Okay my wonderful followers, here's the end! Yep, that's right...I finally ended it, guys. It's kind of sad for me to let it go because I've had it out for so long. But all good things must come to an end!!
Or do they? I say this because I may actually make a sequel...but I'll talk about that after you read the end of this story... Enjoy. And as always, I take no credit for creating these characters. *evil laugh* *cough*
*********************
"There's a grief that can't be spoken,
There's a pain goes on and on,
Empty chairs at empty tables,
now my friends are dead and gone..."
--'Empty chairs at empty tables' from the play Les Miserables
Silence Welcome: prt. 4
Wide and pondering eyes darted back and forth between a long, charred fire poker and the large wooden door of the room. What was Hilde to do?
If she were to help, she must have something to help with. Being so much smaller, her own brute strength wouldn't cut it against an adult. Her eyes quickly darted back to the poker.. A weapon was a definite must... Even if she couldn't use it properly. Maybe the soldiers would think to stay away from her anyway.
She stepped closer to the cold fireplace, still eyeing the poker. Before reaching for the poker, though, a glint of silver caught her eye. It was in the ashes... She leaned closer, straining to see the shiny object..
It was an earring...
/Her/ earring...
*~~~~~~~~~~*
Small, cold feet padded into the room and shuffled their way over to the puny fireplace where the beautiful young lady sat. When the sound of footsteps became evident to the woman, she looked up expectantly from the thick book in her hands.
"Hilde dear..." She closed the crimson colored book and lay it softly on the table next to her, "..did you have another bad dream?" The soothing voice seemed almost angelic to the sleepy little girl as she clumsily crawled into the woman's lap and turned to face her.
"Yes, Sister Helen..." Innocent blue eyes, red from crying and still wet with tears, peered drowsily up at the young woman.
To Hilde, the nun really did look an angel's part. Long blonde hair framing her face softly, her milky white skin almost glowing a heavenly hue in even this small amount of firelight. She wore her long, pure white nightgown, and a small wooden cross around her neck, adding the final touch to her flawless character.
Pure... Hilde saw her as only that. Her Helen had never done anything that would make her think otherwise. The little girl's mind couldn't consider that anyone of her or Father Maxwell's stature could ever commit a sin. Even if that's what they had taught her. That everyone sins. It just couldn't be true... Not about them anyway. There must be an exception.
Sister Helen smiled and placed a strand of Hilde's dark raven shaded hair behind her ear. She was such a pretty little girl. Her eyes filled with curiosity and wonder. If you didn't know better, you would guess that she had always lived a perfect life... That she hadn't witnessed death.. That she hadn't lived feeling alone and depressed...
"Oh!" Hilde suddenly gasped, startling the nun. "Your ears!"
Sister Helen's eyes went wide as the little girl pointed up at the tiny dangling silver orbs donning her earlobes. "Hm?" She brought her hand up to finger her the earrings. "Oh! These!" The nun's soft chuckle seemed to warm Hilde even more so than the fire behind her.
"These," Sister Helen began as she took the earrings from her ears, "were given to me by my mother a very long time ago."
"Oh.. Well, I think that they are very beautiful Sister Helen..." Hilde curiously inspected the earrings that lay in the woman's delicate palm, "but why don't you wear them all the time?"
"Well, Hilde.. When a girl decides to give herself wholly to God, she doesn't care about earthly possessions any longer. Such as these earrings..." She looked down at the earrings in her hand with tears in her eyes as she went on. "I can't wear them out because.. it would show God and others that I cared more about what I have on Earth than what I will soon have in Heaven."
"But... Sister Helen...What's the difference really? Can God not see you in this room?" the little girl questioned earnestly.
Sister Helen laughed, letting tears gently fall from her eyes and spill down her cheeks. "Of course he can, Hilde. Of course he can..."
Hilde was deeply confused as she watched Sister Helen cry and finger the earrings in her hand. As she gazed up at the nun once more through sleepy lids, she realized that she seemed almost as confused as Hilde herself. This time, she decided not to open her mouth.
She gently lay against the nun's chest instead, wrapping small arms around her in a warm hug. Her Helen would be all right, and she'd be here with her forever to make sure.
"I won't leave you..." Hilde promised silently as she clutched the soft nightgown, her eyes fluttering closed soon after.
Sister Helen stroked the little girl's soft hair lovingly, letting out a soft sigh when she finally felt a grip loosen from her robes and little arms fall from her sides.
"Oh, Hilde.." she began sadly.
"You are still so naïve about these things..." the nun thought as she looked down at the innocent, sleeping little girl. "...And you know more about death than you know about life. You're only a child..."
The nun, now obviously puzzled, looked down at the earrings in her hand as the diminishing firelight flickered across them. "How much do I even know about life?" Tears overflowed her eyes once again. "Sometimes I just don't know if I'm even fit to be in this church..."
She rose slowly from her chair, careful not to wake the sleeping child in her arms as she carried her into the other room. After gently tucking Hilde into bed and smoothing back the shiny black hair from the little girl's face, she silently stepped into the next room.
He's so peaceful as he sleeps, she thought as she leaned against the wooden door frame.
Tonight, no nightmares stirred his closed eyes. No blood stained his hands and no death lingered in his thoughts. None of that had bothered him for the longest time. Almost as long as Hilde had been present.
Sister Helen smiled to herself. They had been getting along so well lately. Hilde had definitely been a God-send for Duo. And he for Hilde also. The little girl still had a bad dream here and there, but they weren't as frequent as they had been so long ago. Having each other to lean on, even though they mostly only annoyed one another, had definitely healed some of their wounds.
The nun wondered what they would do when they were grown. They couldn't live in this small town forever. Not unless they willingly chose the church as their home...gave themselves up to God.
Sister Helen cringed. She loved God dearly, and no matter how many doubts she had, she would always know for sure that she had made the right choice by becoming a nun. But those children... Those two were unique in a way she couldn't describe.
Duo, independent and headstrong, would never accept beliefs that were forced upon him. He would figure out his own way. If they were the church's way, so be it. If not...He'd be on his own. For some reason, this thought didn't bother Sister Helen.
Hilde though...Sister Helen smiled as she pictured the little girl in her short, bouncy pigtails. Hilde was a spunky little girl, independent, but not unreasonably stubborn in her beliefs. Of course, she had probably been more sheltered than Duo, so she was naturally curious and ready to learn about another's thoughts and ideas. Still, she was only six. She didn't have any set beliefs yet, and there wasn't much she understood completely. Especially the Catholic religion and it's rules.
Soon she would understand, though. She would grow and learn, and in the end, she might even decide to stay with her caretakers. For some reason, though, Sister Helen felt it would only be to watch over she and Father Maxwell, and she didn't want that. Hilde might regret it. Maybe not openly, but in her heart. If she wasn't staying for God, she would be doing herself wrong. She would definitely someday regret it.
Sister Helen turned back to her room after softly shutting the door to Duo's. She decided that if they were to go, that would be best. Neither of them seemed the type to stay put for long. Her only hope was that they would keep God in their hearts after they left.
After shutting the door to her room quietly, she slowly made her way to the table next to the fireplace.
Those earrings...
They glittered beautifully in the flickering light from the fire. So many emotions and memories were brought up for Sister Helen by just glancing at the silvery pieces of metal. Memories of a crying mother hugging her daughter, sobbing as she reluctantly let go forever.
She remembered the way her mother gently shoved the earrings into her hand, silently gesturing for her daughter to never forget her family.
With tears in her eyes and a smile on her soft rosy lips, Sister Helen gently scooped the two earrings into her hand and tossed them effortlessly into small fire. "I never needed material things to remember all of you, Mother." She whispered. "You always knew that..."
"And now so do I..." She delicately wrapped her fingers around the wooden cross around her neck before kneeling next to her bed and gripping the crumpled sheets....
And then she cried...
*~~~~~~~~~~*
Hilde shivered as she wrapped her hands around the cold metal. It was so frigid. Almost as if it had never been used. But the black that now powdered her hands was enough proof that it had been.
She grasped it tightly and left the room. The time she'd already wasted looking for a weapon had been too much. Sister Helen and Duo could be in real trouble by now...
Huffing and panting down the hall, she ran. Ran as fast as her little feet would take her as she struggled to carry the fire poker in her hands. Before reaching the front doors of the church, she spotted something that almost made her laugh aloud.
...Duo was spying around the corner, his back to her. He was alive!
"Duo!" She whispered, still grasping the poker tightly between her fingers and running toward him excitedly.
He spun around, his eyes going wide at the sight before him. "Hilde! I thought I told you to leave!"
"I was going to, but I didn't wa-" The once determined look on Hilde's face was now replaced with a mix of worry and confusion as Duo interrupted her.
"It doesn't matter now. You're here, and you're staying with me. Father Maxwell is probably gone by now, anyway." Duo turned quickly back to the corner, peeking around once more.
"Duo, do you really think Father Maxwell would've left us?" Hilde's wide eyes almost matched the saucers in the church kitchen.
"Sure, if he thought we were in the truck already." Duo continued quickly.
"B-but!!" Hilde suddenly felt a feeling of horror wash over her. She could die... Father Maxwell had abandoned them, and he wasn't ever coming back. "Duo!" The soldiers would surely kill her, Sister Helen, and Duo. And there was nothing she could do about it. Her act of bravery would have been for nothing... But surely, Father Maxwell wouldn't leave Sister Helen! He would have to come back, right?
A small sense of relief took over, calming Hilde down to a slower heartbeat. At least there was a chance...
"Shh! Hilde! I'm trying to listen!" The boy grabbed the little girl standing before him, covering her mouth and leaning toward the corner once more.
"To what?!" she muffled against his hand, dropping the poker out of her nervous grip.
"To the soldiers. They're talking to Sister Helen." He gasped as the poker hit the ground. "Stop making so much noise. They'll hear us!"
