mostly from using muscles that weren’t used to being exercised. The actual bending of his wings hadn’t hurt – it was the weight his wings had put on his muscles at those angles that hurt. So…technically he was telling the truth if he claimed it didn’t hurt to angle his wings oddly. It just hurt trying to fly with them like that.

“If the way I choose to do it looks strange,” Duo murmured, “it’ll give people more reason to stare at me. But they’re going to stare no matter what I do. So…I think I’d like to stick with this horizontal method. It does let me push a lot harder than I could if I had my wings sloping down.”

Tasuki shook his head, that grin back on his face as he backed away. “If you’re set on it, you better bring them up higher. As hard as you were sweeping them in the water, you really don’t want to hit the ground with them.”

Duo gave an absent-minded nod. He was arching his wings up over his shoulders and trying to find a way to sweep them straight down without his body interfering. He curved his shoulders forward a little, but he wasn’t sure what to do with his arms. A little bit of experimenting, during which time he was oddly unconcerned with having an audience of two, and he found a position he thought would work for him. He was bent forward a bit, his arms raised so his wrists were crossed – he had a sudden idea that Sasuke had done that to clench his muscles, not to protect him from the impact – and his wings were free to sweep as hard as they could.

He had planned to push up with his legs if he had to, but the first sweep took him a foot off the ground. Duo’s eyes lit up and he immediately tried it again. Sure enough, it took him higher. If it hadn’t been for the limit, Duo was sure he could have gone as high as he wanted just by flapping his wings that way. And it was straight up. With his legs pushing as well, he imagined his lift off would be very high very fast. He didn’t know if that would be enough compared to typical fliers, but it brought a smug smile to his face. He needed something to be proud of after that nasty fall.

“That’s high enough,” Houjun called. “Stretch the feathers out, splay them, and give very soft sweeps. You should drift back to the ground.”

Duo tried that and found it required a different sort of strength. The moment he stopped pumping his wings, he dropped a good four feet. Then he overcompensated and rose again. In the end he had to tilt the ends of his wings upward to get a controlled fall. It landed him a ways forward from where he’d started. Obviously he’d have to experiment to find a way to ‘drift’ vertically.

“You’re quick,” Tasuki complimented cheerfully. “I bet you’ll be good enough to do loops before you even get to that part of the academy course. It’s all in how you tilt your wings, you know, and being able to hold them steady. Of course, it’s a lot harder to hold them when you’re flying fast. But that’s a given.”

The orange-haired angel jumped back into the air. He rose a few yards and angled his wingtips toward the back of his legs. It took him in a sharp backturn that Duo was sure felt as scary as that flip he’d almost done when he hit the water. Tasuki pulled out of it the moment his body was facing the ground again, by lifting his wings upwards and curving them so they caught the air. Duo was reminded of the larger birds he’d seen, the ones that soared rather than flew.

“Gliding,” Houjun murmured. “That’s what you’ll use in the flight test. It’s difficult to do when you don’t start with your wings stretched because the wind acts against you. If you can’t overcome that and get your wings in position, you can’t use the wind to stop your fall. The key is to sneak past your opposition, rather than face it head on.”

Duo turned and raised an eyebrow. “Sneak past? How do you sneak past the wind when you’re falling right into it?”

Houjun gave a mysterious smile and waved for Tasuki to come back to them. “A demonstration.”

“I get to do the honors?” Tasuki asked, his eyes shining with mischief. “You’re going to be doing it slowly enough for him to see you, right? Then you better know now, if you fall in that lake, I’m not going in after you.”

“I’ll remember that,” Houjun smiled.

Tasuki bent and lifted Houjun in a seated hold, much different from the straight position he’d used with Duo. Duo understood why when the orange-haired angel took to the air. Tasuki lifted with his legs. Since he and Houjun were the same height, he needed him off the ground when he bent his knees for that push-off.

They rose over the lake, a little less than the height Duo had been at – probably since Duo was the one watching, any higher and he wouldn’t have been able to see clearly – and Tasuki changed the hold so Houjun was facing the water. Then he let go.

Duo blinked, remembering how Tasuki had told him to set his wings out immediately and not worry about hitting him. Now that he was the spectator, he saw the way Tasuki flitted back the second he released his hold. Houjun’s wings unfurled just as quickly.

Houjun spread his arms straight out to either side, his wings blown back by the wind just as Duo’s had been. But the tips were curling.

For a strange moment, Duo wondered if that were physically possible. He flexed his own wings and was startled to find how easily they curved. His eyes were still on the falling angel, so he saw the way Houjun’s wings were creeping toward his shoulders. The wind was blowing them back, but with them curving close to the top half themselves, the wind wasn’t opposing the movement. Then the tips touched Houjun’s shoulders and followed his arms. The angel was buffeted, but his wings kept sliding till they were straight out, braced by his arms. The moment they were in place, Houjun brought his arms to his chest and jerked in the sky.

