Of Shades and Shadows: Complete

by Elf

A GW/SM crossover. After the murder of Hilde, Duo Maxwell becomes a target of a dark and evil force that needs a body to take over this world. Duo has a protector, Hotaru Tomoe, Scout of Destruction and Rebirth. Death, Destruction and Rebirth, all one

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, or Sailor Moon, so don't sue me.

Author's Notes: This is for Jess, who wanted a good Hotaru story and for a fan fiction contest. Hotaru is my favorite of all the scouts and, of course, if you know me, Duo is my favorite anime character period. I'm not a big Hilde fan, but I'm not an anti-Hilde person either, so I'm neutral on the whole Hilde front. Yes, I'm using the Dubbed names to Sailor Moon. I haven't seen any of the subbed epps, so I don't know all of their names.

Rating: PG-13 deals with character death and fowl language with violence.

Of Shades and Shadows: Prologue

By: Elf

The green haired guardian watched through the gates of time. She used her slender hand to smooth strands of her long hair out of her face as she watched the tragic scene before her. The large staff-like key that served as both a weapon and a tool wavered in her hand as she watched.

"Hilde! No!" the young man shouted into the darkness. He ran, his long chestnut braid flying behind him as he ran, trying to get to his target. His violet eyes were narrowed with determination, their usual mirth missing.

He reached his destination and dropped to his knees. He cradled a young woman's body in his capable arms. She was tiny, fairylike with short black hair, hair so black that it shimmered with blue highlights, that fell in her face. Her skin was pale, unearthly pale, the sort of paleness that came with death. There was no life in that body.

The young warrior cried out, a primal scream of anger, loss, and grief as he clutched his beloved's body to him. He stood up, blinking tears from his eyes, as he carried her away. He looked defeated, lost even, but one thought raged through his mind with the grief, Death.

Sailor Pluto waved the key, changing the scene. It was the same chestnut haired, violet eyed boy, except he was accompanied by another boy with unruly dark hair that fell in dark, icy blue eyes, another boy with the face of an angel with huge aqua eyes framed by white-gold hair, a young woman with long honey colored hair with a regal stature. The boy with the braid looked down at a tombstone that read: Hilde Schbeiker A.C. 180-197, R. I. P

The boy with the braid stared at the grave as if he would burn a hole through it. His fists were tightly clinched at his sides as he read the tombstone. There was something unholy in his violet eyes, something far beyond human reach. The girl reached over and touched his shoulder in sympathy. He spun around to face her, looking like Death. She shrank back.

The angelic boy said, "Duo, I'm sorry. She was a nice person . . ."

"Shut up, Quatre, I don't want to hear it. I don't wanna hear what a tragedy it was or how sad it was or whatever sentimental shit people are gonna spout about Hilde," the boy with the braid, Duo, sneered.

The boy with the fathomless blue eyes grabbed Duo and roughly pushed him back. He said, in a perfect monotone, "Duo, there's nothing you can do about it except stop her killer."

"Heero, you can't fix this with more death," the girl stated, approaching the other boy.

Duo glared at her and sneered, "Why the fuck not, Relena? After all, I am Shinigami." With that, the other boy stormed away, his braid swaying with him like another life form.

"He's perfect," a deep voice purred behind Pluto. The Scout spun around, spinning her staff like a weapon, holding it ready. It was a man in his mid-twenties, dressed all in swirling black robes, holding a scythe at his side. He had white skin, red eyes and black hair. He smiled as he looked at Pluto.

"Who are you?" Pluto hissed, taking a stance.

He smiled at her, a beautiful, angelic smile. He spun his scythe like she spun her key, mocking her. He answered, "A bodyless entity floating through time until I can find the perfect host. It looks like I found him."

"What do you want with the boy?" Pluto sneered, getting ready to fight.

He laughed and answered, "I want his body. Look at him, Lady Pluto. He's beautiful and he even bears my name."

"There is no way you can be the God of Death," she snarled as she watched his movements.

He moved idly to the portal that Pluto viewed everything. He touched it with pale fingers and stated, "No, I am not Shinigami, but I am close. See, I'm actually the Keeper of Shadows and I wish to bring the world into darkness, but, Lady, I need a body to do so. This boy welcomes the darkness, welcomes death, which is my bedmate."

"If anything will share your bed with you is beyond me," Pluto told him in an icy voice.

He turned to face her. He said, "Ah, the Keeper of Time. So lovely, so distant. Why did you distance yourself, Pluto? What was the Prince of Earth's name again?"

Tears blurred in Pluto's eyes as Darrien's face entered her mind. Her love for him was both forbidden and unrequited. She sneered at him, "It is none of your concern."

"You're right. It's not, but this boy's future is your concern," The Keeper told her with a smile.

Pluto asked him, "What are you talking about?"

He smiled at her and said, "The boy has to give himself willingly to me. The . . . possession is quite intimate, very sexual actually. I doubt that you would like to know the details."

"You are sick," she told him with a hiss. Her cheeks were flaming, much to her chagrin. She clutched her key as she stared at him.

He smiled at her and said, "With that hair he looks rather feminine."

"I won't allow you to harm that boy," Pluto stated in a strong voice. She twirled her key and felt her power build up around her. Smoke blossomed and caressed her body as the bright red energy that was her attack gathered. She said in a quiet voice, "Pluto Deadly Scream." She shot the energy at him. He simply brought up his scythe to slice the glowing orb in half. The energy fell harmlessly around him.

"Damn," she cursed.

The Keeper smiled at her and said, "Such language from such a beautiful woman, Trista."

"How do you know my name?" Pluto asked, ready to attack him again.

He laughed as he leaned on one of the many pillars in the gray void. He replied, "I know many things, Lady Pluto. Little Serena's powers can do nothing to me here or there, so don't even think about calling Sailor Moon to your aid. But I'm a sporting man."

"I would highly doubt that," she told him, clutching the key to her.

He laughed again. He told her, "I'm willing to give you a chance, Guardian of Time."

"What do you mean?" Pluto asked cautiously.

He answered, "Well, Sailor Pluto, I'm going to let you send a guard to protect that boy. If he doesn't accept me after seven tries, then I'm going to give up and your world is safe. But, there is a catch to this."

"I was waiting for it," Pluto told him. She was fully well expecting it. She trusted him about as far as she could throw him.

He told her, "You can't send Sailor Moon. That is my only catch. Besides, she is useless against me."

"Then why do you not let me send her?" Pluto asked with a grin, ready to summon Serena here to beat The Keeper.

He smiled and replied, "Because you would ruin Time and Space by doing that."

"Damn," she swore as she looked into his red eyes. He was right. Sending Serena that far into the future would be dangerous.

He disappeared from her, saying, "Choose wisely, Trista."

Pluto sneered in distaste as she snapped, "I have my own weapon." An image of a girl with sad violet eyes entered her mind. A girl with sad violet eyes and godlike power. She spun the key as she made her choice.

To Be Continued!

Warnings: Duo's insane in this chapter, there is massive violence, slight torture, and Duo being dark.

Rating: R

Of Shades and Shadows Part 1

By: Elf

Duo Maxwell sat in the old chair, clutching the half-drunk bottle of whisky at his side. Not even the mind numbing depressant of the alcohol could chase away the pain he felt deep inside of himself. "Fuck," he cursed as he swirled the amber liquid in the bottle. He sat up and leaned over his knees. He sighed, not quite a sob because Duo Maxwell never cried, and looked at the bottle. He swirled it around, causing the liquid to whirl inside of the glass bottle.

If Quatre would have been here, he would have ripped the bottle out of Duo's hands, poured the contents down the sink, and drug Duo off of the old recliner. It had taken everything in Duo's power to get the boy away from him. Relena was the first one to go after Duo had cursed her out and threw a bottle of vodka at her, he had managed to convince Quatre to go, but the one who wouldn't leave was Heero.

In fact, Heero was in the other room, typing some shit on his laptop. Strangely enough, Duo found Heero's stoic presence comforting. He was helping him find Hilde's killers so he could get revenge. Not justice, what he was planning on doing was much more severe than simple justice. If Wufei would have been here, he would have shaken his head in disgust for the "dishonorable measures" that Duo was going to take.

He stood up and the bottle slipped from his hands. He barely heard it shatter when it hit the floor. He ignored the splash of amber liquid on his boots as he looked dully ahead. I'm cursed, everyone I love dies, no matter what I do, Duo thought as he looked ahead, but seeing nothing except fresh memories.

"I'm going to get the reports on the new parts, Duo," a cheerful female voice called up to the Deathscythe pilot. Duo looked down and grinned. His heart picked up as he looked at the lovely vision before him. Hair so black that it had blue highlights, wide, bright blue eyes set in a pixie face and a slender, yet feminine, body. He scrambled down from the pile of junk he was standing on to reach Hilde's side.

He grinned as he tossed his braid off his shoulder. He wrapped his hands around her waist and she blushed. He kissed her lightly as he looked into her bright blue eyes. He told her, "Don't be long, Baby."

"Duo, you're horrible," she giggled as she tried to struggle from his grasp. He simply held her tightly as he looked down at her. The fight between the Mobile Dolls was too fresh in his mind. He had almost lost her.

He chuckled, "Hilde, just be careful. I know you."

"Duo, I will. I promise," she told him as she playfully smacked his shoulder. He stepped away from her, watching her. He was in love with her, but afraid to tell her. They were lovers, but he had never told her that he loved her. He was too afraid too. They shared a bed, but he was still too afraid to tell her three simple words.

