Adult-FanFiction.org : Gundam, Beyblade, DBZ, FMA

Equus	By : Deb Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2855 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, it belongs to Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. I do own the equines though, please do not take them without permission. Written for pleasure not profit.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
“Equus”

Chapter 19

The bay and its rider managed to make it to the start flags without incident, the bell went and the pair passed between the markers and started their course. The rider still held the animal on an extremely tight rein, the horse in response was tossing its head and fighting to be free of the relentless grip.

The first jump was upon them, the bay managing to jump it, but it was awkward. With the horse unable to stretch its head and neck out properly, it couldn't utilize its body in the correct way and pretty much cat leaped the fence.

“They aren't going to get far jumping like that,” Carl said.

“No, they aren't,” June replied absently.

Heero and Duo declined to offer any input, both occupied with their own thoughts as the scene unfolded. Duo's heart was in his mouth, he couldn't see anything good coming of this at all. Heero was also worried, but he was concerned that both parties were going to harm each other.

The second fence was also jumped in the same manner, the horse fighting to be free and the rider equally determined to have the animal on a very short rein. The horse plunged, bucked and leapt as it moved between the fences, the rider being tossed around on its back. The only think keeping the rider there as sheer will power and a damn strong grip with his knees.

Jump three approached and again the horse was surging forward in leaps. Just when everyone expected the horse to jump, it slammed on the brakes and literally skidded into the jump. Poles, wings and greenery went flying everywhere. The rider fortunately avoided being tossed off amongst the debris, more by pure luck than skill.

Heero was convinced the rider would retire, it was obvious to everyone that the horse was thoroughly upset and wouldn't jump properly. To continue on would be a very high risk, a risk to the horse, but more importantly, a major risk to the rider.

The stewards rushed in and quickly rebuilt the jump, the rider circling the horse around and trying to get it to settle – all to no avail. Much to Heero's surprise, the riser opted to continue in his suicidal pursuit.

“Shit! He's asking for some serious trouble,” Duo remarked.

“Hai, he is. I thought he would have retired.” Heero watched the pair, his heart in his mouth.

Both June and Carl agreed, they were also of the opinion that the rider should withdraw now before anyone got hurt.

Stubbornly the rider continued on, turning the horse around and approaching the jump again once the judge rang the bell for the all clear.

The horse gave several half rears as it approached, striking out with its front legs and refusing to listen to its rider at all. The jump was upon them and this time the horse decided to jump it. Scramble over it was more the term Heero would have used. It managed to get its hocks underneath and push off the ground, but it was an awkward jump, front legs catching the back rail and dislodging it from the cups.

The pole went crashing to the ground, the horse stumbling on landing and pitching its rider forward. Luckily the rider managed to stay in the saddle and as the horse righted itself, the rider made a desperate attempt to reel in the loose reins.

Feeling the restricting contact with its mouth gone, the horse was quick to take advantage of the situation. It scrambled to its feet, shook its head and took off at a wild gallop. The rider managed to haul in some of the contact, but the horse was thoroughly upset and completely ignored the frantic tugs of the rider. Spotting the exit to the arena, the bay galloped for it.

Watching the events unfolding and noting the horse aiming directly for the collecting ring, Heero could see what was about to happen. “Everybody move!” he yelled and pulled strongly on Shini's reins to have the gray side step closer to the ring ropes. Duo, Carl and June all scrabbled for the ropes and ducked under them, safely out of the 'war' zone. Likewise, all the other competitors scattered, leaving a clear path through the collecting ring from the ring entry to the exit.

The bay ignored everyone and everything, shooting through the exit and into the collecting ring. It galloped past the waiting horses and riders, upsetting several of them as it charged on regardless and left the ring to gallop across the warm up area and disappear in the direction of the floats.

Shini jumped and gave a half rear as the other horse tore past, his nostrils flared and he gave a squeal. Heero held his horse well and kept the gray under control. His eyes tracked the bay as it passed through and he couldn't help but see the terror in its eyes along with specks of blood amongst the foam around its mouth.