Hilde could feel her friend's frantic heartbeat against her back, his chest was rising and falling quickly. He was scared too. Scared for Sister Helen... and maybe even Hilde herself. She could've cried at the thought.
"Hilde, I think they are going to come inside." Duo huffed. "I heard a man's voice say that he was here to get some answers... Something about traitors and a thing called... OZ.."
Hilde stiffened in Duo's arms. Hadn't she heard that name before?
"We need to find hiding places if we're going to save Sister Helen. I don't think they'll..." He paused a moment and swallowed hard before continuing. "..hurt her yet.." Duo's eyes fell upon the poker Hilde had dropped.
He let go of the shaking girl and bent down to pick up the charred metal rod. "Good idea, Hilde. I'll handle this..."
Hilde looked at Duo questioningly as he fingered the poker in his hands. "Duo.. where will we hide?"
Before he could answer, the front doors of the church flung open, banging hard against the wall. The two children quickly drew back from around the corner and froze with fear.
The two soldiers held Sister Helen from both sides, gently forcing her in and urging her on to take them to the father of the church.
"I'm afraid he's doing some importa-" The nun started tersely.
The darker haired soldier became irritated, his dark skin lightly glistened with sweat from irritation and strain. He quickly cut her off with his deep voice, heavily hinting his aggravation . "Listen, Miss. I've heard plenty of excuses before." He strengthened his grip on her arm as she struggled to loosen herself from fate. "In fact, I've probably heard them all. I don't have time for yours, so let's cut all of this unneeded conversation out and start giving each other answers instead."
It was finally happening, she thought as he pushed her on. She was going to die. They'd probably shoot her point-blank if she disagreed to tell them anything. At least, she began in her mind, the children were safe. All of them were long gone by now. The soldiers would never catch up to them now.
Sister Helen sighed with half relief.
That's when the three adults rounded the corner...
..and that's when she spotted the two young children against the wall. One was protectively holding a fire poker between his small fingers, trying in vain to make himself look menacing, while the other hid uneasily behind him, her raven black hair now half down and tousled.
"Children!?" She gasped in horror. They were supposed to be gone by now. Lord, they were supposed to be gone by now!
It took her only a moment to come to her senses..
"Run!" She continued loudly.
The two soldiers stood silent as the two children peered up at them.
"Duo, run! Don't be selfish and stay for me! Protect Hilde...Go now!" She finished quickly, hoping desperately that her children would listen and obey.
Thankfully, Duo wasted no time in throwing the poker away and grabbing his friend to run. They were halfway down the hall before the soldiers could even decide what to do with the situation.
"You go get the kids. They might alert someone if they get away..." One of them began. "I can handle Saint Nun, here..." His blonde hair obscured his eyes as he looked down at the trembling young woman. "She'll be no problem.." He licked his dry lips as he pulled her closer.
The dark haired soldier looked back after starting off for the children. He stopped and turned, ardently informing his comrade to be a little less ignorant. "Idiot. You know what we're here for. Shut your damned mouth and don't touch her anytime except when you're leading her to the room and tying her up. Now go look for the priest and tie them both up when you find him." After he finished his quick reprimand, he quickly disappeared around another corner and bolted off for the children.
"Okay, Miss. It seems I'm to go tie you and the priest up" The blonde soldier spoke hazily. "Now tell me where he is, and I'll make sure only *one* of my hands goes up those robes of yours..."
If she could've, she would've slapped his face raw right there...
Unfortunately, her hands were being held behind her...
*~~~~~~~~~~*
He saw the children right in front of him as he ran down the hall. They were energetic little ones, he thought. It might take more than he'd realized to catch up to them. Especially since they knew the church much better than he.
Not much time had been spent chasing them when suddenly the young girl in front of him tripped. She cried out when she hit the ground, her arms and legs sprawling out across the wooden floorboards.
"Now, little one, I'm not going to hurt you..." He knelt to the floor, quickly but gently scooping the child into his arms. "I just need you to stay with me for now..."
It wasn't long before Duo had turned around and started assaulting the soldier's legs with his fists. "Bastard! Let her go!" He yelled.
Over and over he pounded at the man, trying his best to stomp his feet through those thick black boots.
There was nothing he could see but the target in front of him, and boy was he killing it.
It was like a pure rush. Feelings of rage and power overflowed his senses. It was like his dreams, but this time, he would win. This time, he would save his friend... He wouldn't see blood and there would be no end of death for anyone but these soldiers.
HE would triumph...
Like the monster in his closet had always won in his dreams... It had always been able to take away his loved ones...
'Death', Duo remembered. That's what the apparition had called itself.
He would cheat it... Become stronger than it...
*He* would be the God of Death...
'Shinigami'..
"I said let her go, damn you!" he yelled once more, a newfound strength building within him as he unknowingly named his future self.
Hilde finally shook herself from the daze she was in. That trip had knocked the wind from her...even disoriented her for a few moments.. When she realized she was no longer against the hard floor, she kicked her legs violently and shrieked at the top of her lungs.
"Ow! Little buggers... Stop that now!" Of course, the soldier was hardly phased at all by the small punches to his legs. The kicks in the face, though, were definitely not welcomed. And neither were the loud shrieks piercing his ears.
"Come now! I just want to take you back with me and keep you there for a while. You'll be safe, I promise." He tried to avoid the next few kicks the girl delivered. "Damn it, we won't hurt you!"
The little girl in his arms surprised him with her next words.
"You're lying! Lying!" She yelled throatily. "You killed my mom! MY mom..." Sobbing, she carried on her tantrum as the soldier looked sadly down into her angry, wet blue eyes. "You killed my mother...for no reason at all!"
Her cries of anguish were almost enough to wet the soldier's cheeks, but he quickly blinked his tears away.
The man stood stunned as the little girl regained her strength for one more moment, pounding on his chest and repeating OZ's foul crime over once again. "You killed her! YOU killed her!!"
"I didn't kill her." He tried to speak gently, still trying to shake the annoying boy from his legs. The blows being delivered were actually beginning to hurt. "It wasn't me! I wouldn't kill someone like that.." he grunted in pain as Duo gave him another blow.
"It's all the same!" Duo argued, still beating away.
"YOU'RE all the same!" Hilde continued.
"Listen!!" The soldier had finally had enough. The girl was too weak to get away, and the boy was tiring now. It was time to stop this nonsense. He quickly stooped down and grabbed the boy by his collar, bringing him face to face.
"Listen to me and I *won't* hurt your friend back there! Otherwise, I can tell my partner right now to shoot her straight in the head."
Hilde quieted down and Duo became silent as he squirmed uneasily in the soldier's grip.
He knew that would shut them up.
"Good." The man praised softly. "Now... I tell you that I'm not here to hurt anyone, and I mean it. All I'm doing here is getting some information from your priest. Afterwards, we'll leave, and everything will be back to normal, I promise. No one will be hurt."
Duo scowled angrily at the male before him. How was he supposed to believe him, even with that sincere look in his eyes? For crying out loud, he had just threatened that he had the power to kill Sister Helen with one call to his partner! What kind of harmlessness was that?
Besides, Father Maxwell and Sister Helen had planned out an escape for all of the church and had even alerted the town of the oncoming danger(even though most hadn't believed the story and were still present in the town houses). If these soldiers were harmless, why would there have been any need for an escape? He trusted Father Maxwell and Sister Helen much more than he'd ever trust these men. They wouldn't have said there was danger coming unless there really was.
Duo reluctantly decided he would at least pretend to listen to the soldier. Even though Sister Helen had told them to run, he was not going to let her die when he thought there was a chance to save her life. There was no way he would just give up that easily.
"I still don't believe you, but I'll come with you anyway." Duo mumbled.
"You promise not to run away or give me anymore hassle, right?" The soldier asked in a cautious tone.
The braided boy nodded when he felt the soldier's grip on his collar loosen. "Yes.." he lied.
"Good then..." He looked down at the little girl, still held around the middle by his left arm. "And you too?"
Hilde nodded after glancing at Duo confusedly for a minute. What was he doing?
Whatever it was, he was telling her silently to go along with it... so she decided to reinforce her answer by speaking aloud. "Yes.." she croaked. "I promise.."
"Then let's get back there.." The soldier positioned Hilde comfortably in his arms once more and trusted that the little boy behind him would follow. He knew the child was too worried about his female keeper and the girl he held in his arms to go running off now.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*
The nun stayed silent as the soldier bound her tightly to the chair.
"I want to know where the priest is, Miss, and you're going to tell me. Either that or we kill you and find him ourselves." He rounded the chair one last time with the rope before tying it off. "I know he didn't just run off and leave his church. Not unless he's a total coward."
Sister Helen's face stayed blank. She wasn't about to give this soldier the satisfaction of her anger. Anyway, she knew what the soldier spewed about the priest wasn't true. It wasn't true at all...
Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered what Father Maxwell had said to her earlier that day..
** "No matter what happens, Sister Helen, I'm coming back and staying with this church. I'm not needed anywhere else, but here. I belong no where else. I will take our children to the people who are evacuating today, and they will take care of them. Then I will come back and stand my ground. Even if it kills me...**
She wanted to cry. The passionate look in his eyes when he spoke to her had been so beautiful and sincere.
He would be back soon... Surely, he'd already had plenty of time to take the children to the evacuation point and be back...
"Lieutenant Jacobs?!" A loud feminine voice abruptly interrupted the nun's thoughts.
The soldier in front of Sister Helen's chair snapped his head over to the opening door. "Colonel Smith?" he answered.
A tall woman with long shiny blonde hair and deep red lips entered. "Hai.." she replied casually.
She was beautiful, Sister Helen noticed as the woman came in further. She looked absolutely nothing like a soldier. Her skin bronzed from the sun, her eyes contrasting it with the lightest of blues, and her hair let down and flowing. The soldier's suit she wore hugged her curves perfectly as if it were destined just for her. If not for the elegant gun holster on her hip and the decorative pins on her chest, you would've never guessed that she was someone so high in rank. Even with the evidence, she looked as harmless as a lamb and as pretty as a picture. Clearly, though, the man who now held her captive had called the attractive woman, Colonel....
