Disclaimer: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and all its characters are copyright Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu.
Deathscythe made some accompanying eeaws and kerploped onward.
"Hey you!" The shout came from a man in a white and blue uniform. He shouldered a rifle, jogging up toward the arriving donkey.
Duo had time to think, Oz has guards? before the guard dropped his rifle from his shoulder.
"Hold up!" Curt. Crisp. Commanding.
Duo smiled a full faced smile and pulled 'Scythe to a halt. "Oi, my good man! And a very good morning. The sun is shining. The breeze is blowing. The grass is... er... There is no grass, is there? Well, two out of three isn't bad. Actually-"
"Clamp it!"
"Sure. Clamping is one of my specialties."
The guard frowned at Duo's response, not entirely sure if he could allow the smart-ass reply to pass. Duo smiled again. With a grunt the guard continued. "State your name and business in Oz."
"Tch! Really. I thought that my business was pretty obvious." He tugged at his black shirt, and then slid a finger up to his collar. "I'm a priest. Fresh in from Foundation Rock. You have heard of Foundation Rock. I'm sure there isn't a man alive who hasn't heard of Foundation Rock, hothouse that it is for the Western Community. It's absolutely-"
"CLAMP!" My, the guy was sure fond of that word.
"Right." Wouldn't do to get himself shot. After all fun isn't any fun when you're dead.
The guard let Duo sit silently for a couple of moments. "Now. One word answers from here on out, got it?"
"Yup."
"Name?"
"Duo."
"FULL name?"
"Duo___." He gave a grand arm gesture to fill in for the "Maxwell" part. The man did say one word answers.
"LAST NAME!?!" he spit out.
"Maxwell." Duo maintained his smile as if he were having a pleasant conversation.
"State your business in Oz."
Duo couldn't help it. It just popped out. "In ONE word?"
Now it was the guard's turn to smile. "If you keep it within one small paragraph, I MIGHT let you live."
Aah. Good answer. "No one has any respect for holy men these days, Deathscythe."
"You claim to be a priest and your donkey's name is Deathscythe?"
"Shh." Duo covered 'Scythe's ears. "He thinks he's a horse. Don't ever use the 'D' word." He squeezed 'Scythe's ears gently. The donkey let out a whinny that would have mares swooning for miles around. "See?"
"And that just brings us back to the one small paragraph." He massaged the butt of his rifle for clarification.
"Just visiting an old friend."
"Does this friend have a name?"
"Father Maxwell."
Now the guard gave Duo a genuine smile. It sang of the type of pleasure one obtains from the pain of others. "You may enter."