Hmm, this fic is so weird and rambling. Maybe I'll rewrite it eventually so that it makes more sense, but considering how long it took me to finish it, I'll leave it be for now. I should probably apologize to any French-speakers, because I probably managed to mess up the three words of French I used somehow.
Well, it's done. Thanks so much for sticking til the end. You're pretty impressive, I must say. Sorry for any screw-ups and I hope you're amused.
"I thought you wanted to go outside and duel!" This was not outside, nor was it dueling.
Zero smiled, ignoring me as he placed his hand to the ship's computer. The lights whirred in a multi-colored show. "It's been a long time," the ghost murmured. "I thought I was crazy when I heard you. But you're not quite like me are you…? No, certainly not like me."
Great, now he was talking to inanimate objects too. "You are crazy," I frowned. I shouldn't have let him convince me to come in here. The room always made me feel uncomfortable. The lights from the computer warmed the dark space, seeming to shine in greeting for the ghost.
Still, Zero ignored me. "Don't worry," he said to the air. "You know there's no reason to. It'll be a fight just like every other."
I shifted my weight between my feet and glanced toward the door. "Can we go now?"
"It was nice seeing you again," he said as his hand slipped from the metal. "I'm sure it won't be the last time." Slowly, he turned and nodded. "You don't need to take everything so fast, Daiba. Take time to stop and listen."
"Yeah," I responded at length as I headed for the door.
While the last planet had been tropical, this one was a dense mess of rocky alcoves. Luckily, it had a breathable atmosphere, though the air was slightly thinner than on Earth.
We'd landed ourselves in the bottom of a canyon, and there were men outside making their way around the ship in order to fix a few tears in our armor. "See what happens when they don't have me to help them fight?" I joked.
"You're certainly their ace," Zero laughed. "It's no wonder they keep you around."
I glanced over the area surrounding us and took a quick circuit of the ship, but there was no sign of our adversary. "You think the captain's already out here?" I asked through a yawn, stretching my arms out above my head.
"No clue," Zero shrugged, smiling at the saber bouncing at my side. The tip of it was annoyingly close to touching the ground, even though I'd hitched my belt up nearly to my stomach.
"You are going to lose," I grumbled.
"We'll see."
"You are!"
"Alright. What happens then?"
"The captain's not going to kill me," I huffed, punching him in the arm. He allowed me to, though it didn't seem to bother him at all. I didn't really care if the guys outside saw me talking to air anymore. Besides, they weren't really looking my way.
"Maybe he went out farther so people wouldn't see us," Zero offered. The canyon continued out endlessly beyond the port side of the ship. Well, it made sense. If we were to just start battling with sabers in front of everyone, it would look a bit odd.
One of the men yelled down toward my back as I started toward the hallway of rocks. "You headed to see the Captain?"
"Yeah!" I replied, turning halfway. "Did he go this way?"
"Yep, said you would probably be headed out after him and to be careful. We don't really know what's on this planet."
"Should I take over in case we get jumped by something?" Zero offered.
"Nah, I got this," I shrugged. "I doubt there's anything here."
"Famous last words," he sang playfully, starting down the corridor ahead of me. "I'll make sure no rocks fall on you."
"I appreciate it," I answered dryly. "But I'm not going to say anything if one's headed for you."
He laughed, bright and genuine. "Oh, that would be great, wouldn't it?" Slowing his step, he allowed me to catch up and ruffled my hair. I didn't bother getting onto him for it. He was in more of a good mood than usual, and I couldn't help but have it rub off on me. Must have been excited to finally be allowed to talk to the captain again.
"You know, I've been thinking," I began.
"Have you?"
"For once," I smiled. "I figured I might as well just let everyone know you've been harassing me all this time, but you can't pull anything. You have to back me up on it."
"You're giving me permission to take over in front of the crew?" he hummed in thought. "That would be interesting, and I promise I'd behave, but don't jump to conclusions just yet."
