Chapter 9: Death of a Soldier
Relena sat with her head in her hands, blonde hair surrounding her face to help mask her face as she sobbed quietly. Infront of her there was a casket, surrounded by various flowers. In the wreath there was a picture of the Perfect Soldier, Heero Yuy.
In the back of the old-as-time cathedral, there were the other pilots. Quatre was crying almost silently, and Trowa wrapped his arms around the blonde boy to try and calm his tears. Duo was sitting next to them, eerily silent as he stared at the fancy wooden crate ahead of him, his cobalt eyes a bit watery. Wufei, on the other hand, was leaning against the back wall, his arms crossed and his head bowed.
The cathedral itself was too elegant and cheerful on a day like this. 'It should be dark...and...' Duo was thinking to himself now as he blankly gazed around the place. His eyes rested on Relena...She was sobbing so loudly that it nearly echoed throughout the church, and now she was murmuring something to herself...
"Nonononono....He...He can't die!" She cried out, leaping up out of her seat before she ran to the closed casket. "HHHEEEEEEEEERROOOOO!!!!" Without even thinking, she opened the casket, before gasping. Heero's lifeless, cold body lay inside. His neck was nearly gone, exposing the inside of where his trachea used to be. His face was marred nearly to unrecognition...From the suit he was wearing, it was hard to tell what else was missing...
A pair of small yet firm hands came to rest on her shoulders. It was Duo, who looked a bit uneasy. "Relena- san...Please go back to your seat..." he said quietly to her, before escorting her there himself. As soon as he was sure that she wouldn't raise from her seat again, he walked back over to Heero. "Gomennasai...Tomodachi..." he murmured before closing the casket. Duo then walked back to his spot next to Quatre and Trowa. The blonde looked up at him with tear-stained eyes. "...Thanks, Duo..." he said oh so quietly as he was handed a tissue. The Arabian wiped at his cobalt blue eyes silently, still leaning his frail form against Trowa, who had remained silent throughout the whole funeral service.
Wufei then raised his head, looking down on them, "...When is the burial?"
***
A silvery white wolf was dashing through the night's fresh air, his posture signifying pure confidence in every stride. Behind him ran a pack of various colours, most of the pelts brown and tan; along with one tawny and a black. The silver one stopped, and he pointed his head towards the heavens and let out a eerie, long howl. The Loup garoux joined in, still staying behind what looked like their new leader.
The hunt was on. A deer perked it's head up upon hearing the howl, and it began to ran. The pack chased after it, the silver lupus respectively in the front. He dashed and wove in-between trees and shrubbery effortlessly, as if he had been trained to do this kind of thing; to hunt. He came closer with every stride, and soon found himself snapping at the frail deer's legs, trying to get a fall out of it. Success came, and the pack closed in, before making the final leap.
The leader tore into the bleeding deer's throat, silencing its cries for help. He fed ravenously, growling at anyone who dared to get too close to his share of the kill. When he was done he padded off to a nearby clearing made with flatrocks. He laid upon them, yawning with a full belly. The tawny wolf went up next to him, laying by his side. She began to nuzzle him. He pushed her away with his muzzle, looking a bit detested.
After the pack had rested, their leader lead them to a dark, secluded cave that would be hidden from human society. Patches of silver fur began to disappear, and were replaced by smooth, peach-coloured skin. Most of the fur was turned into silver-white hair, which seemed endless as it grew and grew...The lupine eyes would change into a darker colour, and soon the muzzle itself would return to a pair of quite attractive human lips. The man stood, feeling completely comfortable around his pack, even though the only thing he wore was a slight smirk. He brought up an arm to wipe at the blood still hanging around his mouth.
Lamica strode up, clinging to his arm. The man simply pushed her away silently. She pouted angrily, "Milliardo! How come you won't let me play with you? Don't you love me?"
***
Duo laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He sighed, before loosening a black tie. "...Why...did they have to kill him?" he asked no one in particular as he tossed the tie to the ground. His eyes were now filled with anger and sadness as he spoke to himself, alone in his room. "Couldn't they just let him resign or something?!" Duo sighed, before shuddering. "Damnit, Relena!...Why'd you have to go and open up his casket? Man that just made me want to puk--" He caught himself and his face faltered slightly, "Aa, gomen Heero!" His boyish features softened once he had spoken that name. Duo sat up slowly, leaning his back against the wall. Tears began to slowly cascade down his cheeks.
There was a sudden knock at the door, "Duo?" It was Quatre waiting outside his door, speaking with his calm, soothing voice filled with femininity. Duo relaxed slightly, wiping at his eyes, "Yeah, the door's open Quatre." The door opened slowly and the blonde stepped in, walking over to stand by Duo's side. "I was wondering if you're hungry..." Duo shook his head slightly, offering a meek smile. "Couldn't eat a thing right now. Why don't you sit down?" Quatre nodded, obliging to his request. The bed only dipped slightly under his weight. "What is it, Duo?" he asked, still speaking oh so softly. Duo sighed, fighting back the urge to cry. "Why'd he have to die, Quat? I mean, he was stronger than all of us...Sure, he wasn't the most sane guy...but..." Tears were now falling freely from the young braided one's eyes, and he was embraced by Quatre. "I-I don't know, Duo...But it will be okay..." He hugged him tight, feeling Duo's soft braid brush up against his cheek.
Duo pulled back from the hug slowly, wiping at his eyes and smiling nervously. "Sorry, Quatre. Didn't mean to be a girl and cry all over your shirt..." Quatre smiled back, laughing softly. "Oh Duo, it's alright to cry. We all have to sometime..." Duo smirked at this, and he began to laugh. A blonde brow was arched slightly in puzzlement. "What's so funny?" "Just...Try to picture Wufei crying!" Duo managed to squeeze out between laughs.