Once the horse had departed, the riders in the collecting ring managed to bring their own animals back under control and all started to discuss the actions of the bay and its rider amongst themselves. Duo and the others slipped back under the ropes and stood by Heero again.

“Well, that was fun,” Duo said in a sarcastic tone.

“Damn lucky no one was hurt,” June said, her eyes traversing the people and animals still waiting for their turns to jump.

“Poor horse,” Carl stated. “If you ask me, it looked absolutely petrified.”

“I agree; with all of you,” Heero said, his brow furrowing. “It is lucky no one was hurt, but that horse, it had a look of terror in its eyes.”

The three standing all looked at him in question, Carl the one to break the silence and ask what they were all thinking. “Why would it be terrified? Obviously it wouldn't be in A grade if it hadn't jumped properly to qualify.”

“That's true,” Heero said slowly. “Without knowing anything about the horse it's hard to say exactly what the problem is, but I'd hazard a guess that it's either been over-faced, pushed too hard too soon or there’s possibly a bit of cruelty going on.”

At the mention of the word 'cruelty', all three spectators reacted strongly.

“Surely not,” June said quietly.

“It would explain the horse's current state,” Carl said in a thoughtful tone.

“If you ask me, it looks like a possible combination of things, cruelty being one of them,” Duo muttered.

“Shame as it's a really nice animal and I'd go as far to say that it could be a damn good jumper if given the right chance.” Heero gazed off to where the horse and rider had disappeared.

“I suppose we will never know,” Duo surmised. “Better get your mind back on the competition, Heero. The fourth rider is in.”

With that, everyone's attention went back to the ring and watching the other competitors; in the back of Heero's mind, he continued to think about the bay.

*

By the time Heero's turn came, there had been two clear rounds. Riding into the arena with the usual calls of good luck following him, Heero rode across to the judge and saluted. The judge gave him a smile, recognizing him from the earlier events. Collecting Shini up, Heero turned the gray and rode for the start flags. The bell went and the pair were off.

Shini gave a snort and tossed his head. He knew all about this jumping business now and was more than happy to be back out in the arena and competing. Like his sire – Zero – Shini loved to jump. He enjoyed the feeling of his own muscles and fitness as he soared in the air over the many and varied obstacles. Given there were usually several pretty mares and fillies around to show off to as well didn't feature in the equation.

The stallion was almost vibrating with energy and eagerness, to the point where Heero had to take a really good contact with Shini's mouth. The first jump was cleared with ease, the second scoring a flick of Shini's tail and a snort as if to say 'where's the big ones?'

“Don't go getting too confident, Shini,” Heero muttered as they turned for jump four.

By the time they reached jump five, Shini had settled into a good rhythm, listening to Heero and doing all he was asked.

“You can sure see why they made the Olympic team,” Carl said, his eyes never leaving the pair.

“He's damn good and so is Shini,” June remarked. “I'm just happy he took Orion on. I couldn't ask for a better person to continue his education and competition career whilst I'm unable to.”

“He's worked damn hard to get where he has,” Duo said with a soft smile. “It hasn't all been easy either.”

June picked up on the unsaid words, Duo's tone giving him away and noting Carl focused on Heero and Shini, she took the opportunity to move a little closer to Duo. Resting her hand on the vet's arm, she smiled into his questioning eyes. “He seems to be a really caring and considerate person. You're lucky to have him, Duo, and he you.”

Those few words answered all Duo's questions from earlier and he gave June a warm look. “Thanks. He is special and means the world to me. I'd do anything to protect him.”

“Don't worry, I'm no gossip. Both of you have always acted in a professional manner and as far as I'm concerned anything else is none of my business. I wish you well.”

“That means a lot to me, and Heero too,” Duo replied and felt his heart lighten a touch. He knew June meant what she said and it gave him some comfort to know that slowly but surely society was starting to come around and begin to accept things that were not usually perceived to be 'the norm'.

The parallel bars appeared ahead and Shinigami lengthened out his stride. Hind quarters provided the energy and Shini cleared the jump with minimal effort.

“Good boy,” Heero said and sat deep to make the turn to the first element of the double. His seat and legs pushed his horse together, shortening the stride a touch but adding elevation to it as he built the necessary impulsion.

