FULL SUMMARY
Duo Maxwell, jokster and eternal cheater of Death, was killed during a Preventers' mission. The four other ex-Gundam pilots, especially Heero, are totally devastated... What will they do when a stranger appears to them, saying there is a way to bring Duo back ? Doesn't it seem a bit too good to be true ? Who is that stranger, and what does he want in exchange for his miraculous services ? And more importantly, faced with the possibility of being given back their loved one, just how much will Heero and the others be willing to pay ?
Author's note : YES, YES, I know. ANOTHER fic. Please refrain from throwing things at me. When inspiration hits, I must write. I call it the Curse of the Plot Bunny. Tenacious little creatures, those bunnies... Anyway, I never abandon a fic, so don't start climbing the curtains just yet. All my stories are going to end up completed one way or another, no matter how many there are or how long it takes. I swear upon the Fanfiction Writers Bible.
Raiu : Is there even such a thing as the Fanfiction Writers Bible ?
There is now.
Raiu : (mumbles) Idiot...
What ?
Raiu : Nothing. Please pursue.
You're being suspiciously cooperative, Raiu.
Raiu : (whistles innocently)
Akari : (looks on as cherry-chan uses a metal detector on Raiu, searching for any kind of possibly lethal weapons) Those two are so weird... Anyway, we hope you enjoy the fic minna-san !
.: In the twilight :.
by cherry fantasy
Read this carefully 'cause I won't write it twice :
Disclaimer : Hum... I'm pretty sure I've looked everywhere, so... Nope. Gundam Wing is apparently not mine, nor are its original characters. Too bad...
!!! WARNINGS !!! - Well, first... Fear the OOCness ! Mhuahahahaha ! ...huh... yeah, anyway... What else ? Well, YAOI and SHOUNEN AI of course. That means boys love, you know, as in maleXmale relationships. Don't like ? Don't read. Simple enough for you ? Also, there will be some Heero-angst in the beginning, then a bit of Duo-angst in later chapters. Throw in lotsa sap, too. I love sap. Don't forget I did warn you about the OOCness. Finally, this is NOT a deathfic ! Well, not really anyway... I mean Duo does come back after all... So... Yup, that pretty much sums it up. And just so you know, FLAMES will be completely and royally ignored.
Pairings : 1x2x1, 3x4 as a side-pairing... maybe others... not sure yet...
Genres : Angst, romance, supernatural, a bit of drama and a bit of humor (all well balanced hopefully).
Rating : T for now, may or may not change later.
.: In the twilight :. Prologue
It was raining.
The sky was grey, dull, the clouds weeping, emptying themselves of their heavenly tears. Gently, rhythmically, droplets of water fell toward the earth, dying on the first surface they met. Roofs, trees, grass, pavement… Their end was accompanied by a soft and continuous splattering sound, drowning away the noises of the city.
The real storm was still far, the thunder a muffled, rumbling sound in the distance.
Right now, it was just raining.
The priest had to hold an umbrella over his head as he recited the last prayers. Many of those present imitated him, or had run back to their car earlier to fetch their raincoat.
But they hadn't bothered.
They didn't feel the cold as rain seeped through their soaked clothes. They didn't shiver, didn't try to shelter themselves. Their posture was stiff, their faces expressionless. They simply stood there, side by side, taking what little comfort they could get in each other's presence. In truth, they were thankful for the rain : thanks to it, no one would see the tears.
"…in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen." the priest ended solemnly, closing the little Bible he held in his right hand.
"Amen." the small crowd echoed softly around him.
Except them.
They didn't say a word. They feared that if they opened their mouth, the only sound that would escape would be a sob, and if they started sobbing now, they weren't sure they would be able to stop. So they stayed silent. In fact, to any onlookers they appeared completely impassive, undisturbed by what was happening.
God was that far from the truth.
They looked on as the coffin was slowly and meticulously lowered into the ground. They watched as the priest made the sign of the cross one last time over the hole, then as two men picked up their shovels and started filling said hole with heavy, wet dirt.
The first few shovelfuls were the worst. The sound of the mud as it made contact with the coffin was horrible, making them sick to their stomach. Nonetheless, they stayed. They watched.
Soon it was mud atop mud, and the sound was a little bit more bearable. Then before they knew it, before they lost all control over their emotions and threw themselves at those two men to beg them to stop, the hole was filled. The coffin buried. The ceremony over.
It was still raining. The priest left, as did the two men with the shovels. Then the others started to leave as well. A few tried to get them to follow, but they refused.
Soon it was only the four of them, standing alone in front of the grave.
Two hands linked, gripping each other tightly. One passed an arm around another's shoulders, trying to offer comfort when in reality they all shared the same pain.
They stared at the tombstone, at the finely carved name on it, then at the words underneath :
Died in the line of duty.
Cherished friend,
eternal beloved.
You shall live on in our memories,
forever the light to our darkness.
Lightning streaked the sky, thunder boomed, Mother Nature finally unleashing her full fury upon the world. The storm was here. Rain came down harder, drenching the four standing alone in the cemetery. Wind blew, scattering the violet flowers adorning the tombstone.
An eternity seemed to pass before they turned and left, never once looking back.
None of them saw the dark clad figure standing in the distance, watching them, seemingly untouched by the raging elements…
A/N : I'd just like to mention that the "dark clad figure" is NOT Duo.
That said... PLEASE REVIEW !!! (gets knocked out by a shoe that a neighbour threw at her head for "shouting like a damn lunatic")