Death's Request
Hello everyone. Well, here I am with a very interesting look into what happens when Shinigami gets ready to meet his maker ^_~ If I've gotten anything wrong, do tell me, I'm just a lowly author. SO anyway, on with the show. I hope you enjoy.
The man walked over to the mirror, took his hair out of the towel and let it flow down around him. The hair that surrounded him was no longer the deep chestnut brown it had been in his youth, it was white and it was much thinner than it had ever been in his entire life.
"When did I get so old?" He asked himself as he examined his face and his hair. Wrinkles covered his face, and no matter how much he worked out, he just couldn't tone those muscles anymore. The only thing even remotely youthful about him were his eyes. Those violet orbs had never in his seventy years lost their youthful appearance.
"Daddy?" Someone called from another room.
"I just got out of the shower Nataly, I'll be out in a sec."
The man pulled his hair back and combed it through. After he was done drying it, he pulled it back into the braid he had worn for more years than he could possibly count. He stepped into his room and dressed himself in a tailored suit that made him look like a priest. He stepped out of the room and greeted his daughter with his characteristic shining grin.
"Well it's about time!" She said in mock exasperation.
"Oh you know, this braid of mine takes hours to perfect…" he said in mock vanity.
"Hi daddy, how are you?" Nataly said as she walked over to her father and gave him a big hug.
"I'm fine sweetie…I guess we should be going huh?" He said as tears filled his eyes.
Nataly, noticing her father's loss of composure, enveloped him in a tighter hug.
"Come on dad. I know you don't want to do this, but we have to. Mom will kill you if you're not there," she said as she patted his back in consolation.
"Fifty-two years Nataly. How do you live without someone after fifty-two years?"
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'Geez, the cemetery looks like a circus. So much commotion to cover the passing of one woman. But she was the wife of a Gundam pilot, it's natural that they'd be curious,' Duo thought to himself as the limo approached the gates. He stepped out of the car and walked over to the burial site with his daughter, son and their families trailing behind. As he approached the burial site, he stopped and gazed at the casket that held within its cold grasp his one and only love.
"Dad?"
"Yes Jacob?" Duo replied out of reflex.
"Why don't you come over and sit down?" His son asked, pointing to a chair.
"No, I want to stand."
The people gathered around the coffin and the priest began his consecration of the grounds where Hilde was to be buried. When the priest was done he said, "Mr. Maxwell would now like to speak."
Duo walked to the head of the casket and began…
"Fifty-two years. That's how long Hilde and I were married, but we'd known each other for longer than that. She had a full life and I'm grateful that she deemed me worthy to share that life with her. She gave me so much…sanity when the war was done, a warm loving home, and two beautiful children who now have families of their own. It seems that I've lived my life in a heartbeat. It's funny, you'd think that as the God of Death, as Shinigami…you'd think that I would understand why Hilde is gone. I don't though, I don't understand it, and I don't like it. Friends, cherish the ones you love. Never take them for granted. I love you Hilde. Wait for me wherever you are, I'll be there one day."
Duo sat down in a nearby chair after he had finished his speech. He didn't notice that the crowds had thinned out, and he didn't notice the four figures who approached him.
"It's been a long time eh Duo?" Quatre began.
"Hai, too long," Duo said as he stood to greet his friends. 'We've all gotten so old,' Duo thought to himself. All the pilots had gray hair, and each wondered how and when they had managed to get so old.
"I'm so sorry," Quatre stated as he embraced Duo in a tight hug.
"I know," Duo said as he returned the hug. Duo let go and looked at the other pilots.
"Duo," Heero said as a greeting.
"How have you been Heero?" Duo said smiling slightly.
"Fine. I'm sorry about Hilde," Heero said. Then he did something unexpected. He stepped over to Duo and offered him a brief hug.
'He certainly has changed over the years,' Duo mused to himself.
Wufei and Trowa quickly and quietly offered their condolences to Duo.
"So how are your wives?" Duo asked his friends.
"They are fine, they're over there talking with Nataly and Jacob." Heero answered for the group.
"Well, I'd better go say hi and save my kids from having their ears talked off," Duo said as he walked over to where the others were. He spoke briefly with Relena, Sally, Catherine, and Dorothy. As he spoke with them, Duo still couldn't believe that Trowa had actually married Dorothy. It was definitely an odd pairing. It was even odder that Quatre had nearly lost his friendship with Trowa over Catherine…how strange things turn out.
"Well guys, I think I'm gonna go home," Duo said to everyone.
"We'll give you a ride dad," Jacob said to his father.
"No, I want to walk…"
"You're sure Duo?" Relena asked concerned.
"Yeah ojousan, I just need some fresh air."
And with that, Duo left the cemetery and walked the ten miles to his house. He didn't really pay attention to the things around him, he just walked on and thought about Hilde. Tears stung his vision as he thought about her, his angel, the one who had saved him from certain doom with her laughter and love. It was dark by the time Duo reached his home. He changed out of his suit and put on his pajamas. He crawled under the sheets, and slept.
Well, that's it for now. Tell me what you think. This is just the prologue to what I hope will become a very thought provoking fic…Mixed in of course with a little Duo x Hilde lovliness ^_^ Tell me what you think about it so far. Review please! Or just email lil ol me at: rhiannon_1998@yahoo.com