"I thought I heard voices in here..." she spoke silkily.
Jacobs smiled and licked his lips once more out of habit. "I wasn't sure when you were going to arrive, Colonel Smith."
"Well, the squad and I encountered a few problems on the way." She smoothed a strand of her hair back with a slender hand. "In fact, one of them was right outside the church."
"Ma'm? What problem might that have been?" He smirked as he walked over to the entrance to the room.
"Well," she disappeared into the hall and came back in holding a young child's hand. "I found a whole bunch of children trying to escape on a truck..."
Sister Helen couldn't help but cry out. "God, please no! Let them be!"
The Colonel still holding the child's hand winced as a loud smack reverberated around the room.
"No one asked you to speak!" Jacobs spat as the nun's cheek started to flush a bright red. He turned back to the other soldier and continued the conversation. "Was there a priest with the children?"
"Yes. But he's of no use to us now." The woman glared hard at the Lieutenant, showing her disapproval of his actions. She worriedly glanced over at the nun in the chair and back at the soldier, speaking more softly as she went on. "Unfortunately, one of the soldiers decided to take matters into his own hands when it came to the priest's fate. The priest said something rather mild that just happened to quickly enrage the hot-headed idiot. So, the soldier shot him before we could stop him. No matter though. The priest would have been no use to us anyway."
"But, we had suspicions about there being spies in this town. He could've been one of them, couldn't he Colonel?" The look of confusion on his face was shattered with disgust as he heard the nun speak out again.
"Father Maxwell..." She cried softly, a small smile forming on her lips. He had defended peace till the very end... She thanked God.
The male soldier turned quickly on his heels and stormed over to the nun. She was crying and smiling at the same time now?! What was wrong with her?!
"Why in the hell are you smiling?" He yelled as he smacked her again, leaving a large red welt on her cheek. "Did you not just hear this woman? You're priest is dead!...probably for ranting about world-peace or some other bullshit fantasy you people have. See what that gives you? See what God has done for you? Killed your priest and left you for dead. That's what he's done. Some God..."
The Colonel reached out to pull the Lieutenant back. "Damn it, Jacobs, you're going too far now." She said, grabbing his shoulder and pushing him gently out of the way. Turned to face him, she made sure that anger was evident in her voice and in her expression . "Let me remind you that I am your superior during this mission, not your equal. I should've warned you when you first stepped over the line by slapping that young woman the first time." With a huff, she continued. "You're no longer in charge of this mission, 1st Lieutenant Jacobs. The soldiers have arrived, and now I'm taking over. Go take these children and put them in a room close by. I'll take care of the Sister. There will be a few other soldiers to help you with the older children."
Before the soldier had time to make his way out the door, the Colonel grabbed him once more. "And if you touch just /one/ of those children in an improper manner, Lieutenant... I'll make sure you get your 'improper' touches afterwards. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Colonel." The Lieutenant tried his best not to look hurt, but it was obvious he was quite offended as he saluted and stormed out of the room. He'd thought he was in the presence of a friend. He had been wrong..
"Miss.." The woman spoke gently as she turned to the nun, kneeling next to the chair and placing a hand on her soldier. "I'm sorry for the way you've been treated."
Sister Helen stayed silent.
"And I'm sorry that you had to hear of your priest's death so bluntly."
The Colonel looked at the floor uneasily when the nun still said nothing. "I suppose I don't expect you to say anything. I wouldn't either if I were in your position." She finally stood and walked in full view of the nun, clasping her hands behind her as she made immediate eye contact. "You do understand that I can't stop my superiors from ordering me to destroy this place, don't you? They believe you are holding spies in this town.."
The nun broke away from the soldier's eyes and gazed at the floor.
"But I'm sure you're not worried about why we're here... In fact, I'm almost sure you're wondering only about what will happen to those children..." The soldier guessed sadly. "I'm sorry to say that most of them will probably die."
Tears wet Sister Helen's cheeks further. She couldn't believe the soldier was actually telling her this. Couldn't she just leave it to her imagination? At least then she could pretend that most of them would get out unharmed...
"There's no where else for them to go, really. They'd be war orphans if we let them live. They'd be better off dead." She paused as if to give the nun the chance to talk. When she didn't speak, the woman went on. "I would've let them go when I saw their truck fleeing, but unfortunately, I didn't get my position by letting the enemy escape."
"But, those children are not your enemies..." Sister Helen finally muttered.
"I had no choice. My men were with me, and most of them knew who was escaping." Colonel Smith snapped quickly. "It wasn't hard to figure out that the scene of a truck load of children being driven by an old man in black robes was a little 'odd'. I couldn't just let them escape." The woman seemed a little regretful at her previous actions as she continued on, her lips pursed and her cheeks flushed. "They could've jeopardized our mission and endangered my position as leader."
Sister Helen finally looked up at the Colonel, deep anguish and sorrow overwhelming her stare. This woman was trying to justify her actions. She felt guilty... So here she stood, explaining herself to a nun to make herself feel better...to assure herself that what she was doing was right and just. Surely, she didn't expect the nun to nod and agree.
"I will never understand the ways of war.." she replied tiredly.
"No one ever will. Not even the ones who are fighting in one." It was silent for a few more moments before the Colonel finally decided she'd said her peace. "If you'll excuse me, Sister, I have a few other things to attend to."
She turned to leave, signaling for another soldier to come in from the hall and stand guard, but before leaving completely, she turned and looked back at the nun.
"Untie her," She ordered the soldier who'd just entered, "but make sure she doesn't leave this room."
And with those last words, the Colonel quickly left the room to the nun and the silent standby guard.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"They're here...finally.." The soldier's low voice was filled with relief as he listened to the voices and large footsteps moving about the church.
Curious of why the soldier sounded so relieved, Duo looked up at the man in front of him. "Who's here?"
The dark haired soldier glanced back and answered. "The rest of the soldiers."
"The rest?!" The little boy stopped dead in his tracks. "The rest?! And what are all of them here for?"
Hilde uneasily stirred in the soldier's arms. She didn't like the tone in Duo's voice...
"More harmlessness?" Duo continued angrily, clenching his fists in fury. "Of course they are, I'm sure! Why else would they be here?"
"Lieutenant James..." A velvety yet still professional voice called out into the hall, interrupting the rest of Duo's rant. "I see you have some little rebels there."
There she stood. Colonel Smith crossed her arms and smiled as she eyed the two children accompanying the soldier.
"Colonel Smith." James answered quickly, unable to salute at the same time. The little girl squirming in his arms prevented him from accomplishing the action properly. "Yes ma'am, I found them earlier inside the church."
"Well, I suggest you take them into the room with the rest of the children we found." The woman flipped her shining blonde hair back behind her shoulder as she advanced toward the three figures.
"The rest, ma'am?" The male soldier stiffened as she came closer. He wondered what she was talking about. There had only been two children when he arrived. Where had the rest been hiding?
The Colonel eyed the soldier when she stopped in front of him. "Yes, the rest, James. We found a truck full of them trying to escape, but we pursued and caught them."
Duo choked on air when he heard the words slip from the woman's red lips. She had found the truck? Surely she had found Father Maxwell then. But she hadn't mentioned him... yet..
"And the priest? Did you find him also?"
Ah, exactly what Duo had wanted to hear. His ears perked up.
Hilde, still clutching the soldier's uniform, tiredly looked over at the woman before she answered. The female soldier seemed nervous now, her cool blue eyes shimmering with doubt. What had happened? Hilde wondered. What had happened to Father Maxwell?
"Yes, unfortunately...we did find him. He was driving the children." The blonde haired soldier sighed and licked her dry lips before continuing. Telling this in front of these children made her uneasy, and she really didn't know why. War was war... people die... "We had an accident on the way here. A soldier... decided to take matters into his own hands. The priest is no more, I'm afraid."
The Lieutenant looked at the little girl in his arms as she fell limp. She was exhausted, he realized, and the news she'd just received probably hadn't helped her any. He looked back up worriedly. "But, Colonel, wasn't he the one we were going to question about- "
Before the soldier could finish his question to his superior, Duo had burst past the both of them and down the halls. He could hear the woman yell something, but he couldn't tell what. He was pretty sure though that she had ordered someone to go after him.
That was fine with him... He knew he wouldn't be caught before he had the chance to escape...before he had a chance to go for help.
The little boy's eyes were dry and his lungs felt as though they were going to explode as he ran. He finally realized why he'd started running in the first place.
Father Maxwell was dead... it seemed almost unbelievable. To Duo, he'd seemed to invincible.
And now he felt helpless. Helpless enough to leave his friends and go find someone who could stop this...even though he knew he would most likely find no one...
"I'll be back for you Hilde..," He vowed silently, "and you too Sister Helen... I promise.."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*
It hadn't taken him long to run out of the church. He'd taken the shortest way out, and thankfully none of the soldiers along the way seemed to be able to hit a moving target very well that day. Nor were any of them fast enough to chase him after he was out of the church. Duo would've thanked God if he'd thought he existed.
Running through the town market, he squinted as the rays from the sun shone in his eyes and dust kicked up into his face. When he finally reached the compact houses, he scanned each of them carefully, seeing in each window that each was the same.. Empty.
Some of the people hadn't believed there was a troop coming... It seemed, though, that more than only *some* believed that they really would be here and had evacuated quickly.
Now frantic, the little boy was banging on doors and hollering at the top of his lungs for someone to help. There must be someone left over. Someone who would hopefully believe him...and help him.
After banging on door after door for what seemed to be forever, he came to one that opened cautiously, slowly revealing a large gruff man holding a small girl in his arms.
"Please, sir," Duo pleaded almost happily, relieved that someone was home, "you must help me."
