I think there's only one part after this, Heero and Duo's final meeting, but I'm not sure how I want this thing to end.
I hope this part isn't too confusing. As always, C&C is appreciated.
In Search of the Unicorn 2
The figure appeared from the darkness, chestnut hair unbound, intertwined with the jungle. His body, clothed in fabric that could only be the night, and his face, hidden save for two amaryllis eyes.
"Heero." A breeze passed through, brushing parts of him into the void, before they appeared again. "You killed my unicorn."
"You told me it granted immortality."
Duo looked away than, purple orbs fading back into the night. "It does. It gives you forever."
"It killed Wufei."
And then they were back again, intense gaze fixed entirely on him. "Death is forever."
"Is that the kind of immortality you give?"
"It's the only kind worth giving." He took a step forward, becoming less abstract, and he could almost pass for mortal. "Do you really want it so badly? Immortality?"
"I do."
"You're dying, you know."
"Yes. It's why I came here."
Duo nodded. "The kind of immortality I have, Heero, you don't want it. I would gladly choose death over it. Things are more precious when they don't last."
"No," Heero disagreed, "they're just sadder that way."
Heero looked at the lights adorning Duo's body, pieces of the stars passing through space. "Even the stars are dead."
"You're wrong," Duo laughed, turning so that his hair fluttered backwards with the wind.
"No, it's fact. The lights we see at night come from stars that burned out long ago; it's just now that their light has traveled the distance to reached us."
"But we have their light. And in time their light will travel on to even more remote spaces in the universe. In that way they will last forever." Duo laughed again then, a sound like bells ringing through the vacuum of space. "But that's not the kind of forever you want. Do you want eternal life, Heero?"
Heero nodded. Duo's body fluidly changed into a cat, a panther, and Heero didn't even noticed until the act was done. Heero watched Duo, a cat in the dark, and then he was the darkness. An echo of a voice blew around his ears, teasing in their melody.
"Then come find me."
* * *
Duo faded into the nightscape, at peace with the sky and scenery. Then he felt it, whispers in the night, directed at him, sending shivers throughout his entire being. And when he looked downwards at the treetops, he saw her.
"You're interfering with my prey," she said, wings outstretched around her. An angel, he thought with no small amount of disdain. Heaven's original vampires. "Who are you?"
He materialized somewhat, an entity on the same tree branch she was sitting on. His voice created ripples around them. "Duo Maxwell."
She snorted. "Like what, Maxwell's Demon?"
"I'm no demon, I'm the God of Death."
Relena shivered, cold in his vacuum-like presence, realizing the being next to her held more power than she ever would. "Still, the human is fair game, under Destiny's ordain."
Duo nodded; there was no higher God then that. "Feel free to begin your hunt, then."
The girl nodded in her minor triumph, then opened her wings and glided away to prepare for the chase.
* * *
"I'm staying here," Heero stated to Quatre. "Every one else can go back home."
Quatre fidgeted a little. "Why are you staying?"
Heero hesitated a little, not knowing what to say. "I have obligations to fulfill here."
Heero knew Quatre wouldn't question him, and indeed all the blond did was nod. He no doubt thought this had something to do with Wufei's death.
Heero walked with his crew out of the darkness, to the river. Then they left, giving him their condolences and offers of luck. They left him some weapons, and enough supplies to last him a few days, knowing he was capable of hunting down his own food. After they left Heero surveyed the area. He didn't know how he would start this next hunt; he had no clues, and the possibilities were endless. So he walked up river, knowing that it was the likeliest place to find a tribal settlement. And the most logical thing to do, right now, was talk to the natives. They knew the land here, they knew the myths.
As Heero walked he noticed occasional slight movements around him, so soft any one else would have missed him. The noises had to be human; there was no other animal that made that noise. Pygmies. And then he heard a flutter behind him, and heard a voice whisper through the air.
"If you want immortality, I can give it to you."
Heero turned around, and found himself looking into a pair of huge feather wings. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You're looking for him." The angel didn't need to specify who she was referring to. "But he can't give you what you want. Don't you know what he is?"
"Aa. I know exactly what he is."
Relena looked surprised at that, her fangs showing in the round `o´ her lips had formed. "Then you know, that he can only bring you death."
Heero nodded and turned back around, continuing on his path. "I know."
She followed him. "I can give you heaven."
"You probably could. Do you know where he is?"
"No."
"Then there's no point of this conversation."
Relena ran in front of Heero, blocking his path. "I can give you eternal life."
Heero looked at her for a moment before pushing her to the side. "You don't understand. I was never interested in immortality; I just wanted to be near him again."
And then he started to walk away again, leaving Relena behind. She stared at his retreating back, wondering just what kind of history the boy had with the god of death.
~tbc~