Gray ears were pricked and Shini flew over the first part, landed and took the two strides, his master remaining calm on his back. The second element was cleared in similar style, Shini landing safely and comfortably on the other side. A light touch of Heero's left leg and minimal pressure to the right rein had Shini turning to the right and coming up on the wall.

They met the jump on the perfect stride, muscles bunching and flexing as the stallion launched into the air and over the red bricks. Forelegs took the force of landing, hind ones coming through and pushing the pair away from the jump.

With there only being two jumps left in the course, Duo was doing his best to keep his hands away from his mouth, the urge to bite his fingernails even greater than before. Deep in his heart he was hoping Heero would pull off another clear round. Shinigami was jumping as good as Duo could ever remember the gray performing and that gave him hope that Heero would stand another chance at being selected to represent his country in the Olympic Games.

“Two left, Shini,” Heero mumbled to the gray. Beneath him Shini felt full of energy, the jumps and course not having affected him in any way.

The oxer was the next fence, Shinigami striding up to it and popping over neatly. Now all that remained was the triple. Keeping both his own and his horse's concentration on the jump ahead, Heero used his legs and seat hard, pushing the stallion's hocks deeper under him and taking the weight off the forehand.

Shinigami adjusted his stride, eyed up the jump ahead and calculated just how much effort he would need to put in to clear it. Three strides away, Heero gave the horse his head and rode him forward. Shini bounded up to the jump, pushed off hard from the ground and soared into the air. The blue and white poles became a blur as they passed beneath. The soft thudding of hooves saw the gray return to earth and sprint for the finish flags.

“Clear round for Heero Yuy riding Shinigami,” said the commentator.

“Yes!” Duo cried and punched the air.

Both Carl and June were in similar, excited states, cheering and applauding loudly as Heero brought his horse to a trot and exited the arena to stand amongst them once more.

“Good boy, Shini,” Duo praised and petted the gray. A soft muzzle began to nose around his pockets, Duo laughed and pulled out the expected carrot which Shini crunched happily.

“Great round, Heero,” Carl congratulated and clapped Heero on the back.

“Yes, it was a wonderful round,” June added and smiled warmly at Heero.

“Thanks,” Heero muttered, his cheeks turning a little red with all the praise. “Shini did all the work though.” Heero patted the gray neck.

“I'll walk him around a little, keep him warm for the jump off,” Duo said and ran Heero's stirrups up before loosening the girth a little. With Shini's reins in his hand, Duo took the gray away and began to walk him around, leaving Heero with June and Carl to discuss his round. “You were such a good boy, Shini. Now you have to go back out there and do it again, only a shorter course this time. I know you can do it, you can go clear again with a fast time.”

Shini listened to the nice human, unable to understand what was being said but he knew it was something good as the tone the human spoke in was soft and comforting. Shini asked for another carrot.

“There you go, you can have lots more after the jump off,” Duo said with a chuckle, feeding the gray his loved carrots.

*

The remaining four riders went through with only one going clear which meant there were four into the jump off in total with Heero riding off third. The course was raised, Duo leaving Shini with Carl whilst he went with Heero to quickly walk it and warning Carl of the stallion's tendency to try and bully his handler if he didn't know them all that well. Carl remained alert, which was just as well as Shini did try to get a soft nip in here and there and ended up with a sharp smack for his trouble. The gray eyed Carl with a new respect.

“Did he behave himself?” Duo asked as they returned and went to take Shini's reins from Carl.

“He was okay. Tried to get a couple of nips in but I was ready for him. Takes a lot for a horse to put one over on me,” Carl boasted. “Ow! Shit!” Carl jumped and whirled around, Shini stood regarding him with a completely innocent look on his face. “He bit me!”

It was all Duo, Heero and June could do to stifle the snickers. Seemed Shinigami had had the last 'word'.

With the girth tightened and stirrups ready, Heero mounted up and took the gray to the side to loosen him up for the jump off. Carl and June watched the first rider enter the arena, Duo split his attention between Heero and the ring.