"Oh?" The man curiously looked down at the boy before him and smiled. "With what problem, may I ask?"
"There are soldiers..," Duo gasped between words, "at the church. They're holding everyone hostage, and I'm sure that they are here to destroy us all."
The little girl in her father's arms whimpered and buried her face into his shoulder. "Daddy..."
Annoyed that this little boy had disturbed his daughter, he was quite quick to holler. "Listen young man, I know they are here, but we were promised nothing would happen to the town if we let them take the church without a fuss."
Duo was almost thrown back in shock.
So that's why some of the people had stayed in the town. Some actually had made an agreement with the soldiers beforehand. He couldn't believe it. How could people be so cruel as to offer the church as a sacrifice?!
"How could you do such a thing? There are children just like her in there!" Duo spurt bitterly as he pointed to the now crying little girl in the man's arms. "You've just sentenced them all to death.."
"Leave us, brat! You obviously don't understand that I care much more about my family than about you and your church." The surly father slammed the door in the orphan's face, leaving him to the silence of the streets.
Duo's heart sank as he stepped back away from the door. He felt so utterly powerless to do anything now. The rest of the people here would be thinking the same thing. There was no one left in this town to help him. Everyone who had any wits about them had already left the danger.
"What...am I supposed to do now?" Duo whispered to the wind.
Finally feeling the full effect of emptiness, the little boy fell to his knees and grasped the ground between his fingers, yelling at the top of his lungs.
"What am I supposed to do now?!"
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*
The gleaming metal of the mobile suits was blinding as the sun beat down on the huge forms. Seven of them standing in a circle around the church easily dwarfed the religious building.
Trucks and jeeps drove past the suits, holding loads of soldiers, all of them set on their destination...the next town.
As soon as the dust unsettled by the vehicles had fallen back to the ground, all mobile suits aimed at the church, the loud and quick clicking and clanking of metal signaling the readiness of their firearms.
"Fire until it's gone, men." Came the order from one of the larger suits. "It's time to begin this war. Let's show these people who the future victor will be!" The female voice was filled with excitement as she pushed her soldiers on.
All suits shone with luster as their Colonel instilled pride into the soldiers that drove them. Not one man hesitated after the order was given. Every suit was ready.
Bullets began flying, and sabers cut through brick easily. The loud crashing of brick against brick and wood along with the loud booming steps of the suits drowned out the sound of adolescent screams.
*~~~~~~~~~~~*
Duo's tear streaked face rose to meet the dust rising across the town. Thunderous vibrations shook the ground and air as the tired little boy still knelt against the ground.
"What's...going on?" Duo quickly rose to his feet, his lack of strength almost causing him to stumble. As soon as he regained his direction, he stood upright and started walking back toward the market. His feet only moved faster when he realized what must be happening.
"No.." Duo huffed as he ran around the corner of another small building. "I had plenty of time... I HAVE plenty of time!"
When he finally reached the outside of the town, he almost collapsed in exhaustion. Instead, he quickly leaned up against a nearby wall and refused to look up at the church until he'd caught his breath.
The church would still be there, he pleaded with his heart. It would be standing beautiful and tall as it always had, and it would have Sister Helen, Hilde, and his friends still inside of it. It would still be there...
"I have.. plenty of time.." He took in a last deep breath before looking up at the rubble...
And yelled hoarsely in defeat as he watched the last artillery truck fade out of sight..
*~~~~~~~~~~*
"Oh please... Lord..."
"..Help us." Weak and out of breath, she collapsed onto a hard and jagged piece of concrete. Gasping for air didn't help. Every time you breathed, you sucked in nothing but dust and smoke.. It was too much.. just too much.
Dirt, blood, and sweat mingled on her face, her hands were severely raw from digging long and hard through what seemed to be endless rubble.
Helplessly, she lay there, knowing there were still many children to be pulled from their deaths...
And she could hear them crying ...
The children of the Maxwell church...
*~~~~~~~~~~~*
Duo felt her near as he ran closer to the horrid debris. "It.. It can't be.." He looked around in disbelief after jumping over a crumbled wall. Everything was in ruins. Not one room stood...nor one pew...
He spotted a flowing piece of robe caught on a wooden beam and immediately dove for the area. It was Sister Helen...
"Du-Duo.." The sister choked out as he came into view. "I'm so glad... I wasn't sure.. if you'd escaped."
"Sister..." Duo spoke softly as he reached out to his friend who was lying against the hard ground.
"Duo... I think... I think they took Hilde..." Sister Helen's tears streaked the dirt and blood that stained her pale cheeks. "And Father Maxwell," she tried her best to smile through her tears, "is gone.."
"I know he's gone.." the little boy answered, his voice cracking under strain to keep from crying. Not only was Father Maxwell gone, now so was his friend Hilde...
"He was a wonderful example...Duo. He was preaching peace.. until the very end." She gasped as a sharp pain shot through her body. "A wonderful...example.."
Duo was suddenly angered. How could what she said be true? How could dying for peace be worth anything when it changed absolutely nothing?
"Wonderful?!" He questioned. "He was just stupid, wasn't he?!... He.." The little orphan's eyes filled with tears. "H-he did nothing by getting himself shot and killed.. What good did he do?!"
"Oh, Duo..." The nun raised a blood stained hand to caress the boy's cheek. So many things were going through her mind as she felt his warm tears fall onto her fingers, and there were so many of those things she wanted to tell her child.. to make him understand.. But there was no time.
This was not how she had wanted it to end at all, but now there was no choice.
Duo choked back a sob as he felt Sister Helen warmly touch his cheek. "Duo.. May God.. bless you..." she strained through painful gasps.
Her hand slowly fell back to her chest, leaving the boy's cheek cold and unprotected against the harsh wind. "And.. keep... you.."
A chilly wind blew by, seeming to lovingly caress the nun's face with her own golden hair as she went limp against the ground. Small violet eyes went blank as the young woman's tears ceased and the rise and fall of her chest was no more.
She was dead...
Father Maxwell was dead..
Hilde was gone...
And there were no more cries coming from beneath the piles of wood and brick..
The only thing that could be heard next was a little child's piercing scream of agony through the thick silence of the town.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"What is your name, child?" The Lieutenant looked over at the young girl sitting in the seat next to him. Her raven hair was blowing wildly in the wind that came through the truck's window.
"Hilde," she replied emptily, "Hilde Schibeiker."
The soldier glanced over at the girl as she peered back at him. What he saw made him shiver.
Her eyes... They were so empty and lifeless. The exact opposite of what they had been only a few hours ago when he'd held her in his arms. Then they'd been filled with so much emotion...
Now they were just dull orbs of blue.
And her face had been full of so much elation when he'd first seen her.. She was running and playing with her friend outside, her cheeks rosy pink and her smile as big as ever.
That was before he'd come in and run them down so terribly.
Now her face showed no emotion. It was completely blank, and her cheeks.. were as white and pale as snow.
What did he expect?
"Hilde, you'll be safe with us now. You're lucky Colonel Smith felt you should come with us. I would've hated it if we'd left you there." He knew he was trying in vain to comfort the child, but still, he glanced over once more to receive her response.
She sat swaying gently to the movements of the truck, still saying nothing.
. "You know...," the soldier paused to clear his throat, "your friend escaped. I even saw him in my rear view mirror when we were driving away.. I'm sure he'll be fine.."
Hilde sighed. She knew that already. In fact, she'd even seen him for herself in the mirror... and she really had been happy to find that he was safe. But she was still going in the opposite direction for her dear friend. So there was no reason for her at all to jump for joy.
Surprised that she didn't respond to his information, the Lieutenant decided to press further. He must be able to get some kind of response from her even if it ended up being negative.
"We're fighting for peace you know." He said matter-of-factly. "Death is necessary to achieve the peaceful silence we are all hoping for."
Hilde felt unbelievably light-headed all of a sudden. Had he just said death was necessary for peace? For a peaceful silence that 'we' are all hoping for?
To the soldier's amazement, the little girl beside him reached over and placed her small hand over his large callused fingers and squeezed gently.
"You killed my crying mother and friends...and then there was quiet. Am I supposed to be happy just because you are?" She continued to go on, emotion still held back from any part of her body except her tightening fingers. "You will try to kill many people in this next town also... Do you think they will welcome the quiet?"
"I...I.." He stuttered, taken aback at her comments. Defensiveness what all he had left to mask his utter confusion. "Y-you're only a little girl. What do you know?"
"I know death..." she spoke softly, still gazing at the soldier who had now stopped the truck. "I know silence.."
"and to me," she finished calmly, "it's not welcome.."
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh my friends, my friends forgive me,
that I live and you are gone,
there's a grief that can't be spoken,
there's a pain goes on and on
phantom faces in the window
phantom shadows on the floor,
empty chairs at empty tables,
now my friends will meet no more,
oh my friends my friends don't ask me,
what your sacrifice was for,
empty chairs at empty tables,
now my friends will sing no more..."
--'Empty chairs at Empty Tables' from Les Miserables
********************
*sigh* Did you like it? I know I didn't! ^_~
Hehe, just kidding! I liked it just fine I guess. Of course, the author has more nit picky things about his/her own story than others do...most of the time. And it's supposed to be that way, so nothing is out of place here!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the end. I really tried to keep Hilde and Duo *young*. At some points in the story, I do believe they were a bit too *grown up*...but you'd be surprised what little ones know. Just to let you know I *did* do some research... I actually talked to some young children I baby-sit and also some that I speak with on the bus I ride to school every morning. Yep, you'd be surprised what some little ones know and will say. ^^;;
I also did some GW research. Turns out I found a translated version of the Episode Zero GW comic. Most of you GW fans should know what that is. Along with other things, it holds the story of Duo and his old days at Maxwell church. Anyway, I got a hold of a copy and yes... I used some of the wording. So I take absolutely *NO* credit for the idea of Ep. Zero or it's characters...or it's wording.
