The Sound of Her WingsPart 1: Storm Haven
Duo Maxwell realized the valley was an infinitely lucky find, and for that reason the Gundam pilot was immediately suspicious of it. Luck was not something he liked to depend on, because relying on luck would eventually get you killed, and sooner rather than later. The storm had been unexpected, coming out of nowhere, its winds and driving snow forcing him to ground Shinigami or risk running too low on fuel to complete, let alone return from, the mission. Flying low over the southern Rockies as he had been was risky enough in the swirling gale, but attempting to find a safe landing site had been near impossible, his external sensors near blinded by ice and accumulating snow. But then the valley had appeared as he crested a ridge: lush pine forests blanketed in the quickly deepening snowfall, and with two huge curtains of basalt forming its walls with an overhanging cliff at their apex just topping above the forest. A perfect hiding place for a Gundam over sixteen meters tall, and the best possible shelter for waiting out the storm.With maneuvers guided more by the instincts of its pilot than any sensor data, Shinigami vanished into the gap between the pines and basalt cliff. Duo edged his Gundam under the overhang, and lowered its form to recline against the stone, like some fatigued giant resting in the shelter of the overhang. It was only then, with his Gundam safe from both observation and the storm, that he relaxed and allowed himself to think beyond the actions of flight and maneuvering.Duo leaned back in the cockpit seat and shivered. It was cold, even within the insulated cabin of Shinigami, and even in his long sleeves and pants he could feel the bite of chill in the air. He would have to do something to make himself more comfortable, he thought, and started rummaging for the emergency blankets and rations in the compartments of the cockpit. Quatre had insisted that the mobile suits be equipped with such things for ground missions, and now at least the American pilot was grateful for the Arabian boy's foresight. Finally, after much bending and twisting and rummaging, Duo located the emergency blankets - two meter wide and two meter long sheets of insulating cloth - and enough emergency rations for up to a week and a half if he ate as little as he usual did. He wrapped both blankets about his thin body to keep himself warm, one around his legs and the other about his shoulders, then sat back and began a check of all the Shinigami's systems and consoles to occupy himself and to keep moving.The cockpit of the mobile suit was unmistakably his to any eye, having been remade and decorated by Duo during his time with the suit. Systems and gages most important in a battle had been shifted to be central to the cockpit, while auto-pilot and communications were to the sides. Embedded into the left hand cockpit wall were the controls of a customized sound system Duo had installed early on in his partnership with his Gundam, a small concession to his enjoyment of music during battles. From a small eye bolt in the back wall hung a modest gold cross on a thin chain, safer on this rest than around his neck during battle, and beside it engraved into the wall with a mettle etcher was The Lord's Prayer in Latin, his memorial to Father Maxwell. Other things were etched into the cockpit walls, small symbols of death from hundreds of cultures and languages intermixed with just as many symbols of life, all scattered randomly about the consoles and walls. While on the outside he joined in the other's jeering of how his fellow pilot Wufei worshiped his Gundam, Duo too knew that the power of these machines was something close to that of the gods. After all, he was the God of Death.He ran out of systems to check as the chronometer reached four hundred hours local time. It was nearing the end of the night's darkness, and almost time for him to sleep if he was to finish the now delayed mission under the cover of tomorrow night's darkness. He dared not contact the others, though they would worry when they heard no news of his attack on the desert installation south of these mountains tomorrow, but not revealing his location was safest. Besides, if any news of his mission had leaked to OZ, he would be unexpected a night late. Better to sleep though the day, and bring death a little later than expected. He grinned at the thought and turned on the final ring of proximity alarms that would alert him of any enemy that might approach during the day. Finally, he rolled over on his side in the pilot's seat, wrapped his long braid over his shoulder to keep it out of the way as he slept, and closed his eyes. Sleep came swiftly, with peaceful dreams that seemed to be filled with the sounds of thousands of birds in flight.Part 2: All On a Golden AfternoonIt was warmth, not alarms nor shouts nor explosions that woke Duo Maxwell, and the change of pace was so wonderful to the pilot of the black and white Gundam that he thought just for a moment he might still be dreaming. He had not frozen to death during the night, nor had anything triggered or even prodded his proximity alarms. He was stiff from sleeping curled in the padded but still uncomfortable flight chair, but no worse for wear beyond that and the inevitable tangles in his hair. The latter he could do nothing about until he completed the mission and returned, but the former he could defiantly do something about. With a few swift movements, he unlocked the cockpit hatch mechanism, and then grabbed the manual hatch lever and threw his weight against it, opening the hatch with a whine cold of hydraulics and a blast of fresh, chill mountain air.Duo paused to survey the area before clambering down from the Gundam's cockpit. The forest floor was covered in about a half foot of snow, an unbroken crust that sparkled in the early afternoon sunlight. It was warm enough that the snow had already begun to melt, falling from the high branches of the pines in great clumps, and ice melted with the steady drip of a leaky faucet. At this rate the snow would be all but gone by early evening, enabling a safe nights flight out of the mountains and into the desert to the south. And though the area seemed safe enough to Duo, he knew he had let Heero's constant paranoia rub off on him. He still grabbed the pistol he kept in the compartment beneath the flight chair of the Shinigami, and slung its shoulder holster over his right shoulder before lowering himself to the snowy ground below.The snow was a soft slush, far along its way to becoming rocky mud, and Duo was glad he had had foresight enough to wear heavy boots instead of his usual lighter footwear. The air was quiet, an icy breeze tugging at the boy's clothing and hair, with little sound but the wind in the trees and the sounds of the snow melt. Walking a few paces away from where the Shinigami reclined against the basalt cliffs like a sleeping giant, the American pilot enjoyed the brisk air and open spaces. He stretched and worked the soreness from his arms and legs, glad to be standing and walking rather than cramped in the flight chair of the cockpit of his Gundam for any more hours than necessary. He was standing on a small ridge down slope from his mobile suit, half way between the forest's edge and the rock wall that framed the valley, and thinking that he should soon return to the suit else the cold would begin to get to him more so that it already was. As he turned towards the Gundam, a sudden shrill sound like a mix between a dog's bark and a bird's squawk startled him. He turned back just in time to see a yellow shape the size of a house cat bound back behind a pine at the edge of the forest.What in the hell, thought Duo. He knew of nothing that size or shape in these mountains, and his curiosity was definitely about to get the better of him as he started down the slope towards were he had last seen the thing disappear. Heero would kill me for doing this, he thought, but shrugged it off thinking, I've still got six good hours still it starts to get dark, and there is no real way I can get lost here.He reached the tree the thing had disappeared behind, and slowly looked around it. Two beady black eyes stared up at him from a beaked reptilian face attached to a cat sized body, then the creature loudly squawked at him, startling him so badly he fell backwards into the snow with a loud cry of pain and surprise. The yellow creature bounded from out behind the tree to a spot about thirty feet away from the now infuriated pilot, sat down, and squawked again. Duo growled, and sprang to his feet, intent now on catching the creature, if for no other reason than to assuage his wounded pride. As he started after the creature it squawked again, and bounded off into the woods, just fast enough to keep the boy out of pouncing distance. It dodged between trees, over rocks, leading Duo on a wild chase through the woods, circling several times back over their tracks, then suddenly making a bee line through across the valley, and diving through a thicket of briars. Still in pursuit, Duo braved the brambles, determination forming a smirk on his face close to the one he wore in battle. He batted aside briars, cursing loudly as they scratched at his face and hands and caught on his braid, but never turned from the strait path the little yellow thing had made through the thicket. At last the briars parted, and for a moment Duo feared he had lost the creature due to the time it had taken for him to pass through the brambles. But as he scanned the clearing beyond, the little golden creature was plainly visible, sitting licking a paw ten feet from the edge of the brush, ignoring Duo with an air that would make a cat proud."I've got you now, you golden baka!" Duo grinned with malice at the seemingly oblivious creature and made a running dive for it. He hit the cold ground hard, his vision blacked out for a moment, and the yellow creature's loud squawk sounded almost mocking and it leaped into the air out of the Gundam pilot's way and hovered a few feet away on tiny wings. Duo clenched his teeth and put a hand to his head in pain and frustration. That's it, he thought to himself, as soon as I get up that thing is plasma scythe bait. Before he could bring himself further up than hands and knees, he heard the sound of a door creak open and footsteps."Goldie! You've done enough. Go back to Able, he's looking for you."The creature squawked, and with the sound of a flurry of tinny wings, was gone.Part 3: Tea for Two, Gone ColdDuo Maxwell found himself looking up into a pair of eyes the colour of the body section of his mobile suit had been when new, a deep gloss black that sparkled with a cool life. For a moment, all he could bring into focus in his shocked mind were those eyes. His tunnel vision lessened, and the person attached to those eyes finally came into focus. She was shorter than he was, slender, with unbelievably pale skin. Her hair was a wild frizz of jet black, framing a small, round face that was girlish yet mature beyond its years. And she was dressed in black: a turtleneck and jeans, with heavy, thick-soled boots."I'm sorry, Goldie wasn't supposed to lead you through all of that to bring you here. Are you alright?"Still too stunned to answer, he nodded. She smiled, and extended a hand to help him up. Its fingers were long, delicately boned, and with iridescent nails immaculately cared for. They look like Quatre's hands, Duo thought distantly."It's a hand, not a dragon. It won't hurt you. Come on, you stay there much longer and the snow will soak you even further."Dumbly he nodded and allowed himself to be helped to his feet. His head started to clear once he was on his feet, and he had since enough to take in his surroundings. The clearing was a small horseshoe formed by the thicket he had plowed through earlier, butted to a tumble of rocks that formed a rough a-frame. The cave formed by this had been boarded off, and a small doorframe fitted into it, making the cave into a small hole like house. The door was open, that was were this strange and unexpected person had come from, he realized. "Who are you?" he asked, beginning to have enough wits about him to be suspicious of a lone girl in the middle of nowhere."You can call me Didi till you get to know me better. It's easier than my real name." She smiled. "And you're Duo Maxwell.""How did you know that?" His suspicion of her grew immediately. How did she know who he was? Was she an OZ agent or some other enemy out to capture him or his Gundam? "No, I don't mean you any harm. Calm down." She looked exasperated. "Lets go inside, it's cold out here and I've got tea on. I was expecting you." With that she turned and walked towards the door, down a set of stairs and inside."Are you coming?"Duo shrugged. She didn't seem like a threat, and he was curious. Curious, but still cautious. He followed her inside, hand inches from his pistol in its shoulder holster, expecting an ambush at any moment.The only thing that ambushed him was a blast of warm, earthy smelling air, and the smells of cooking food. Didi was over beside an old cast iron stove in a corner, checking a teapot and a large pot that bubbled like a witch's brew."Close that door!" She snapped, and he obeyed without thinking. "Go clean up, the tea is almost ready." He looked dumbly at her back. "Behind the curtain, there's a bowl of clean water and some antiseptic for those scratches. We'll talk once you're clean and the tea is done. I absolutely refuse to have a conversation like this without good tea."The pilot of the Shinigami Gundam shrugged. Best to play along, he thought, she probably is some crazy mountain hermit or a refugee from some town. He walked to the back of the small stone and dirt house to where