The Common Denominator
Chapter One- One Stone
By- Akira Maxwell
Authors Notes- I am Miko of da Shinigami. But I am also Akira Maxwell. This new fanfiction is quite a change from my usual style of writing, but it will always have a certain style that labels it- Miko's. Due to the change, however, I am going to post it under my new pen name, Akira Maxwell, who is also a key character in this story. I hope you all enjoy this and I also hope you all are not pissed at me about my other fic, which I finally decided to finish!!! ::happy dance::
'____' thinking
**Flashback** flashback…duh
"___" talking
(a/n-______) Akira's Notes
Disclaimer- don't own gundam wing or sailor moon. Akira is mine, although with permission you may borrow her. The plot is mine, steal it and you have a date with your maker. Sorry, that was duo's line. I guess those two tapes of episodes I watched this morning rubbed off. -_-0
***
There was no other way…
I couldn't let it happen. Not when I had the power to stop it. I love him so much, but to him, I don't exist.
**FLASHBACK**
A dying Duo, though unnamed at the time, kneeled by a dead Solo, looking at what appeared to be nothing. That is, if you are lucky.
"Who…Who are you?" Duo asked, but somehow already knowing the answer.
Duo heard a voice whispering from inside himself, not for the last time.
Akira. The Goddess of Death."What…What do you w-want?"
You're dying. Let me save you."No…Get away from me! I know where I belong. I want to go with my friends. I want to be with everyone I care about."
I will not sit here and watch you die.Duo looked up at the goddess with tearful eyes. She was beautiful, with long crimson hair that reach her knees and black eyes. She wore a long black dress and had black iridescent bird wings. "Why?"
Because I love you.In that moment, Duo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The goddess like creature closed her own. She turned into a small cloud and flew down Duo's throat.
Numb. Everything felt numb. Although…numb means not feeling anything, so I guess it couldn't feel like that, now could it.
Duo opened his eyes. They flashed black but soon changed to cobalt blue.
Duo looked down at his best friend. Too late. No one could have saved you. Too late.
Strange words poured from Duo's lips. "Shi no Kami."
Duo reached out and touched the forehead of his friend. A strange symbol appeared on Solo's forehead as he glowed a faint green. Duo glowed black and smiled at the sight only he saw. His friend stood in front of him, falsely appearing so close, but Duo knew he never would be again. At that thought, Duo began to cry.
"Don't cry, my friend. You're Duo now. That way we can be together forever."
Duo smiled tearfully. Duo, the God of Death.
**END FLASHBACK**
I gave up everything to be with him. My immortality, my life, and his life, which is more important than anything else. I love him so much, but he doesn't know I exist. I am just a figment of his imagination. Maybe it's better that way. I'm getting weaker now. I gave up everything to save his life. I gave up my own. And now I'm dying.
It hurts him. He can feel my pain just as I can feel his. I have to leave soon. I can't stay with him because I will kill him, if I die. It will poison his mind. I have to leave, but not yet. I want to stay, until the last moment. I know…it will hurt him, but I cannot bear to see him like this. Just a little longer. Then I leave. And Shinigami will hunt on his own.
- ***
"Well, women, I'm tired. So I guess I better go to bed. Sorry I couldn't spend more time bothering you," Duo said with a grin, heading to the stair. 'My head's pounding. Something bigs going down.'
He felt a hard yank on his braid, and turned his cry of pain into a big grin.
"Yes?"
"Did you call me WOMEN!" WuFei shouted, his eyes narrowed in fury.
"Why no," Duo said innocently. "I called you Wu-man."
WuFei dropped the braid and Duo hurried up the stairs. "Good, because if you called me a women I would have- KISAMA! MAXWELL!!! How many times did I tell you not to call me that!"
WuFei debated on whether or not follow him upstairs, but he decided he was too lazy. He went back to reading his book.
'Funny…why would Maxwell be so tired. It's only 6:30…'
***
Duo collapsed onto his bed, breathing heavily.
Why? Almost every night it's another victim. Why?!
Duo gave out a muffled cry as a strange black light surrounded him. When the light faded, his breathing ceased and he died. But Duo didn't care. He did it almost every night.
***
Sailor Pluto felt the familiar cold of death passing through dimensions. She had gotten used to it, after some time. Though invisible to her, she felt his presence, and avoided his touch as he searched for the right dimension. He found it.
Enter, Sailor Scouts.
***
"NO!" Sailor Moon cried out as she watched the demon crush the young girls heart crystal.
"Neptune Deep Submerge!"
"Uranus World Shaking!"
"Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!"
The monster fell to the ground and disappeared, summoned back by it's master.