Will I make a sequel when Duo and Hilde meet again? Maybe... someday...
Or do they? I say this because I may actually make a sequel...but I'll talk about that after you read the end of this story... Enjoy. And as always, I take no credit for creating these characters. *evil laugh* *cough*
*********************
"There's a grief that can't be spoken,
There's a pain goes on and on,
Empty chairs at empty tables,
now my friends are dead and gone..."
--'Empty chairs at empty tables' from the play Les Miserables
Silence Welcome: prt. 4
Wide and pondering eyes darted back and forth between a long, charred fire poker and the large wooden door of the room. What was Hilde to do?
If she were to help, she must have something to help with. Being so much smaller, her own brute strength wouldn't cut it against an adult. Her eyes quickly darted back to the poker.. A weapon was a definite must... Even if she couldn't use it properly. Maybe the soldiers would think to stay away from her anyway.
She stepped closer to the cold fireplace, still eyeing the poker. Before reaching for the poker, though, a glint of silver caught her eye. It was in the ashes... She leaned closer, straining to see the shiny object..
It was an earring...
/Her/ earring...
*~~~~~~~~~~*
Small, cold feet padded into the room and shuffled their way over to the puny fireplace where the beautiful young lady sat. When the sound of footsteps became evident to the woman, she looked up expectantly from the thick book in her hands.
"Hilde dear..." She closed the crimson colored book and lay it softly on the table next to her, "..did you have another bad dream?" The soothing voice seemed almost angelic to the sleepy little girl as she clumsily crawled into the woman's lap and turned to face her.
"Yes, Sister Helen..." Innocent blue eyes, red from crying and still wet with tears, peered drowsily up at the young woman.
To Hilde, the nun really did look an angel's part. Long blonde hair framing her face softly, her milky white skin almost glowing a heavenly hue in even this small amount of firelight. She wore her long, pure white nightgown, and a small wooden cross around her neck, adding the final touch to her flawless character.
Pure... Hilde saw her as only that. Her Helen had never done anything that would make her think otherwise. The little girl's mind couldn't consider that anyone of her or Father Maxwell's stature could ever commit a sin. Even if that's what they had taught her. That everyone sins. It just couldn't be true... Not about them anyway. There must be an exception.
Sister Helen smiled and placed a strand of Hilde's dark raven shaded hair behind her ear. She was such a pretty little girl. Her eyes filled with curiosity and wonder. If you didn't know better, you would guess that she had always lived a perfect life... That she hadn't witnessed death.. That she hadn't lived feeling alone and depressed...
"Oh!" Hilde suddenly gasped, startling the nun. "Your ears!"
Sister Helen's eyes went wide as the little girl pointed up at the tiny dangling silver orbs donning her earlobes. "Hm?" She brought her hand up to finger her the earrings. "Oh! These!" The nun's soft chuckle seemed to warm Hilde even more so than the fire behind her.
"These," Sister Helen began as she took the earrings from her ears, "were given to me by my mother a very long time ago."
"Oh.. Well, I think that they are very beautiful Sister Helen..." Hilde curiously inspected the earrings that lay in the woman's delicate palm, "but why don't you wear them all the time?"
"Well, Hilde.. When a girl decides to give herself wholly to God, she doesn't care about earthly possessions any longer. Such as these earrings..." She looked down at the earrings in her hand with tears in her eyes as she went on. "I can't wear them out because.. it would show God and others that I cared more about what I have on Earth than what I will soon have in Heaven."
"But... Sister Helen...What's the difference really? Can God not see you in this room?" the little girl questioned earnestly.
Sister Helen laughed, letting tears gently fall from her eyes and spill down her cheeks. "Of course he can, Hilde. Of course he can..."
Hilde was deeply confused as she watched Sister Helen cry and finger the earrings in her hand. As she gazed up at the nun once more through sleepy lids, she realized that she seemed almost as confused as Hilde herself. This time, she decided not to open her mouth.
She gently lay against the nun's chest instead, wrapping small arms around her in a warm hug. Her Helen would be all right, and she'd be here with her forever to make sure.
"I won't leave you..." Hilde promised silently as she clutched the soft nightgown, her eyes fluttering closed soon after.
Sister Helen stroked the little girl's soft hair lovingly, letting out a soft sigh when she finally felt a grip loosen from her robes and little arms fall from her sides.
"Oh, Hilde.." she began sadly.
"You are still so naïve about these things..." the nun thought as she looked down at the innocent, sleeping little girl. "...And you know more about death than you know about life. You're only a child..."
The nun, now obviously puzzled, looked down at the earrings in her hand as the diminishing firelight flickered across them. "How much do I even know about life?" Tears overflowed her eyes once again. "Sometimes I just don't know if I'm even fit to be in this church..."
She rose slowly from her chair, careful not to wake the sleeping child in her arms as she carried her into the other room. After gently tucking Hilde into bed and smoothing back the shiny black hair from the little girl's face, she silently stepped into the next room.
He's so peaceful as he sleeps, she thought as she leaned against the wooden door frame.
Tonight, no nightmares stirred his closed eyes. No blood stained his hands and no death lingered in his thoughts. None of that had bothered him for the longest time. Almost as long as Hilde had been present.
Sister Helen smiled to herself. They had been getting along so well lately. Hilde had definitely been a God-send for Duo. And he for Hilde also. The little girl still had a bad dream here and there, but they weren't as frequent as they had been so long ago. Having each other to lean on, even though they mostly only annoyed one another, had definitely healed some of their wounds.
The nun wondered what they would do when they were grown. They couldn't live in this small town forever. Not unless they willingly chose the church as their home...gave themselves up to God.
Sister Helen cringed. She loved God dearly, and no matter how many doubts she had, she would always know for sure that she had made the right choice by becoming a nun. But those children... Those two were unique in a way she couldn't describe.
Duo, independent and headstrong, would never accept beliefs that were forced upon him. He would figure out his own way. If they were the church's way, so be it. If not...He'd be on his own. For some reason, this thought didn't bother Sister Helen.
Hilde though...Sister Helen smiled as she pictured the little girl in her short, bouncy pigtails. Hilde was a spunky little girl, independent, but not unreasonably stubborn in her beliefs. Of course, she had probably been more sheltered than Duo, so she was naturally curious and ready to learn about another's thoughts and ideas. Still, she was only six. She didn't have any set beliefs yet, and there wasn't much she understood completely. Especially the Catholic religion and it's rules.
Soon she would understand, though. She would grow and learn, and in the end, she might even decide to stay with her caretakers. For some reason, though, Sister Helen felt it would only be to watch over she and Father Maxwell, and she didn't want that. Hilde might regret it. Maybe not openly, but in her heart. If she wasn't staying for God, she would be doing herself wrong. She would definitely someday regret it.
Sister Helen turned back to her room after softly shutting the door to Duo's. She decided that if they were to go, that would be best. Neither of them seemed the type to stay put for long. Her only hope was that they would keep God in their hearts after they left.
After shutting the door to her room quietly, she slowly made her way to the table next to the fireplace.
Those earrings...
They glittered beautifully in the flickering light from the fire. So many emotions and memories were brought up for Sister Helen by just glancing at the silvery pieces of metal. Memories of a crying mother hugging her daughter, sobbing as she reluctantly let go forever.
She remembered the way her mother gently shoved the earrings into her hand, silently gesturing for her daughter to never forget her family.
With tears in her eyes and a smile on her soft rosy lips, Sister Helen gently scooped the two earrings into her hand and tossed them effortlessly into small fire. "I never needed material things to remember all of you, Mother." She whispered. "You always knew that..."
"And now so do I..." She delicately wrapped her fingers around the wooden cross around her neck before kneeling next to her bed and gripping the crumpled sheets....
And then she cried...
*~~~~~~~~~~*
Hilde shivered as she wrapped her hands around the cold metal. It was so frigid. Almost as if it had never been used. But the black that now powdered her hands was enough proof that it had been.
She grasped it tightly and left the room. The time she'd already wasted looking for a weapon had been too much. Sister Helen and Duo could be in real trouble by now...
Huffing and panting down the hall, she ran. Ran as fast as her little feet would take her as she struggled to carry the fire poker in her hands. Before reaching the front doors of the church, she spotted something that almost made her laugh aloud.
...Duo was spying around the corner, his back to her. He was alive!
"Duo!" She whispered, still grasping the poker tightly between her fingers and running toward him excitedly.
He spun around, his eyes going wide at the sight before him. "Hilde! I thought I told you to leave!"
"I was going to, but I didn't wa-" The once determined look on Hilde's face was now replaced with a mix of worry and confusion as Duo interrupted her.
"It doesn't matter now. You're here, and you're staying with me. Father Maxwell is probably gone by now, anyway." Duo turned quickly back to the corner, peeking around once more.
"Duo, do you really think Father Maxwell would've left us?" Hilde's wide eyes almost matched the saucers in the church kitchen.
"Sure, if he thought we were in the truck already." Duo continued quickly.
"B-but!!" Hilde suddenly felt a feeling of horror wash over her. She could die... Father Maxwell had abandoned them, and he wasn't ever coming back. "Duo!" The soldiers would surely kill her, Sister Helen, and Duo. And there was nothing she could do about it. Her act of bravery would have been for nothing... But surely, Father Maxwell wouldn't leave Sister Helen! He would have to come back, right?
A small sense of relief took over, calming Hilde down to a slower heartbeat. At least there was a chance...
"Shh! Hilde! I'm trying to listen!" The boy grabbed the little girl standing before him, covering her mouth and leaning toward the corner once more.
"To what?!" she muffled against his hand, dropping the poker out of her nervous grip.
"To the soldiers. They're talking to Sister Helen." He gasped as the poker hit the ground. "Stop making so much noise. They'll hear us!"
Hilde could feel her friend's frantic heartbeat against her back, his chest was rising and falling quickly. He was scared too. Scared for Sister Helen... and maybe even Hilde herself. She could've cried at the thought.