The first horse set a steady pace, the black's long legs covering the ground easily. His small rider was like a pea on a pumpkin so Duo thought. They managed a clear round, although no one was sure how good the time was until the commentator enlightened them.

“Clear round for Charlotte Weaver riding Coal Miner in a time of 32:06.”

“Not a bad time,” Duo muttered.

“It's going to be a close competition,” Heero stated, bringing Shini to a halt beside the vet and staying to watch.

“Yeah, sure looks like it,” Duo replied.

The second horse in the jump off, a large chestnut, entered the arena and after saluting the judge, was soon on their way. Despite its large size, the chestnut was quite agile and managed to nip between the fences and save some time whilst retaining its impulsion.

“Clear round for Greg Conrad riding Valentino in a time of 30:46. That is the new time to beat!”

Gathering up his reins, Heero prepared to enter the arena. Carl and June both wished him good luck, Duo stepping up once the others had stepped away.

“Be careful.” Duo gave Heero's calf a squeeze.

“I will.” Heero leaned over to adjust the stirrup iron and whispered softly., “I love you, Duo.”

The warm words and accompanying breath drifted across Duo's face and the vet gave a grin. “Love you too,” he whispered back. “Now, go show them all just how good you are.”

With a shake of his head, Heero rode into the arena.

The bell rang, Shini surged forward and the pair passed between the start flags. Jump one was cleared easily, Shini pulling hard against Heero. He knew this was the time to go fast and by all that was hay, Shini wanted to stretch his legs!

“Steady, boy, there's some big ones ahead and some sharp turns if we want to win this,” Heero growled softly and brought his wayward horse back under complete control.

Jump two was cleared in Shini's effortless style and as soon as the gray landed, Heero was there with his hands, seat and legs. He brought the stallion almost to a stop before asking him to pivot on his hind quarters and move forward again. Shini listened, slowed and dug his hind hooves into the dirt, swinging his body around to the left and pushing forward again. Keeping one eye on the first part of the double and one eye on his track, Heero picked his point and spun his horse to the left yet again. Shini responded perfectly, swinging his body around and taking four strides to meet the first part of the double dead on.

“Fuck!” Duo muttered under his breath.

“Shit! That's a damn tight turn,” Carl exclaimed.

“I hope he pulls this off,” June said, her concentration never leaving the gray in the ring.

Shini bounded up to part A and popped over it easily. He landed and took two strides, powerful hind quarters pushing him into the air again and clearing the height and width of part B. Once his horse had all four feet back on the ground, Heero again sat deep, shortened his reins and drove his horse together. They ducked inside of jump seven and straightened up for fence eight.

Gray ears came forward, stride was judged and take off point picked. Shinigami soared into the air again, his body arced over the jump and then began the decent. Front legs came out and took the impact of landing, his master there with a guiding hand and Shini cantered on.

“Last one,” Heero said to his horse, Shini cocking back an ear to listen. Keeping the contact light, Heero drove his legs against the stallion's sides, riding him forward at the triple. With a grunt, Shini launched into the air once more.

Duo closed his eyes, ears straining for the sound of hooves to indicate a safe jump or the sound of falling poles. The soft thudding of hooves was all he heard and he opened his eyes to see Heero riding Shini flat out for the finish flags.

The pair passed through and the spectators all began to applaud.

“Clear round for Heero Yuy riding Shinigami in a time of 28:12. We have a new leader!”

“Yes!” cried June and Carl together. Duo closed his eyes and gave a deep sigh of relief.

“Good boy, Shini,” Heero praised and patted the gray neck enthusiastically before slowing the stallion down and heading for the collecting ring where he knew his happy support crew would be waiting.

Sure enough, as soon as Heero was back amongst his friends and lover, he was congratulated, accepting the praise and comments in his usual, humble style. Shini was fed a lot of carrots, much to his delight, Duo more than happy to keep stuffing the gray until all the orange treats were gone.

Turning his attention back to the ring, Heero watched the final competitor very closely.