Sailor Moon bent down next to the small girl. She couldn't be anymore than nine.
"How could we have let this happen? We defeated Chaos. Where did this new evil come from?" she said through sobs. 'No one ever died when we were here to protect them before. Are we so weak.'
"No," Ami said. "Old evil. Heart crystals are the target. Remind you of anyone."
"Heart snatchers," Jupiter answered.
"But are they using heart crystals as a power source to take over on their own, or do they have a new sovereign," Neptune stated.
Venus turned to Saturn, looking for answers, only to see that the small senshi had vanished.
"Anyone seen Saturn?" Venus asked. "She was here just a minute ago."
"I am here, Venus-chan," Saturn said from the shadows of the ally.
"Oh," Venus said laughing. "I must have missed you there. You really blend with the shadows, and you're really tiny."
Saturn had to agree, She was 16 but was only 4'8". As for blending in with the shadows, if only you knew.
Unknown to them, a figure stood in the shadows, watching and waiting for them to leave.
***
'We've got company.' Duo thought to himself. He grinned to himself.
'I always knew I should be surrounded by beautiful women, even if I am the Grim Reaper.'
"We should do something," the one in red said. "We should call the police."
"No," Duo said. "We should go. They'll find out eventually."
"No," Sailor Moon said. "We should go. They'll find out eventually."
"Yes," Duo said. "We should go now."
"Yes," Neptune said. "We should go now."
Slowly, the Sailor Senshi left the girl.
Duo leaned over.
"Shi no Kami."
The anima of the girl drifted from the body and disappeared without a word.
Duo heard a sound. He turned to see the small girl. Saturn.
She knelt down beside the body.
"Gomen," She whispered. She placed the tip of her glaive gently to the ground.
The body began to shine purple and disappeared.
She looked up. Duo could have sworn her saw him. Her large purple eyes shone differently for a split second.
So familiar. Duo couldn't place it.
No. He could.
**FLASHBACK**
"They fear me," Saturn said, materializing her glaive. "But once I use my power, I'll be destroyed."
Duo watched as the fearless warrior jumped right into the center of the monster.
'She's beautiful…' Duo thought. 'And she's going to die!'
Duo watched as the other one, Sailor Moon, tried in vain to transform. He felt the tug of Death bringing him to the center of Pharaoh 90. He felt himself swept to the battlefield.
"I'm ending it here, Pharaoh 90," Saturn said. "Tow Nebula will be destroyed."
Then Duo heard a voice coming from all around him. A voice that sounded strangely like the wizard from the wizard of oz. (a/n- crappy dubbed voices…)
"Ha! Puny Sailor Soldier! Do you really think you can destroy me! Ha!"
"Yes," Saturn replied. She sounded differently this time. Cold and harsh.
'She could. And will.'
"Don't underestimate me. I am far more than a Sailor Soldier, and far from puny."
Duo looked around, noticing for the first time that he was no longer in a lab, but on a small planet. The planet of Pharaoh 90, keeper of different dimensions.
"Death Reborn Revolution!"
The words echoed as the tip of her glaive hit the ground. The planet beneath her shattered as Pharaoh 90 screamed out in pain. He was defeated, but not destroyed. The power of the chalice kept him alive. The same could not be said about Saturn.
Duo walked over to her and kneel over her body. He shook her a little. Nothing.
"Shi no Kami," He said quietly, just as he saw a bright light coming toward him.
'A heart crystal,' he thought. 'And that girl. She's different. The heart crystal. The one more powerful then the one in the chalice. The only way to destroy him.'
The spirit of Saturn rose from the body. Then another, and another. Duo watched in amazement.
The two, one in a sailor suit, and the other in a long black dress, her hair flowing in every direction, were flying around the one, protecting her.
The last was a girl, only around 13, had short hair, soo black it looked purple. She was crying.
The other two spirits flew over and disappeared into her.
A non-existent wind blew back the bangs of the last spirit, showing a strange sign on her forehead. A purple h over a black star.
'Saturn's Death' Duo thought, recalling that sign from who knows where.
The girl turned away from him to face Super Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon knelt before the body.
"Hotaru-chan," She said. "Please Silver crystal, grant my wish."
The brooch beneath her heart crystal began to glow.
The spirit of the settled back into the body, now just a baby.
The mark on her forehead disappeared.
**END FLASHBACK**
'It's her! That girl! Hotaru!' Duo remembered.
He felt the tug of his other self.
'Crap. Someone found me.'
Duo let himself slip back to his dimension and into his own body. He slowly opened his eyes, cursing his luck.