a curtain had been hung to block off a corner, granting some privacy. A metal tub of clear water, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a bag of cotton balls waited on a metal and pressboard card table. As he washed the grime from his hands and face in the cold water (obviously snow melt, he thought to himself) he mulled over the situation. None of this made any sense. How did she know who he was, if she was some hermit or refugee, and more importantly, what did she mean she had been expecting him? The only thing he could do was humor her, and find out what was going on. He cleaned the numerous briar thorn slashes on his face and hands with the alcohol, and picked the twigs and brambles out of his braid. Cleaned and almost human looking once again, Duo walked back around the curtain and found Didi carefully pouring tea from the kettle into a pair of very fine white teacups with matching saucers. Each rested on opposite ends of a second card table that Duo could swear had not been there before. Two old, wooden chairs were at the table, and after placing the kettle back on the old stove, Didi took one of them. Duo, following her lead, took the other."Ok, now, to answer your question. I know you because I know everybody." Duo looked suspicious and started to question but she held up a finger, took a sip of tea, and continued. "I arranged with one of my brothers to bring you here, so I could find out just what sort of person you are. It's very irregular what I'm doing, I had to call in several special favors to get you here now.""So you're not with OZ or the Alliance?" the Gundam pilot managed to ask, rather lamely."Oh, heavens no!" She giggled. And then as if reading his mind: "And I'm not some mountain hermit or refugee."Recovering quickly, Duo asked " So the who are you?"She smiled playfully. "Are you sure you want to know?"The Shinigami's pilot was unprepared for the response, then glowed. "I think I have a right to know who you are, since your pet or whatever the hell that was let me across hell and brambles to bring me here."Her smile vanished. "I did a lot more than use poor Goldie to bring you here, Duo." She frowned. "As to who I am," she reached to her neck and pulled a silver ankh from the neck of her shirt, "This is my signal. I am Death."And Duo's head filled with the sound of thousands of great wings.Part 4: Dialogue of a Misanthrope with His Soul"You're what?" For a moment Duo Maxwell was convinced he had not heard what the girl had said correctly. What she said next convinced him of two things: he had heard her right, and that she was absolutely insane."Metaphorical personification of Death, to be correct." She looked as though she expected his reaction. "I know what you're thinking. I'm insane, that I've been living out here on my own too long. In fact, I got here about twenty minutes before Goldie brought you here."The American pilot stared at her. His mind was racing though the logic of what she was saying, trying to figure out if she was totally insane, or simply partly. She laughed."In my experience, I've found the only way to convince you mortals of my true nature is to show you my a flashy little sample of what I can to." She lunged across the table and grabbed Duo's braid from where it lay across his right shoulder, faster than the boy could dodge."Hey what are you -" Thousands and thousands of beating wings, in a myriad of colours"Doing!" Duo stopped, realized he was about a hundred meters from the valley floor, still seated in his chair that was with him. The girl who had called herself Didi was standing beside him, still holding onto his braid with one delicate hand. The pilot of the Shinigami froze, not even breathing, waiting to being to fall. He didn't. The girl smiled at him."Ok now that we are past that stumbling block. Are you willing to accept that I'm at least a fairly powerful being of some sort?" Duo nodded wanly. "Good. You seemed like the open minded sort." Fluttering, leaves falling, dying butterfliesShe tugged on his braid and he yelped in shock more than pain. The girl who called herself Death let go of the boy's braid and dropped back down into her chair. They were back inside the house, as though they had never left. Duo started breathing again. His heart was racing almost as fast as his thoughts. My God, what is she? Is she really Death?"Of course I am. That's what I just said." She was reading his mind, a very easy task for her."If you're death, what do you want with me? Its not..." Oh gods, not now, he thought, please, not when the battles are just starting to mean something. Had he died in the Shinigami last night, his frozen corpse still in the flight chair? His mind raced until she spoke."No. It's not the time for you yet. Not for a long time yet, by your mortal standards." She smiled. "What I want is to truly get to know you, the boy who has been calling himself by one of my older names. I'm curious." She smiled again, a warm smile even with her cold blue white skin and dark lips."Ok, let me get this strait," it was all he could do to make a logical train of thought "You're Death. You aren't here to take my soul; you're here to get to know me? And if you're Death, where's your scythe and your robe, and why do you even have skin?" Her reaction was not what he expected.She broke into a bubbly girlish laugh, like small golden bells ringing. She laughed, to Duo's puzzlement and almost annoyance, for a good five minutes, then finally managed to interrupt herself enough to answer his questions."You've got it right. All I want is to get to know you, to see if you are disserving of being my namesake. As to why I'm not -" She started laughing again, then calmed, " the grim reaper you were expecting, that's simple. My form is dependant on what I want people to see, and this is my most customary form to me. I hate those scary representations people have come up with, gives me such a bad reputation."It was Duo's turn to laugh. The though of Death being concerned about her reputation was more than his sense of humor could stand. She looked at him, and joined in his laughter. At last they both calmed their laughter, and smiled across the table."Ok, I think I've managed to wrap my brain around all of this." Duo said, looking at Didi - no, Death, he corrected himself mentally, " Oddly enough I can accept that your death. It makes a lot more sense to me than anything else I can think of. ""That's good. It's always so hard to get to know someone when they think your crazy." She smiled. "So far I like you Duo Maxwell. " She smiled. " But if I'm to get to know you better, I need to be honest with you. There is a lot more than my own curiosity in play here.""Ok." Duo had regained footing fast in the wake of the unusual; he was a Gundam pilot he had to be flexible in the face of adversity. "My family has paid a lot of attention to you and your friends. " Duo started to inquire about her family but she raised a hand to stop him. " No, I'll explain that later. Let me finish." Duo nodded and backed down. " I have been watching you, and those others of my family that care to have picked their favorites of your little motley lot. We have come to an agreement; those of us that wish to can offer one of you a boon. I decided to talk to you, to find out if you are really worthy of what I wish to offer. I have never been one to give gifts, thus I don't give them lightly when I do." She paused. "So that's the short and long of why you're here. You have a choice, Duo Maxwell. You can say your not interested in this, leave this valley this evening, and never see me again until the day I come for you; or you can answer my questions, and if I think your worthy, I'll grant you my gift."Duo sat for a moment, and then looked down into his untouched and now disgustingly cold cup of tea. He really knew better than to think he had a choice, but it was a respectful thing for her to do, he thought. He knew what he was going to do. The boy looked up with his trademark smirk of self-assuredness, his violet blue eyes sparkling." I'll answer your questions," he said."Good." She stood, and motioned him to do the same with an outstretched hand. " I have arranged a place for us to talk, more comfortable than this. Come. "Duo took her pale, delicate hand, and he was surrounded by the blanketing sounds of thousands of dark, beating wings.Part 5: In the Garden of Forking WaysAn old, deep red sun hung low in the gray blue sky, casting strange red shadows across the dirt path and strange and well-manicured blue green grass from the shaped shrubs and hedges. The air was rife with the smells of wet soil and fresh sap, with a chill wind that did not touch the strange trees, nor rustle the topiary leaves. "Where are we?" Duo Maxwell asked, knowing well and good that he would not like the answer."We are in the Garden of Forking Ways, the domain of my younger brother, Destiny. This is a place far from your world, perhaps not even in your universe. Not even I am sure where it is exactly." Death did not smile, but looked around as if finding her bearings. She nodded suddenly, and led Duo down the small dirt garden path. A few minutes into their walk, having past numerous intersections in the path, all marked by strange, often horrific topiaries, Death led the Gundam pilot down the left-hand fork of an intersection. Finally, Duo got up the nerve to ask a question that had been working its way through the American pilot's brain. "You keep talking about your family, and just now you mentioned your younger brother. I never knew anything about Death having family... its not something you tend to think of." He looked over at the walking figure of Death, and at first thought she hadn't heard him. She looked over at him, continuing her brisk pace. " My family are the Endless. We're the things in the universe that are the primary forces of life. " Duo nodded. " I am the eldest, and the most powerful according to most sources." She grinned at him. Duo suppressed a smirk. "Destiny, whose domain we are in now, is the next after myself. He is a stoic one, not given to favorites. But seeing your fates as he turns the pages of his great book, he does find sympathy with the young dragon Wufei, though not even I am sure why. Then there is Dream, who is my favorite younger brother and closest to me. He favors your friend Trowa quite a bit, as I understand. Then there are the twins, Despair and Desire, the forces of the heart. Both are very fond of the boy you know as Heero Yui, though I doubt Desire's intentions are for his best intrest. " It was all Duo could do to keep from bursting into a giggle. "Destruction left us long ago, you humans are far to good at his job, and thus he went to wander the universe. He would have loved all of you though, of that I'm sure. And then there is our youngest sibling, Delirium. Such a dear, she is, and very fond of your Quatre's music. I suppose he reminds her when she was the essence of human delight. " Duo smiled at that last statement, and nodded to her. "Do all of you have places like this?" He made a sweeping gesture to include the whole of the garden. Death nodded. "Yes, we do. Though I have not been to my own in many years. Death rarely has time for rest such as the others do." She was no more forthcoming with information than that."So where are we going? You said some place to talk, but I haven't seen anything but grass and those strange bushes since we got here." Duo was also starting to feel the first pangs of hunger, having not eaten since leaving on his mission the day before, but was not about to press the issue."Its not to far now. We are going to a place that is a symbolic representation of a type of place that seems to be eternally linked to the way human destiny is determined." Duo looked at her blankly. Death pointed down the path, where a small, low building sat beside the path. "The CafŽ of a Thousand Sighs. It has been known by thousands of other names, but that is its oldest. It is a space is linked with all cafŽ's and other such places in the universe at all times. It's probably the most comfortable place in all of time and space, or at least in my opinion it is. "As they approached the CafŽ of a Thousand Sighs, it resolved itself to be a typical sidewalk cafŽ, with a stripped canopy and sidewalk tables. People moved about the tables, some arriving from thin air, some vanishing back into the same, and many more simply sitting and talking with others, or simply sitting alone. They reached the waist high wrought iron fence that formed the boundary of the open-air cafŽ after walking a few more minutes. A tall, thin man in a long tailed tux and a wicked handlebar mustache, stood by the gate, a cloth draped over one arm and the other holding a pair of menus greeted them with a nod."Lady Death, your usual table is prepared and waiting. " He bowed stiffly at the waist towards Death. "Thank you, Salvador." Death smiled, and then to Duo, "He's such a dear."They followed Salvador to a table near the back of the cafŽ; two decorative iron chairs were at the small table with a white tablecloth and settings for two. They each took a chair, and Salvador laid out a menu for each, and set a small card with the wine list between them."I will give your Ladyship and her companion a moment to decide, and return shortly." Salvador gave another of his stiff bows and walked off towards a table were a man and woman were arguing loudly."I imagine you're quite hungry. Do you like fish?" Death was pondering over the wine list but ignoring the menu. Duo nodded. "Then I'd recommend the number four under breakfast." Duo scanned the menu, and found it. Scrambled egg whites with lox and onions; it sounded wonderful. Duo's stomach gave a loud and embarrassing gurgle. Death giggled. "I thought you