The Common Denominator
Chapter Three- Back to Start
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 check out my sequel to Passing Destinies!!! (posted under Miko of da Shinigami!) And this uses the Japanese names…if you don't know them…ummmm…learn them real fast…^-^
'____' thinking
**Flashback** flashback…duh
"___" talking
(a/n-______) Akira's Notes
Scouts and Duo are 18ish…
Hotaru is 16
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 4 tapes of episodes I watched this morning rubbed off. -_-0
- ***
Hotaru and the others sat on the temple floor, waiting for Rei to finish reading the flames. Usagi was sleeping with her head resting on Mamoru's shoulder, who was smiling down at her. She hadn't been getting much sleep lately. No one has.
Lita and Mina were flipping through old Cosmo magazines. Not really reading, just flipping pages.
Ami was playing around with her Communicator. Damn things always broke when you needed them.
Haruka was sitting out on the porch, one arm protectively over Michiru.
Hotaru just sat. Nothing special. She just sat.
Then she felt it. Everyone did. Usagi stirred, Rei rushed from the Shrine, Haruka and Michiru came running inside.
"What was that?!" Rei shouted, fully awakening Usagi.
"You felt it too," Michiru said.
"The Wind's are blowing," Haruka whispered. "And with it they carry talk of Death."
"Hotaru-san!" Darien shouted.
Hotaru looked down at her lap. It was shimmering, as if covered in Stardust.
And that dust took the shape of a person.
***
Duo slowly opened his eyes. 'Am I dead.'
He lifted his hands, which were red with blood. His blood. 'I'm dying.'
He saw a blurry face above him. Short black hair and big purple eyes.
'Ah…you can just feel the irony here…I finally found her and I'm dying. Someone up there hates me.'
***
Hotaru looked down at the boy who landed on her lap. He opened his eyes slightly, but quickly closed them.
"Look!" Mina said, pointed to his stomach. "He's been shot!"
"How did he get here?" Lita asked.
"It must have been Pluto," Ami answered. "She's the only one that can control things like this."
"Who is he?"
Hotaru didn't bother listening to what the Sailors were talking about. She placed her hand over his stomach.
A strange purple light appeared in her hand.
"Hotaru!" Haruka shouted. "You can't heal that! You'll drain yourself!"
***
Duo gasped for air and shot up.
'I'm alive! I'm healed!'
He looked at the small girl he landed on. She was breathing heavily with her head down.
"Hey," He said quietly. "Are you okay?"
She looked up at him and smiled slightly. "I'm so glad I wasn't too late…"
She passed out.
"Hey, babe. You okay?" Duo said, shaking her slightly.
"Let go of her!" Haruka shouted, gathering Hotaru in her arms.
"She's just unconscious," Michiru said, smiling. "She's fine."
"Hmph," Haruka said. "She shouldn't have strained herself like that. She knows she can't handle it."
"Give her a break," Michiru said quietly. "You don't just let a cute boy die on your lap, ne?"
Haruka growled slightly, jealous.
"We're going hope to take care of Hotaru-chan," Michiru said. "Tend to the boy and--"
"Don't do anything stupid," Haruka finished.
Michiru nodded and headed to the door.
"My name is Duo," he said. "Tell her I say thanks."
Haruka just stormed out of the room.
"I will," Michiru said, smiling. "Ja ne!"
***
"So," Mina said, staring at him through heart shaped eyes. "You're names Duo! Kawaii!"
Lita sighed. "Super kawaii..."
Ami began scanning Duo with her Mini-computer. Duo just sat real still and eyed her.
She continued scanning for about 15 minutes, until finally stopping and saying "All clear!"
Duo face-faulted. "All that work for and answer I could have given you?!"
Mina and Lita began to laugh. They wouldn't stop.
Duo just blushed and mumbled, "Not that funny…"
"How did you get here and where did you come from?" Rei asked.
"Well I came from L2 and I," Duo started, but stopped at the look on their faces. "L2…the space colony…"
"A.C. scouts," Usagi said. "Ya know…that dimension Pluto was talking about. The one that just ended that war." Usagi looked around at the stunned faces. "I'll shut up now."
"Yep," Duo said. "That's the one. You see…I got into this fight with an ex-officer who wanted to kill me for being a soldier in the war, so he shot me. Of course, I shot him first. And he's the one who died!"
"How did you get out?" Ami asked.