"Hilde, I think they are going to come inside." Duo huffed. "I heard a man's voice say that he was here to get some answers... Something about traitors and a thing called... OZ.."
Hilde stiffened in Duo's arms. Hadn't she heard that name before?
"We need to find hiding places if we're going to save Sister Helen. I don't think they'll..." He paused a moment and swallowed hard before continuing. "..hurt her yet.." Duo's eyes fell upon the poker Hilde had dropped.
He let go of the shaking girl and bent down to pick up the charred metal rod. "Good idea, Hilde. I'll handle this..."
Hilde looked at Duo questioningly as he fingered the poker in his hands. "Duo.. where will we hide?"
Before he could answer, the front doors of the church flung open, banging hard against the wall. The two children quickly drew back from around the corner and froze with fear.
The two soldiers held Sister Helen from both sides, gently forcing her in and urging her on to take them to the father of the church.
"I'm afraid he's doing some importa-" The nun started tersely.
The darker haired soldier became irritated, his dark skin lightly glistened with sweat from irritation and strain. He quickly cut her off with his deep voice, heavily hinting his aggravation . "Listen, Miss. I've heard plenty of excuses before." He strengthened his grip on her arm as she struggled to loosen herself from fate. "In fact, I've probably heard them all. I don't have time for yours, so let's cut all of this unneeded conversation out and start giving each other answers instead."
It was finally happening, she thought as he pushed her on. She was going to die. They'd probably shoot her point-blank if she disagreed to tell them anything. At least, she began in her mind, the children were safe. All of them were long gone by now. The soldiers would never catch up to them now.
Sister Helen sighed with half relief.
That's when the three adults rounded the corner...
..and that's when she spotted the two young children against the wall. One was protectively holding a fire poker between his small fingers, trying in vain to make himself look menacing, while the other hid uneasily behind him, her raven black hair now half down and tousled.
"Children!?" She gasped in horror. They were supposed to be gone by now. Lord, they were supposed to be gone by now!
It took her only a moment to come to her senses..
"Run!" She continued loudly.
The two soldiers stood silent as the two children peered up at them.
"Duo, run! Don't be selfish and stay for me! Protect Hilde...Go now!" She finished quickly, hoping desperately that her children would listen and obey.
Thankfully, Duo wasted no time in throwing the poker away and grabbing his friend to run. They were halfway down the hall before the soldiers could even decide what to do with the situation.
"You go get the kids. They might alert someone if they get away..." One of them began. "I can handle Saint Nun, here..." His blonde hair obscured his eyes as he looked down at the trembling young woman. "She'll be no problem.." He licked his dry lips as he pulled her closer.
The dark haired soldier looked back after starting off for the children. He stopped and turned, ardently informing his comrade to be a little less ignorant. "Idiot. You know what we're here for. Shut your damned mouth and don't touch her anytime except when you're leading her to the room and tying her up. Now go look for the priest and tie them both up when you find him." After he finished his quick reprimand, he quickly disappeared around another corner and bolted off for the children.
"Okay, Miss. It seems I'm to go tie you and the priest up" The blonde soldier spoke hazily. "Now tell me where he is, and I'll make sure only *one* of my hands goes up those robes of yours..."
If she could've, she would've slapped his face raw right there...
Unfortunately, her hands were being held behind her...
*~~~~~~~~~~*
He saw the children right in front of him as he ran down the hall. They were energetic little ones, he thought. It might take more than he'd realized to catch up to them. Especially since they knew the church much better than he.
Not much time had been spent chasing them when suddenly the young girl in front of him tripped. She cried out when she hit the ground, her arms and legs sprawling out across the wooden floorboards.
"Now, little one, I'm not going to hurt you..." He knelt to the floor, quickly but gently scooping the child into his arms. "I just need you to stay with me for now..."
It wasn't long before Duo had turned around and started assaulting the soldier's legs with his fists. "Bastard! Let her go!" He yelled.
Over and over he pounded at the man, trying his best to stomp his feet through those thick black boots.
There was nothing he could see but the target in front of him, and boy was he killing it.
It was like a pure rush. Feelings of rage and power overflowed his senses. It was like his dreams, but this time, he would win. This time, he would save his friend... He wouldn't see blood and there would be no end of death for anyone but these soldiers.
HE would triumph...
Like the monster in his closet had always won in his dreams... It had always been able to take away his loved ones...
'Death', Duo remembered. That's what the apparition had called itself.
He would cheat it... Become stronger than it...
*He* would be the God of Death...
'Shinigami'..
"I said let her go, damn you!" he yelled once more, a newfound strength building within him as he unknowingly named his future self.
Hilde finally shook herself from the daze she was in. That trip had knocked the wind from her...even disoriented her for a few moments.. When she realized she was no longer against the hard floor, she kicked her legs violently and shrieked at the top of her lungs.
"Ow! Little buggers... Stop that now!" Of course, the soldier was hardly phased at all by the small punches to his legs. The kicks in the face, though, were definitely not welcomed. And neither were the loud shrieks piercing his ears.
"Come now! I just want to take you back with me and keep you there for a while. You'll be safe, I promise." He tried to avoid the next few kicks the girl delivered. "Damn it, we won't hurt you!"
The little girl in his arms surprised him with her next words.
"You're lying! Lying!" She yelled throatily. "You killed my mom! MY mom..." Sobbing, she carried on her tantrum as the soldier looked sadly down into her angry, wet blue eyes. "You killed my mother...for no reason at all!"
Her cries of anguish were almost enough to wet the soldier's cheeks, but he quickly blinked his tears away.
The man stood stunned as the little girl regained her strength for one more moment, pounding on his chest and repeating OZ's foul crime over once again. "You killed her! YOU killed her!!"
"I didn't kill her." He tried to speak gently, still trying to shake the annoying boy from his legs. The blows being delivered were actually beginning to hurt. "It wasn't me! I wouldn't kill someone like that.." he grunted in pain as Duo gave him another blow.
"It's all the same!" Duo argued, still beating away.
"YOU'RE all the same!" Hilde continued.
"Listen!!" The soldier had finally had enough. The girl was too weak to get away, and the boy was tiring now. It was time to stop this nonsense. He quickly stooped down and grabbed the boy by his collar, bringing him face to face.
"Listen to me and I *won't* hurt your friend back there! Otherwise, I can tell my partner right now to shoot her straight in the head."
Hilde quieted down and Duo became silent as he squirmed uneasily in the soldier's grip.
He knew that would shut them up.
"Good." The man praised softly. "Now... I tell you that I'm not here to hurt anyone, and I mean it. All I'm doing here is getting some information from your priest. Afterwards, we'll leave, and everything will be back to normal, I promise. No one will be hurt."
Duo scowled angrily at the male before him. How was he supposed to believe him, even with that sincere look in his eyes? For crying out loud, he had just threatened that he had the power to kill Sister Helen with one call to his partner! What kind of harmlessness was that?
Besides, Father Maxwell and Sister Helen had planned out an escape for all of the church and had even alerted the town of the oncoming danger(even though most hadn't believed the story and were still present in the town houses). If these soldiers were harmless, why would there have been any need for an escape? He trusted Father Maxwell and Sister Helen much more than he'd ever trust these men. They wouldn't have said there was danger coming unless there really was.
Duo reluctantly decided he would at least pretend to listen to the soldier. Even though Sister Helen had told them to run, he was not going to let her die when he thought there was a chance to save her life. There was no way he would just give up that easily.
"I still don't believe you, but I'll come with you anyway." Duo mumbled.
"You promise not to run away or give me anymore hassle, right?" The soldier asked in a cautious tone.
The braided boy nodded when he felt the soldier's grip on his collar loosen. "Yes.." he lied.
"Good then..." He looked down at the little girl, still held around the middle by his left arm. "And you too?"
Hilde nodded after glancing at Duo confusedly for a minute. What was he doing?
Whatever it was, he was telling her silently to go along with it... so she decided to reinforce her answer by speaking aloud. "Yes.." she croaked. "I promise.."
"Then let's get back there.." The soldier positioned Hilde comfortably in his arms once more and trusted that the little boy behind him would follow. He knew the child was too worried about his female keeper and the girl he held in his arms to go running off now.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*
The nun stayed silent as the soldier bound her tightly to the chair.
"I want to know where the priest is, Miss, and you're going to tell me. Either that or we kill you and find him ourselves." He rounded the chair one last time with the rope before tying it off. "I know he didn't just run off and leave his church. Not unless he's a total coward."
Sister Helen's face stayed blank. She wasn't about to give this soldier the satisfaction of her anger. Anyway, she knew what the soldier spewed about the priest wasn't true. It wasn't true at all...
Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered what Father Maxwell had said to her earlier that day..
** "No matter what happens, Sister Helen, I'm coming back and staying with this church. I'm not needed anywhere else, but here. I belong no where else. I will take our children to the people who are evacuating today, and they will take care of them. Then I will come back and stand my ground. Even if it kills me...**
She wanted to cry. The passionate look in his eyes when he spoke to her had been so beautiful and sincere.
He would be back soon... Surely, he'd already had plenty of time to take the children to the evacuation point and be back...
"Lieutenant Jacobs?!" A loud feminine voice abruptly interrupted the nun's thoughts.
The soldier in front of Sister Helen's chair snapped his head over to the opening door. "Colonel Smith?" he answered.
A tall woman with long shiny blonde hair and deep red lips entered. "Hai.." she replied casually.
She was beautiful, Sister Helen noticed as the woman came in further. She looked absolutely nothing like a soldier. Her skin bronzed from the sun, her eyes contrasting it with the lightest of blues, and her hair let down and flowing. The soldier's suit she wore hugged her curves perfectly as if it were destined just for her. If not for the elegant gun holster on her hip and the decorative pins on her chest, you would've never guessed that she was someone so high in rank. Even with the evidence, she looked as harmless as a lamb and as pretty as a picture. Clearly, though, the man who now held her captive had called the attractive woman, Colonel....