were 'master of stealth'." Duo smirked at her. The more he was around her the more comfortable he became. She was like an ordinary girl, but nicer and easier to talk with. Hard to think of her as Death, he thought. Salvador returned, and took their orders. Duo ordered what she had suggested, while Death ordered a plate of fresh fruit. She also ordered two glasses of a wine Duo did not recognize, but that was not shocking to him, since he had always relied on either Quatre or Trowa to be the gourmets. "So, any more questions before the food comes and it's my turn to start asking questions?" Death leaned on her elbows, and rested her head on a hand.Duo fidgeted and tucked his braid over his shoulder in a nervous gesture. "Yeah, I guess I do have one more.""Shoot.""Umm, if you're here, are people still dying in the world, or did it all stop while you're away?""A legitimate question, and a good one. Death does not stop when I am not on the move. I don't attend every death in person, only those important to the universe. Those that are difficult, or of people who have shaped the world and are reluctant to leave it. I have been at the deaths of kings and queans, and at the deaths of nameless children. Usually a soul can leave on its own, but sometimes I am still needed. I'm also present at great numbers of deaths; I have been at most of your battles. I have arranged it so that none of these things that would call me away are happening right now. Death, "she finished with a smirk, "is taking a holiday.""Ok, that makes sense." Duo nodded. Their food came shortly after, two plates larger than Duo was seldom use to seeing, both brimming with food. Salvador set them down carefully, followed by the glasses of wine. It was a dark red wine, the colour of fresh blood, with a very sweet smell that filled the nose and made Duo light headed and made him think of the flapping of a swarm of billions of rainbow coloured butterflies."Now, it is my turn to ask the questions."Part 6: Salmon, Eggs, Wine, and Seven Questions in a CircleDuo Maxwell spent a moment simply savoring the smell of breakfast, letting the smell waft up to his nose. It was a thing he was unaccustomed to, having learned to subsist on coffee and the light fare he was able to scrounge or purchase from locals. He took a bite. She had been right, it was delicious. Death allowed him a moment to eat some of his food, ate some of the fruit on her own plate, and then took a small sip of the wine. Her brother's vineyards always produced wonderful wines, and this was no exception. It was time to begin what she had brought this mortal to her to do: the Seven Questions. As they ate she explained the format to him: seven questions to probe his true intentions and relations to those around him. He must answer the questions fully, and truthfully, no matter what. Anything he would try to hide, she would know. If she decided she liked his answers, she would grant him the boon she had chosen to grant. Duo accepted, he had nothing to loose. Death took another small sip of her wine, and prepared her first question."Why are you fighting this war?" It was the sort of question Duo expected one he had thought about many times. He would give her the answer he gave himself. "Because I don't want any more innocents to die, and because too many people are suffering and dying at the hands of tyrants. If I fight, others don't have to. " Death nodded. "You still haven't answered the first question fully. Why are you fighting this war?"Duo looked puzzled. What did she want as an answer, he wondered. He tried again. "Ok, so maybe that's not all of it." He pondered, his hand straying to his neck where the golden cross usually hung. He realized it was still in the cockpit of Shinigami, still hanging from its eyebolt. Death nodded slightly. "For revenge... " The words were almost a whisper. "They took so many innocent lives. All those people dead because they were poor, and all those helpless people in the church." Duo's fist clenched. The pain of that had never dulled. He would never forget, nor ever forgive. Death's dark eyes were focused on him, two black mirrors with dark flames burning behind them. He saw the burning shape of the church, the great gouts of flame. He shivered. "If I fight one day there will be peace. If I don't, who knows how many more times things like that will happen."Death nodded again, and took another sip of the dark wine. The answer had been enough for her. She picked up a strawberry, and nibbled on it. Revenge was a just motive, she thought, revenge for such wrongs was allowed. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a small, smooth pebble of obsidian and laid it on the table beside her plate. The next question was more personal, and would be much harder. Duo looked at the stone quizzically, and wondered what it meant. "You've pasted the first question well enough. My next question is probably one you expect. Why name yourself for my Shinto name?"Another question Duo had expected. His fellow pilots thought of him as either egotistical or simply insane in his choice of the name. He nodded. "It wasn't me that picked the name. It came to me the first time I sat in the cockpit of my Gundam. It has a name, it is Shinigami." He paused. "No, that's wrong. She is Shinigami. Its not just some machine, it has a personality."Death interrupted. "But why call yourself after her then?"Duo shook his head. "The only god I have ever seen in action is well, you. Paired with my Gundam, I had a power I never had known. I brought death wherever I went with her. I was Death." Duo thought about what he had just said. "Though not nearly as good looking as you.""Flattery will get you everywhere." She smirked. "So is that all there is to it?"Duo shrugged. "Yeah. That's all."Short, but he wasn't hiding anything. Was this boy's world so filled with pain he saw nothing but her work? Death shook her head sadly. She of all of the Endless understood the plight of mankind the best. It filled her with sorrow. Another gem joined the first on the table, about an inch to the right beside it: a dark blue tear cut sapphire. What was she doing, Duo wondered."Duo, your eggs are getting cold." She smiled at him warmly. "Best eat some more while I think some things over."Duo complied turning back to his eggs, onions and salmon, and even had a small sip of the dark red wine. It was a mind-numbing flavor, like the smell of iris blossoms and rose buds mixed with the feel of a spring thunderstorm. His head felt filled with the sounds of wind, and night birds wings beating through the darkness.Part 7: A Kingdom of EndsDuo Maxwell chased the last bits of salmon and egg about his plate with a fork. Death sat in silence across from him, eating the last slice of orange from her plate of fresh fruit. She had not spoken since reminding him of his breakfast. She had asked him two questions; there were five more to go. "Are you ready to continue?" She asked. Duo nodded, not willing to talk around his last bite. "Your fellow pilots, tell me how you feel about them. What do they mean to you?""Though I may not like all of them, may not get along with or understand some of them, they are my brothers. And I love them as such." Duo shrugged. "Wufei is off on his own, alone. I'm frightened for him, but I know he's survived much worse. He really is a dragon at heart, no matter how pig headed or stubborn he can be. Single minded to a fault, that guy. Trowa and Heero are too alike, too dark and cold. Trowa I can still understand, he still has humanity left in him. He hurts too much to let it show, though. I understand that. I've always wondered what happened to him to make him like that. But Heero..." Duo trailed off and looked pleadingly at Death. She nodded."Move on. No need to stir things up." Duo looked infinitely relived."And Quatre. He's our angle. If he didn't think of all the small things, I think we would all be dead by now, even Heero. He's the only one left that has any real emotions left; he never hides his anger or his fear. He doesn't hide anything. I wish I could remember how to do that." Duo sighed softly. "They are all I have besides Shinigami. I would, - no I do, kill for them. " Duo took another sip of the rich, dark red wine. "We're only children, but none of us will ever have normal lives. None of us ever have had." Duo's eyes turned to an almost black violet with anger, then softened again. "Maybe that's another reason why I have to fight. So one day it will be normal for them."Death nodded. Another stone was placed on the table, this one a baguette cut garnet. It went at an angle to the sapphire, the same distance apart. Loyalty was what she wanted. She didn't expect such vehemence in it though. She was well pleased so far. The next questions were the two that would be telling, though."Are you afraid of dying?" Duo looked puzzled for a moment. "No. I never have been truly afraid of dying. How can I be afraid of something that I have seen so many times?" Duo shook his head. "I know what death is. Death is an end to all this hurt. You, " Duo pointed across the table to where Death sat, her head propped on one hand, " Bring a gift. It is nothing to be afraid of."Death waited for him to say more, but the American did not continue. Death shook her head. Finally Duo continued."I don't fear my own death, so long as it comes when the time is right."Death nodded. He had passed the half way mark. She placed a sphere of red bloodstone opposite the garnet. A rough half circle of stones now sat beside her now empty plate."What about your self? What will you do when the war is over?" Another testing question, but this one she was unsure of the answer to. Only her younger brother whose garden they sat in knew the answers to questions like that. And to read the pages of Destiny's book always came at a dear price, especially to one of the Endless."I'm not sure. Maybe if things work out right, I'll find a quiet place as far from everyone else as possible and build myself someplace to live. I'm not sure I really want to be near people ever again after all of this is over." Duo shrugged. Death said nothing, but took a sip from her glass of wine. "And a dog. I definitely want a dog. I've never had a pet, and I have always wanted a dog. ""Is that it? No dreams of love or fame or power?" Duo snorted. "No. I don't want anyone to know I'm still alive. They will never leave me alone if they do. As for love ... " Duo trailed off. "No, that will never happen either, not in any way that could ever be lasting."Death nodded, and was more convinced than ever that this boy was worth far more than her younger siblings realized. She placed a fifth stone on the table, a smooth disk of black opal, directly above the sapphire. Two more questions remained. But it was time for a break. Death motioned for Salvador to come to their table. "Salvador, if you would, bring two cups of that wonderful hot chocolate your chef makes. We are in need of something warm to stave off the chill of unpleasant topics."Salvador nodded and vanished into the cafŽ. Moments later he returned with two white mugs filled with dark, rich liquid. Steam rose from it, forming the shape of bird wings beating in flight as it rose.Part 8: In the Arms of Agony and EcstasyWhere the wine had been rich with smells and flavors, the hot chocolate was simplistic in its single and intensely rich chocolate flavor. Duo Maxwell took a deep sip and felt the warmth of the liquid flow slowly down his throat and fill his gut with its pleasant heat. What stiffness was left from his cold night in the cockpit of the Shinigami faded with the first drink from the white ceramic mug Salvador had brought to the table at Death's request. Death sat across from him, sipping her own mug. She was giving him a break, he realized. With two more questions left, these would surly be much harder than the first five had been. When the first of the last pair came, Duo was hardly prepared for it."Duo, up till now you have been honest with me. Be honest now as well." Death set down her mug and glanced down at the incomplete circle of gems beside her plate. "What is your greatest fear, Duo Maxwell?"His greatest fear: it was not a question Duo had expected, nor was it one he was easily prepared to answer. His mind searched through itself, back into the nightmares that haunted his nights and even days some times. There were so many nightmares. Dreams of Solo, of Father Maxwell, of the rejection of never finding a home when all the other orphans had. Dreams of the flames, the death, and the horror of his early life. Those were past pains, but still acute. And then there were the nightmares of the battles, of the death and destruction that confluxed around the pilots. The souls his scythe had sent screaming to early deaths haunted him, coming from the darkness to drag him down into pools of old blood. But none of those were the worst of his fears. The thought rose unbidden from the depths of his mind."That I will be the only one of us to survive." Duo blurted it out. Death raised an eyebrow. "It scares me. What if all the others die, and I'm the only one left. It means I couldn't protect them, that I failed." His eyes were a cold dark blue again, distant. "I will never fail to protect them. If I do, my life is forfeit; it will have no more meaning if I loose them." Death saw a shimmer of wetness in those hard eyes. "I failed the others. Solo dying before my eyes because we had been to slow to act, Father Maxwell and Sister Helen gone as well. And my real parents, gone before I even realized who they were." The tears were gone, his eyes hard with determination. Death could almost swear she saw his long, chestnut braid twitch like the tail of an angered jungle cat. "I will never fail them. I will not out live