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The first time was at the death of a planet.
He was just a small blue and silver Ultra, still bearing the last bloom of Andromeda’s light. Zett -- not so named then, but that had always been his name -- was swaddled like a babe in bright crimson cloth.
As Ace cradled the precious charge tightly with one hand, he fought through monsters desperately, outrunning and outflying the collapsing planet.
Ace bled, Zett cried; and the cape covered it all.
***
The second time was at home.
That day, Ace stayed in. He and Zett played together all day. He even let Zett play with his cape, normally off-limits.
Zett draped it around his shoulders, running around like a brave and strong Ultra Brother, fighting imaginary monsters. He hid under it as he watched a “scary movie” Ace brought from a planet called “Earth”. He fell asleep in it, curled on Ace’s lap, and drooling onto the crimson cloth, now turned blanket.
Zett mumbled, “Ace-niisan, this is the Ultra-best day ever…”
Ace’s hand paused mid-stroke, resting on the young Ultra’s crest.
“...Ace-niisan, I lo…”
Ace hurt, Zett dreamed; and the cape shielded him from Ace’s silent goodbye.
***
The third time was at the tournament.
As Instructor Taro pronounced him the victor of the annual Ultra Academy tournament for promising cadets, Zett heard the cape billowing above in the wind.
It was the reward for this year's winner -- a chance to fight one of the Ultra Brothers.
Ace flung his crimson cape from his shoulders mid-air, landing heavily, already battle-focused, intense, and frightening.
Instinctively, Zett caught the fluttering cape. It landed comfortably in his hands. He looked around, suddenly nervous, as his heart threatened to burst from his chest.
He had joined the tournament for the slim chance to meet the fifth Ultra Brother. But now that it was finally happening, that they stood facing each other, and he was the closest to Ace he had been in centuries--
“Zett.”
For the first time, Ace spoke.
“Go at your own pace, in your own way.”
He was waiting for Zett patiently. His quiet voice evoked memories of gentleness, flickering through Zett's mind, fleeting as a new moon. Precious memories, held in secret.
Zett took a deep breath. Wrapping the crimson cape around him, he leapt into battle.
Ace fought, Zett fought; and the cape flew around them like scarlet flames.
***
And one time, on their first proper mission together--
He had been too careless. Too self-conscious. Yapool was still too cunning, and he still needed Ace to protect him.
“Zett…” Ace whispered, voice hoarse with pain. He reached up to touch the blue cape over Zett's shoulders.
It was torn and burnt in many places; a sorry sight. From his fingers, Ace's blood seeped into the shimmering cloth, staining it. Blue did not hide as well as red.
“Your poor cape. I'm sorry.”
His pride and joy; his acknowledgement by Master Zero. His proof and promise with Haruki to grow stronger and become the last heroes of the universe.
Everyone knew it was his most precious possession.
Zett shook his head, rubbing his eyes fiercely, but the tears kept falling.
He ripped his cape from his shoulders, tearing strips out to bandage the worst of Ace’s injuries. Very gently, he wrapped the rest of the blue cloth around Ace’s body, burnt and torn and bloodied from the brunt of the explosion.
Cradling his precious charge, Zett rushed to the Land of Light.
Ace bled, Zett cried; and the cape covered it all.