He told you, "Hilde, take care."

"I will, Duo," she told him before giving him a swift kiss. She ran off, giggling at him. He smirked as he leaned against one of the platforms in the junkyard.

He climbed up the pile again and started to sort through the shrapnel. He was whistling an old Metalica tune when he felt something was off place. He looked around and thought, Hilde. He jumped off the pile and ran from the yard.

He could hear the scream. It tore his heart in two as he heard it. "Hilde!" he cried as he picked up his pace. His legs pumped harder as he ran, trying to find his beloved. He had to find Hilde. He saw the dark figures and then Hilde's body crumble to the ground.

"Hilde!" he shouted as he ran toward her. Lifeless blue eyes looked up at him under a fall of blue-black hair. He cradled her fallen body in his arms and shouted, "NOOOOOOOO!"

Duo was trembling. He reached out and grabbed another chair, gripping it with strong fingers. He bowed his head, trying to fight the tears that threatened to fall. He heard light footsteps coming toward him.

He didn't have to look up to know it was Heero. Heero said, "I think I may have an idea of who killed Hilde."

"Who?" Duo asked, his voice sounding like a primal growl.

Heero's voice was perfectly monotone as he began the litany of information, "They're a group not unlike the White Fang. They want the Colonies and the Earth separate, and they don't care how that happens. Hilde was a former soldier of Oz, as well as your lover. They were killing two birds with one stone."

"Kill Hilde to get to me," he laughed bitterly. He tensed up and punched the chair. His brain barely registered the pain of his fist shattering wood, and the hot blood that trickled from his scraped knuckles. He spun around and looked Heero in his dark, intense blue eyes.

Heero said, "They're gathering old Mobile Dolls and Leos to make their attack."

"Any info on their base?" Duo asked with a manic grin. His eyes were gleaming with an insane light as he looked his friend over. If Duo's expression was bothering Heero, he gave no indication to it.

There was a loud beeping in the other room. Heero walked away and Duo followed him. He hid in the shadows as Heero turned on his comlink through his computer. Lucrazia Noin's lovely face appeared on the screen, half of it obscured by a lock of dark violet hair. She said, "Heero, I need to talk to you."

"What is it?" the stoic pilot asked, leaning on the wall.

Noin answered, "We've detected terrorists in the area."

"You want me to protect Relena," it wasn't even a question.

Great. I can get my revenge on those guys without Heero or any of the others breathing down my back, Duo thought with a manic smile. He listened to their conversation, Heero and Noin making plans, the whole nine yards. He was going to get his revenge without the Perfect Soldier being around. Excellent.

They finished their conversation and Heero gathered up his laptop. He looked at Duo and said, "I have to leave."

Duo couldn't help the manic grin that was across his features as he said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Be careful, old buddy." Heero looked at him oddly as he went to the other side of the house to gather his things. Duo began to laugh, a darkly sadistic laugh, the laugh of a demon.

******

Hotaru Tomoe looked down at her classmates from her perch on the grassy knoll. She felt so different from them, so lost. She sighed as she turned away from them. She began to walk the familiar way to the Cherry Hill temple, Rei's temple. She knew the way so well that she could close her eyes and walk there blind.

She sighed as she reached the temple. She looked up at the ancient structure with all the beautiful black crows perched around. She ran her slender, pale fingers over the sign. She felt lost here as well. With a sigh, she turned and began to walk down the stairs.

"Hey, Hotaru, what are you doing?" a cheerful female voice called to her.

"Hi Hotaru, why don't you come up here?" another female voice chorused out to her.

"Hotaru, don't be shy, come up here," a deep female voice called to her.

"You don't have to be alone down there," a kind male voice called to her.

Hotaru turned around, tucking strands of ink dark hair behind her ears. The young woman looked up at the group of teenagers smiling and waving down at her. She waved back at them. Her heart twisted when she saw Serena and Darien standing together. Serena with her hair of sunshine gold and Darien with his black hair, her so tiny and he so tall, they fit blissfully together. She envied them in their happiness.

She also missed her best friend, Rini. Rini had gone back to the future after everything had gone down, fully trained as a powerful Scout. The other Scouts made her feel welcome, but she felt out of place.

Besides, where could a girl with the ability to make planets be reborn feel welcome?

Hotaru couldn't think of any. She smiled as she walked up the stairs, becoming slightly winded. She hated her body at times, its weakness. "Hey Hotaru, we've got cookies," Serena said with a huge grin as she reached the top of the stairs. In all of Hotaru's sixteen years, she'd never met anyone with Serena's appetite.

"Hello Hotaru," a sweet, quite voice said. The slight, owl like Ami looked up at her with keen blue eyes. The brainy beauty looked back at her laptop and continued to type again.

Rei waved at her with her broom. Her red robes swished with each movement. She called out, "Hey Hotaru, you'd better eat some of those cookies before Serena gets them all!"

"I made them!" Lita stated as she flexed her well-toned muscles.

Mina waved at her from where she sat on the temple stairs. Hotaru waved back and smiled. She actually felt that she could belong here. Serena grabbed her arm and drug her to the other girls, talking about the latest manga she read. Darien, like any well trained boyfriend, followed her.

They sat down at the steps and within moments, conversation swirled around the slight girl. Hotaru watched all of them, Rei and Serena arguing before Serena clung to Darien. She picked up one of the mangas and began to flip through them. She smiled softly; Serena always liked strange stuff like this.

"Hotaru," a strong female voice called out, a familiar voice. All the others looked up to see a tall young woman dressed in a black sailor costume, holding a staff-like key in her capable hands. Her long, dark green hair swirled around her and her keen sherry brown eyes focused on Hotaru.

She stood up and asked, "Yes, Pluto, what is it?"

"I need to speak to you," Pluto stated in her rich voice.

Serena asked, "Why Pluto! You can tell us, too."

"No, Queen Serenity, I cannot. This is only between Hotaru and myself," Pluto stated. She held out her hand to Hotaru and the other girl took it, trusting the Ancient One.

Soon they were at the Gates of Time, mist floating all around them. Hotaru asked, "What is it, Pluto?"

Pluto sighed and spun her staff. An image of a strangely beautiful man with black hair, white skin and garnet eyes looked at them, his black cape swirling around him and the scythe he held glinting in the light. Hotaru shivered, feeling what he was. "Darkness," she whispered as she touched the image. It wavered under her finger tips.

The memories from Mistress Nine came flooding to her as she looked at the image. The Keeper of Shadows, even she feared him, Hotaru thought as she swallowed. He could bring something more painful than a deafening silence, an endless darkness where blood ran through rivers. Before he could do this, he needed a body.

"He needs a body," Hotaru stated calmly.

Pluto nodded and said, "Good, you know who he is. He came to me with his target, wanting to play a game. He said I could send one of the scouts to protect his target, but I couldn't send Sailor Moon."

"I'm the only one of the Scouts who could take him on," Hotaru realized as she looked at the image. She asked, "Who am I protecting?"

The image shifted to a boy a little older than her. She gasped as she looked at him. He was dressed in all black as well, but a white priest collar adorned his neck. He had a chestnut brown braid that fell far past his waist and a round face. He had huge eyes that were a violet-blue, very beautiful, Hotaru realized as she looked into those sad eyes. "This is Duo Maxwell. He's from the future, before Serena becomes Queen though in a time of strife and hatred. He holds much pain," Pluto told her with a frown.

"What do you mean?" Hotaru asked, knowing what pain was.

Pluto sighed and said, "His lover was killed in front of him. He's a warrior, one of five actually, that were the hope of the future. They saved the world and everything from something that the Scouts couldn't touch."

"I'll do it," Hotaru said suddenly. She somehow felt connected to the boy with the violet eyes and gamine features. She looked into Pluto's sad, sherry eyes with a determined expression.

Pluto asked, "Do you know what that means? You can't come back, Hotaru."

"I don't really have anything to come back to," she answered softly. "I love Serena and Rini's back in her time, and the others are nice and everything, but I don't belong with them. I'm too dangerous," she said sadly, saying something that she had been feeling for a long time.

Pluto sighed as she spun her key. She said, "Good bye and good luck, Hotaru."

"Thank you," Hotaru answered as a bright light engulfed her.

******

Duo smiled to himself. It wasn't his usual Devil-May-Care grin. It was slightly insane, sadistic almost. It was as if he was going to get off on killing someone. Well, he was. He laughed to himself as he lurked in the shadows.

He was near the place Hilde had been murdered. He saw a guy in his early twenties lurking around. He watched as the guy pulled out a dig phone and call someone. The guy said, "Maxwell's our next target. How disturbed is he?"

Pretty damn disturbed, mother fucker, Duo thought with another sadistic smile, his black cap falling over his eyes, partly obscuring his vision. So disturbed that I'm gonna enjoy killing you, he thought with a manic grin. He moved closer, soundlessly. The guy nodded and said, "Thank you commander. I'll inform you when I have completed my mission. To the Colonies, sir!" He shut off his dig phone and slid it back into his jeans' pockets.

Duo laughed, an eery sound that echoed along the alley. The guy spun around as Duo laughed again. He pulled out a pistol and shouted, "Show yourself! I'm armed!"

"Oh, I'm so scared," Duo taunted as he emerged from the shadows. He pushed his cap back so he could see his target better. He rested his hands behind his head and sneered, "I'm so scared that I'm gonna piss myself."