Duo struggled to not mention Akira, his guardian, and the source of his powers. Akira, his goddess of Death. He made a quick lie. "Well some chick with long green hair and a mini-skirt saved me. She said I wasn't supposed to die. She told me she would send me to the Sailor Scouts who could heal me and help me start a new life. I assume those sailors are--"
"Us," Mina said, flashing a V sign.
"What do we do now?" Rei asked.
"I say we register him for college!" Lita said, nearly drooling. "He can share a dorm with me!"
"No," Mina said. "He can share one with me!"
"No," Ami said. "Mina and Lita are sharing a Dorm, Rei is staying and the Temple. That leaves Usagi."
"What about you Ames," Mina asked casually.
Ami went red as a tomato. "Ummmm…I'msharingonewithGreg," She said quickly.
"Ooooooh," All of them said at once. Duo had the mind to run screaming out of the room and follow the others back. He didn't think he could stand much more of this.
"So that's it then," Rei said. "Duo and Usagi share a dorm. It's late now, and I'm going to bed. I'll see you at registration tomorrow then."
The scouts and Duo left, heading for the park.
"What do we do now," Usagi asked, hand in hand with Mamoru, who was being over-protective, disliking Duo or sharing a dorm with Usagi.
"You go home," Duo said. "I can take care of myself. I know where the College is."
"What?!" Mina said. "No way! You can stay at my house."
"No mine!" Lita said.
'It's okay,' Duo said to himself. 'He'll me fine!'
"It's okay," Usagi said aloud. "He'll be fine!"
"I guess," Mina said, not wanting to argue with her princess. "Ja ne, Duo!"
***
Duo wandered around town. He was always a night person, but he knew he needed some sleep. He curled up on a park bench and soon fell into a sleep full of painful cries and long dried blood.
***
Hotaru laughed at the sight she saw. She was waiting for the girls to find that boy and register so they could go to the mall. Quite boring, but the park was nice and the Sakura were in bloom. Soon, if I can't control her, I could destroy it all. Suddenly a loud snore broke into her thought.
"It's him," she said, looking down at the sleeping boy. "That boy!" She giggled when she remembered how Usagi and the others where looking for him.
She nudged him.
"Wake up, sir," she said quietly. "Everyone's looking for you."
He just snored even more loudly and turned over.
'Baka.'
"Gomen, sir, but WAKE UP!" Hotaru shouted.
He shot up, but accendentally rolled of the bench in the process.
"Itai," he murmered.
"Graceful," she said, looking down at him. "You better get moving because the others are still looking for you."
Hotaru walked past without another word. Duo, however, grabbed her ankles as she passed, making her fall flat on her face.
"Itai!" she shouted. "Kisama!"
He just stood, brushed the dirt off his wrinkled clothes.
"You better watch that mouth of yours," he said with a grin. "None wants to hear a pretty girl curse."
Hotaru managed to blush and get pissed off at the same time.
"Why you!" she tried to push herself up, but slipped and fell back down.
"Graceful," Duo said, grinning and helping her up.
"Baka."
It was at that moment when the sailors decided to show up.
***
'Kuso,' Duo thought.
Mina and Lita came running up to him.
"Duo," they said, both giving dirty looks to Hotaru, who still had Duo's hand. "We were looking everywhere for you."
"Well here are am, gorgeous, so lets go sign me up!" Duo said, grinning.
Mina nearly melted. "Gorgeous!"
Duo left with the inners, looking at Hotaru over his shoulder only once. She recognized it as one of those "I wish I were anywhere but here" looks.
She laughed to herself.
Michiru and Haruka came walking up to her.
"You two seem to get along," Michiru said, smiling.
"I don't like him," Haruka said. "I just know he's lying about something."
"You don't trust anyone," Michiru said, giggling.
"I don't like him either," Hotaru said quietly. 'His touch. So cold.' "He is lying about something. And I'm going to find out what."
With that, the small raven-haired girl walked away.
"She's been so quiet lately," Michiru said. "This Duo character seems to be the only person to get some kind of reaction lately."
"I still think something wrong," Haruka said, the wind blowing harder, as if agreeing with her every word.
"With which one," Michiru said, holding her hat to her head as the wind picked up, and the fallen blossoms swirled around, before heading off in the same direction as Saturn.
**End chpt. 3**
Gomen…it was kinda short but hey!! Better then nothing…and now I gotta go write the next chapter of my other fic…-_-0…I hate this…
R/R!! the more the sooner I get the next one out!!