'They must think I'm dead…'
***
Duo opened his eyes and quickly scanned the room. Quatre was crying in Trowa's arms, WuFei was in the back of the room looking shocked, and Heero was shaking him so hard he had a headache.
"Zakkenayo Heero," he mumbled. "I'm trying to get my beauty sleep."
Quatre's eye's went wide.
"Duo!" he shouted. "Oh god, Duo! You were dead!"
"Ha," He said, turning over. "I think this peace must really be getting to you."
"No, Duo," Heero said. "You were dead. You weren't breathing, had no pulse, and were stone cold."
"Well," Duo said, laughing nervously. "I always knew I slept like a rock!"
Trowa spoke next. (a/n- omg!! Trowa spoke! ^-^…//_-0)
"He's serious. Duo…Are you sick?"
'Kuso. They suspect something. Kuso kuso kuso kuso!'
"Do I look sick to you?" He said, putting on his award-winning smile. "Now if you don't mind, I'm tired and want to go back to sleep."
"Duo," WuFei said from his corner. "You went to sleep at 6:30. It's almost one. You had no breakfast or lunch. What the f*** if going on?!"
"Nothing! Nothing is going on! Did you say lunch?" Duo replied, trying to change the subject.
"Yes," Heero said.
"Crap!" Duo hopped out of bed and ran down the stairs, heading off to the kitchen. He was ahead of the others, so the didn't notice when he took a different turn.
He found the exit easily. I guess pretending to get lost in a mansion helps you find you're way around.
He grabbed his leather jacket, flipped up the collar, and ran off into town, disappearing into the shadows.
***
The other four pilots sat in the kitchen.
"No Duo," Trowa simply stated.
"The baka must have gotten lost on his way here," WuFei said, almost hopefully, because deep down he knew something wasn't right.
"He never gets lost on his way to the kitchen," Quatre said, downcast. 'What's wrong, Duo? Why can't we help?'
Heero bolted to the door. 'Please no!'
Heero stopped dead in his tracks the moment he felt the dreaded breeze coming through an open door. Duo jacket was gone. And so was Duo.
'Crap.'
***
Duo heard what they were thinking. He almost felt bad when Quatre wanted to help, but Duo knew he couldn't. What could help was sleep. A pillow to rest his pounding head on. What really got to him was Heero. He knew he really was Heero's only friend. The other pilots feared and respected him. They though of all the pilots, Heero would have the biggest problem, not himself. Duo could here them thinking that. I hope Heero's gonna be okay. What's a perfect soldier without a war? Not Duo. Duo was never afraid. Maybe sometimes he'd pretend to be. But he was not afraid. Bugging Heero was like shoving a broom up the nose of a sleeping bear. It was something only Duo would do. Duo could here him now.
'Duo. Please don't do anything stupid.'
"It's not stupid," Duo said aloud. "It's a favor to mankind!"
He heard it again. That voice.
'When will you leave me alone! You ruined my life already! Go away!
Please…don't…Go away!
Please…stop!
Go- What's wrong?
Nothing, Duo-chan. I'm just so tired.- Akira…'
It was silent.
'Akira?!'
So silent.
'AKIRA!'
Alone.
'I have to stop this. No more pain for me. No more pain for the people I care about. Two birds with one stone.'
Duo grabbed the gun and shove the barrel into his stomach.
'One bullet, that is.'
He pulled the trigger.
It was silent.
So silent.- ***
Akira felt herself pulled from his body.
'Duo?'
She dropped to the ground.
'I feel so weak…'
'One bullet, that is.''Duo?'
Akira pulled herself to her feet just as Duo crumbled. Barely breathing, but still alive. She heard voices, but paid no attention.
"Still here," Duo said quietly. 'Oh no. He can see me. He's dying…' "Good. I didn't want you to go away. I didn't…"
'shhh…gomen, but not yet. Not now. Gomen.'
"Please," she said aloud, although few could here her. "Take my life instead. Shi no Megami commands you! Here my orders. Take him to his life!"
Akira collapsed and Duo began to fade, still so near death, taken to a new place. A new life.
***
The gundam team ran when they heard the shot. One thought going through all their minds.
'Kuso.'
They arrived only to see Duo lying on the ground. Quatre ran forward, but found he couldn't get within ten feet of him.
"What's going on?" Heero shouted.
"I don't know," WuFei replied, very near panic.
"Duo!" one of them shouted. It was too confusing to know for sure. Suddenly Duo began to fade, then disappeared with nothing but a pop.
"What the hell…" WuFei said.
Heero looked around for any sign of his friend.
There was none.
It was silent.
So silent.- **End chapter 2**
Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Ah…writing Duo and Hotaru is like being on vacation…^-^…I can make any Miko happy! ^-^