The wind caught those spread wings and blew him back, jerking him out of the fall and tossing him into a rise instead. Duo barely noticed that he was standing on his toes, his wings shifting to mimic the angle he thought would work best. Sure enough, Houjun brought the tips of his wings upward until he was gliding down the way Duo had earlier.

Duo grinned and ran over to meet him. “Is that how most people do it? Sliding the wings instead of trying to push against the wind?”

“Yes,” Houjun smiled. “You were modeling yourself after Sasuke, but he’s an oddity among angels. His arms are far too short to let him do what everyone else does. He has to push against the wind. Your wings are actually a little shorter than they might have been, so you should be able slide them into position without getting tossed around much. You’ll have to practice, though, so you can do it very quickly. The drop over land is half the distance you just saw. But once you’ve got the movement down, you can curve your wings and set them out in a matter of seconds. Tasuki will show you that.”

The man turned and looked up, Duo following his gaze. Tasuki waved at them, his grin flashing right before he ducked his head. Then he retracted his wings. Duo choked.

This wasn’t like being dropped, it was like being clipped in midair. So this was what Raphael had meant when he talked about ‘crashlandings’. Tasuki was falling headfirst. For someone who’d admitted a fear of water, he didn’t seem to mind facing the lake.

He fell for a few seconds, picking up speed, and unfurled his wings again. Duo was watching closely, but he was still confused for a moment, not sure what he was seeing. Tasuki didn't unfurl his wings straight back. Instead, they were already curling as soon as they appeared. By the time his wings were entirely visible, they were in position. Then he tilted them and broke from the fall with a sharp slicing arc, his right wing catching the wind, spinning him around, and tossing him to the side. He came out of it in a fast gliding pose, already facing toward the bank.

“Show-off,” Houjun sighed, shaking his head with a smile.

“The main point of that,” he told Duo, “is to show you how quickly an experienced flier can stop a plummet. The spinning is just extra. You wouldn’t need to do something like that unless you were chasing a fugitive or being chased by one. A drop can give you more speed than any dive, and if you can come out of it with even more speed – from the spin – you can pump your wings to increase the force and go faster than any mere glider could. You won’t have to worry about things like that till the advanced course. The most important thing to know as a flier is how to get the most out of the smallest effort – gliding first. You can add what you like after you’ve mastered the art of using the wind.”

“I get it,” Duo beamed. “I didn’t even think of trying to use the wind, or sneak past it. Can I try the drop test again? I’m sure I can set my wings out this time. Then I can take a land test and-“

“Easy there,” Tasuki laughed, having landed in time to hear the boy’s enthusiasm. “Mits is filled up today. You’ll get another chance tomorrow.”

“Besides that,” said Houjun, “you’ve never used your wings before. Your muscles must be burning. You don’t want to tear them by pushing yourself too much.”

Duo scowled and looked away. So much for hiding it. But they didn’t hurt that bad, really. It actually didn’t burn as much as it had earlier. That practice lift off had hardly burned at all.

“It’s not that bad,” Duo said hopefully. “And Mira told me to work my muscles. She actually said, if it hurts, it’s a good thing.”

The boy was beaming at them, wide blue-violet eyes bright. Houjun gave a sad sigh and looked over at Tasuki.

“You really shouldn’t believe everything you're told,” Tasuki grimaced, scuffing a boot in the grass. “Especially if you hear it from one of my sisters. Mira’s a quack. She just likes seeing guys in pain, that’s all.”

Duo’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “S-sister?”

“Yeah,” Tasuki grumbled. “I have a lot of them. They’re all evil things. You can usually pick them out – not many angels with red hair, right? But Mira, she’s one of the worst…”

“But…still,” Duo huffed, “even Raphael said I’d need to exercise my wings. I haven’t really done much today. I can-“

“Tell you what,” Tasuki interrupted, his eyes glinting in an oddly dangerous way. “If you can lift off the ground, I’ll ask Mits about letting you test again today.”

Duo almost scoffed at that challenge, ready to blurt that of course he could lift off the ground. Then Tasuki stepped to him and put his hands on his shoulders. Duo blinked in confusion.

“Go ahead,” Tasuki taunted, a sly smirk curving his lips. “Lift-off. I’m just holding your shoulders, it’s not like I’m making you carry me.”

Duo glared and set his wings out, his anger making the feathers fluff audibly. He gritted his teeth and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Tasuki’s hold shifted so he could bend his shoulders inward. Then he pushed against the ground, adding his legs to the downward thrust of his wings.

He managed to get a few inches off the ground before Tasuki tugged him back to earth as if he weighed nothing at all. And as much as Duo hated to admit it, he’d used his full strength. He knew he had, because his shoulders burned terribly.

“I give up,” Duo grumbled, glaring at his feet.