"You," the guy hissed.

Duo lowered his hands and gave a dramatic bow. He said, "The God of Death, the one and only." He smirked as he looked into the guy's eyes. He asked, "So, who the hell are you?"

"It doesn't matter, you're dead," the guy said as he aimed. Duo whipped out his gun and shot the guy in the hand. The guy cried out as he dropped his gun, fell to his knees, and cradled his hand to his chest.

"Wrong!" Duo chirped as he grabbed the guy's head and slammed it into the hard metal surface of the colony. Blood oozed from the guy's nose as Duo looked into his wide, frightened eyes. Duo grinned as he asked, "Torturing you isn't really going to hurt me, you know. Really, it isn't. Now, tell me what group you're in and I will give you a quick death."

"Never! You should agree with us! The colonies should be independent of the Earth!" he shouted at Duo.

Duo sighed as he drew his fist back. There was something satisfying about his fist smacking raw, bleeding flesh. He snapped, "No, all I wanted was peace, damn you. But, the God of Death can't rest! Can he!?" He slammed the guy's head back into the floor of the colony, feeling some of his pent up frustration and anger simmer to the surface more than before. His whole being craved this death. They took away from him the thing he cared about most in the world, his Hilde.

The guy looked up at Duo with frightened brown eyes. Duo craved that look of fear; he needed it. It was like a powerful drug, drawing the young man in and holding him. There was power to this, he realized as he smiled wickedly into the other guy's eyes. He bent down so he was eye level with the guy.

He asked, "What does it feel like? Knowing that you're gonna die?" Duo wasn't realized how sadistic he was sounding, and if he did, he didn't care. He kept that manic grin on his face, a mockery of the old, good-natured smile that he always wore.

"I can't tell you; I won't tell you," he replied, spitting up blood.

Duo laughed as he stood up, bringing the guy with him. He slammed his back into a brick wall, making sure that his skull cracked into the heavy brick. Duo smiled at the satisfying crack as the guy coughed up blood. Blood was seeping from his head, trickling down his face.

It felt good to look at the blood. It felt good to know that he decided if the guy lived or died. He took a perverse thrill in it.

"Please, don't give me that shit," Duo sneered at him, punching him. He smiled as more blood trickled in crimson rivulets down the other guy's head. I am Shinigami, Duo thought with a wild elation. He felt so good, so free, so right.

Yes, you're perfect, a voice that wasn't Duo's whispered in his head. Duo looked around and smiled. He was hearing voices now. He had already passed the Point of No Return, excellent.

"So, big guy, tell me who's your terrorist group and who's your leader," Duo chirped as he pressed his forehead to the bleeding one of the other guy's.

The other young man swallowed and answered, "It doesn't matter. Will destroy you anyway."

"Gosh, so cocky," Duo replied with a smile, "Tell me then, you son of a bitch."

The guy smiled, blood trickling from his mouth. He said, "I am one of many, one of the Blood Moon, fighting for the freedom of the colonies from the repressive Earth."

"Oh, really?" Duo asked in purposely board tones. He grabbed the guy's hand, the one with the bleeding bullet wound. He pressed into the wound and the young man cried out. He leaned forward and kissed the guy on the forehead. It was the Kiss of Death, a gesture that was new to Duo, but seemed right. He whispered, "This is for Hilde, you fucker."

With that, he pulled out his gun and rested it on the guy's forehead. He pulled the trigger and blood and thicker substances sprayed his hand, face, and the wall. Duo laughed as he wiped the blood from his face. He heard people coming toward him. He turned around to see ten guys walking toward him.

He taunted, "Oh, killed enough young girls, so now you're ready for the big time, right buddies?" He placed his hands on his hips and smiled. He tilted his head, allowing his braid to fall over one shoulder, looking somewhere between helpless, cocky, and dangerous.

"It's him, Duo Maxwell, one of our targets," one of the guys said, studying Duo.

Another one shouted, "He killed Sammu! For the Colonies!"

Duo grinned and bowed slightly. He said in a dark voice, "Bring it on, you little pricks."

******

Hotaru stood there, trembling. She sank to her knees, her duffel bag beside her. Trista had Rei gather her some items before she came here, a few things from home, like clothing, a picture of her father, a bracelet that Rini had given her, her astronomy book, her anatomy book, and her favorite candle holder.

She felt a disturbance and something dark near by. She dug her Transformation Wand out of her jeans pocket and shouted, "Saturn Star Power!"

******

Duo was slightly crouched, breathing a little harder than normal. He had a manic grin on his features as he looked at the people crowding around him. There were three bodies lying on the ground, killed by his own bare hands. He tossed his hair off of his shoulder and taunted, "Come on, mother fucker, make my day."

They came at once. Duo responded with a flurry of kicks and punches. He wasn't like Wufei who fought fair, or Heero who fought as quickly and efficiently as he could. Duo fought dirty. It was a fact that he never took pride of, until now. There was a satisfying crack as he kicked someone's knee out. The person went to the ground, crying in agony, holding his shattered knee.

He blocked a right hook and grabbed the jerk's arm. With a satisfying twist, he pulled it out of the socket, getting a perverse pleasure when the bastard screamed. There were still too many for him. He cried out as something heavy hit him across the back, right across the kidneys.

He sank to the ground, moaning. He tried to stand back up, ignoring the burning pain, but another kick got him hard in the ribs. He lost count of all the beatings he received. It became a dull, red haze of pain.

Ah, Shinigami, I can help you, a seductive voice said to his mind.

Duo looked around, seeing nothing except flying feet and fist as he was kicked and beaten. He had curled up into a ball, protecting his mid section, covering his head. Who the hell are you? Duo asked him, trying hard to think despite the red haze of agony.

A tall man appeared before Duo. He was wearing a black cloak that floated about him like a living being. He had black hair, white skin, and demonic red eyes; he was beautiful, in an unholy way. He had a scythe in his left hand. He bent before Duo, getting in front of all the blows. A hand, with long, slender fingers reached out and touched Duo's face.

"I can offer you power," he said in an amused yet seductive tone.

Duo flinched as he felt another rib shatter. He asked, "What do you mean?"

"I can give you what you want," he said with a smile.

Duo's eyes narrowed as a hot wave of hate rushed into him. He hissed, "I want death. I want destruction. I want them to burn in hell."

"I can give you the power to do that," he told Duo with an angelic smile.

Duo grinned and he replied, "What do you mean? There's gotta be a catch."

"SILENT GLAVE APPLY!" a celestial, female voice screamed out into the mass of beatings. The boys were scattered in a purple flash of power. Duo blinked as he saw the slender form of a girl approach, a weapon gleaming in her hand. He didn't remember anything after that because he gave into the darkness.

******

Sailor Saturn stood there, her Silence Glave in her hand. She had easily disposed of the boy's attackers. The Keeper of Darkness looked up at her with unholy red eyes. Lying on the ground was a boy with sinfully long chestnut brown hair woven in a braid. She couldn't see what he looked like, but she had an intense feeling that it was Duo Maxwell.

"You," The Keeper hissed.

Saturn spun her Glave and replied, "Step away from him."

"He's mine," he growled.

She stepped closer, the light, artificial breeze playing with her dark violet skirt. She gazed into his red eyes and replied, "Have you claimed him? Did he accept?"

"No, damn you," he snarled. He was afraid of her. After all, she, along with Sailor Moon had beaten Mistress Nine.

Saturn held her Glave in her hands. He held up his scythe. He charged at her with a savage cry. She spun her Glave and shouted, "Silent Glave Block!" She felt the wave of power build up and crash out of her. A wall of violet energy shielded her from the scythe's deadly blow. She sidestepped him and swung her Glave down. She angled it under his neck. With a hiss, he faded into mist.

She walked over to the fallen Duo Maxwell. His breathing was uneven, his chest rattling with each movement. She spun her Glave and sat down beside Duo. She gingerly picked him up. He moaned, his long hair obscuring his features. She stood up and began to walk back to his salvage yard.

******

Hotaru's hands trembled as she laid Duo Maxwell on the bed. Every place his body had touched was on fire. She was tingling from head to toe. There was something more to this boy than met the eye. He wasn't an ordinary human, that was for sure.

She studied him, her hand reaching out and touching his face. She studied him and thought, He's beautiful. Indeed, he was. There was a certain gamine charm to his features, his pert nose, his heart-shaped face, his wide mouth, and that hair of his. She reached out and touched her raven hair. Serena would be envious of this hair, she realized.

She sat down beside him on the bed, definitely aware of the intimacy involved with it. She placed her hands on his chest, listening to the faint sound of his heartbeat. He was dying, she realized. She also realized that he didn't care if he lived or died. Tears of sympathy formed in her eyes as she looked at the beautiful sleeping boy beside her.

She concentrated, feeling the warm rush inside her. She felt the warm, pink glow of energy surround him, healing broken bones, bleeding organs, torn tissues. She gasped as she felt a cold rush of power from him, disappearing as quickly as it came. She jerked, panting, still keeping his hands on his body.

She wanted to curl into him, feel complete. There was this hollow inside her as long as she could remember, and for the first time ever, she felt whole. What is Destruction and Rebirth without Death? A voice inside of her head told her as she tried to control her breathing.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. She grasped as she tried to fight it. Suddenly, a pair of brilliant, bright violet eyes were staring into hers.

To Be Continued!