Relena sat with her head in her hands, blonde hair surrounding her face to help mask her face as she sobbed quietly. Infront of her there was a casket, surrounded by various flowers. In the wreath there was a picture of the Perfect Soldier, Heero Yuy.
In the back of the old-as-time cathedral, there were the other pilots. Quatre was crying almost silently, and Trowa wrapped his arms around the blonde boy to try and calm his tears. Duo was sitting next to them, eerily silent as he stared at the fancy wooden crate ahead of him, his cobalt eyes a bit watery. Wufei, on the other hand, was leaning against the back wall, his arms crossed and his head bowed.
The cathedral itself was too elegant and cheerful on a day like this. 'It should be dark...and...' Duo was thinking to himself now as he blankly gazed around the place. His eyes rested on Relena...She was sobbing so loudly that it nearly echoed throughout the church, and now she was murmuring something to herself...
"Nonononono....He...He can't die!" She cried out, leaping up out of her seat before she ran to the closed casket. "HHHEEEEEEEEERROOOOO!!!!" Without even thinking, she opened the casket, before gasping. Heero's lifeless, cold body lay inside. His neck was nearly gone, exposing the inside of where his trachea used to be. His face was marred nearly to unrecognition...From the suit he was wearing, it was hard to tell what else was missing...
A pair of small yet firm hands came to rest on her shoulders. It was Duo, who looked a bit uneasy. "Relena- san...Please go back to your seat..." he said quietly to her, before escorting her there himself. As soon as he was sure that she wouldn't raise from her seat again, he walked back over to Heero. "Gomennasai...Tomodachi..." he murmured before closing the casket. Duo then walked back to his spot next to Quatre and Trowa. The blonde looked up at him with tear-stained eyes. "...Thanks, Duo..." he said oh so quietly as he was handed a tissue. The Arabian wiped at his cobalt blue eyes silently, still leaning his frail form against Trowa, who had remained silent throughout the whole funeral service.
Wufei then raised his head, looking down on them, "...When is the burial?"
***
A silvery white wolf was dashing through the night's fresh air, his posture signifying pure confidence in every stride. Behind him ran a pack of various colours, most of the pelts brown and tan; along with one tawny and a black. The silver one stopped, and he pointed his head towards the heavens and let out a eerie, long howl. The Loup garoux joined in, still staying behind what looked like their new leader.
The hunt was on. A deer perked it's head up upon hearing the howl, and it began to ran. The pack chased after it, the silver lupus respectively in the front. He dashed and wove in-between trees and shrubbery effortlessly, as if he had been trained to do this kind of thing; to hunt. He came closer with every stride, and soon found himself snapping at the frail deer's legs, trying to get a fall out of it. Success came, and the pack closed in, before making the final leap.
The leader tore into the bleeding deer's throat, silencing its cries for help. He fed ravenously, growling at anyone who dared to get too close to his share of the kill. When he was done he padded off to a nearby clearing made with flatrocks. He laid upon them, yawning with a full belly. The tawny wolf went up next to him, laying by his side. She began to nuzzle him. He pushed her away with his muzzle, looking a bit detested.
After the pack had rested, their leader lead them to a dark, secluded cave that would be hidden from human society. Patches of silver fur began to disappear, and were replaced by smooth, peach-coloured skin. Most of the fur was turned into silver-white hair, which seemed endless as it grew and grew...The lupine eyes would change into a darker colour, and soon the muzzle itself would return to a pair of quite attractive human lips. The man stood, feeling completely comfortable around his pack, even though the only thing he wore was a slight smirk. He brought up an arm to wipe at the blood still hanging around his mouth.
Lamica strode up, clinging to his arm. The man simply pushed her away silently. She pouted angrily, "Milliardo! How come you won't let me play with you? Don't you love me?"
***
Duo laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He sighed, before loosening a black tie. "...Why...did they have to kill him?" he asked no one in particular as he tossed the tie to the ground. His eyes were now filled with anger and sadness as he spoke to himself, alone in his room. "Couldn't they just let him resign or something?!" Duo sighed, before shuddering. "Damnit, Relena!...Why'd you have to go and open up his casket? Man that just made me want to puk--" He caught himself and his face faltered slightly, "Aa, gomen Heero!" His boyish features softened once he had spoken that name. Duo sat up slowly, leaning his back against the wall. Tears began to slowly cascade down his cheeks.
There was a sudden knock at the door, "Duo?" It was Quatre waiting outside his door, speaking with his calm, soothing voice filled with femininity. Duo relaxed slightly, wiping at his eyes, "Yeah, the door's open Quatre." The door opened slowly and the blonde stepped in, walking over to stand by Duo's side. "I was wondering if you're hungry..." Duo shook his head slightly, offering a meek smile. "Couldn't eat a thing right now. Why don't you sit down?" Quatre nodded, obliging to his request. The bed only dipped slightly under his weight. "What is it, Duo?" he asked, still speaking oh so softly. Duo sighed, fighting back the urge to cry. "Why'd he have to die, Quat? I mean, he was stronger than all of us...Sure, he wasn't the most sane guy...but..." Tears were now falling freely from the young braided one's eyes, and he was embraced by Quatre. "I-I don't know, Duo...But it will be okay..." He hugged him tight, feeling Duo's soft braid brush up against his cheek.
Duo pulled back from the hug slowly, wiping at his eyes and smiling nervously. "Sorry, Quatre. Didn't mean to be a girl and cry all over your shirt..." Quatre smiled back, laughing softly. "Oh Duo, it's alright to cry. We all have to sometime..." Duo smirked at this, and he began to laugh. A blonde brow was arched slightly in puzzlement. "What's so funny?" "Just...Try to picture Wufei crying!" Duo managed to squeeze out between laughs.