"I thought I heard voices in here..." she spoke silkily.
Jacobs smiled and licked his lips once more out of habit. "I wasn't sure when you were going to arrive, Colonel Smith."
"Well, the squad and I encountered a few problems on the way." She smoothed a strand of her hair back with a slender hand. "In fact, one of them was right outside the church."
"Ma'm? What problem might that have been?" He smirked as he walked over to the entrance to the room.
"Well," she disappeared into the hall and came back in holding a young child's hand. "I found a whole bunch of children trying to escape on a truck..."
Sister Helen couldn't help but cry out. "God, please no! Let them be!"
The Colonel still holding the child's hand winced as a loud smack reverberated around the room.
"No one asked you to speak!" Jacobs spat as the nun's cheek started to flush a bright red. He turned back to the other soldier and continued the conversation. "Was there a priest with the children?"
"Yes. But he's of no use to us now." The woman glared hard at the Lieutenant, showing her disapproval of his actions. She worriedly glanced over at the nun in the chair and back at the soldier, speaking more softly as she went on. "Unfortunately, one of the soldiers decided to take matters into his own hands when it came to the priest's fate. The priest said something rather mild that just happened to quickly enrage the hot-headed idiot. So, the soldier shot him before we could stop him. No matter though. The priest would have been no use to us anyway."
"But, we had suspicions about there being spies in this town. He could've been one of them, couldn't he Colonel?" The look of confusion on his face was shattered with disgust as he heard the nun speak out again.
"Father Maxwell..." She cried softly, a small smile forming on her lips. He had defended peace till the very end... She thanked God.
The male soldier turned quickly on his heels and stormed over to the nun. She was crying and smiling at the same time now?! What was wrong with her?!
"Why in the hell are you smiling?" He yelled as he smacked her again, leaving a large red welt on her cheek. "Did you not just hear this woman? You're priest is dead!...probably for ranting about world-peace or some other bullshit fantasy you people have. See what that gives you? See what God has done for you? Killed your priest and left you for dead. That's what he's done. Some God..."
The Colonel reached out to pull the Lieutenant back. "Damn it, Jacobs, you're going too far now." She said, grabbing his shoulder and pushing him gently out of the way. Turned to face him, she made sure that anger was evident in her voice and in her expression . "Let me remind you that I am your superior during this mission, not your equal. I should've warned you when you first stepped over the line by slapping that young woman the first time." With a huff, she continued. "You're no longer in charge of this mission, 1st Lieutenant Jacobs. The soldiers have arrived, and now I'm taking over. Go take these children and put them in a room close by. I'll take care of the Sister. There will be a few other soldiers to help you with the older children."
Before the soldier had time to make his way out the door, the Colonel grabbed him once more. "And if you touch just /one/ of those children in an improper manner, Lieutenant... I'll make sure you get your 'improper' touches afterwards. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Colonel." The Lieutenant tried his best not to look hurt, but it was obvious he was quite offended as he saluted and stormed out of the room. He'd thought he was in the presence of a friend. He had been wrong..
"Miss.." The woman spoke gently as she turned to the nun, kneeling next to the chair and placing a hand on her soldier. "I'm sorry for the way you've been treated."
Sister Helen stayed silent.
"And I'm sorry that you had to hear of your priest's death so bluntly."
The Colonel looked at the floor uneasily when the nun still said nothing. "I suppose I don't expect you to say anything. I wouldn't either if I were in your position." She finally stood and walked in full view of the nun, clasping her hands behind her as she made immediate eye contact. "You do understand that I can't stop my superiors from ordering me to destroy this place, don't you? They believe you are holding spies in this town.."
The nun broke away from the soldier's eyes and gazed at the floor.
"But I'm sure you're not worried about why we're here... In fact, I'm almost sure you're wondering only about what will happen to those children..." The soldier guessed sadly. "I'm sorry to say that most of them will probably die."
Tears wet Sister Helen's cheeks further. She couldn't believe the soldier was actually telling her this. Couldn't she just leave it to her imagination? At least then she could pretend that most of them would get out unharmed...
"There's no where else for them to go, really. They'd be war orphans if we let them live. They'd be better off dead." She paused as if to give the nun the chance to talk. When she didn't speak, the woman went on. "I would've let them go when I saw their truck fleeing, but unfortunately, I didn't get my position by letting the enemy escape."
"But, those children are not your enemies..." Sister Helen finally muttered.
"I had no choice. My men were with me, and most of them knew who was escaping." Colonel Smith snapped quickly. "It wasn't hard to figure out that the scene of a truck load of children being driven by an old man in black robes was a little 'odd'. I couldn't just let them escape." The woman seemed a little regretful at her previous actions as she continued on, her lips pursed and her cheeks flushed. "They could've jeopardized our mission and endangered my position as leader."
Sister Helen finally looked up at the Colonel, deep anguish and sorrow overwhelming her stare. This woman was trying to justify her actions. She felt guilty... So here she stood, explaining herself to a nun to make herself feel better...to assure herself that what she was doing was right and just. Surely, she didn't expect the nun to nod and agree.
"I will never understand the ways of war.." she replied tiredly.
"No one ever will. Not even the ones who are fighting in one." It was silent for a few more moments before the Colonel finally decided she'd said her peace. "If you'll excuse me, Sister, I have a few other things to attend to."
She turned to leave, signaling for another soldier to come in from the hall and stand guard, but before leaving completely, she turned and looked back at the nun.
"Untie her," She ordered the soldier who'd just entered, "but make sure she doesn't leave this room."
And with those last words, the Colonel quickly left the room to the nun and the silent standby guard.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"They're here...finally.." The soldier's low voice was filled with relief as he listened to the voices and large footsteps moving about the church.
Curious of why the soldier sounded so relieved, Duo looked up at the man in front of him. "Who's here?"
The dark haired soldier glanced back and answered. "The rest of the soldiers."
"The rest?!" The little boy stopped dead in his tracks. "The rest?! And what are all of them here for?"
Hilde uneasily stirred in the soldier's arms. She didn't like the tone in Duo's voice...
"More harmlessness?" Duo continued angrily, clenching his fists in fury. "Of course they are, I'm sure! Why else would they be here?"
"Lieutenant James..." A velvety yet still professional voice called out into the hall, interrupting the rest of Duo's rant. "I see you have some little rebels there."
There she stood. Colonel Smith crossed her arms and smiled as she eyed the two children accompanying the soldier.
"Colonel Smith." James answered quickly, unable to salute at the same time. The little girl squirming in his arms prevented him from accomplishing the action properly. "Yes ma'am, I found them earlier inside the church."
"Well, I suggest you take them into the room with the rest of the children we found." The woman flipped her shining blonde hair back behind her shoulder as she advanced toward the three figures.
"The rest, ma'am?" The male soldier stiffened as she came closer. He wondered what she was talking about. There had only been two children when he arrived. Where had the rest been hiding?
The Colonel eyed the soldier when she stopped in front of him. "Yes, the rest, James. We found a truck full of them trying to escape, but we pursued and caught them."
Duo choked on air when he heard the words slip from the woman's red lips. She had found the truck? Surely she had found Father Maxwell then. But she hadn't mentioned him... yet..
"And the priest? Did you find him also?"
Ah, exactly what Duo had wanted to hear. His ears perked up.
Hilde, still clutching the soldier's uniform, tiredly looked over at the woman before she answered. The female soldier seemed nervous now, her cool blue eyes shimmering with doubt. What had happened? Hilde wondered. What had happened to Father Maxwell?
"Yes, unfortunately...we did find him. He was driving the children." The blonde haired soldier sighed and licked her dry lips before continuing. Telling this in front of these children made her uneasy, and she really didn't know why. War was war... people die... "We had an accident on the way here. A soldier... decided to take matters into his own hands. The priest is no more, I'm afraid."
The Lieutenant looked at the little girl in his arms as she fell limp. She was exhausted, he realized, and the news she'd just received probably hadn't helped her any. He looked back up worriedly. "But, Colonel, wasn't he the one we were going to question about- "
Before the soldier could finish his question to his superior, Duo had burst past the both of them and down the halls. He could hear the woman yell something, but he couldn't tell what. He was pretty sure though that she had ordered someone to go after him.
That was fine with him... He knew he wouldn't be caught before he had the chance to escape...before he had a chance to go for help.
The little boy's eyes were dry and his lungs felt as though they were going to explode as he ran. He finally realized why he'd started running in the first place.
Father Maxwell was dead... it seemed almost unbelievable. To Duo, he'd seemed to invincible.
And now he felt helpless. Helpless enough to leave his friends and go find someone who could stop this...even though he knew he would most likely find no one...
"I'll be back for you Hilde..," He vowed silently, "and you too Sister Helen... I promise.."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*
It hadn't taken him long to run out of the church. He'd taken the shortest way out, and thankfully none of the soldiers along the way seemed to be able to hit a moving target very well that day. Nor were any of them fast enough to chase him after he was out of the church. Duo would've thanked God if he'd thought he existed.
Running through the town market, he squinted as the rays from the sun shone in his eyes and dust kicked up into his face. When he finally reached the compact houses, he scanned each of them carefully, seeing in each window that each was the same.. Empty.
Some of the people hadn't believed there was a troop coming... It seemed, though, that more than only *some* believed that they really would be here and had evacuated quickly.
Now frantic, the little boy was banging on doors and hollering at the top of his lungs for someone to help. There must be someone left over. Someone who would hopefully believe him...and help him.
After banging on door after door for what seemed to be forever, he came to one that opened cautiously, slowly revealing a large gruff man holding a small girl in his arms.
"Please, sir," Duo pleaded almost happily, relieved that someone was home, "you must help me."
"Oh?" The man curiously looked down at the boy before him and smiled. "With what problem, may I ask?"