Of Shades and Shadows Part 2

By: Elf

Duo had felt Death's icy hands wrap around him, wanting to claim him as Death's own, after being Death's servant for so long. How can I claim what I am? Duo thought wildly as he took a deep breath. Pain was gone, in fact, he hadn't felt this good in a long time. Then he felt the feather light touch on his chest.

Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed the wrist. The wrist was warm, slender, and the bones delicate. Duo had a feeling that he could snap them if he wanted to. He opened his eyes and heard a gasp.

He looked up strait into a pair of huge, slightly slanted, dark violet eyes. He sat up, keeping hold of her wrists as he looked at her. She had long, strait black hair, even blacker than Hilde's, like someone had dipped her hair in India Ink. Her skin was the pale, white, being dressed in all black emphasized this fact. She was slender, but still went in and out in all the right places. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever met, even more beautiful than Hilde.

He licked his lips as he watched her. Her mouth was slightly parted in a soft expression of surprise. A mouth with lips that were meant to be ravaged, he realized as he looked at her. He eased some on her wrist, noting how fragile she felt, how delicate, but there was an underlying strength or power to her.

He looked at her, the graceful way she breathed, her chest slightly heaving, all of it was beautiful. He was enchanted, spell bound even. Like Anita was with Jean-Claude in the Laurel K. Hamilton series, well, maybe he wasn't pushing her away like Anita did with Jean-Claude, but that attraction was there.

Besides, it felt so good touching that ivory skin, the warm tingles it sent through his body. Without thought, he leaned up and caught her mouth in a kiss. She gasped in surprise as his lips brushed against hers. He felt a hot shock corse through him and jerked back slightly, his whole body humming with awareness.

All thoughts of Death, revenge, or even Hilde were gone. All that mattered was the lovely girl before him. This angel. And this feeling. He felt like he could fight anything and win. He felt powerful and strong, but not invulnerable and foolish, like he did when he started to pilot Deathscythe.

He asked, "Well, baby, who are you?"

She jerked away and looked down at her hands. Her pale cheeks were tinted with a blush. Duo smirked at her. He knew this smirk was irresistible to women. She looked at him with those huge, dark violet eyes. She answered in a voice to stop his tracks, "Hotaru Tomoe."

He swallowed, the muscles in his throat constricting. Her voice was celestial, knowing, beautiful, and seductive all rolled into one. He wanted to roll her under him on this bed and take her now. It was strange, this need, as well as the feeling that went with it.

Then, the part of his head that was the terrorist, the warrior, the more sane part of him cut through the lust filled fog. The name was Japanese. He'd hung around Heero enough to know that much. He spoke pretty good Japanese and knew when Heero was insulting him. You wouldn't think it, but Heero had a mouth on him when provoked.

Hotaru, doesn't that mean firefly or something like that? Yeah, it does, Duo thought as he looked at her. He smirked as he held out his hand. He told her, "I'm Duo Maxwell."

"I know," she said in that heart-stopping voice.

Duo blinked and looked around. Could this angel be one of them? He stood up and drew his gun from his dresser. She stared at him with wide violet eyes as he said, "Okay, you better explain, quick, Angel."

She sighed and said, "My name is Hotaru Tomoe. I'm from Tokyo, from the year 2001."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Duo spat at her. His rage filled him again, the need to kill overwhelmed him.

She told him, "It's a long story. I'm sent here to protect you."

"Great job you're doing. Hilde's dead," he growled at her, aiming the gun.

Hotaru said, "I am Sailor Saturn. Well, part of the time anyway. I'm to protect you from the Keeper of Darkness."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Duo snarled at her, moving closer. She made no movement to run, she simply stood there and watched him. Duo had to give her points on that one.

She answered, "The being that was talking to you while you were getting beaten."

The red eyes. The celestial voice. The cold, long hands. The promise of power. Duo's hand wavered. He looked up at her. "Don't listen to her, Duo," that familiar, male voice called out to him. Sitting on his dresser was the man again, his red eyes glinting like garnets. He spun his scythe as he looked around with a smile.

"I can give you power, Duo," he said in a seductive voice, "I can give you revenge."

"Yes," Duo hissed softly.

Hotaru looked at the dresser. Her soft black hair blew around her face as she looked at it. Suddenly, a rush of power knocked the guy down, sending his black cape flying. Duo watched, surprised and slightly afraid. He stood up and spun his scythe.

"I'm not afraid of you," he snapped at her.

She held her head at a proud angle. She said in the same commanding, celestial voice that he heard earlier, "Neither I am you. You won't have Duo Maxwell. I can't let you."

Duo froze. This was the girl who saved him earlier. He faintly remembered his attackers being knocked away, and this voice. He would never forget that voice. He looked at her. She seemed so fragile. So did Quatre, and he destroyed two colonies, a nagging voice that sounded a lot like Heero told him.

"Damn you to Hell, you little bitch," the guy snarled as he faded into nothing.

Hotaru pointed and said, "That was the Keeper of Darkness."

Duo asked, "What does he want with me? Except to give me great power and my revenge."

******

Hotaru quickly found out that Duo Maxwell was as stubborn as he was beautiful. She had tried to tell him about the scouts and he simply chuckled, humoring her. There was something else about him as well, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on either.

Duo asked, "So, if Dark Guy gets a hold of me, what happens?"

Hotaru sighed and answered, "It would be the end of everything as we know it."

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing," Duo mused with a half smile playing on his gamine features. Hotaru's hand absently went to her mouth, touching her lips where Duo had kissed them. There was more to Duo Maxwell than met the eye.

Hotaru snapped, "It would be a horrible thing, Duo."

"Look around, Angel, this world isn't exactly a happy playground," Duo said with a sneer. His bright violet eyes darkened as he gestured around the office that they were standing in. She looked around then looked back at the boy dressed in a priest's collar.

She asked, "What do you mean, Duo?"

Duo walked over to a file and pulled out a black velvet scrap book. On the cover of the scrap book was an etching of the Grim Reaper done in metallic red. He opened it up to a newspaper article. The heading was: PLAGUE SPREADS ACROSS L2.

Hotaru started to read several articles about this virus. It told about what it did, acting like Ebola in nature, but faster and even more painful than that. She read about how this federation had stopped it, but an article talked about the "less fortunate" people of L2, the ones who couldn't afford the cure. They mentioned a boy so desperate that he broke into a hospital and store enough antiviral serum to cure around 20 people.

"That boy was you, wasn't it?" Hotaru asked as she looked up at his grim features.

He smiled, a horrible parody of a smile. She thought that he would be absolutely beautiful if he truly smiled. There was something dark to him though, something that she could sense inside of him. Some sort of power almost. He said, "I wanted to die, but I didn't. I watched as my best friend coughed up his guts."

She read some more, this time about a Maxwell's Massacre. This church had been destroyed, a church that had served as an orphanage. She read about a rumor that there was one survivor. It was plain to see that Duo was that one survivor. He blamed all of this on himself. Everyone died except him.

She looked up at him. His smirk was anything but amused. He sneered, "Listen, Angel, if you were to protect me, then you should have killed me a long time ago."

Hotaru's eyes narrowed. She was getting slightly tired of Duo Maxwell's death wish. She stepped forward and called upon the power of Saturn. She lifted him up and slammed him against the wall. She sneered, "You don't know what the hell what you want. You know nothing, Duo. Nothing. You don't know what it's like to be taken by evil and watch as your friends are hurt around you."

"Anything can be better than this Hell, Angel," he said with a smirk.

She slammed him again and remembered Mistress Nine. She shouted, "You don't know what you're talking about! I do!"

Duo grabbed her wrists with a smile. She felt a surge of dark power in him. Did the Keeper already have him? Suddenly, their positions were changed, her against the cool wall and his warm, hard body against her. He pressed into her, lifting her up so their eyes met, their faces so close that their noses were almost touching. He smiled at her as he pressed closer together, his hard body pressing against her helpless one.

She couldn't help but to think of the kiss earlier. There was something irresistible about the manic boy in front of her. Her heart began to pound in excitement as his intense violet eyes bored into hers. He leaned even closer. His lips almost on hers.

He whispered in a husky voice, "Hotaru, Firefly, Angel, I do know what I want. I'm Shinigami."

"No, you're not. There's no such thing as Shinigami," she replied, trying to shake her head. The result was only her lips coming in contact with hers. The kiss started off slow, him simply brushing her lips with his, a gentle, feather light contact that wracked havoc on her senses. Suddenly, the kiss intensified as he claimed his mouth as his own, ravaging it with a tender savageness. She whimpered and tried to move her arms down to hold him, but his hands kept firm.

Her heart pounded as his warm body pressed against hers. She moved closer, trying to drink him in. Nothing mattered, except Duo, kissing Duo, and being this close to Duo. She felt whole, excepted, wanted, needed all in one moment. She liked this feeling. It was beyond anything that she'd ever felt before. It was almost as part of her soul was crying out, I need you. I want you. We've should have been together a long time. We're one and the same.

Death, Destruction and Rebirth. All part of the Cycle. One and the same, one cannot exist without the other. Death and Rebirth, Destruction the balance of both of them. Irresistible, a dangerous, powerful force.

The energy was cool, enveloping them both. He let go of her wrist so his hands could trail down her body, leaving a path of fire down her skin as the coolness enveloped them. She clutched at his head, marveling at the softness of his braid, really aware of everything around her.

