Quatre gasped…death. It was death he knew it, it was him. The plague had struck down millions since its lab-based birth. It had killed off most of his family, he knew it. As much as the others had tried to withhold the information, he knew. He felt each of their deaths. The others needed him much more than his family though, The others were dying too. Quatre sat on the edge of his bed in the dark, starred at Trowa, at Heero, at Duo, at Wufei. Forced to grow up so quickly, so violently. They would have always been stuck in the void between boyhood and manhood. Hardly any childhood, but always yearning for freedom, yearning for peace, even yearning for death. The colonies were long gone, and most of earth, so there was peace. The cold, empty peace of death. After their gundams were destroyed, they couldn't fight anyway. He knew duo kept a few pieces of deathsythe under his cot, Quatre didn't have any of sandrock. It began to rain, Quatre could hear the rhythmic tapping of the water on tin. Tears from the sky, were they tears for them? Tears that they could not shed, because they were warriors, because they were trying so hard to be men when what they really needed was to be children? Trowa joined him on the edge of his bed, "why are you up so early?" he asked his voice still husky from a good nights sleep.
"Oh, just enjoying this beautiful planet for as long as I can" Quatre looked away, he hated being this cryptic.
"Hmm…not so beautiful since the plague, too much death, you dyin?" Trowa looked at Quatre, a look that could slice through steel. Quatre hated it when Trowa did this, he was sure he could see right through him. Quatre nodded with his face turned away. Trowa didn't react, he just sat, his heart had been ripped out and there was nothing he could do to stop the inevitable. A while later Trowa put his hand on Quatre's shoulder
"You scared?" he asked softly
"No, just saddened, I wanted to see more of this planet, it's amazing." Quatre thought he felt a tear but ignored it…could be that the roof leaked. Tears streamed down Trowa's face too.
"Damn roof" Trowa said, as he put his arm around Quatre,
"Hug him" Trowa's subconscious screamed with frustration.
"Bring him to you and ease his pain with your kiss" Trowa fought it, never, never, never. "Trowa…thank you." Quatre said with a meaningful glance, slowly moving out from under Trowa's arm to make breakfast.
"Why didn't I, why?" Trowa tore at his soul and his head fell into his well-worn hands. Trowa set the table as he recovered and Quatre set steaming eggs and coffee on it. They woke the others, gently to soften the transition from dream heaven to the hell of reality. They ate in silence, except for Duo who was noisily chatting away to no one in particular. Quatre excused himself early and walked out to the cliff, they had all walked out to the cliff at times. To think, to teeter on the edge and wish to fall, when one of the guys went to the cliff it was an unspoken law not to disturb them. Trowa broke the law, leaning against the worn trunk of an old tree and watching Quatre, singing softly as he watched the early morning sun, his legs hung off the rock face and he was swinging them slowly.
"He looks just like a little boy, someone who needs protecting, needs shelter from the horrors of the world. But he has been through so much, too much. The world has already taken its toll on my sunshine." Trowa thought as he felt a drop flowing down his cheek. He rose his hand to the sky to check for rain
"Quit trying to fool yourself baka" he thought smiling a little…in his head.
"Trowa, sit with me" Quatre called without looking back Trowa was surprised but followed the request.
"Quatre…um, I-" Trowa was cut off as Quatre put his finger to Trowa's lips, Trowa was so surprised he didn't even get to relish the moment. It was a kiss…of sorts. Quatre turned toward the expanse of city below
"I love this place, don't you? More then the colonies, more than space, this is the home, the mother of the human race. This is where our ancestors grew up, this is where their children were born, this is where they died. And what now? The race will finish, will the earth flourish? Knocking away the pain of humanity, the destruction, the hate, and grow anew? Or will she grow stagnant, die without her children? We're so insignificant, yet one life, one person holds so much life that it makes a difference. Not a difference to the whole, but to others, somehow their flames are dulled by the extinguishing of another's. Don't let your flame be dulled by me, You'll need it to take care of the others, look after them for me won't you?" Quatre looked over the earth again and then looked at Trowa.
"You're not…going are you?" Trowa felt the damn rain again, spilling down his cheeks, perhaps it had never stopped
"Yeah, my time on this planet is done…I hate to ask you this, but will you hold me? I just don't want to do this alone" Quatre looked at Trowa and the tears came harder from both of them. Tears that stained Trowa's shirt stained Quatre's shirt, mixed on their cheeks as they kissed. Quatre fell into Trowa's shoulder and died there his last warm breath extinguishing part of Trowa's flame as much as he tried to stop it. He knew this would happen one day, was this pain why he had tried so hard to ignore love? Trowa cradled the body of his beloved as the tears of the earth fell on them both.
Act II- Wufei
Wufei was sick, he was dying. He knew it, he could feel the silent killer of the plague. There were no symptoms, it was just death, quiet and cold, as he had always known it. It had already killed Quatre, Quatre succumbed to the pain, he let fate take advantage of him. Not Wufei, never him, he wouldn't succumb to anything, not even certain death. Tonight he would die of his own blade. He didn't cry at Quatre's services, warriors didn't cry. He was surprised that they let them take Quatre's body back to the hanger though. Well, Quatre didn't have much left: a few weeping sisters and servants. Poor Quatre so much had been taken from him in his last days. Wufei supposed he was lucky, he had nothing to be taken away. No one would cry at his death, warriors didn't cry and all he had left were them. Trowa, Heero, and Duo, Trowa was taken with Quatre's death. If Trowa was ever happy, it must have been with Quatre.