yet another family."Death smiled, and put a hand on the arm Duo was resting on the table. Her touch was warm, her skin smooth like living stone. Duo looked at her across the table, and wondered if that had been enough. Death nodded, and withdrew her hand. A roughly heart shaped piece of green blood stone completed the circle. "You have incredible strength, Duo." Far too much is expected from one so young, she thought. Am I right in what I am doing? She nods to herself thoughtfully. Her gift will only ease the boy's pain, and protect him well.Duo took another long drink from the cooling mug of hot chocolate. Its warmth filled him once more, easing away the anger and fear of loss. He sighed darkly. If Heero knew such things prowled his mind, what little respect the Wing's pilot had for him would be lost. But what agonies wandered the brain of that silent boy? Perhaps it was best not to know.Death smiled at him. "My final question is the twin to the last. It completes the circle. Duo, what brings you greatest joy?"Joy. Something Duo had not known in a long time. What was joy to him? His thoughts had been on survival too long. But there was beauty left, he remembered that. Quatre's music, his love of anything that even sounded like a violin or piano. It infuriated Heero. Duo secretly reviled in the music. Even his battered soul still had music in it. And the rare times Trowa could be convinced to play with the blond boy, Duo's heart had swelled in happiness. He never showed it, though. But that was not true joy. Then he remembered something."When I first came to earth. There was a sunset." Death looked at him with an odd smile. "It was so beautiful, so simple. Nothing damaged it, nothing was wrong with it. Untouched by anything evil or wrong. And that was the most joy I had ever felt in my life. That there was still something clean and unsoiled in the world. Something war could never touch."That was it, she thought. He is the right one. At the top of the circle she placed a brilliant cut white diamond. Coloured lines suddenly flared between the stones, forming a seven-pointed star."Duo Maxwell, you are the one. My gift to you is a special one. You are to become a scion of Death. You shall be a part of me."The circle of stones flared into brilliant life, and Duo's head filled once more with the sound of great dark wings in flight.Part 9: The Seven-Pointed StarWith the suddenness of a blink, Duo Maxwell was no longer seated at the table in the busy CafŽ of a Thousand Sighs. He was standing at the bottom of the hill where the Shinigami Gundam rested against a great basalt cliff. It was late afternoon; many hours had passed since he had left the Gundam in pursuit of that strange yellow creature. Death stood beside him, looking up at the seated form of the Gundam. Around her, the seven stones floated in a lazy circle, glowing softly with their own colours. "She is beautiful." Death said. It was her fist chance to look closely at this scythe-wielding machine that bore her name. Duo nodded. "Duo, do you understand what I wish to give you?" Duo shook his head slowly. "To be a scion of one of the Endless is to be given a small portion of that particular Endless's power. In this case, I wish to make you a scion of myself, to give you the power to send away the souls of those who die in battle with you. It means that I will no longer have to attend the battles you fight, and that those whom die around you will not linger until I can attend to them. I will also augment the interaction between you and your Gundam. Her spirit is a difficult one to tame, but I have much influence with such things. It also means that you will have some of my strength as well, and some of my other lesser powers will be at your call when you have need of them.""Such as?" Duo was fascinated by this idea Death presented him with."Death moves silently, and so will you when you wish it. I also have limited powers to see into the thoughts of mortals, and that power will be yours as well." Duo nodded. These were very useful things she was offering him. "But what do you get out of this?" It was an odd question, but he wanted to know."Two things." Death looked at him with her strange dark eyes. "I am freed of having to attend your battles, so that I may attend to other souls that wander the earth that require more of my time and energy to free. And secondly, with these powers you will survive much longer than Destiny's book says that you will. I do not wish to have to take you soon Duo. You are too important to the way things should be. Do you accept this gift, regardless that it may have consequences later on?""Yes. I accept."The glowing stones circled about Death's head, orbiting faster with every pass. Finally, they rose from their orbit about her and formed a vertical column of multi-coloured light. Duo braced himself against what ever was about to happen. The highest stone was even with the top of his head, a white hot spot of light. Death made a small gesture with her hand, and the first stone, and all the others, moved slowly towards Duo. His vision filled with brilliant light. Suddenly a searing heat bore into his body and head. Seven points of fire from the base of his spine to the front of his skull burned with a mix of pain and pleasure. "Oh, God..." Duo moaned and half fell, half slumped to his knees. His eyes closed against the fire, but it was still there when his eyelids closed. What was happening to him? His heart and gut felt like they were about to explode and implode simultaneously, his brain was on fire, and his blood felt as though it boiled. A cool, alabaster hand touched his brow, and the fire's heat slowly began to fade, as though drawn away by the hand. It was Death."Stand, Duo, but do not open your eyes yet." Slowly he stumbled back to his feet. What had she done to him? But he knew what she had done. He had been changed. The fire had faded now, but he knew things were different inside of himself. Behind his closed eyes, thousands of multi-coloured moved and danced. Souls, he realized. He could see souls."Are you ready?" Duo nodded, not trusting his voice. "Open your eyes."He opened them slowly, and the late afternoon sunlight lit a world far different from that he had ever seen before. Every living thing, from the smallest blade of grass to the greatest tree was surrounded in a golden aura of light. But it was Death that drew his attention. From every golden halo a silver thread ran connecting it to the figure of the pale girl who was Death. She was connected to every living thing. And suddenly Duo realized something. Every one of those silver threads branched in twain, and a strand led to him as well. He was connected to all of the living things around him. And he could feel them all: the pines growing slowly, their sap slow with cold, the creatures asleep in burrows beneath the snow, or in their nests in the trees, and even the bulbs hidden in the frozen soil. All called out to him, their souls alive and singing. And beyond the living ... Duo's eyes grew wide with shock. "I can feel them dying. They're calling to me." Death nodded. "They welcome the release.""Now you understand. I wish I had time to take you with me to a human passing, but I do not. You will find out soon enough though. Are you ready for the next part?""Next part?" "I said I would augment your Gundam. It will affect you however, so I suggest your brace yourself for what you are about to see."Duo nodded and braced himself better than he had before. "I'm ready."Death raised both hands and turned to face the immobile Gundam. Light flared around her silver encircled body, and traveled two snake-like paths towards the mobile suit. Something black and menacing rose from the Gundam, like a cloud of black moths. " Shinigami..." The spirit of his beloved Gundam. He knew it without thinking. So dark, and so beautiful. It glowed with the energy Death infused it with, writhing with newfound power. Death suddenly spoke to it."You who call yourself Shinigami, hear me. Child of night who lives within this shell of metal and silicon, heed your Mother." The thing screamed silently, but Death's power had it held fast. "Heed me. This child is my chosen Son, obey him as you would me. Fight not his will!" Her voice suddenly changed, and she spoke once more in a language he had never heard before but understood. It was older than human thought: the language of demons. "Black child, child of darkness who has taken my name, return to your chosen shell. Be with the will of my scion. As he is mine, you are his. OBEY!" And with that last word, the thing gave one final silent cry and vanished back into the body of the Shinigami Gundam. Death turned to him, the lines of power to the Gundam cut with the lowering of her hands. "It will obey you far better now than it ever has before. She is a strong willed one, and old. Treat her well.""Do all of the Gundam's have," he groped for the word, "demons living in them?" Death simply nodded. "All things of power have a spirit. Your Gundams are things of great power, and drew elder demons to them in their making. They are now trapped within them. " She explained no further. "Duo, it is time for you to go. But before you do, I must do one last thing. " From around her neck she took the silver ankh from around her neck, and placed its silver chain over Duo's head. Duo lifted his braid from under the chain, and settled the ankh against his chest. "Wear this into battle as you wear Father Maxwell's cross in peace. It will grant you full access to your new powers. Without it, they will be much reduced." Duo nodded. It was getting dark. It was time for Duo to leave, to face his postponed mission. "Yes, it is time for you to go. " Death hugged Duo tightly. "Be well, my new son. Let no man ever conquer you, for you are truly now the God of Death." And then she was gone.Duo sighed. It was time. He climbed back up the hill to his Gundam, and then back up into the cramped cockpit. He folded the blankets back up into the compartment, and then realized his gun was gone. What had happened to it? He saw it in his mind, slung over the chair in its holster in the cave house. A sudden weight landed in his lap. It was his gun. What power... he wondered. He put it back in its compartment as well, and began the process of powering back up the Gundam. He closed the cockpit hatch, and engaged the cloak. The engines hummed into deep life, and the mobile suit moved once more. It was time.The Shinigami rose above the valley silently, on wings like those of a great dark bird.Part 10: On the Dark Wings of DeathThe Shinigami was just under a hundred and fifty kilometers from its target, an OZ processing and research base located in the lowlands south of the American Rockies. Its pilot had put its systems into a standby mode during flight, but now it was time to begin powering up weapons systems and the complex system of hydraulics and pneumatics that drove the powerful battle capabilities of the Gundam. Duo Maxwell did all of these things by reflex. His mind was else where, on his target that was steadily growing closer. [150 kilometers and closing]Duo began decelerating the Gundam, lessening the thrust from the main engines, and raising flaps along the back and arms of the mobile suit to act as air breaks. The main reactor power was now being diverted into charging the plasma generators that drove the main weapon of the Shinigami, its deadly beam scythe. A deep growl filled the cockpit, the warm familiar sound of the hydraulics pressurizing and the pneumatic air pumps coming to life. But under that there was a new sound, a deep throbbing sound: a heart beat.[130 kilometers and closing]Duo began to feel the changes in his body and mind more acutely. Even at this distance, he could feel the call of the spot of human life in the middle of the desert. It was their time. Their souls were calling to be freed of the flesh. The aura that glowed distantly on the horizon was weak, barely visible against the night sky. It glowed a dark, bloody red, the colour of the end, not the golden shimmer of vibrant life. Death was coming for them.[110 kilometers and closing]The Gundam was now within the first ring of the base defenses, the outer limit of their radar perimeter. He was still cloaked, invisible to motion detectors, his mobile suit returning a radar shadow the size of a large bird. Past the first ring of motion sensors, past the second. It was almost time. [90 kilometers and closing]Duo touched the silver ankh that hung from his neck. The first silver threads of life were reaching out to touch him. He could see them reaching through the skin of the Shinigami, touching him, forming a silver aura. So beautiful. He was a silver star in a skin of black metal screaming through the night.[50 kilometers and closing]The weapons systems were fully charged the first pair of missiles loaded into their launchers. He would decloak in the center of the base, nearest to the research buildings that were his targets. Death would move swiftly today. None at the base would survive.[20 kilometers and closing]Duo began to laugh. Power surged through him. The spirit of the Shinigami sang great praises to its new master and hymns of old wars fought between gods in its deep voice. Soon.[Target reached]Duo simultaneously switched on the beam scythe, powered off the cloak, and turned on the sound system. Dark, cold bass vibrated through Duo's body, but he was not hearing. Red fire reached up the silver threads and filled his mind with flames. The souls were calling him, awaiting their freedom. His laughter filled the small cockpit, loud and unending. He turned himself loose on the base, and as he began to reduce the structures and their defenders to shrapnel and rubble his head filled with the rush of dark beating wings.