As suddenly as the kiss started, Duo yanked away. He was panting, his violet eyes taking on a glow as he jerked back. He looked frightened, startled even. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing pulse and the building power in her. Well, what just happened there? Hotaru thought as she looked at the boy dressed all in black.

"Fuck," he cursed in a breathy voice as he turned away from her.

She reached out her pale hand at him and softly called, "Duo?"

"What the fuck is happening?" Duo asked in a startled tone.

Hotaru pushed strands of her hair behind her ears. She wished that she looked like Serena or Rei. Beautiful, startling, enchanting, instead of pale and frightening and painfully thin. Duo seemed like the guy who would pay those two more attention than someone who looked like her. Goth Girl Hotaru, the Vampire, Elvira, The Freak.

She answered in a soft voice, "I don't know."

"I'm outta here," Duo responded, suddenly leaving her alone in the office. She crossed her arms and looked down. She refused to acknowledge the tears that wanted to spill from her eyes. What is happening to me?

******

His body was still trembling despite his own accord. He didn't even remember trembling this much after getting out of the ZERO system. He had felt this cold rush of pure power around him, but the two of them felt like they were on fire. The strangest thing was that he'd felt that the rush was familiar. He's felt before, during battle, protecting Heero or Hilde.

Funny, everyone who's close to me names start with an H. Heero, Helen, Hilde . . . Hotaru. He froze at the thought. "God of Death, I need her. Fuck," he cursed as he slumped against a metal structure. The colony was shutting of it's artificial daylight and putting up its night sky. He looked up and realized how much prettier the sunset was on Earth.

He sighed as he looked around him, at all the shiny, happy people. He slid into an alley, a familiar place for the teenager. He slid against a wall, sitting down. His head rested on the wall as he looked up, seeking some sort of sign. Hotaru seemed so . . . right.

Death, Destruction and Rebirth. All part of the Cycle. One and the same, one cannot exist without the other. Death and Rebirth, Destruction the balance of both of them. Irresistible, a dangerous, powerful force.

He looked up. The same words were playing in his mind while they were kissing, setting each other on fire. His body was in sort of aching with unfilled need. "Dammit, Duo Maxwell, what the hell have you gotten yourself into now?" he asked himself out loud as he looked around.

"That girl is not for you," the Keeper's voice said to him.

Duo looked as the Keeper materialized from the darkness, the scythe gleaming like molten silver in the night. The scythe spun as the Keeper looked at him with a smile. Duo stood up, stepping away from the wall, his body ready to fight.

He grinned and replied, "She's better than you are, mother fucker."

"Such harsh words coming from such a pretty mouth," The Keeper mused as he looked at Duo.

Duo was revolted. Was this guy coming onto him? He swallowed revulsion as he quipped, "Sorry, but you're not my type."

"Just the body I need. I'll give you power beyond your wildest dreams, Duo Maxwell," The Keeper said in a seductive voice.

Duo crossed his legs at the ankles. He replied, "Gomen, but nope. Sorry, don't wanna be possessed by a demon today." His hand absently played with the silver cross hidden under his shirt.

"I can give you revenge on Hilde's death," he said as he stepped closer. Before Duo knew what was happening, The Keeper touched him with that pale, icy hand. He blinked before the images rushed up on him.

Blood dripped over everything. It was pitch dark. He couldn't understand it. He looked around at the bound, nude, emancipated bodies. Their wails of agony echoed throughout the Hell. That was what the place was, Hell. He turned around, seeing more blood and more death, a skeleton smiling at him. All of this pain, this Hell, was caused by him.

"NO!" Duo shouted, jerking away from the Keeper. He growled, "No, I won't let you do that, you mother fucker! I won't let you!"

The Keeper smiled and asked, "Come on, Duo. It's better to be a ruler than to be like them."

"Fuck you and damn your black soul to Hell," Duo sneered, taking a stance.

"You'll accept me over time, Duo," The Keeper said with a smile. Suddenly, Duo was pushed up against the wall, the Keeper's cold lips right above his.

Duo closed his eyes, struggling. He wasn't going to watch this. He wasn't going to allow this. That feeling of refusal lit some fuse deep inside of him. He felt it rising in him, that cool power, like when he kissed Hotaru. With a primal scream, that power came crashing out of him, sending the Keeper into the wall. Duo didn't even look back. He took off running.

He ran until he ran right into Hotaru. The angelic girl crumbled to the ground. Duo lifted her up, held her by her shoulders and snapped, "Come on, he's after me."

"The Keeper?" Hotaru asked, her eyes wide.

Duo nodded and looked around. His body was trembling and sweaty. He wanted to get away as far as possible. She reached out with one of her pale hands, her touch soothing his face. He looked down at her in his panicked state. She said, "Calm down, Duo. He can't hurt you. I won't let him."

"No, Firefly, you don't understand. He almost had me! I got him away though. It was . . ." He struggled for words, but couldn't come up with anything. He just stood there, breathing hard while his heart pounded, cold sweat dripping down his back.

She reached up and stroked his face. He rubbed into the contact, letting her go, holding her slender hand. He whispered in a hoarse voice, "Angel, I got him away."

"What do you mean?" Hotaru asked him.

He sighed as he answered, "Hotaru, I pushed him away with this power."

"Come on, Duo, lets get you back inside," Hotaru said as she started to guide himself back into the house. He was still trembling. He let himself sink slightly, leaning into her comforting form.

He had one question now. He asked, "I told the guy off pretty good. Now what?"

Hotaru looked up at him with her dark violet eyes, offering no answer. She answered, "You were his chosen body."

"What if he chooses another one?" Duo asked suddenly. He looked at Hotaru fearfully. She could only look at him back.

******

He couldn't have Duo Maxwell. He was beyond his reach, just as the Scouts were. "Dammit," the Keeper cursed as he sliced his scythe through a trash can. He spun his scythe back up as he heard a curse. "Fuck them. Fuck them all. Fuck them all to bleeding hell," a British voice sneered.

The Keeper was immersed into the shadows that he so loved or control. He traveled to see a young man, slightly older than Duo, standing there. He looked at the boy, noticing that he was handsome in a punkish sort of way.

He was tall, slender, with short, white hair and icy blue eyes. He had almost delicate features. He was dressed in a black trench coat. The Keeper emerged from the shadows. The boy jerked back and snorted, "You bloody wankers, you just keep coming, ya freaks."

"Don't be so vulgar when I'm offering you power," The Keeper said with a smile.

The boy's eyes sparked as he asked, "What are you talking about, mate?"

"How about I show you," the Keeper said, moving in on this form. Not as good as Duo Maxwell's, but he would surface very nicely. The Keeper went on, "I promise that you'll love every minute of it."

******

Duo wanted something to drink. Not something poisonous either. He simply wanted something to drink, not alcohol, just Coke or water. Something not dangerous. He was still trembling, and Hotaru had ordered him to sit down before she took his vitals.

She handed him a glass of icy water and he took it from her. He greedily drank down the contents and put the glass down. His throat wasn't parched anymore, but he still took one of the ice cubes in his mouth to chew on. Hotaru crossed her slender arms and said, "I don't think that the Keeper can choose another form."

"What do you mean?" Duo asked as he crunched down on an ice cube.

Hotaru sat down across from him at the kitchen table. She pushed strands of her night dark hair off of her face. She told him, "One of the fellow scouts, Sailor Pluto, was watching you. Something about you drew her attention, and she watches Time. Well, the Keeper made his claim on you. He likes to play games, saying that she could have any of the scouts, except Sailor Moon, protect you, and he has seven chances to capture you. He's lost two, just five more to go."

Duo crunched the ice cube with his teeth, swallowing the cool, crushed liquid. He was still confused about the whole Sailor Scout thing. He asked, "What are the Scouts?"

"They're guardians. They each have their own power and abilities. One controls ice, one controls fire, one has the power of love binding, one controls thunder and lighting, one has the power of earth tremors and seismic waves, one has the power of water, Pluto is the keeper of Time, and Sailor Moon has the power of purity, love, goodness, and justice," Hotaru answered matter-of-factly.

Duo met her dark eyes and asked, "What about you, Firefly, what can you do?"

"I'm the Scout of Destruction and Rebirth," Hotaru said with a sad smile.

Death and Destruction. Well, that explains some things, Duo thought with a wiry grin. Hotaru smiled back. He said, "So, I take it Moon's the most powerful?"

"Technically, I am, but I die when I use my main power," Hotaru said with a voice tinged with sadness.

Duo's eyes widened. He asked, "You've used it before? How did you come back?"

"I'm reborn, as a child," Hotaru said, tracing circles on the table. Duo reached out and grabbed her hand. She said, "I've only done it once in this century, Duo. It's only a last resort."

Duo snorted and said, "I've never had a last resort. Deathscythe HELL's self-destruct mechanism never worked. I think Professor G didn't want do destroy his 'great masterpiece', the limey bastard."

She stood up and moved over to him, keeping hold of his hand. He looked at her. He felt guilty, finding someone after Hilde's death. So close. He wanted her though, more than anything. More than Hilde, and that tore him up inside.

Suddenly, Hotaru stiffened. Duo felt it too, like some dark shadow had settled. He stood up, pulling Hotaru close to him. He asked, "What the hell was that?" She simply looked at him with frightened eyes.

******

The Keeper moved around, feeling his robes swirl around his ankles and legs. He spun his scythe, feeling the weight against his palm. Things were tactile again. He had form. "Yes!" he shouted rising above the ground, levitating with his own power.