They were quite experienced which showed in the way the rider handled his horse, starting off at a good pace and increasing it as they made their way around the course. The rider did his best to emulate Heero and Shini's turn from two to six A, the bay digging deep and producing a good turn, although Duo didn't think it was quite as tight as Shini's had been.

The rider rebalanced his horse and managed to cut on the inside of jump seven, keeping his horse steady until they were three strides away from jump eight. With eight cleared all that remained was the triple. Heero had a feeling it would be very close, Duo wasn't too sure either way whilst June and Carl were confident Heero had won.

The bay approached the triple, took off and cleared it with a couple of inches to spare. Once they were back on the ground, the rider urged his horse forward and through the flags. The crowd appreciated the efforts of the pair and began to applaud.

Just as the rider was making his way out of the arena, the commentator spoke up. “A clear round for Paul Ainsworth riding Serenity in a time of 29:34. I'll have the final placings for you all in just a moment.”

“You've won, Heero,” Duo said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Heero grinned, not wanting to confirm he thought Duo was right just in case something untoward may have occurred.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the results of the Open Table A Jumping competition. In first place with a clear round and time of 28:12; Heero Yuy riding Shinigami. In second place with a clear round and a time of 29:34; Paul Ainsworth riding Serenity. In third place with a clear round and a time of 30:46; Greg Conrad riding Valentino. In fourth place with a clear round and time of 32:06; Charlotte Weaver riding Coal Miner.”

The cheers and whistles almost drowned out the applause with the announcement. Many people recognized Heero and Shinigami from the Olympic coverage and they were more than happy to show their support and pleasure in the pair's win. Heero quickly remounted and entered the ring, the other three placegetters following behind.

The judge placed the blue rosette on Shini's bridle and handed Heero a silver cup and an envelope. “Well done, that was a great round. It's good to see you both out again after the Olympics. Are you going to be trying again for the short list?”

“Thank you. I hope to be selected again for the next Olympics,” Heero replied politely.

“I wish you all the best. It's my opinion that this fellow has got several more years in him yet at top level competition. Well done.”

Heero felt the tips of his ears turning red with the judge's words and he muttered another thank you as the judge moved on to place the rosettes on the other horses. Once the formalities were finished, Heero led the lap of honor, a smile gracing his features as the crowd showed their appreciation. Returning to the collecting ring, Heero was relieved the day was finally over. He was tired and looking forward to getting home, settling the horses for the night and enjoying some serious snuggle time with Duo.

Once he made it back to the collecting ring, not only was Heero surrounded by Duo and his friends, but several other competitors and spectators alike, all eager to have a word with Heero or get an autograph. Duo took charge of Shinigami, leaving Heero free to deal with his adoring fans, much to his chagrin. June took sympathy on the man and stayed beside Heero to fend off some of the more 'aggressive' fans and offer support. Luckily most people left within a few minutes, having gotten their autograph or managed to congratulate the rider.

Once the crowd thinned, Heero was able to make his escape. He spotted Duo to one side with the gray and aimed for his lover. “Thanks for leaving me to the vultures,” he chided.

“Aw, Heero; that's no way to talk about your fan club,” Duo teased.

“I don't want a fan club. I just want to get Shini settled, the horses all on the goose-neck and go home,” Heero all but whined.

“Add a pout to that and you'll almost convince me,” Duo chuckled.

Heero opted to glare at his lover. Duo just laughed and began to lead Shinigami back to the goose-neck.

Weaving their way between floats and across the grass to where Drumstick was parked, Duo's attention was suddenly caught by a commotion off to the side. Heero's ears also picked up on the noise and he turned his curious gaze in the same direction Duo's had gone. Behind them, June and Carl also paused to see what was going on.

Off to the side and a few floats over a person was having a battle with a horse. The man insisting the horse go on the float, the horse equally determined it wasn't going to budge an inch. It looked like they had been fighting each other for some time, the bay neck was drenched in sweat and it appeared the rest of the horse was too, although they couldn't really tell seeing how the horse was wearing a light travel rug.

“Looks like someone's having a spot of bother,” Carl muttered.

“That's no way to get the horse on the float,” Heero growled and shook his head.