Duo Maxwell realized the valley was an infinitely lucky find, and for that reason the Gundam pilot was immediately suspicious of it. Luck was not something he liked to depend on, because relying on luck would eventually get you killed, and sooner rather than later. The storm had been unexpected, coming out of nowhere, its winds and driving snow forcing him to ground Shinigami or risk running too low on fuel to complete, let alone return from, the mission. Flying low over the southern Rockies as he had been was risky enough in the swirling gale, but attempting to find a safe landing site had been near impossible, his external sensors near blinded by ice and accumulating snow. But then the valley had appeared as he crested a ridge: lush pine forests blanketed in the quickly deepening snowfall, and with two huge curtains of basalt forming its walls with an overhanging cliff at their apex just topping above the forest. A perfect hiding place for a Gundam over sixteen meters tall, and the best possible shelter for waiting out the storm.With maneuvers guided more by the instincts of its pilot than any sensor data, Shinigami vanished into the gap between the pines and basalt cliff. Duo edged his Gundam under the overhang, and lowered its form to recline against the stone, like some fatigued giant resting in the shelter of the overhang. It was only then, with his Gundam safe from both observation and the storm, that he relaxed and allowed himself to think beyond the actions of flight and maneuvering.Duo leaned back in the cockpit seat and shivered. It was cold, even within the insulated cabin of Shinigami, and even in his long sleeves and pants he could feel the bite of chill in the air. He would have to do something to make himself more comfortable, he thought, and started rummaging for the emergency blankets and rations in the compartments of the cockpit. Quatre had insisted that the mobile suits be equipped with such things for ground missions, and now at least the American pilot was grateful for the Arabian boy's foresight. Finally, after much bending and twisting and rummaging, Duo located the emergency blankets - two meter wide and two meter long sheets of insulating cloth - and enough emergency rations for up to a week and a half if he ate as little as he usual did. He wrapped both blankets about his thin body to keep himself warm, one around his legs and the other about his shoulders, then sat back and began a check of all the Shinigami's systems and consoles to occupy himself and to keep moving.The cockpit of the mobile suit was unmistakably his to any eye, having been remade and decorated by Duo during his time with the suit. Systems and gages most important in a battle had been shifted to be central to the cockpit, while auto-pilot and communications were to the sides. Embedded into the left hand cockpit wall were the controls of a customized sound system Duo had installed early on in his partnership with his Gundam, a small concession to his enjoyment of music during battles. From a small eye bolt in the back wall hung a modest gold cross on a thin chain, safer on this rest than around his neck during battle, and beside it engraved into the wall with a mettle etcher was The Lord's Prayer in Latin, his memorial to Father Maxwell. Other things were etched into the cockpit walls, small symbols of death from hundreds of cultures and languages intermixed with just as many symbols of life, all scattered randomly about the consoles and walls. While on the outside he joined in the other's jeering of how his fellow pilot Wufei worshiped his Gundam, Duo too knew that the power of these machines was something close to that of the gods. After all, he was the God of Death.He ran out of systems to check as the chronometer reached four hundred hours local time. It was nearing the end of the night's darkness, and almost time for him to sleep if he was to finish the now delayed mission under the cover of tomorrow night's darkness. He dared not contact the others, though they would worry when they heard no news of his attack on the desert installation south of these mountains tomorrow, but not revealing his location was safest. Besides, if any news of his mission had leaked to OZ, he would be unexpected a night late. Better to sleep though the day, and bring death a little later than expected. He grinned at the thought and turned on the final ring of proximity alarms that would alert him of any enemy that might approach during the day. Finally, he rolled over on his side in the pilot's seat, wrapped his long braid over his shoulder to keep it out of the way as he slept, and closed his eyes. Sleep came swiftly, with peaceful dreams that seemed to be filled with the sounds of thousands of birds in flight.Part 2: All On a Golden AfternoonIt was warmth, not alarms nor shouts nor explosions that woke Duo Maxwell, and the change of pace was so wonderful to the pilot of the black and white Gundam that he thought just for a moment he might still be dreaming. He had not frozen to death during the night, nor had anything triggered or even prodded his proximity alarms. He was stiff from sleeping curled in the padded but still uncomfortable flight chair, but no worse for wear beyond that and the inevitable tangles in his hair. The latter he could do nothing about until he completed the mission and returned, but the former he could defiantly do something about. With a few swift movements, he unlocked the cockpit hatch mechanism, and then grabbed the manual hatch lever and threw his weight against it, opening the hatch with a whine cold of hydraulics and a blast of fresh, chill mountain air.Duo paused to survey the area before clambering down from the Gundam's cockpit. The forest floor was covered in about a half foot of snow, an unbroken crust that sparkled in the early afternoon sunlight. It was warm enough that the snow had already begun to melt, falling from the high branches of the pines in great clumps, and ice melted with the steady drip of a leaky faucet. At this rate the snow would be all but gone by early evening, enabling a safe nights flight out of the mountains and into the desert to the south. And though the area seemed safe enough to Duo, he knew he had let Heero's constant paranoia rub off on him. He still grabbed the pistol he kept in the compartment beneath the flight chair of the Shinigami, and slung its shoulder holster over his right shoulder before lowering himself to the snowy ground below.The snow was a soft slush, far along its way to becoming rocky mud, and Duo was glad he had had foresight enough to wear heavy boots instead of his usual lighter footwear. The air was quiet, an icy breeze tugging at the boy's clothing and hair, with little sound but the wind in the trees and the sounds of the snow melt. Walking a few paces away from where the Shinigami reclined against the basalt cliffs like a sleeping giant, the American pilot enjoyed the brisk air and open spaces. He stretched and worked the soreness from his arms and legs, glad to be standing and walking rather than cramped in the flight chair of the cockpit of his Gundam for any more hours than necessary. He was standing on a small ridge down slope from his mobile suit, half way between the forest's edge and the rock wall that framed the valley, and thinking that he should soon return to the suit else the cold would begin to get to him more so that it already was. As he turned towards the Gundam, a sudden shrill sound like a mix between a dog's bark and a bird's squawk startled him. He turned back just in time to see a yellow shape the size of a house cat bound back behind a pine at the edge of the forest.What in the hell, thought Duo. He knew of nothing that size or shape in these mountains, and his curiosity was definitely about to get the better of him as he started down the slope towards were he had last seen the thing disappear. Heero would kill me for doing this, he thought, but shrugged it off thinking, I've still got six good hours still it starts to get dark, and there is no real way I can get lost here.He reached the tree the thing had disappeared behind, and slowly looked around it. Two beady black eyes stared up at him from a beaked reptilian face attached to a cat sized body, then the creature loudly squawked at him, startling him so badly he fell backwards into the snow with a loud cry of pain and surprise. The yellow creature bounded from out behind the tree to a spot about thirty feet away from the now infuriated pilot, sat down, and squawked again. Duo growled, and sprang to his feet, intent now on catching the creature, if for no other reason than to assuage his wounded pride. As he started after the creature it squawked again, and bounded off into the woods, just fast enough to keep the boy out of pouncing distance. It dodged between trees, over rocks, leading Duo on a wild chase through the woods, circling several times back over their tracks, then suddenly making a bee line through across the valley, and diving through a thicket of briars. Still in pursuit, Duo braved the brambles, determination forming a smirk on his face close to the one he wore in battle. He batted aside briars, cursing loudly as they scratched at his face and hands and caught on his braid, but never turned from the strait path the little yellow thing had made through the thicket. At last the briars parted, and for a moment Duo feared he had lost the creature due to the time it had taken for him to pass through the brambles. But as he scanned the clearing beyond, the little golden creature was plainly visible, sitting licking a paw ten feet from the edge of the brush, ignoring Duo with an air that would make a cat proud."I've got you now, you golden baka!" Duo grinned with malice at the seemingly oblivious creature and made a running dive for it. He hit the cold ground hard, his vision blacked out for a moment, and the yellow creature's loud squawk sounded almost mocking and it leaped into the air out of the Gundam pilot's way and hovered a few feet away on tiny wings. Duo clenched his teeth and put a hand to his head in pain and frustration. That's it, he thought to himself, as soon as I get up that thing is plasma scythe bait. Before he could bring himself further up than hands and knees, he heard the sound of a door creak open and footsteps."Goldie! You've done enough. Go back to Able, he's looking for you."The creature squawked, and with the sound of a flurry of tinny wings, was gone.Part 3: Tea for Two, Gone ColdDuo Maxwell found himself looking up into a pair of eyes the colour of the body section of his mobile suit had been when new, a deep gloss black that sparkled with a cool life. For a moment, all he could bring into focus in his shocked mind were those eyes. His tunnel vision lessened, and the person attached to those eyes finally came into focus. She was shorter than he was, slender, with unbelievably pale skin. Her hair was a wild frizz of jet black, framing a small, round face that was girlish yet mature beyond its years. And she was dressed in black: a turtleneck and jeans, with heavy, thick-soled boots."I'm sorry, Goldie wasn't supposed to lead you through all of that to bring you here. Are you alright?"Still too stunned to answer, he nodded. She smiled, and extended a hand to help him up. Its fingers were long, delicately boned, and with iridescent nails immaculately cared for. They look like Quatre's hands, Duo thought distantly."It's a hand, not a dragon. It won't hurt you. Come on, you stay there much longer and the snow will soak you even further."Dumbly he nodded and allowed himself to be helped to his feet. His head started to clear once he was on his feet, and he had since enough to take in his surroundings. The clearing was a small horseshoe formed by the thicket he had plowed through earlier, butted to a tumble of rocks that formed a rough a-frame. The cave formed by this had been boarded off, and a small doorframe fitted into it, making the cave into a small hole like house. The door was open, that was were this strange and unexpected person had come from, he realized. "Who are you?" he asked, beginning to have enough wits about him to be suspicious of a lone girl in the middle of nowhere."You can call me Didi till you get to know me better. It's easier than my real name." She smiled. "And you're Duo Maxwell.""How did you know that?" His suspicion of her grew immediately. How did she know who he was? Was she an OZ agent or some other enemy out to capture him or his Gundam? "No, I don't mean you any harm. Calm down." She looked exasperated. "Lets go inside, it's cold out here and I've got tea on. I was expecting you." With that she turned and walked towards the door, down a set of stairs and inside."Are you coming?"Duo shrugged. She didn't seem like a threat, and he was curious. Curious, but still cautious. He followed her inside, hand inches from his pistol in its shoulder holster, expecting an ambush at any moment.The only thing that ambushed him was a blast of warm, earthy smelling air, and the smells of cooking food. Didi was over beside an old cast iron stove in a corner, checking a teapot and a large pot that bubbled like a witch's brew."Close that door!" She snapped, and he obeyed without thinking. "Go clean up, the tea is almost ready." He looked dumbly at her back. "Behind the curtain, there's a bowl of clean water and some antiseptic for those scratches. We'll talk once you're clean and the tea is done. I absolutely refuse to have a conversation like this without good tea."The pilot of the Shinigami Gundam shrugged. Best to play along, he thought, she probably is some crazy mountain hermit or a refugee from some town. He walked to the back of the small stone and dirt house to where a curtain had been