Psalm 23
by Jen "Mercedes" De Salme
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to its owners. "Psalm 23: The Lord to Me a Shepherd Is" is from the Bay Psalm Book by John Berger. Don't sue me, all you'll get are my college loan bills, four penguin statuettes, and a stuffed iguana.
Warnings: Song/vid-fic, blasphemous(?)
Pairings: None
Note: This came to me tonight while I was singing this song in Community Choir. The song, based on the original psalm from the Bible (given at the end of the fic), is low, soft, and gentle, but with an intense undertone of joy and exhalation (hey, it IS a psalm). As my choir director often points out, "it's not a funeral dirge." I've edited out some of the lyric repetitions, but the lyrics themselves are unchanged. This meant to be read as if it were a silent film, the only sound being the music and the singing. It appeals to my sense of irony.
~~lyrics~~
************
~~
The Lord to me a shepherd is, want therefore shall not I;
He in the folds of tender grass doth cause me down to lie.
~~
We see Duo standing in a forest at night, looking up at something. A grin splits his face and the view spins until we're looking over his shoulder. Deathscythe is kneeling in a small, clearing, covered in camouflage netting.
The view fades to black for a moment. When it fades back in, Duo is sitting in the black Gundam's cockpit, latching the harness across his chest. He powers the Gundam up and we are once again looking over his shoulder, this time at a starlit bay in the distance. The view disappears as Deathscythe's hatch closes.
~~
To waters calm me gently leads, Restore my soul doth he;
He doth in paths of righteousness for his name's sake lead me.
~~
We watch the Gundam approach the ocean port with increasing speed. The Leos guarding the perimeter are blissfully ignorant of the approaching death, the lights on their rifles sweeping bright lines across the still water of the bay and the area surrounding the Oz shuttle launch. Between Deathscythe's dark color and its radar jammers, its opponents are given no warning.
The first hint of danger comes when the first Leo explodes. Deathscythe is lit by the red-orange light of the flames, as if arising from the Inferno. The base goes instantly on alert, search lights sweeping the area as the other mobile suits descend upon the Gundam and its pilot.
~~
Yea, though in valley of death's shade I walk, none ill I'll fear;
because though art, thou art with me, thy rod and staff my comfort are.
~~
Back inside the cockpit, Duo is grinning wildly. Light from the controls and monitors flicker over his face, casting an eerie glow over his features. He laughs and taunts the approaching enemy, showing no fear in the face of only a dozen or so mobile suits.
The Gundam's thermal scythe flares to life, green fire bright in under the new moon. He easily slashes through his first opponent, slapping aside a second with a crushing blow from the scythe's handle.
~~
For me a table thou hast spread, in presence of my foes;
Thou dost anoint my head with oil, my cup it overflows.
~~
Just as the scythe rips through the last of the mobile suits, a light flashes in the distance. Zooming in, we see a second wave of troops exiting the port base itself, heading for the Gundam. Within moments, Deathscythe is surrounded and being fired upon from all sides.
Duo is rocked about the cockpit, only his harness and his training keeping him from knocking against the controls or monitors. A particularly harsh blast plows into the Gundam's back; a few sparks fly from a panel above and to his left. The grin on the young pilot's face has melted into a snarl and his eyes flash. Trained hands manipulate the machine's controls smoothly, despite the attack, and within moments the two Leos previously in front of him are gone in a flash of fire and exploding shrapnel.
~~
Goodness and mercy surely shall all my days follow me;
and in the Lord's house I shall dwell so long as days shall be.
~~
Once the black Gundam and its pilot regain control of the battle, the remaining mobile suits meet a swift demise. Making its way through the smoldering remains of twisted metal, Deathscythe's thrusters come on-line, speeding it towards the small seaside base. The shuttle bays are quickly dispatched as the thermal scythe slashes through and ignites the external refueling tanks squatting between the hangar and the main structure. The exploding fuel ignites the two buildings.
The view once again fades to black as the Gundam finishes off the base.
~~
The Lord to me a shepherd is, want therefore shall not I.
~~
When the scene fades back in, the space shuttle port is seen from across the bay, smoke and the pale glow of small fires marking the ruins. The view pans over to Deathscythe, standing triumphant on shore opposite its former target. The hatch opens and Duo steps out.
He stands just outside the Gundam, one foot on the open hatch as he leans against the entryway. The horizon is barely tinted pink, staining the water with pale color. A slight breeze ruffles the pilot's bangs. He takes a deep breath of the sea air, a satisfied smile crossing his lips.
Scene fades to black with the fading music...
*********************************************
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
-- Psalms 23:1--