"What do you mean?"
He looked up to the planet's sun, framed by the red canyon walls around us. "Would it be alright if I went ahead and took over? You just have to make sure you don't fade away on me."
"I won't, idiot. I learned my lesson. It's boiling hot though." I hated desert planets, and sweat was already beginning to collect across my back. My uniform wasn't really made for heat, and the black was baking against my skin. I'd need a shower when we got back.
"That's fine. I'd like to feel the sun for a bit."
Tugging off my glove, I held up my hand for him. The moment his high-five connected, I fell back into a void of space. Maybe this was what it felt like to be dead, alone in darkness…alone forever.
I forced my eyes open, terrified that I would see nothing, but the sun greeted me with a sharp glare. It didn't hurt my eyes. I didn't feel hot anymore. "How can you stand this?" I frowned. Not being able to feel suddenly had me craving touch, heat or cold or something!
"You just get used to it, I guess," he frowned with my face, talking to me in my voice. I would never get over how weird that was. "You alright? We can switch back."
"No, it's fine," I huffed. "It's just kind of… What does it feel like to die?"
"You didn't feel it when you went through my memories?"
"No, not really. You cut off the story there." It had gone black. That was all I knew.
"It doesn't hurt. It's rather calming actually." A pause. "Are you afraid of dying, Daiba?" he asked gently.
"I don't know." I recalled that he'd said I could float, and I curiously bounced off the ground, allowing myself to hover there. "Dying doesn't sound so bad I guess, unless it's painful. Being dead though…"
"Afraid you're going to wind up like me?"
"No, it's not that. I feel like you're a special case." People didn't just become ghosts. If that was it, I'd surely have seen a lot more than Zero, or at least heard about some. There had to be an afterlife of some kind. "Do you think when we pass on, that we're alone?"
"I'm not a religious man," he said, smiling at a familiar bird circling overhead. "I wanted to be, and I tried, but it's a hard thing to hold onto. I can't say I know what happens when you pass on, but I don't think that's it. When I was little, my dad told me that when people die, they become stars."
"That's stupid," I snorted. "Stars are just big balls of fire and gas."
"I might like to be a star," he laughed. As he continued, his eyes brightened and his smile widened. "Why not? Maybe I'll be a star, or maybe I'll go to heaven. Maybe I'll get to see all my friends again, or maybe I'll just sleep. I haven't gotten to sleep in a long time. Oh! Or maybe I'll be reincarnated!"
"Please don't talk like that while you're in my body. You're way too excited about dying."
"But why shouldn't I be? Mysteries are exciting. Sure, I could sit here being afraid of what's on the other side, but what's the point? I want to see what it is that I get to experience while I'm over there. And maybe someday you'll meet me there, and I'll show you that there's nothing to be afraid of. Death's an adventure too, kid!"
His words echoed around us, bouncing off the canyon walls. I found myself wondering what it felt like to be a star. Somehow that crazy idiot had calmed me down. It was probably just because it was hard to stay worried when he was so happy. What was it that I was so afraid of again?
The familiar caw of Mr. Bird greeted us as the black beast swooped down and landed on my body's shoulder. "Hey there," Zero greeted, rubbing its head. "You been giving Harlock trouble like I told you to?"
The bird squawked harshly. I had no clue what it meant, but it made Zero smile. After rubbing its head against the ghost's temple with a soft warble, it took to the skies once more.
"So I'm finally getting to talk to Zero then?" came the startling call of the captain. I followed Zero a few steps further, finding the captain seated on a rock hidden slightly in an alcove. His legs were crossed as though he'd been waiting patiently for some time.
"It's as close as you'll be getting," the ghost smirked, gesturing to my body. "So how long have you had us figured out? I'm curious."
Harlock stood, staring curiously at Zero's current arrangement. "I'm not sure I ever had it figured out. I still haven't received a proper explanation."