hung to block off a corner, granting some privacy. A metal tub of clear water, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a bag of cotton balls waited on a metal and pressboard card table. As he washed the grime from his hands and face in the cold water (obviously snow melt, he thought to himself) he mulled over the situation. None of this made any sense. How did she know who he was, if she was some hermit or refugee, and more importantly, what did she mean she had been expecting him? The only thing he could do was humor her, and find out what was going on. He cleaned the numerous briar thorn slashes on his face and hands with the alcohol, and picked the twigs and brambles out of his braid. Cleaned and almost human looking once again, Duo walked back around the curtain and found Didi carefully pouring tea from the kettle into a pair of very fine white teacups with matching saucers. Each rested on opposite ends of a second card table that Duo could swear had not been there before. Two old, wooden chairs were at the table, and after placing the kettle back on the old stove, Didi took one of them. Duo, following her lead, took the other."Ok, now, to answer your question. I know you because I know everybody." Duo looked suspicious and started to question but she held up a finger, took a sip of tea, and continued. "I arranged with one of my brothers to bring you here, so I could find out just what sort of person you are. It's very irregular what I'm doing, I had to call in several special favors to get you here now.""So you're not with OZ or the Alliance?" the Gundam pilot managed to ask, rather lamely."Oh, heavens no!" She giggled. And then as if reading his mind: "And I'm not some mountain hermit or refugee."Recovering quickly, Duo asked " So the who are you?"She smiled playfully. "Are you sure you want to know?"The Shinigami's pilot was unprepared for the response, then glowed. "I think I have a right to know who you are, since your pet or whatever the hell that was let me across hell and brambles to bring me here."Her smile vanished. "I did a lot more than use poor Goldie to bring you here, Duo." She frowned. "As to who I am," she reached to her neck and pulled a silver ankh from the neck of her shirt, "This is my signal. I am Death."And Duo's head filled with the sound of thousands of great wings.Part 4: Dialogue of a Misanthrope with His Soul"You're what?" For a moment Duo Maxwell was convinced he had not heard what the girl had said correctly. What she said next convinced him of two things: he had heard her right, and that she was absolutely insane."Metaphorical personification of Death, to be correct." She looked as though she expected his reaction. "I know what you're thinking. I'm insane, that I've been living out here on my own too long. In fact, I got here about twenty minutes before Goldie brought you here."The American pilot stared at her. His mind was racing though the logic of what she was saying, trying to figure out if she was totally insane, or simply partly. She laughed."In my experience, I've found the only way to convince you mortals of my true nature is to show you my a flashy little sample of what I can to." She lunged across the table and grabbed Duo's braid from where it lay across his right shoulder, faster than the boy could dodge."Hey what are you -" Thousands and thousands of beating wings, in a myriad of colours"Doing!" Duo stopped, realized he was about a hundred meters from the valley floor, still seated in his chair that was with him. The girl who had called herself Didi was standing beside him, still holding onto his braid with one delicate hand. The pilot of the Shinigami froze, not even breathing, waiting to being to fall. He didn't. The girl smiled at him."Ok now that we are past that stumbling block. Are you willing to accept that I'm at least a fairly powerful being of some sort?" Duo nodded wanly. "Good. You seemed like the open minded sort." Fluttering, leaves falling, dying butterfliesShe tugged on his braid and he yelped in shock more than pain. The girl who called herself Death let go of the boy's braid and dropped back down into her chair. They were back inside the house, as though they had never left. Duo started breathing again. His heart was racing almost as fast as his thoughts. My God, what is she? Is she really Death?"Of course I am. That's what I just said." She was reading his mind, a very easy task for her."If you're death, what do you want with me? Its not..." Oh gods, not now, he thought, please, not when the battles are just starting to mean something. Had he died in the Shinigami last night, his frozen corpse still in the flight chair? His mind raced until she spoke."No. It's not the time for you yet. Not for a long time yet, by your mortal standards." She smiled. "What I want is to truly get to know you, the boy who has been calling himself by one of my older names. I'm curious." She smiled again, a warm smile even with her cold blue white skin and dark lips."Ok, let me get this strait," it was all he could do to make a logical train of thought "You're Death. You aren't here to take my soul; you're here to get to know me? And if you're Death, where's your scythe and your robe, and why do you even have skin?" Her reaction was not what he expected.She broke into a bubbly girlish laugh, like small golden bells ringing. She laughed, to Duo's puzzlement and almost annoyance, for a good five minutes, then finally managed to interrupt herself enough to answer his questions."You've got it right. All I want is to get to know you, to see if you are disserving of being my namesake. As to why I'm not -" She started laughing again, then calmed, " the grim reaper you were expecting, that's simple. My form is dependant on what I want people to see, and this is my most customary form to me. I hate those scary representations people have come up with, gives me such a bad reputation."It was Duo's turn to laugh. The though of Death being concerned about her reputation was more than his sense of humor could stand. She looked at him, and joined in his laughter. At last they both calmed their laughter, and smiled across the table."Ok, I think I've managed to wrap my brain around all of this." Duo said, looking at Didi - no, Death, he corrected himself mentally, " Oddly enough I can accept that your death. It makes a lot more sense to me than anything else I can think of. ""That's good. It's always so hard to get to know someone when they think your crazy." She smiled. "So far I like you Duo Maxwell. " She smiled. " But if I'm to get to know you better, I need to be honest with you. There is a lot more than my own curiosity in play here.""Ok." Duo had regained footing fast in the wake of the unusual; he was a Gundam pilot he had to be flexible in the face of adversity. "My family has paid a lot of attention to you and your friends. " Duo started to inquire about her family but she raised a hand to stop him. " No, I'll explain that later. Let me finish." Duo nodded and backed down. " I have been watching you, and those others of my family that care to have picked their favorites of your little motley lot. We have come to an agreement; those of us that wish to can offer one of you a boon. I decided to talk to you, to find out if you are really worthy of what I wish to offer. I have never been one to give gifts, thus I don't give them lightly when I do." She paused. "So that's the short and long of why you're here. You have a choice, Duo Maxwell. You can say your not interested in this, leave this valley this evening, and never see me again until the day I come for you; or you can answer my questions, and if I think your worthy, I'll grant you my gift."Duo sat for a moment, and then looked down into his untouched and now disgustingly cold cup of tea. He really knew better than to think he had a choice, but it was a respectful thing for her to do, he thought. He knew what he was going to do. The boy looked up with his trademark smirk of self-assuredness, his violet blue eyes sparkling." I'll answer your questions," he said."Good." She stood, and motioned him to do the same with an outstretched hand. " I have arranged a place for us to talk, more comfortable than this. Come. "Duo took her pale, delicate hand, and he was surrounded by the blanketing sounds of thousands of dark, beating wings.Part 5: In the Garden of Forking WaysAn old, deep red sun hung low in the gray blue sky, casting strange red shadows across the dirt path and strange and well-manicured blue green grass from the shaped shrubs and hedges. The air was rife with the smells of wet soil and fresh sap, with a chill wind that did not touch the strange trees, nor rustle the topiary leaves. "Where are we?" Duo Maxwell asked, knowing well and good that he would not like the answer."We are in the Garden of Forking Ways, the domain of my younger brother, Destiny. This is a place far from your world, perhaps not even in your universe. Not even I am sure where it is exactly." Death did not smile, but looked around as if finding her bearings. She nodded suddenly, and led Duo down the small dirt garden path. A few minutes into their walk, having past numerous intersections in the path, all marked by strange, often horrific topiaries, Death led the Gundam pilot down the left-hand fork of an intersection. Finally, Duo got up the nerve to ask a question that had been working its way through the American pilot's brain. "You keep talking about your family, and just now you mentioned your younger brother. I never knew anything about Death having family... its not something you tend to think of." He looked over at the walking figure of Death, and at first thought she hadn't heard him. She looked over at him, continuing her brisk pace. " My family are the Endless. We're the things in the universe that are the primary forces of life. " Duo nodded. " I am the eldest, and the most powerful according to most sources." She grinned at him. Duo suppressed a smirk. "Destiny, whose domain we are in now, is the next after myself. He is a stoic one, not given to favorites. But seeing your fates as he turns the pages of his great book, he does find sympathy with the young dragon Wufei, though not even I am sure why. Then there is Dream, who is my favorite younger brother and closest to me. He favors your friend Trowa quite a bit, as I understand. Then there are the twins, Despair and Desire, the forces of the heart. Both are very fond of the boy you know as Heero Yui, though I doubt Desire's intentions are for his best intrest. " It was all Duo could do to keep from bursting into a giggle. "Destruction left us long ago, you humans are far to good at his job, and thus he went to wander the universe. He would have loved all of you though, of that I'm sure. And then there is our youngest sibling, Delirium. Such a dear, she is, and very fond of your Quatre's music. I suppose he reminds her when she was the essence of human delight. " Duo smiled at that last statement, and nodded to her. "Do all of you have places like this?" He made a sweeping gesture to include the whole of the garden. Death nodded. "Yes, we do. Though I have not been to my own in many years. Death rarely has time for rest such as the others do." She was no more forthcoming with information than that."So where are we going? You said some place to talk, but I haven't seen anything but grass and those strange bushes since we got here." Duo was also starting to feel the first pangs of hunger, having not eaten since leaving on his mission the day before, but was not about to press the issue."Its not to far now. We are going to a place that is a symbolic representation of a type of place that seems to be eternally linked to the way human destiny is determined." Duo looked at her blankly. Death pointed down the path, where a small, low building sat beside the path. "The CafŽ of a Thousand Sighs. It has been known by thousands of other names, but that is its oldest. It is a space is linked with all cafŽ's and other such places in the universe at all times. It's probably the most comfortable place in all of time and space, or at least in my opinion it is. "As they approached the CafŽ of a Thousand Sighs, it resolved itself to be a typical sidewalk cafŽ, with a stripped canopy and sidewalk tables. People moved about the tables, some arriving from thin air, some vanishing back into the same, and many more simply sitting and talking with others, or simply sitting alone. They reached the waist high wrought iron fence that formed the boundary of the open-air cafŽ after walking a few more minutes. A tall, thin man in a long tailed tux and a wicked handlebar mustache, stood by the gate, a cloth draped over one arm and the other holding a pair of menus greeted them with a nod."Lady Death, your usual table is prepared and waiting. " He bowed stiffly at the waist towards Death. "Thank you, Salvador." Death smiled, and then to Duo, "He's such a dear."They followed Salvador to a table near the back of the cafŽ; two decorative iron chairs were at the small table with a white tablecloth and settings for two. They each took a chair, and Salvador laid out a menu for each, and set a small card with the wine list between them."I will give your Ladyship and her companion a moment to decide, and return shortly." Salvador gave another of his stiff bows and walked off towards a table were a man and woman were arguing loudly."I imagine you're quite hungry. Do you like fish?" Death was pondering over the wine list but ignoring the menu. Duo nodded. "Then I'd recommend the number four under breakfast." Duo scanned the menu, and found it. Scrambled egg whites with lox and onions; it sounded wonderful. Duo's stomach gave a loud and embarrassing gurgle. Death giggled. "I thought you were 'master of