“There's going to be a serious problem there in a – ah shit.” Duo's words were cut off as the man, obviously getting more and more frustrated and angry with the horse, suddenly snapped and lost his temper.

Yanking on the lead rope, the man pulled the horse savagely to the side, the bay almost losing its footing when it was spun sharply. The guy reached for something sitting by the wheel of the float but Duo couldn't tell what as it was out of his line of sight. Next minute, the guy had swung the animal around again to face the float ramp and as the horse baulked, he raised the item he'd picked up and gave the horse a sharp smack with it.

It was a whip, a dressage one by the length of it, Heero surmised. Whilst whips in general were not a cruel item, if used in the wrong hands or the wrong manner, they could be quite nasty, more so in the case of a dressage whip as they were longer and thinner than the standard whip used in showjumping and could inflict serious welts, pain and even split the hide if used severely.

Neither Heero or Duo could stand back and watch as the man raised the whip again and brought it down smartly across the horse's flanks. Despite the light rug it wore, Duo knew the force of the blow would hurt the horse. Without thinking, Duo shoved Shini's reins into Carl's hands and told the man to hang on to him. With Shini taken care of, Duo spun on his heel and charged across the grass.

Heero had been thinking the exact same thing as his lover and was only a step behind the vet as they raced across to the stricken horse and furious groom. Completely blinded by his anger, the man began to wield the whip again, landing several sharp blows to the horse's hide wherever he could reach. The horse – panicked by pain – began to spin around in a desperate attempt to get away from the man and the biting whip.

Just as he was about to strike the horse across the face, the man felt his wrist grabbed in a very strong hold. Eyes blazing he turned to see who had dared to intervene. A pair of icy blue eyes met his own brown.

“I don't think so.” Heero squeezed his hand as tight as he could, forcing the man to drop the whip or suffer a broken wrist.

“Let go of me, this is none of your business,” the man snarled and attempted to shake Heero from his wrist.

“I think it is our business,” Duo snapped. “Beating up an innocent animal is commonly called cruelty and I think the R.S.P.C.A would be most interested to hear about this.”

“You don't know nothing,” the man hissed. “This horse is a stubborn, head strong and dangerous animal. It will attack you and kill you if given half a chance.”

Both Heero and Duo looked at the bay, the poor animal was standing still enough, but both could see the tension in the muscles. The horse was ready to flee or fight if it had to. “Isn't this the horse that was eliminated from the A grade event?” Heero asked as he studied the horse and recognized it from earlier.

“So what if it was,” the man growled. “Damn thing is more trouble that it's worth. The only thing it's good for is stuffing in a can and that's exactly what I'll be doing with her when I get her home, call the knackery to come and get her.”

“That still doesn't give you the right to lay into it like that,” Duo said rather forcefully. His eyes were running over the animal, checking the various welts and evidence of the beating.

“So you're just going to sell her for pet meat?” Heero said, an edge to his voice.

“Yeah, although she'll probably end up choking some poor mutt with her tough hide,” the man sneered and jerked on the lead rope.

The horse jumped and rolled its eyes, the whites clearly showing whilst the body began to tremble in fear of being beaten again.

“Sell her to me then.”

“Eh?” Duo turned to look at Heero, the confusion clear in his face and eyes.

“What would you want with a mad animal like this?” the guy said, his eyes glaring.

Ignoring the question and his lover, Heero's eyes narrowed and he stared straight at the man. “You said you're going to sell her to the knackery; if I remember correctly, they will give you around three hundred for her. I'll buy her off you for four hundred.”

The man's eyes began to glitter as his brain processed the request. With a sly smirk, he looked at Heero. “A thousand.”

“Four hundred. That's a hundred more than you'll get from the knackery and she will be out of your hair for good,” Heero stated firmly.

“Nine hundred and you got a deal.” The man could sense he could make some money here.

“Four hundred and I won't report you to the R.S.P.C.A. Trust me, I have proof.” Duo waggled his cell phone at the man to show him.

“Fine! Four hundred cash and you can take her right now. I'm done with her.”

“Deal,” Heero snapped.

~ * ~

tbc
- 18
- 19
- 20
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Equus