Epilogue

The air was thin and cold, like standing close to the outer wall of a colony, but no processed and recycled colony air was like this. Duo huffed a bit as he walked, wool hat low over his eyes, mittened hands shoved deep into the pockets of his heavy coat.

He and Heero had been loaded on stretchers and hauled off for a hospital stay--Duo was there longer as they worked to piece his ear and side back together--and then for some recuperation in the guest room of one of Quatre's Earthside estates while Quatre worked frantically to get Ahli some protection in the eyes of the ESUN.

It wasn't quite right yet--the ear, that is. A good plastic surgery or two would hide the scars that marred it, but it had to heal more before that happened. Duo was still deciding if he was actually going to fix it completely, but he had been unable to explain to Quatre and the doctors why exactly he was hesitating.

It had to do with not wanting to forget that bizarre week he had spent with two perfect soldiers, nor the threats they still faced, but he sounded downright idiotic when he tried to put it into words.

The path turned before him and he sighed, watching his booted feet so that he actually crashed right into Heero.

"What? Why did we stop?"

That amusement was back on his face. "We're here."

"Where?"

He sighed and nodded to Duo's right. Duo lifted his eyes then, and looked.

They were on a dirt path, narrow and steep. To their left was stone, to their right open, frigid air. A blanket of clouds was laid before and below him, so thick one could almost imagine standing upon them. And thrust through this brilliantly white blanket were the massive peaks of the Himalayas, going off as far as the eye could see, and as far as anyone could tell, on forever into the bright blue-ness of the sky.

Duo stared. He had been all over Earth and Space, but he had never seen anything quite like this. Expansive and eternal, both like and entirely unlike space itself. A place of unspeakable beauty and majesty.

A place where a man could find God.

He stared, mouth agape, until Heero ran his shoulder into him. Duo blinked and looked at him. "Okay. You were right."

There was a pattering and a small form squeezed between them. "It's so beautiful!" Ahli cried. "You almost feel you could walk to those other peaks!"

"I wouldn't try," Duo admitted as Heero put an arm around her in a gesture worthy of an uncle--or at least a ESUN-approved custodian. Approved, perhaps, until they reached the foot of the mountains, when Duo would see them off, and once again Heero Yuy would vanish off the grid, this time with a companion in tow.

Ahli giggled and slid her hand into Duo's. Ahead on the path the yak lowed impatiently, caring little for the view. "Look, you can see the colonies," she said, pointing at the pale blinking lights far above them. "Which one did you find me on?"

Duo scanned the sky; there was a sliver crescent low in the West. "Behind the moon," he said with an internal sigh. "L2 is always hiding in the shadows, up to no good."

Heero glanced at him.

"Are you going back there?" Ahli asked.

"Yeah," he sighed. "For a while, at least."

"You'll come back to see us, won't you?"

"Well, sure. That's what best friends, do, right?" he looked at Heero.

It was similar to the look he got when he tried out the word "friend" for the first time. But then he got a smile--not that smirky one either, but the real thing that softened his features and made him look like a real person. "Right," he said.

"Roger," said Ahli.

"I told you not to do that, Kid."

Heero snorted a laugh and went to check on the yak. Duo remained where he was, gazing once again at the remarkable view.

Far beyond, the moon slowly lowered until it vanished behind the mountains.

Owari

Well, this adventure has come to an end, but obviously the story hasn't. There's a lot more to tell, I think, and I am definitely going to continue it, given time.