stealth'." Duo smirked at her. The more he was around her the more comfortable he became. She was like an ordinary girl, but nicer and easier to talk with. Hard to think of her as Death, he thought. Salvador returned, and took their orders. Duo ordered what she had suggested, while Death ordered a plate of fresh fruit. She also ordered two glasses of a wine Duo did not recognize, but that was not shocking to him, since he had always relied on either Quatre or Trowa to be the gourmets. "So, any more questions before the food comes and it's my turn to start asking questions?" Death leaned on her elbows, and rested her head on a hand.Duo fidgeted and tucked his braid over his shoulder in a nervous gesture. "Yeah, I guess I do have one more.""Shoot.""Umm, if you're here, are people still dying in the world, or did it all stop while you're away?""A legitimate question, and a good one. Death does not stop when I am not on the move. I don't attend every death in person, only those important to the universe. Those that are difficult, or of people who have shaped the world and are reluctant to leave it. I have been at the deaths of kings and queans, and at the deaths of nameless children. Usually a soul can leave on its own, but sometimes I am still needed. I'm also present at great numbers of deaths; I have been at most of your battles. I have arranged it so that none of these things that would call me away are happening right now. Death, "she finished with a smirk, "is taking a holiday.""Ok, that makes sense." Duo nodded. Their food came shortly after, two plates larger than Duo was seldom use to seeing, both brimming with food. Salvador set them down carefully, followed by the glasses of wine. It was a dark red wine, the colour of fresh blood, with a very sweet smell that filled the nose and made Duo light headed and made him think of the flapping of a swarm of billions of rainbow coloured butterflies."Now, it is my turn to ask the questions."Part 6: Salmon, Eggs, Wine, and Seven Questions in a CircleDuo Maxwell spent a moment simply savoring the smell of breakfast, letting the smell waft up to his nose. It was a thing he was unaccustomed to, having learned to subsist on coffee and the light fare he was able to scrounge or purchase from locals. He took a bite. She had been right, it was delicious. Death allowed him a moment to eat some of his food, ate some of the fruit on her own plate, and then took a small sip of the wine. Her brother's vineyards always produced wonderful wines, and this was no exception. It was time to begin what she had brought this mortal to her to do: the Seven Questions. As they ate she explained the format to him: seven questions to probe his true intentions and relations to those around him. He must answer the questions fully, and truthfully, no matter what. Anything he would try to hide, she would know. If she decided she liked his answers, she would grant him the boon she had chosen to grant. Duo accepted, he had nothing to loose. Death took another small sip of her wine, and prepared her first question."Why are you fighting this war?" It was the sort of question Duo expected one he had thought about many times. He would give her the answer he gave himself. "Because I don't want any more innocents to die, and because too many people are suffering and dying at the hands of tyrants. If I fight, others don't have to. " Death nodded. "You still haven't answered the first question fully. Why are you fighting this war?"Duo looked puzzled. What did she want as an answer, he wondered. He tried again. "Ok, so maybe that's not all of it." He pondered, his hand straying to his neck where the golden cross usually hung. He realized it was still in the cockpit of Shinigami, still hanging from its eyebolt. Death nodded slightly. "For revenge... " The words were almost a whisper. "They took so many innocent lives. All those people dead because they were poor, and all those helpless people in the church." Duo's fist clenched. The pain of that had never dulled. He would never forget, nor ever forgive. Death's dark eyes were focused on him, two black mirrors with dark flames burning behind them. He saw the burning shape of the church, the great gouts of flame. He shivered. "If I fight one day there will be peace. If I don't, who knows how many more times things like that will happen."Death nodded again, and took another sip of the dark wine. The answer had been enough for her. She picked up a strawberry, and nibbled on it. Revenge was a just motive, she thought, revenge for such wrongs was allowed. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a small, smooth pebble of obsidian and laid it on the table beside her plate. The next question was more personal, and would be much harder. Duo looked at the stone quizzically, and wondered what it meant. "You've pasted the first question well enough. My next question is probably one you expect. Why name yourself for my Shinto name?"Another question Duo had expected. His fellow pilots thought of him as either egotistical or simply insane in his choice of the name. He nodded. "It wasn't me that picked the name. It came to me the first time I sat in the cockpit of my Gundam. It has a name, it is Shinigami." He paused. "No, that's wrong. She is Shinigami. Its not just some machine, it has a personality."Death interrupted. "But why call yourself after her then?"Duo shook his head. "The only god I have ever seen in action is well, you. Paired with my Gundam, I had a power I never had known. I brought death wherever I went with her. I was Death." Duo thought about what he had just said. "Though not nearly as good looking as you.""Flattery will get you everywhere." She smirked. "So is that all there is to it?"Duo shrugged. "Yeah. That's all."Short, but he wasn't hiding anything. Was this boy's world so filled with pain he saw nothing but her work? Death shook her head sadly. She of all of the Endless understood the plight of mankind the best. It filled her with sorrow. Another gem joined the first on the table, about an inch to the right beside it: a dark blue tear cut sapphire. What was she doing, Duo wondered."Duo, your eggs are getting cold." She smiled at him warmly. "Best eat some more while I think some things over."Duo complied turning back to his eggs, onions and salmon, and even had a small sip of the dark red wine. It was a mind-numbing flavor, like the smell of iris blossoms and rose buds mixed with the feel of a spring thunderstorm. His head felt filled with the sounds of wind, and night birds wings beating through the darkness.Part 7: A Kingdom of EndsDuo Maxwell chased the last bits of salmon and egg about his plate with a fork. Death sat in silence across from him, eating the last slice of orange from her plate of fresh fruit. She had not spoken since reminding him of his breakfast. She had asked him two questions; there were five more to go. "Are you ready to continue?" She asked. Duo nodded, not willing to talk around his last bite. "Your fellow pilots, tell me how you feel about them. What do they mean to you?""Though I may not like all of them, may not get along with or understand some of them, they are my brothers. And I love them as such." Duo shrugged. "Wufei is off on his own, alone. I'm frightened for him, but I know he's survived much worse. He really is a dragon at heart, no matter how pig headed or stubborn he can be. Single minded to a fault, that guy. Trowa and Heero are too alike, too dark and cold. Trowa I can still understand, he still has humanity left in him. He hurts too much to let it show, though. I understand that. I've always wondered what happened to him to make him like that. But Heero..." Duo trailed off and looked pleadingly at Death. She nodded."Move on. No need to stir things up." Duo looked infinitely relived."And Quatre. He's our angle. If he didn't think of all the small things, I think we would all be dead by now, even Heero. He's the only one left that has any real emotions left; he never hides his anger or his fear. He doesn't hide anything. I wish I could remember how to do that." Duo sighed softly. "They are all I have besides Shinigami. I would, - no I do, kill for them. " Duo took another sip of the rich, dark red wine. "We're only children, but none of us will ever have normal lives. None of us ever have had." Duo's eyes turned to an almost black violet with anger, then softened again. "Maybe that's another reason why I have to fight. So one day it will be normal for them."Death nodded. Another stone was placed on the table, this one a baguette cut garnet. It went at an angle to the sapphire, the same distance apart. Loyalty was what she wanted. She didn't expect such vehemence in it though. She was well pleased so far. The next questions were the two that would be telling, though."Are you afraid of dying?" Duo looked puzzled for a moment. "No. I never have been truly afraid of dying. How can I be afraid of something that I have seen so many times?" Duo shook his head. "I know what death is. Death is an end to all this hurt. You, " Duo pointed across the table to where Death sat, her head propped on one hand, " Bring a gift. It is nothing to be afraid of."Death waited for him to say more, but the American did not continue. Death shook her head. Finally Duo continued."I don't fear my own death, so long as it comes when the time is right."Death nodded. He had passed the half way mark. She placed a sphere of red bloodstone opposite the garnet. A rough half circle of stones now sat beside her now empty plate."What about your self? What will you do when the war is over?" Another testing question, but this one she was unsure of the answer to. Only her younger brother whose garden they sat in knew the answers to questions like that. And to read the pages of Destiny's book always came at a dear price, especially to one of the Endless."I'm not sure. Maybe if things work out right, I'll find a quiet place as far from everyone else as possible and build myself someplace to live. I'm not sure I really want to be near people ever again after all of this is over." Duo shrugged. Death said nothing, but took a sip from her glass of wine. "And a dog. I definitely want a dog. I've never had a pet, and I have always wanted a dog. ""Is that it? No dreams of love or fame or power?" Duo snorted. "No. I don't want anyone to know I'm still alive. They will never leave me alone if they do. As for love ... " Duo trailed off. "No, that will never happen either, not in any way that could ever be lasting."Death nodded, and was more convinced than ever that this boy was worth far more than her younger siblings realized. She placed a fifth stone on the table, a smooth disk of black opal, directly above the sapphire. Two more questions remained. But it was time for a break. Death motioned for Salvador to come to their table. "Salvador, if you would, bring two cups of that wonderful hot chocolate your chef makes. We are in need of something warm to stave off the chill of unpleasant topics."Salvador nodded and vanished into the cafŽ. Moments later he returned with two white mugs filled with dark, rich liquid. Steam rose from it, forming the shape of bird wings beating in flight as it rose.Part 8: In the Arms of Agony and EcstasyWhere the wine had been rich with smells and flavors, the hot chocolate was simplistic in its single and intensely rich chocolate flavor. Duo Maxwell took a deep sip and felt the warmth of the liquid flow slowly down his throat and fill his gut with its pleasant heat. What stiffness was left from his cold night in the cockpit of the Shinigami faded with the first drink from the white ceramic mug Salvador had brought to the table at Death's request. Death sat across from him, sipping her own mug. She was giving him a break, he realized. With two more questions left, these would surly be much harder than the first five had been. When the first of the last pair came, Duo was hardly prepared for it."Duo, up till now you have been honest with me. Be honest now as well." Death set down her mug and glanced down at the incomplete circle of gems beside her plate. "What is your greatest fear, Duo Maxwell?"His greatest fear: it was not a question Duo had expected, nor was it one he was easily prepared to answer. His mind searched through itself, back into the nightmares that haunted his nights and even days some times. There were so many nightmares. Dreams of Solo, of Father Maxwell, of the rejection of never finding a home when all the other orphans had. Dreams of the flames, the death, and the horror of his early life. Those were past pains, but still acute. And then there were the nightmares of the battles, of the death and destruction that confluxed around the pilots. The souls his scythe had sent screaming to early deaths haunted him, coming from the darkness to drag him down into pools of old blood. But none of those were the worst of his fears. The thought rose unbidden from the depths of his mind."That I will be the only one of us to survive." Duo blurted it out. Death raised an eyebrow. "It scares me. What if all the others die, and I'm the only one left. It means I couldn't protect them, that I failed." His eyes were a cold dark blue again, distant. "I will never fail to protect them. If I do, my life is forfeit; it will have no more meaning if I loose them." Death saw a shimmer of wetness in those hard eyes. "I failed the others. Solo dying before my eyes because we had been to slow to act, Father Maxwell and Sister Helen gone as well. And my real parents, gone before I even realized who they were." The tears were gone, his eyes hard with determination. Death could almost swear she saw his long, chestnut braid twitch like the tail of an angered jungle cat. "I will never fail them. I will not out live yet another