When Quatre died, it was like a light had been turned off in a Trowa's head, a mental death. No Wufei was stronger, stronger than any of them, death was no opponent for him. Heero was withdrawn, it was no change, but the fever had planted itself in all of them. They were all destined to die. Duo was silent, it was almost frightening, this was probably what made them all so uneasy, that and there were dead people in their room. The lights were out, 5 days, 5 deaths, 5 fallen warriors. The blade was cool and smooth against his stomach and when he turned it to face him he was not afraid. As death slid icily into his form he made no sound. And as the last of his blood spilled form his wounds he made no move, an honorable death.
"Oh, just enjoying this beautiful planet for as long as I can" Quatre looked away, he hated being this cryptic.
"Hmm…not so beautiful since the plague, too much death, you dyin?" Trowa looked at Quatre, a look that could slice through steel. Quatre hated it when Trowa did this, he was sure he could see right through him. Quatre nodded with his face turned away. Trowa didn't react, he just sat, his heart had been ripped out and there was nothing he could do to stop the inevitable. A while later Trowa put his hand on Quatre's shoulder
"You scared?" he asked softly
"No, just saddened, I wanted to see more of this planet, it's amazing." Quatre thought he felt a tear but ignored it…could be that the roof leaked. Tears streamed down Trowa's face too.
"Damn roof" Trowa said, as he put his arm around Quatre,
"Hug him" Trowa's subconscious screamed with frustration.
"Bring him to you and ease his pain with your kiss" Trowa fought it, never, never, never. "Trowa…thank you." Quatre said with a meaningful glance, slowly moving out from under Trowa's arm to make breakfast.
"Why didn't I, why?" Trowa tore at his soul and his head fell into his well-worn hands. Trowa set the table as he recovered and Quatre set steaming eggs and coffee on it. They woke the others, gently to soften the transition from dream heaven to the hell of reality. They ate in silence, except for Duo who was noisily chatting away to no one in particular. Quatre excused himself early and walked out to the cliff, they had all walked out to the cliff at times. To think, to teeter on the edge and wish to fall, when one of the guys went to the cliff it was an unspoken law not to disturb them. Trowa broke the law, leaning against the worn trunk of an old tree and watching Quatre, singing softly as he watched the early morning sun, his legs hung off the rock face and he was swinging them slowly.
"He looks just like a little boy, someone who needs protecting, needs shelter from the horrors of the world. But he has been through so much, too much. The world has already taken its toll on my sunshine." Trowa thought as he felt a drop flowing down his cheek. He rose his hand to the sky to check for rain
"Quit trying to fool yourself baka" he thought smiling a little…in his head.
"Trowa, sit with me" Quatre called without looking back Trowa was surprised but followed the request.
"Quatre…um, I-" Trowa was cut off as Quatre put his finger to Trowa's lips, Trowa was so surprised he didn't even get to relish the moment. It was a kiss…of sorts. Quatre turned toward the expanse of city below
"I love this place, don't you? More then the colonies, more than space, this is the home, the mother of the human race. This is where our ancestors grew up, this is where their children were born, this is where they died. And what now? The race will finish, will the earth flourish? Knocking away the pain of humanity, the destruction, the hate, and grow anew? Or will she grow stagnant, die without her children? We're so insignificant, yet one life, one person holds so much life that it makes a difference. Not a difference to the whole, but to others, somehow their flames are dulled by the extinguishing of another's. Don't let your flame be dulled by me, You'll need it to take care of the others, look after them for me won't you?" Quatre looked over the earth again and then looked at Trowa.
"You're not…going are you?" Trowa felt the damn rain again, spilling down his cheeks, perhaps it had never stopped
"Yeah, my time on this planet is done…I hate to ask you this, but will you hold me? I just don't want to do this alone" Quatre looked at Trowa and the tears came harder from both of them. Tears that stained Trowa's shirt stained Quatre's shirt, mixed on their cheeks as they kissed. Quatre fell into Trowa's shoulder and died there his last warm breath extinguishing part of Trowa's flame as much as he tried to stop it. He knew this would happen one day, was this pain why he had tried so hard to ignore love? Trowa cradled the body of his beloved as the tears of the earth fell on them both.
Act II- Wufei
Wufei was sick, he was dying. He knew it, he could feel the silent killer of the plague. There were no symptoms, it was just death, quiet and cold, as he had always known it. It had already killed Quatre, Quatre succumbed to the pain, he let fate take advantage of him. Not Wufei, never him, he wouldn't succumb to anything, not even certain death. Tonight he would die of his own blade. He didn't cry at Quatre's services, warriors didn't cry. He was surprised that they let them take Quatre's body back to the hanger though. Well, Quatre didn't have much left: a few weeping sisters and servants. Poor Quatre so much had been taken from him in his last days. Wufei supposed he was lucky, he had nothing to be taken away. No one would cry at his death, warriors didn't cry and all he had left were them. Trowa, Heero, and Duo, Trowa was taken with Quatre's death. If Trowa was ever happy, it must have been with Quatre.
When Quatre died, it was like a light had been turned off in a Trowa's head, a mental death. No Wufei was stronger, stronger than any of them, death was no opponent for him. Heero was withdrawn, it was no change, but the fever had planted itself in all of them. They were all destined to die. Duo was silent, it was almost frightening, this was probably what made them all so uneasy, that and there were dead people in their room. The lights were out, 5 days, 5 deaths, 5 fallen warriors. The blade was cool and smooth against his stomach and when he turned it to face him he was not afraid. As death slid icily into his form he made no sound. And as the last of his blood spilled form his wounds he made no move, an honorable death.