"There are soldiers..," Duo gasped between words, "at the church. They're holding everyone hostage, and I'm sure that they are here to destroy us all."
The little girl in her father's arms whimpered and buried her face into his shoulder. "Daddy..."
Annoyed that this little boy had disturbed his daughter, he was quite quick to holler. "Listen young man, I know they are here, but we were promised nothing would happen to the town if we let them take the church without a fuss."
Duo was almost thrown back in shock.
So that's why some of the people had stayed in the town. Some actually had made an agreement with the soldiers beforehand. He couldn't believe it. How could people be so cruel as to offer the church as a sacrifice?!
"How could you do such a thing? There are children just like her in there!" Duo spurt bitterly as he pointed to the now crying little girl in the man's arms. "You've just sentenced them all to death.."
"Leave us, brat! You obviously don't understand that I care much more about my family than about you and your church." The surly father slammed the door in the orphan's face, leaving him to the silence of the streets.
Duo's heart sank as he stepped back away from the door. He felt so utterly powerless to do anything now. The rest of the people here would be thinking the same thing. There was no one left in this town to help him. Everyone who had any wits about them had already left the danger.
"What...am I supposed to do now?" Duo whispered to the wind.
Finally feeling the full effect of emptiness, the little boy fell to his knees and grasped the ground between his fingers, yelling at the top of his lungs.
"What am I supposed to do now?!"
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*
The gleaming metal of the mobile suits was blinding as the sun beat down on the huge forms. Seven of them standing in a circle around the church easily dwarfed the religious building.
Trucks and jeeps drove past the suits, holding loads of soldiers, all of them set on their destination...the next town.
As soon as the dust unsettled by the vehicles had fallen back to the ground, all mobile suits aimed at the church, the loud and quick clicking and clanking of metal signaling the readiness of their firearms.
"Fire until it's gone, men." Came the order from one of the larger suits. "It's time to begin this war. Let's show these people who the future victor will be!" The female voice was filled with excitement as she pushed her soldiers on.
All suits shone with luster as their Colonel instilled pride into the soldiers that drove them. Not one man hesitated after the order was given. Every suit was ready.
Bullets began flying, and sabers cut through brick easily. The loud crashing of brick against brick and wood along with the loud booming steps of the suits drowned out the sound of adolescent screams.
*~~~~~~~~~~~*
Duo's tear streaked face rose to meet the dust rising across the town. Thunderous vibrations shook the ground and air as the tired little boy still knelt against the ground.
"What's...going on?" Duo quickly rose to his feet, his lack of strength almost causing him to stumble. As soon as he regained his direction, he stood upright and started walking back toward the market. His feet only moved faster when he realized what must be happening.
"No.." Duo huffed as he ran around the corner of another small building. "I had plenty of time... I HAVE plenty of time!"
When he finally reached the outside of the town, he almost collapsed in exhaustion. Instead, he quickly leaned up against a nearby wall and refused to look up at the church until he'd caught his breath.
The church would still be there, he pleaded with his heart. It would be standing beautiful and tall as it always had, and it would have Sister Helen, Hilde, and his friends still inside of it. It would still be there...
"I have.. plenty of time.." He took in a last deep breath before looking up at the rubble...
And yelled hoarsely in defeat as he watched the last artillery truck fade out of sight..
*~~~~~~~~~~*
"Oh please... Lord..."
"..Help us." Weak and out of breath, she collapsed onto a hard and jagged piece of concrete. Gasping for air didn't help. Every time you breathed, you sucked in nothing but dust and smoke.. It was too much.. just too much.
Dirt, blood, and sweat mingled on her face, her hands were severely raw from digging long and hard through what seemed to be endless rubble.
Helplessly, she lay there, knowing there were still many children to be pulled from their deaths...
And she could hear them crying ...
The children of the Maxwell church...
*~~~~~~~~~~~*
Duo felt her near as he ran closer to the horrid debris. "It.. It can't be.." He looked around in disbelief after jumping over a crumbled wall. Everything was in ruins. Not one room stood...nor one pew...
He spotted a flowing piece of robe caught on a wooden beam and immediately dove for the area. It was Sister Helen...
"Du-Duo.." The sister choked out as he came into view. "I'm so glad... I wasn't sure.. if you'd escaped."
"Sister..." Duo spoke softly as he reached out to his friend who was lying against the hard ground.
"Duo... I think... I think they took Hilde..." Sister Helen's tears streaked the dirt and blood that stained her pale cheeks. "And Father Maxwell," she tried her best to smile through her tears, "is gone.."
"I know he's gone.." the little boy answered, his voice cracking under strain to keep from crying. Not only was Father Maxwell gone, now so was his friend Hilde...
"He was a wonderful example...Duo. He was preaching peace.. until the very end." She gasped as a sharp pain shot through her body. "A wonderful...example.."
Duo was suddenly angered. How could what she said be true? How could dying for peace be worth anything when it changed absolutely nothing?
"Wonderful?!" He questioned. "He was just stupid, wasn't he?!... He.." The little orphan's eyes filled with tears. "H-he did nothing by getting himself shot and killed.. What good did he do?!"
"Oh, Duo..." The nun raised a blood stained hand to caress the boy's cheek. So many things were going through her mind as she felt his warm tears fall onto her fingers, and there were so many of those things she wanted to tell her child.. to make him understand.. But there was no time.
This was not how she had wanted it to end at all, but now there was no choice.
Duo choked back a sob as he felt Sister Helen warmly touch his cheek. "Duo.. May God.. bless you..." she strained through painful gasps.
Her hand slowly fell back to her chest, leaving the boy's cheek cold and unprotected against the harsh wind. "And.. keep... you.."
A chilly wind blew by, seeming to lovingly caress the nun's face with her own golden hair as she went limp against the ground. Small violet eyes went blank as the young woman's tears ceased and the rise and fall of her chest was no more.
She was dead...
Father Maxwell was dead..
Hilde was gone...
And there were no more cries coming from beneath the piles of wood and brick..
The only thing that could be heard next was a little child's piercing scream of agony through the thick silence of the town.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"What is your name, child?" The Lieutenant looked over at the young girl sitting in the seat next to him. Her raven hair was blowing wildly in the wind that came through the truck's window.
"Hilde," she replied emptily, "Hilde Schibeiker."
The soldier glanced over at the girl as she peered back at him. What he saw made him shiver.
Her eyes... They were so empty and lifeless. The exact opposite of what they had been only a few hours ago when he'd held her in his arms. Then they'd been filled with so much emotion...
Now they were just dull orbs of blue.
And her face had been full of so much elation when he'd first seen her.. She was running and playing with her friend outside, her cheeks rosy pink and her smile as big as ever.
That was before he'd come in and run them down so terribly.
Now her face showed no emotion. It was completely blank, and her cheeks.. were as white and pale as snow.
What did he expect?
"Hilde, you'll be safe with us now. You're lucky Colonel Smith felt you should come with us. I would've hated it if we'd left you there." He knew he was trying in vain to comfort the child, but still, he glanced over once more to receive her response.
She sat swaying gently to the movements of the truck, still saying nothing.
. "You know...," the soldier paused to clear his throat, "your friend escaped. I even saw him in my rear view mirror when we were driving away.. I'm sure he'll be fine.."
Hilde sighed. She knew that already. In fact, she'd even seen him for herself in the mirror... and she really had been happy to find that he was safe. But she was still going in the opposite direction for her dear friend. So there was no reason for her at all to jump for joy.
Surprised that she didn't respond to his information, the Lieutenant decided to press further. He must be able to get some kind of response from her even if it ended up being negative.
"We're fighting for peace you know." He said matter-of-factly. "Death is necessary to achieve the peaceful silence we are all hoping for."
Hilde felt unbelievably light-headed all of a sudden. Had he just said death was necessary for peace? For a peaceful silence that 'we' are all hoping for?
To the soldier's amazement, the little girl beside him reached over and placed her small hand over his large callused fingers and squeezed gently.
"You killed my crying mother and friends...and then there was quiet. Am I supposed to be happy just because you are?" She continued to go on, emotion still held back from any part of her body except her tightening fingers. "You will try to kill many people in this next town also... Do you think they will welcome the quiet?"
"I...I.." He stuttered, taken aback at her comments. Defensiveness what all he had left to mask his utter confusion. "Y-you're only a little girl. What do you know?"
"I know death..." she spoke softly, still gazing at the soldier who had now stopped the truck. "I know silence.."
"and to me," she finished calmly, "it's not welcome.."
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh my friends, my friends forgive me,
that I live and you are gone,
there's a grief that can't be spoken,
there's a pain goes on and on
phantom faces in the window
phantom shadows on the floor,
empty chairs at empty tables,
now my friends will meet no more,
oh my friends my friends don't ask me,
what your sacrifice was for,
empty chairs at empty tables,
now my friends will sing no more..."
--'Empty chairs at Empty Tables' from Les Miserables
********************
*sigh* Did you like it? I know I didn't! ^_~
Hehe, just kidding! I liked it just fine I guess. Of course, the author has more nit picky things about his/her own story than others do...most of the time. And it's supposed to be that way, so nothing is out of place here!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the end. I really tried to keep Hilde and Duo *young*. At some points in the story, I do believe they were a bit too *grown up*...but you'd be surprised what little ones know. Just to let you know I *did* do some research... I actually talked to some young children I baby-sit and also some that I speak with on the bus I ride to school every morning. Yep, you'd be surprised what some little ones know and will say. ^^;;
I also did some GW research. Turns out I found a translated version of the Episode Zero GW comic. Most of you GW fans should know what that is. Along with other things, it holds the story of Duo and his old days at Maxwell church. Anyway, I got a hold of a copy and yes... I used some of the wording. So I take absolutely *NO* credit for the idea of Ep. Zero or it's characters...or it's wording.
Will I make a sequel when Duo and Hilde meet again? Maybe... someday...