“Of course you do,” Tasuki taunted, flashing a smug smirk. “It was a trick to begin with. Unless you were holding me close to your center of gravity, you’ll never get off the ground. Your wings will lift you off your feet, but you’ll just tip forward into the person holding you down. Raphael would never let Chiri hear the end of it if you got hurt your first day of flying. So you’ll just have to be patient.”

“You tricked me?” Duo blurted.

“For good reason,” Houjun said kindly, wincing a bit when Duo shot him a light glare. “We need to get back to the manor so you can change. Then I’m going to drop you off at a class. There are other things to learn besides flying. While your muscles recover, you can learn about using your lifeforce.”

“We can’t help you with that,” Tasuki admitted. “Illegal and all, for checkers at our level to use our force on a lower level.”

“It’s mostly used to travel in space,” said Houjun, “but you can also use it for defense in extreme situations. You’ll be starting at the same level as the other students, so you have an even field with this. The class this afternoon is the first one of the year. It’s like tutoring, it meets every few days, usually twice a week during the academy. Attending that will guarantee you don’t miss out on any extra training the other students receive.”

“Except Sanada,” Tasuki smirked. “Did you see him toss Mits back like an old rag? That’s lifeforce. He’s nineteen, so he’s been using his for years. You can get away with that sort of thing when your clan is the best the military has to offer.”

“Are we tested on using our lifeforce the way we are on flying?” asked Duo.

“Only to the point where you can travel in space,” said Houjun. “The rest is like the advanced flying course – you don’t have to excel at it, it just makes you look better if you do.”

“I guess I should go to this class, then…”

“Just think,” Tasuki smirked, “you’ll get to meet more of your classmates. It’s better to know them before you start the academy – know who to avoid, especially.”

Duo gave a slow nod, just so he wouldn’t have to respond verbally. Meeting more of his classmates? If he had to introduce himself, that would give them two days to start talking about him. By the time the academy started, they’d all know him on sight. Sure, it would be nice to know who to avoid, but he wouldn’t need to know that if all of his classmates were avoiding him to begin with.

He wondered if Heero would be there. He doubted it. No, he hoped not. The last thing Duo wanted was to be stuck in a small room with a boy who managed to insult someone with every word out of his conceited mouth. Maybe he didn’t do it on purpose, maybe. He still had a serious attitude problem.

-.-.-
TBC

-notes-
a) Minor note, Toumahs’ name is pronounced “toe – maws”.
b) I know, Duo and Heero aren’t exactly hitting it off so far. Keep in mind that Heero is sober and serious – he’s not trying to be mean or rude, and that Duo’s just starting to get his self-confidence. Once Duo realizes he can irk Heero without even trying, you’ll see more of the expected fireworks.
c) The characters in this part include Saizo, Yukimura Sanada, and Sasuke Sarutobi from Samurai Deeper Kyo, and Mitsukake from Fushigi Yuugi. You won’t see Mitsukake once Duo learns to fly, but Yukimura will be popping up off and on as a student. I’ll be making a web page devoted to this fic where you can see pictures of the crossover characters. I won’t let any one of them take over the GW emphasis, but chances are if you like GW you’d enjoy some of the other anime I’m highlighting in this story. For now, I’ve done vids for most of the characters featured in this fic, they’re on my amv account if you’re curious.
c) As to the length of this fic, I expect one or two more parts before the academy begins. The academy itself will be covered in a jumping manner, highlighting classes, incidents, and interaction without being quite so linear. I haven’t set a clear outline for this fic (don’t plan to, either), but I’d guess ten to fifteen parts for the academy before the graduation and checker pairs are sent to earth. The parts won’t always be as long as they have been so far. The story from there will enter a second ‘arc’, which may be as long as thirty parts depending on how it plays out, focusing almost entirely on Heero and Duo’s evolving relationship as they work together on Earth. Those waiting for lemons will have quite a wait – it’ll be shonen ai and chemistry through most of the earth arc. If you’ve seen Earthian you can probably guess how much things will change after the first lemon. From there, it’ll begin a third and final arc, maybe ten or twenty parts. It’ll be a long story any way you look at it.
d) Right now I’m setting the stage, so expect to see the key players who’ll be at the academy with Duo. This means all the pertinent gw characters should be showing up in the next two or three parts. Relena fans should be warned, she’s not very nice at the start of this fic – she’ll mature as the story progresses (much like Aya did in the Earthian manga – the anime didn’t show it but by the fourth book she liked Chihaya so much she offered to bear his child as freely as she would for Kagetsuya, that’s character growth). Relena isn’t going to get Heero, but she won’t always be as snobby as she starts out.
e) Any suggestions on sidefics that go deeper into minor characters (anyone but Heero and Duo) are welcome. I’m using my favorite pairings and characters, and each one has a history that won’t really get shown in this story (with its focus on Duo and 1x2). I’ve considered putting ‘shorts’ in as subchapters mixed into the main fic, but it might be better to collect them in a separate entry as an official ‘sidefic’. Which would you rather see?

Next part, the most powerful family on Eden, Heero and Zechs face off.