family."Death smiled, and put a hand on the arm Duo was resting on the table. Her touch was warm, her skin smooth like living stone. Duo looked at her across the table, and wondered if that had been enough. Death nodded, and withdrew her hand. A roughly heart shaped piece of green blood stone completed the circle. "You have incredible strength, Duo." Far too much is expected from one so young, she thought. Am I right in what I am doing? She nods to herself thoughtfully. Her gift will only ease the boy's pain, and protect him well.Duo took another long drink from the cooling mug of hot chocolate. Its warmth filled him once more, easing away the anger and fear of loss. He sighed darkly. If Heero knew such things prowled his mind, what little respect the Wing's pilot had for him would be lost. But what agonies wandered the brain of that silent boy? Perhaps it was best not to know.Death smiled at him. "My final question is the twin to the last. It completes the circle. Duo, what brings you greatest joy?"Joy. Something Duo had not known in a long time. What was joy to him? His thoughts had been on survival too long. But there was beauty left, he remembered that. Quatre's music, his love of anything that even sounded like a violin or piano. It infuriated Heero. Duo secretly reviled in the music. Even his battered soul still had music in it. And the rare times Trowa could be convinced to play with the blond boy, Duo's heart had swelled in happiness. He never showed it, though. But that was not true joy. Then he remembered something."When I first came to earth. There was a sunset." Death looked at him with an odd smile. "It was so beautiful, so simple. Nothing damaged it, nothing was wrong with it. Untouched by anything evil or wrong. And that was the most joy I had ever felt in my life. That there was still something clean and unsoiled in the world. Something war could never touch."That was it, she thought. He is the right one. At the top of the circle she placed a brilliant cut white diamond. Coloured lines suddenly flared between the stones, forming a seven-pointed star."Duo Maxwell, you are the one. My gift to you is a special one. You are to become a scion of Death. You shall be a part of me."The circle of stones flared into brilliant life, and Duo's head filled once more with the sound of great dark wings in flight.Part 9: The Seven-Pointed StarWith the suddenness of a blink, Duo Maxwell was no longer seated at the table in the busy CafŽ of a Thousand Sighs. He was standing at the bottom of the hill where the Shinigami Gundam rested against a great basalt cliff. It was late afternoon; many hours had passed since he had left the Gundam in pursuit of that strange yellow creature. Death stood beside him, looking up at the seated form of the Gundam. Around her, the seven stones floated in a lazy circle, glowing softly with their own colours. "She is beautiful." Death said. It was her fist chance to look closely at this scythe-wielding machine that bore her name. Duo nodded. "Duo, do you understand what I wish to give you?" Duo shook his head slowly. "To be a scion of one of the Endless is to be given a small portion of that particular Endless's power. In this case, I wish to make you a scion of myself, to give you the power to send away the souls of those who die in battle with you. It means that I will no longer have to attend the battles you fight, and that those whom die around you will not linger until I can attend to them. I will also augment the interaction between you and your Gundam. Her spirit is a difficult one to tame, but I have much influence with such things. It also means that you will have some of my strength as well, and some of my other lesser powers will be at your call when you have need of them.""Such as?" Duo was fascinated by this idea Death presented him with."Death moves silently, and so will you when you wish it. I also have limited powers to see into the thoughts of mortals, and that power will be yours as well." Duo nodded. These were very useful things she was offering him. "But what do you get out of this?" It was an odd question, but he wanted to know."Two things." Death looked at him with her strange dark eyes. "I am freed of having to attend your battles, so that I may attend to other souls that wander the earth that require more of my time and energy to free. And secondly, with these powers you will survive much longer than Destiny's book says that you will. I do not wish to have to take you soon Duo. You are too important to the way things should be. Do you accept this gift, regardless that it may have consequences later on?""Yes. I accept."The glowing stones circled about Death's head, orbiting faster with every pass. Finally, they rose from their orbit about her and formed a vertical column of multi-coloured light. Duo braced himself against what ever was about to happen. The highest stone was even with the top of his head, a white hot spot of light. Death made a small gesture with her hand, and the first stone, and all the others, moved slowly towards Duo. His vision filled with brilliant light. Suddenly a searing heat bore into his body and head. Seven points of fire from the base of his spine to the front of his skull burned with a mix of pain and pleasure. "Oh, God..." Duo moaned and half fell, half slumped to his knees. His eyes closed against the fire, but it was still there when his eyelids closed. What was happening to him? His heart and gut felt like they were about to explode and implode simultaneously, his brain was on fire, and his blood felt as though it boiled. A cool, alabaster hand touched his brow, and the fire's heat slowly began to fade, as though drawn away by the hand. It was Death."Stand, Duo, but do not open your eyes yet." Slowly he stumbled back to his feet. What had she done to him? But he knew what she had done. He had been changed. The fire had faded now, but he knew things were different inside of himself. Behind his closed eyes, thousands of multi-coloured moved and danced. Souls, he realized. He could see souls."Are you ready?" Duo nodded, not trusting his voice. "Open your eyes."He opened them slowly, and the late afternoon sunlight lit a world far different from that he had ever seen before. Every living thing, from the smallest blade of grass to the greatest tree was surrounded in a golden aura of light. But it was Death that drew his attention. From every golden halo a silver thread ran connecting it to the figure of the pale girl who was Death. She was connected to every living thing. And suddenly Duo realized something. Every one of those silver threads branched in twain, and a strand led to him as well. He was connected to all of the living things around him. And he could feel them all: the pines growing slowly, their sap slow with cold, the creatures asleep in burrows beneath the snow, or in their nests in the trees, and even the bulbs hidden in the frozen soil. All called out to him, their souls alive and singing. And beyond the living ... Duo's eyes grew wide with shock. "I can feel them dying. They're calling to me." Death nodded. "They welcome the release.""Now you understand. I wish I had time to take you with me to a human passing, but I do not. You will find out soon enough though. Are you ready for the next part?""Next part?" "I said I would augment your Gundam. It will affect you however, so I suggest your brace yourself for what you are about to see."Duo nodded and braced himself better than he had before. "I'm ready."Death raised both hands and turned to face the immobile Gundam. Light flared around her silver encircled body, and traveled two snake-like paths towards the mobile suit. Something black and menacing rose from the Gundam, like a cloud of black moths. " Shinigami..." The spirit of his beloved Gundam. He knew it without thinking. So dark, and so beautiful. It glowed with the energy Death infused it with, writhing with newfound power. Death suddenly spoke to it."You who call yourself Shinigami, hear me. Child of night who lives within this shell of metal and silicon, heed your Mother." The thing screamed silently, but Death's power had it held fast. "Heed me. This child is my chosen Son, obey him as you would me. Fight not his will!" Her voice suddenly changed, and she spoke once more in a language he had never heard before but understood. It was older than human thought: the language of demons. "Black child, child of darkness who has taken my name, return to your chosen shell. Be with the will of my scion. As he is mine, you are his. OBEY!" And with that last word, the thing gave one final silent cry and vanished back into the body of the Shinigami Gundam. Death turned to him, the lines of power to the Gundam cut with the lowering of her hands. "It will obey you far better now than it ever has before. She is a strong willed one, and old. Treat her well.""Do all of the Gundam's have," he groped for the word, "demons living in them?" Death simply nodded. "All things of power have a spirit. Your Gundams are things of great power, and drew elder demons to them in their making. They are now trapped within them. " She explained no further. "Duo, it is time for you to go. But before you do, I must do one last thing. " From around her neck she took the silver ankh from around her neck, and placed its silver chain over Duo's head. Duo lifted his braid from under the chain, and settled the ankh against his chest. "Wear this into battle as you wear Father Maxwell's cross in peace. It will grant you full access to your new powers. Without it, they will be much reduced." Duo nodded. It was getting dark. It was time for Duo to leave, to face his postponed mission. "Yes, it is time for you to go. " Death hugged Duo tightly. "Be well, my new son. Let no man ever conquer you, for you are truly now the God of Death." And then she was gone.Duo sighed. It was time. He climbed back up the hill to his Gundam, and then back up into the cramped cockpit. He folded the blankets back up into the compartment, and then realized his gun was gone. What had happened to it? He saw it in his mind, slung over the chair in its holster in the cave house. A sudden weight landed in his lap. It was his gun. What power... he wondered. He put it back in its compartment as well, and began the process of powering back up the Gundam. He closed the cockpit hatch, and engaged the cloak. The engines hummed into deep life, and the mobile suit moved once more. It was time.The Shinigami rose above the valley silently, on wings like those of a great dark bird.Part 10: On the Dark Wings of DeathThe Shinigami was just under a hundred and fifty kilometers from its target, an OZ processing and research base located in the lowlands south of the American Rockies. Its pilot had put its systems into a standby mode during flight, but now it was time to begin powering up weapons systems and the complex system of hydraulics and pneumatics that drove the powerful battle capabilities of the Gundam. Duo Maxwell did all of these things by reflex. His mind was else where, on his target that was steadily growing closer. [150 kilometers and closing]Duo began decelerating the Gundam, lessening the thrust from the main engines, and raising flaps along the back and arms of the mobile suit to act as air breaks. The main reactor power was now being diverted into charging the plasma generators that drove the main weapon of the Shinigami, its deadly beam scythe. A deep growl filled the cockpit, the warm familiar sound of the hydraulics pressurizing and the pneumatic air pumps coming to life. But under that there was a new sound, a deep throbbing sound: a heart beat.[130 kilometers and closing]Duo began to feel the changes in his body and mind more acutely. Even at this distance, he could feel the call of the spot of human life in the middle of the desert. It was their time. Their souls were calling to be freed of the flesh. The aura that glowed distantly on the horizon was weak, barely visible against the night sky. It glowed a dark, bloody red, the colour of the end, not the golden shimmer of vibrant life. Death was coming for them.[110 kilometers and closing]The Gundam was now within the first ring of the base defenses, the outer limit of their radar perimeter. He was still cloaked, invisible to motion detectors, his mobile suit returning a radar shadow the size of a large bird. Past the first ring of motion sensors, past the second. It was almost time. [90 kilometers and closing]Duo touched the silver ankh that hung from his neck. The first silver threads of life were reaching out to touch him. He could see them reaching through the skin of the Shinigami, touching him, forming a silver aura. So beautiful. He was a silver star in a skin of black metal screaming through the night.[50 kilometers and closing]The weapons systems were fully charged the first pair of missiles loaded into their launchers. He would decloak in the center of the base, nearest to the research buildings that were his targets. Death would move swiftly today. None at the base would survive.[20 kilometers and closing]Duo began to laugh. Power surged through him. The spirit of the Shinigami sang great praises to its new master and hymns of old wars fought between gods in its deep voice. Soon.[Target reached]Duo simultaneously switched on the beam scythe, powered off the cloak, and turned on the sound system. Dark, cold bass vibrated through Duo's body, but he was not hearing. Red fire reached up the silver threads and filled his mind with flames. The souls were calling him, awaiting their freedom. His laughter filled the small cockpit, loud and unending. He turned himself loose on the base, and as he began to reduce the structures and their defenders to shrapnel and rubble his head filled with the rush of dark beating wings.