He laughed in sheer joy as he flew around corners and the like, the artificial wind whipping at his hair, his robes. He smiled and landed on the rooftop of a building. He watched a news report from his perch on one of the video screens.

"Terrorist attacks have been happening on the earth recently. Nothing is known about this group except they wish for the Earth and Colonies to be separate," the reporter said. The Keeper laughed, throwing his head back.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. He could feel the evil around him, in the terrorists. He smiled as he gained control of them. Suddenly, the attack began.

******

Everything went dark in Duo's kitchen, well for anywhere for that matter. Hotaru stood up, knowing instinctively that something was wrong. Duo drawled, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"You're not the only one," she told him. Suddenly, the lights came back on. The screen on the wall came on, showing a scene of carnage. There was fire, over turned cars, dead bodies, and, in the background, there was a figure with close-cropped white hair, holding a scythe, dressed in black robes, and his garnet eyes blazing in the darkness.

She froze. Duo had been right. He had chosen another body. He had told Pluto nothing about doing that, so it wasn't against the rules. He hadn't been able to take Duo, so he took whoever that was.

"Fuck. Its the end," Duo whispered as he watched the scene before him.

Hotaru looked at him and said, "You were right."

"If the human race wasn't about to be enslaved, I'd say, 'I told you so,' but it is, so I'm not. How do we stop him?" Duo asked with a determined tilt to his chin.

Hotaru dug out her Transformation Wand and stretched her arm above her head. She shouted, "Saturn Star Power!" She closed her eyes as the Glave formed in her hand, her clothing changing into the dark purple skirt and sailor outfit that she was so familiar with. She spun her glave as she landed back on the ground, watching Duo all the while.

His eyes were wide with a look of amazement. He said, "Pretty sexy costume for a super-heroine." He grinned suddenly, blushing slightly. He looked up at her and asked, "Now what? We go stop this fucker?"

"No," Saturn said simply as she walked over to Duo. She cupped his heart-shaped face in her hands and leaned over to him. She gave him a kiss, a light brushing of lips before she jumped back. She spun her Glave, sending the staff end to his skull. His violet eyes widened right before he crumpled to the ground.

She told his sleeping form, "Sorry, Angel, but this fight is only for me." She leaned over and brushed his chestnut hair from his gamine features. She would die a thousand deaths before she would allow him to get hurt.

"Aishiteru, Duo Maxwell," she said to him with a sad smile. She barely knew him, but she was in love with him. If he died, then part of her would die with him. She kissed his brow, inhaling the scent of leather, metal, and spices. She stood up and walked out of the house.

Within moments, she was standing in the mist of the chaos. She spun her Glave and felt her power build up in her. She stood in the circle of violet energy and shouted, "SILENT GLAVE APPLY!"

The ones doing violence fell asleep, their hold from the Keeper being broken. She stood in the middle of the flames and shouted, "Keeper, come down and face me!"

A flurry of robes landed before her, standing on the roof of a car. He was tall and slender, lacking Duo's broad frame. He had short, white hair, delicate features, and those glowing red eyes. He spun his scythe and said, "I've got a body now, Scout of Destruction and Rebirth."

"That doesn't frighten me," she told him hauntingly, spinning her Glave.

He said, "I'm changing the game. I have to kill you and Duo before I can take over your pitiful mortals. If you manage to beat me, then you win."

"I'll beat you," Saturn told him, narrowing her eyes. The attack came from no where, a dark red rush of energy coming strait at her. She cried out as she rolled out of the way, using her Glave for balance. Another one came strait at her. She spun her Glave and welled up the power inside her. "SILENCE GLAVE BLOCK!" A wall of pale violet energy held up to the wave of dark power threatening to consume her. She closed her eyes and tried to keep the shield up.

She thought, Duo, get out of here.

******

Duo woke up to a heavy throbbing in his head. He asked himself, "Why the hell am I always knocked out?" He stood up, rubbing where Hotaru had knocked him with the scythe like weapon. He wiped his hands on his leather pants out of habit more than anything.

He had a feeling that Hotaru had run off to fight the Keeper by herself. "Dammit, Hotaru," he snapped at no one, feeling his anger rise. He kept talking to himself, sorting his thoughts, "I lost Hilde. I'm not losing you. I've only known you for a couple of hours, but I'm not letting you go." He grabbed his machine gun and strapped it to his back. He shoved a pistol down his pants before he slapped ammo clips into his pockets.

He sighed. Was he going insane? He didn't know, or want to know. He simply ran out of the house. He felt the two powers fighting each other. He didn't know how or why, but Hotaru was connected to him somehow.

******

Blood trickled down Saturn's mouth. Her body was aching. She closed her eyes and tried to speed up her own healing, but her energy was so weak, she couldn't. The Keeper kicked her Glave out of her hand. She tried to reach for it, her body protesting with every damn movement.

He stepped on her hand and began to crush it under his boot. She cried out. Suddenly, she felt her power slip away, her costume changing back to the original black T-shirt and jeans she had been wearing. He told her, "I want you to die as helpless Hotaru Tomoe, you little bitch."

Suddenly, gunshots blasted out of the darkness. The Keeper simply threw up his hand, disintegrating the bullets before they hit. He sneered, "You little brat. You have no idea what your dealing with."

"A guy with bad taste in clothing but good taste in weapons," was Duo Maxwell's cocky reply. He stood there, his braid swinging wildy, as she watched the angry glow of his violet eyes. He aimed the machine gun in his hands and replied, "Now, let Hotaru go or I'll show you who the true Shingiami is."

The Keeper laughed, digging his heel into her hand. She cried out as the bones began to give. He said, "You foolish boy, you don't know who you're dealing with."

"You said that already, dumb ass! Now, the God of Death is back from Hell!" Duo shouted with a savage cry as he rushed at them. He fired more rounds, and the Keeper simply caught them, throwing the bullets to the ground.

Hotaru screamed, "Duo! Run! He'll get you too!" She was silenced by a sharp slap by the Keeper. She flinched and looked up at him. She curled her hand around her wand and began to shout, "Saturn Star . . ." The Keeper picked her up and tossed her like a rag doll.

She landed hard, the concrete scraping her flesh, causing it to bleed. She gasped out for air as she tried to stand up. Duo shouted, "Hotaru!" He ran to her and lifted her up. She was surprised in the strength of his arms as he held her. He turned to face the oncoming Keeper.

The Keeper laughed as he spun his scythe. He said, "Killing two birds with one stone."

Duo growled softly, holding her close. He sneered, "In another life, ass hole." The Keeper laughed as he sprang at them, bringing his scythe down. Hotaru waited for the cold rush of steel to cut them both down. It never happened.

The cold rush of power came back. She gasped as she felt all of her wounds heal and a barrier brought up between the Keeper and herself and Duo. He was more than human, but wasn't a Scout. He was something else, something as old as Pluto taken form. Hotaru looked up to see the scythe harmlessly bounce off the air around them. There was a cold wind all around. Her heart began to pound even faster as the Keeper came at them again. Duo cried out, sending the Keeper flying.

Suddenly, Duo began to run, not even looking back, taking her with her. Within moments, they were back in the shop. He sat her down and began to shake. She took a deep breath, trying to rationalize things out. He looked at her with huge violet eyes. She could see fear in those brilliant depths.

"What am I?" Duo asked in a shaky voice, all pretense gone.

Hotaru answered, "I don't know, Duo." She reached out for him, taking his hand. She truly didn't know what he was. She wished that Pluto or Luna or even Artemis was here, they could explain everything. Or make sense out of it. Like the connection between them.

He made her feel whole, welcomed, despite the fact that he called her "Angel" or "Firefly". Or maybe because of it. He wasn't afraid of her and he knew what it was like to be alone better than she did.

He watched her with his violet eyes as he intertwined his fingers with hers. She took a step closer, intertwining her other hand with his.

She was standing in an alley. It was cold and damp. She could smell the smell of death and illness all around her. She looked around when she heard a voice.

"Solo, its cool, I've got the shit," the young boy with the long chestnut hair told the teenager lying on the ground, blood bubbling at his lips. Hotaru, curious, walked over and watched. She gasped as she recognized a younger Duo. The other boy was slightly younger than she was with close-cropped blond hair and golden eyes. He took Duo's thin hand.

"You listen Key, I'm not gonna make it," he said in a raspy voice.

Duo, Key rather, replied, "The hell you are. I've got it for everyone."

"Watch em, Key," Solo replied before the light went out of his gold eyes.

The scene quickly changed to the burning rubbles of a church. Duo stood there, a couple of years younger than he was now, dressed in a priest's garb. There was blood streaked on his hands, his face, and not his own. He stood there as he watched the ruins as they burned. Tears ran down his violet eyes as he watched the church burn. At his feet was the body of a beautiful, young nun, a soft smile on her still features.

He had a rosary clutched in his hand as he watched the fire, a grim resolve burning inside of him. Something in him broke, coming out. A hidden power. He looked up at the ceiling of the colony and whispered, "The only thing left is Death."

"Tag along with me in my journey to HELL!" Duo shouted as his fist slammed into something. Hotaru looked around. The area was cramped with consoles and computer screens all around her. The technology was unbelievable. He bitterly laughed, "It's my lucky day." Then, he slumped over in some harness.

She was standing in another alley, seeing the Duo of today, holding some girl in his arms. She was jealous that he was holding this girl, but she noticed the limpness of the body. Hotaru walked over and looked at the grief-stricken Duo and the girl. She was tiny, looking like a pixie with hair black enough to have blue highlights that was cut close to her head.