"It would take too long, and I can't really explain. Besides, there are more important things at hand." Zero drew the saber we'd stolen, laughing when he had to struggle with pulling it out. "I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here. Damn, kid, you really need to hit a growth spurt."
"Can Daiba hear us?" Harlock wondered, slowly drawing his own saber. His looked better than ours. Zero really was at a terrible disadvantage. What was the point of the fight if he was going to get his ass handed to him? And in my body too!
"Sure, he's over there." The ghost cocked a thumb toward me, and while the captain looked my way, he really did seem to be looking right through me. "Try not to mess him up too bad. I'm really just borrowing the body. I'd like to give it back in one piece."
Oddly, the captain laughed. "Alright, I'll be careful, but I can't go easy on you."
"I wouldn't want for you to." Zero raised the saber vertically, his eyes firm as he attempted to stare down Harlock.
The captain mirrored the movement like some sort of salute. "En-garde," he said, placing one foot back. They both took a proper stance as I started to get bored from waiting.
"Prêt," Zero replied. Now I was just lost.
Harlock nodded. "Allez."
The wind picked up as a note of silence held the air. I was about to ask if they were just going to keep staring dreamily at each other when they both lunged, their blades clashing violently. The captain already held the advantage, being obviously stronger than me. He pushed Zero's blade down, forcing him to bend backward to accommodate until he threw the captain's saber off and jumped back.
Maybe I was seeing things, but it looked like Zero was…smiling. His entire expression had lit up. He was having fun, so much so that he laughed as Harlock struck at him. After a quick parry, the ghost attempted a roundhouse kick that the captain leaned back to easily dodge.
"Your kicks are always predictable," Harlock said. Now he was grinning too. It was just about the strangest thing I'd ever seen.
"It's been a while," Zero returned, throwing out a few quick snaps of the blade. "Thought you might have forgotten about them." Their sabers clashed so quickly and neatly that it seemed rehearsed like a dance. They simply threw slashes back and forth like taunts.
"I would never forget how to beat you," Harlock smirked.
This was getting uncomfortable. "Could you guys tone down the weird sexual tension while you're in my body?" I called to Zero.
"You sure do like to take everything the wrong way, kid," he laughed.
"What's that?" the captain asked as he spun suddenly.
Taken by surprise, Zero jumped back out of the way to avoid the twirling cape while Harlock readjusted himself for another lunge. "Hey!" I objected as his saber cut across my cheekbone.
"Sorry!" Zero yelled. "I got distracted." He hadn't even flinched.
"It's just a scratch," Harlock answered.
If he screwed up my face, there would be hell to pay.
Their sabers connected again, and just like the first time, the captain pressed down on Zero. It kind of made me feel bad for being short and scrawny. The ghost's smile softened, resigned as Harlock twisted his blade around the silver one. A cut appeared across the wrist of my glove, though not deep enough to hit skin. Still, Zero's reaction was to release the saber as he was forced back be the captain's assault. Before he could move further, the tip of Harlock's blade was at his throat. The fight was over before it had even begun.
"I never was going to beat you, not even if I'd had my own body," Zero whispered, still smiling. "It was nice to dream though."
"You at least would have lasted longer," the captain shrugged. "It was a valiant effort. You might have stood a chance in my younger years."
"Can you tell him to stop pointing that at my neck?" I interjected nervously.
Zero breathed a laugh, bringing his hand up to tilt the saber's pant down to the center of his chest. I wasn't any happier with it being there. "I wish it could have been you who killed me," he sighed. "I've thought about that for so long. If I just could have handed you that gun, you could have finished me off. I'm sorry I didn't let you keep your promise."
"Quit apologizing for that," Harlock frowned as he returned the saber to its holster. He raised his hand in the mock form of a gun and placed it right between Zero's eyes. "I was the one who didn't give you your death. You deserved better."
Zero's eyes crossed as he stared curiously at the gloved hand between them. "Bang," the captain half-whispered with a smile, drawing the gun back.
The realization of what Harlock had done dawned on him, and Zero burst into a fit of laughter as tears rolled down his cheeks. I decided they were both idiots.
A sudden, sharp tug caused my chest to ache. I doubled over, clutching at the pain. I wasn't supposed to feel pain as a ghost. Why was this-?
"Are you alright?" the captain asked, his hand on my shoulder. I straightened myself as best I could, tears clinging to my cheeks and causing the cut to sting. I was back again, but how? I hadn't come in contact with him.
There he was, staring out at the sun. "It's warm," he said distantly.
Harlock turned slowly. His eye locked onto the ghost standing there. I watched his gaze travel to the bullet hole in Zero's temple. "You can see him," I wheezed. I was forced to lean heavily against him for support. It felt as though a piece of my chest was being torn away.
"Looks like I'm causing you pain even now, kid," the ghost sighed as he looked back to me. When he found Harlock's eye on him, he smiled. "It's just our luck, isn't it? For you to be able to see me now."
Harlock shook his head. "I thought I'd never see you again, so it's more than enough."
Why did it sound like they were saying goodbye? Now they could finally talk and joke and be comrades again. I gasped as the pain swelled. It felt like I was losing something. Him, I realized. He was leaving.
"I'm sorry, kid," I heard before I found his arms around me. His chest was warm as I leaned against it. He felt so alive. "Just let go."
"You don't have to go," I whispered. I shouldn't have cared, but I didn't want to lose him. This idiot had managed to get me attached to him, and now he was just going to leave. Bastard.
"I do, but I'll see you again, remember? There's nothing to be afraid of."
Nothing to be afraid of… Death was an adventure, after all. I couldn't take that from him.
The pain began to fade, and Harlock grabbed my arm to help me as I struggled to stay on my feet. I was tired again because of him. But I wouldn't wake up with him there, and I was almost afraid to fall asleep.
"I wonder," he smiled curiously, reaching out a hand to Harlock. The captain grabbed for it only to have his own phase through it. Zero's smile softened as he sighed. "No, I suppose not." He turned away from us, facing the setting sun. "Harlock," he called back after a moment. "I know he's moron, but take care of the kid, alright?" His voice was growing airy, and I realized he was beginning to turn transparent, fading.
"Asshole," I muttered, trying to keep myself awake. Why should I feel upset? He was finally going to leave me alone. I didn't care. Really, I didn't.
The captain just nodded as he watched his friend slowly disappearing.
When Zero spoke again, his voice was more melancholic than I'd ever heard it before. "I suppose I did overstay my welcome. It's time I got back to sailing my own path with my crew. I've been gone such a long time…Marina's going to lecture me." He laughed softly before turning to face us with a firm salute. "I'll see you around sometime, Harlock. Stay out of trouble."
Harlock smiled, shaking his head. "You know trouble always finds me, old friend." Then he gave a simple salute in return.
"And, Kid," he called, his voice floating on the breeze as he vanished. "Try to smile a little more."
"Yes sir." I managed a wobbly smirk before I fell into a quiet, dreamless sleep.
"Damn it, why am I in the infirmary again!?" I roared. Couldn't I have woken up alone in my room for once?
"The doctor wanted to make sure you checked out alright," Harlock smiled, obviously amused.
"I'm fine!" I growled.
"I can see that."
"Captain," I sighed. "I just got rid of him. You're not allowed to start mocking me now too."
He breathed a laugh and turned to leave. I didn't realize he'd been holding anything or that his hand moved over my head until something fell over my eyes. It was…a hat? "Take care of that for me," the captain called before the door closed behind him.
Curious, I pulled the thing off. As much as I wanted to continue being angry, I couldn't help but laugh. "He just won't leave me alone, will he?" I brushed my thumb over the crest of the Independent Fleet. "Yeah, see you around, Captain Zero."
I think this is just about the gayest thing I've ever written, and I've written about dudes kissing.