Then, suddenly, she was a child again. She was curled against the huge oak tree in the playground, the sun's heat like a weight on her back. She was sobbing, alone. She heard the taunts, the "Don't let Hotaru Tomoe touch you. She'll cast a spell on you."

Hotaru cried out as her friend crumpled to the ground, a bloody cut on his head. She rushed to him and lightly touched it, healing it. He jumped away from her, his eyes wide with panic. He shouted, "Stay away from me, you witch!"

Then, she was older, trembling on the floor. She could feel the horrible evil rising in her. Then, suddenly, she lost control and the evil Mistress Nine took over her body. Nine laughed, tossing her hair around her, the black strands curling around things with a life of their own.

She screamed as Rini fell to the ground, her garnet eyes wide and lifeless. She was a prisoner to it all. The Messiah of Silence.

She looked around and saw a pair of wide violet eyes boring into her. Duo ran over to her and wrapped her in his arms, a life line in all of this. He held her close, stroking her hair, whispering soothing things in different languages from her own Japanese to Gaelic of all things.

"Oh, damn," Duo murmured in her hair, holding her close. She let out a sob and clung to him, trembling from the emotional impact of it all. He stroked her hair, her back. She simply held onto him with everything. She needed to be with him, strangely enough.

Death, Destruction and Rebirth. All part of the Cycle. One and the same, one cannot exist without the other. Death and Rebirth, Destruction the balance of both of them. Irresistible, a dangerous, powerful force.

One cannot exist without the other. You need each other. You are both parts to a larger puzzle. Death, Destruction and Rebirth, as it should be.

"Don't let me go, Duo. Don't let me go," she whispered in his ear, pressing herself closer to him.

To Be Continued!

Of Shades and Shadows: Part Three

By: Elf

"Don't let me go, Duo, don't let me go," Hotaru whispered in Duo's ear as he held her. He could barely control the tremors in his body. Everything was too fresh in his mind, things that he had tried to forget, and things that he didn't like other people seeing. Hotaru knew everything about him now, more than Hilde could have ever dreamed to find out.

And he knew everything about her.

He knew her isolation, her loneliness, her responsibility, and her emptiness. A hollow that had been eating at her soul ever since she died the first time in that explosion with her dad. Or even before that. A hollow that he somehow filled.

He held her close, her body warm and pliant against his. He softly moaned against her hair as her body shifted. He wanted her. He could feel his body begin to react to her, her wanting him as well. He needed to be in her. Needed to be apart of her. They were two pieces that fit to make a whole.

He tilted his head down. She was taller than Hilde, he realized as he gently brushed his lips against her's. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she began to kiss him back. She tasted sweet, warm. Every moment of pain and frustration was being soothed by this little dark angel.

The kissing wasn't enough he realized as he held her. He wanted more. He needed more. He lifted her off the ground slightly, her weight meager in his arms. The kisses became more intense, hotter, passionate. He wanted her. He needed her.

Everything else be dammed.

All that mattered right now was Hotaru. Hotaru pressed invitingly on his body, the taste of Hotaru on his lips, Hotaru's slender fingers intertwining in his hair. "What's happening to me?" she whispered in a dazed voice, her violet eyes even darker with passion.

He gently caressed her cheek and she moved into the touch, sighing lightly. She stood up on her tip toes and caught his lips again, the kissing more desperate this time. He lifted her up, swinging her slender form into his arms, careful not to break the kiss.

"Well, well, well, isn't this touching?" a mocking voice asked, causing Duo to spin around. He put Hotaru on the ground and instinctively shielded her body with his. The Keeper stood there, his robes bellowing all around him, a mocking smile on his beautiful features.

Duo glared at him, his usual quips dead on his lips. Hotaru pulled out her wand, the same one that she used to transform with. He said, "Hotaru, run."

"I said I was going to kill you both," the Keeper said with a smile.

******

"I need to get back to L2," Heero stated calmly to Relena Darlin. Relena nodded, understanding perfectly. Noin and Zechs had returned from Mars. Heero really didn't fear Relena getting hurt, especially with Zechs around. Nothing was going to harm the Lightning Count's little sister while he still breathed.

Zechs nodded, his platinum blond falling into his unreadable icy blue eyes. Being enemies at one time made them know each other better than anyone, including the women that they loved. They were too much alike, Heero realized, and that was why they were such great adversaries, now allies.

Relena said, "And Duo's not exactly stable, with losing Hilde and all."

"Poor Duo, I can't even imagine what he's feeling," Noin said, shaking her head.

Zechs answered, "I can. He needs help. He's only human, despite the fact that he calls himself the God of Death."

"No one's perfect," Relena stated, her cornflower blue eyes locking keenly on Heero.

Heero only grunted as he walked out of the office. He called out, "I'll be back soon."

"Good luck, Heero," Zechs told him.

His keen hearing picked up Relena saying, "Heero, be careful."

******

The Keeper's red eyes locked on them. Duo looked at Hotaru who threw up her arm and shouted, "Saturn Star Power!" He watched as her black clothing changed into that sexy sailor costume again. She spun the Silence Glave in her hands as she faced the Keeper. She said in her celestial voice, "You cannot win."

Duo looked around the room. None of his weapons would work against that bastard. Which was a shame because he had a lot of weapons. Old buddy, I could use you right about now, he thought wirily as he remembered his Gundam. Deathscythe HELL would thrash this guy left and right, no matter how damn supernatural he was.

The Keeper lifted up his hand in a languid gesture. Duo felt a cold rush of energy surround him as he was thrown out of the window. He managed to land safely by one of the many piles of scrap in the yard. He stood up and faced the Keeper. The Keeper smirked as he waved his scythe.

Duo looked up to see a pile of scrap falling toward him. He couldn't move fast enough. Soon, everything was darkness.

******

Saturn spun her Glave and caught the scythe's blade. She stepped forward, using her momentum to drive the demon back. The Keeper sidestepped her and sliced the scythe's blade at her knees. She managed to jump up, but the Keeper had expected that. The long, steel handle crashed into her skull.

She cried out as the back of her head exploded in agony. She rubbed the back of it, finding her fingers coming away slick with blood. She looked at the crimson smear on her hand and stood up. Her vison was blurred and her knees were weakening.

"I killed him before you could have any fun with him, darling," The Keeper leered at her.

Saturn screamed in rage as she rushed at him. She gracefully spun, catching her boot into his face with a roundhouse kick. She followed with a few more blows and punches, using her Glave like a staff. She spun back around and thrust the blade directly to his chest.

The clang of metal against metal signaled that he blocked the blow.

She looked down in shock, seeing his scythe blocking her Glave. She rushed forward, trying to impale him with the blade. She screamed in fury.

Duo. Not Duo. You can't kill Death. He's not dead, was the thought that was repeating itself like a mantra in her mind as she locked blades with the shadowy figure. She flipped up, catching her feet on his chin, causing him to fall back. She slipped her Glave away from him and landed soundly on his feet.

She gave him no mercy. She gave him hell. Each blow was fueled by her rage. Duo wasn't dead and she wasn't going to let the Keeper hurt anyone else. Even if she had to use her greatest power, she wasn't going to let anyone get hurt. Especially Duo Maxwell.

"No, you can't win," she hissed as she sliced her blade at him.

He blocked it and smacked her head again. Her vision blurred as blood ran into her eyes. She gasped for air, her stomach heaving, her head spinning and dizzy. She swayed a little. The Keeper laughed at her.

"Little bitch. He was to be mine. The funny thing was that you never got to have him," he hissed at her.

She planted her feet apart and took a deep breath. She screamed as she rushed at him again. She saw the red rush of energy heading toward her. She spun her Glave and shouted, "SILENT GLAVE BLOCK!"

The wall of light red energy managed to block the dark power. She sighed, barely able to stand up. She gathered her power in one last respite, "SILENT GLAVE APPLY!" The violet energy rushed at him.

He spun his scythe, effortlessly blocking it. He rushed at her, hitting her with his scythe. The blow was too much too soon. She fell to her knees. She tried to stand up, but her head and body protested against it.

"You lost, little bitch," he sneered as he angled the blade at her throat. A gunshot rushed through the stillness, hitting beside the scythe, beside Saturn. "Who?" the Keeper asked as he looked up.

Saturn did too. She saw a boy Duo's age, slender and lithe while Duo was broader. He had short, unruly dark-brown hair that hung in handsome angular features. He peered at them with intense, dark blue eyes. He was dressed in a loose fitting, green tank top, a denim jacket, and faded blue jeans, a smoking pistol in his hands.

"Were's Duo?" he asked in a perfect, deep monotone.

The Keeper said, "He's dead. So will she be soon. And you if you interfere."

"Leave her alone," the boy said in that emotionless tone.

Saturn shouted, "Run! Please! Run, you don't know what you're dealing with!"

"I don't care," he replied as he moved toward them. He took aim again, shooting him.

******

Everything was blurry. Everything was going numb. Blood leaked in crimson rivulets down his hands, his face, soaking his long bangs. Duo licked his lips, tasting the metallic smack of blood on his lips. "So this is death, huna?" he asked in a raspy voice. He was pinned underneath several tons of neo-titanium. How he was still alive was beyond him, but he would die soon.

With a laugh, he closed his eyes, realizing how easy it was to surrender.

"Duo," a familiar voice called to him.

Duo's eyes opened and he looked around, seeing that he was lying on some cool grass. The moon was full above him and the stars were glittering. That was the thing that Duo loved about Earth, the night sky.

"Duo," the feminine voice called out to him again. He looked up, seeing Hilde standing there. Her close-cropped black hair blew in her face and her bright blue eyes were watching him with love and tenderness. A white dress blew around her ankles as she watched him.

He slowly stood up. He asked, "Hilde babe?" She smiled and nodded. He walked over to her. Not to long ago he would have picked her up and spun around in happiness. He knew that she wasn't alive though, and he felt guilty.

"Hello, handsome," she said playfully as she stepped closer to him.

He asked, "What is this place, Hilde?"

"A place in your mind. You never told me you like the stars, Duo," she said with a faint smile, "But you really didn't tell me much about you."

He whispered, "I'm sorry."

"About Hotaru? Don't be. You two were meant to be. Well, even if I hadn't died, you would have left me eventually," Hilde said with a sad smile.

Duo looked at her in wonderment as he thought about her words. He sighed and said, "Yeah, after a while."

"Not what you need, Duo, I was good for a while but . . ." she waved her hand dissmissively.

Duo asked, "What's going on out there?"

"That's why I'm here," Hilde said as she turned away from him. She waved her hand as she said, "I still can't believe this supernatural crap."

Duo could see Hotaru, the Keeper and . . . HEERO YUY! They were fighting the Keeper, blood dripping down cuts and scrapes from the fight. Heero pushed Hotaru out of the way as he caught the scythe blade with a metal pole from the yard. He spun it around, knocking the Keeper's head back.

The Keeper laughed and Heero went flying against a pile of scrap. Hotaru screamed as she charged him, her Glave ready for action. He blocked her and tripped her, sending her skidding to the ground. "You've lost, you little slut, this world is mine," The Keeper hissed with a smile.

Duo looked at Hilde and asked, "What am I suppose to do?"

"Call on it. Become what you really are," Hilde said with a smile.

He reached out and touched her cheek. He grinned and said, "I loved you."

"But you weren't in love with me," she said with a sad smile.

He smirked and replied, "But ya gotta admit that the sex was great."

She laughed at that before she faded away. He caught her voice before she faded, "It wasn't your fault Duo. Live on. Fight on. Love on. Be who you really are."

"I am Shinigami," Duo said with a smirk.

Duo felt the dark, cool energy wrap around him. He chuckled as his body began to heal and the metal was lifted off of him. He stood up, in the mist of the swirling, black power and held up his hands. He closed his eyes as he felt it embrace him, becoming Death.

His body felt whole and new again, perfect. He whispered, "I may run and hide, but I'll never tell a lie. I am Death." He placed his hands back down. The tank top and leather pants that he was wearing changed. True, he was still wearing his leather pants, but they were darker, better made. His working boots changed into elegant, knee high boots. His shirt became a long sleeve, silk version of the priest outfit that he use to wear, except the collar was red. The cross that he always wore waved in the wind that the power caused, along with his braid. A thick black with red trim velvet cape swirled around his shoulders. And, finally, a bright Scythe appeared in his hand, the blade glowing with green fire.

He looked at the Keeper, at Hotaru, then finally at his best friend. "Hey, mother fucker, take a look at me!" Duo shouted, spinning his Scythe.

The Keeper asked, "What the hell?"

Duo smirked and spun his Scythe. Heero stood up painfully, as did Hotaru. She used her Glave to lean on as she watched Duo. He smirked and shouted, "The God of Death is back from HELL!"

With a savage cry, the Keeper charged Duo. Duo didn't even look at him as the scythe sliced through his body. The Keeper smirked as he brought the blade out and gasped when he noticed that Duo was unharmed. Duo chuckled and said, "You can't kill Shinigami."

"There's no such thing," The Keeper shouted, crimson energy flaring around him. Duo closed his eyes and let the dark power surround him. The Keeper unleashed his power and Duo tried to block it.

He was sent skidding as well as Heero and Hotaru. Duo stood up and looked at Hotaru and his friend. Hotaru was looking at him with wide, dark velvety violet eyes. Duo spun his Scythe and charged at the figure. The scythes crossed. Duo glared as he concentrated. He sent out a wave of his power out, sending the Keeper falling back.

Duo jumped back with a smirk. He asked, "How do you like it, bitch?"

"I don't know, tell me," The Keeper replied with a smile. Duo cursed as the Keeper's power rained down on him. Hotaru was at his side, as well as Heero.

He looked up at his friend and asked, "You're probably wondering what the fuck's going on, eh buddy?"

"We have to defeat him," Heero calmly stated.

Hotaru stood up and squared her shoulders. She shook her head and replied, "No, I have to defeat him."

"No," Duo hissed, standing up, flipping his cape off his shoulders. He knew what she was planning. He told her, "I won't let you do that, Hotaru. I won't."

"You don't have a choice, Duo," she said with a smile as she stepped away from them.

She spun her Glave and looked the Keeper dead in the eye. The Keeper acutely looked afraid. He said, "You wouldn't."

Duo grabbed onto her, keeping hold of her as she gathered her power. The power to destroy. Death, Destruction, Rebirth, all part of the cycle. He closed his eyes as he heard her cry out, "DEATH REBORN REVOLUTION!"

The last thing Duo remembered was a bright flash of light before he collapsed.

******

Hotaru woke up, still Saturn, and still sixteen. She was pillowed on Duo's chest and his violet eyes were anxious. She looked at him, so handsome in his Death costume. "Hey, he's gone," Duo said with a grin.

He sat up, gently bringing her with him. She sighed and nestled closer to him. He said, "I had a talk with someone."

"Hilde?" Hotaru knew from their connection. He nodded. He chuckled as she brushed strands of hair from his violet eyes. She asked, "Now what?"

"Tell me what the hell just happened," the boy's monotone reached them. He was healed, as was Duo and herself. She looked at Duo and he simply shrugged.

Duo said, "Hotaru Tomoe, Mr. Perfect Solder here is Heero Yuy. Heero, this angel is Hotaru Tomoe, and you're not gonna believe the story we're gonna tell you." He grinned impishly as he stood up, bringing Hotaru up with him.

Hotaru was wondering why she didn't die. Duo smirked and whispered in her ear, "I'm not waiting sixteen years so I can have my way with you."

She blushed. He was kidding, right? She looked at him, trying to take things to heart. Duo chuckled and kissed her, signaling that, despite everything, it was going to be all right.

Death, Destruction and Rebirth. All part of the same cycle, one did not exist without the other. For the first time in her life, Hotaru Tomoe felt whole.

Prologue

Two Weeks Later

Hotaru sat at her desk and looked out the window of her high office. Her office. Within a week and a half of meeting Duo, fighting the Keeper, finding a part of herself, and falling in love, she had a job as a Preventer. She was part of the medical team, headed under Sally Po.

The names and faces quickly became a blur, but there were a few she recognized. The white-golden haired, aqua eyed angel, Quatre Rabeba Winner, the silent, sandy haired dark-green eyed Trowa Barton, the beautiful Lady Une, the leader of the Preventers, the intelligent, independent violet eyed and haired Lucrazia Noin, her lover and Heero's rival, the elegant, intense platinum blond Zechs Marquse, and Heero Yuy. Oh, and Chang Wufei.

"Woman, what are you doing?" the angry Chinese boy asked. Hotaru looked up at him from her desk and stood up. He snapped, "What are you doing, onna?"

She crossed her arms over her Preventer's uniform. She answered, "Doing paper work for Sally." He looked a little flustered at this. Hotaru thought that there was more going on to Wufei and Sally than meets the eye. Duo had agreed with her.

"It figures, you're weak," he snorted as he turned to leave.

Her cheeks colored as she became angry. She crossed her arms over her chest and snapped, "I'm stronger than you'll ever be."

He came back into the room and glared at her. Duo and Heero lurked at her doorway. Duo was smiling and his violet eyes were sparkling with mischief. He said, "You better watch it, Wu-Man."

Heero, who knew of who, and what they were, simply smirked. Hotaru decided that she liked Heero and was glad that Duo had him as a best friend. Wufei snapped, "Do not call me that, Duo. I've told you that countless times."

Hotaru moved closer to him and grabbed his shoulder. He spun around and faced her, her hand still gripping his shoulder. She said, "Wufei, could you leave my office."

"I will not be ordered around by a woman!" he snapped at her.

She ignored him and began to remove him out of her office. She shoved him into the hallway, where he tumbled onto the floor. She crossed her arms and said, "Don't underestimate me."

She walked back into her office where she heard Heero say, "Shouldn't Death be with Destruction?"

"Excuse me for not being a mear mortal," Duo quipped as he entered the office and shut the door. He locked it with an impish grin. He looked absolutely gorgeous wearing his simple Preventer's uniform. He said, "Now, where were we this morning?"

"Talking about things," she said with a smile as he walked toward her.

Duo looked at her computer and groaned, "Paperwork. Great. Lets bail this baby and get something to eat."

She leaned up and softly kissed his lips. He grinned at her. She said, "Don't change."

"I wasn't planning on it," he smirked as he took her hand and took her out to lunch. She simply smiled and curled to his warmth. His familarality.

Death, Destruction, and Rebirth, all where they belonged for all eternity.

The End!

So, what did you think of this? Should I do a sequel? This is my first true romance. Thanks.