Note: As you can probably tell, this is the end. The conclusion comes! ^ ^ Please tell me what you thought of this story! Read and review please!
Ch. 6-Owari
Duo grinned, an evil grin that made Hilde's blood run cold. He was really going to kill her. She tried to calm down her heart beat as she struggled against the chains binding her wrists and ankles. "Duo, please, don't do this…I'm begging you not to do this…" she pleaded, more tears falling from the corners of her eyes.
"The end of the world starts with you," the voice stated, making her heart race. She felt dizzy and she realized her blood pressure must've dropped drastically. Her vision kept blurring in and out of focus and she couldn't see the expression on Duo's face. All she knew was that he was no longer her Duo, he was somebody else entirely. "You must die to unlock the power." Those words, 'you must die', sent a chill up and down her spine and she shivered as she hung against the upside down cross.
Hilde looked at him, her expression scared but caring at the same time. Duo couldn't have totally died, he had to still be in there. She could feel it. His spirit was around her, protecting her. She took a deep breath. "Duo, I know you're in there. You can fight this. Whatever this is that has taken over your body, I know you can fight it."
Her eyes bore into his, reading his soul. There was a struggle inside there, a weak one, but it was there. She could feel that as well. But Duo ignored her words and lifted the scythe, ready to bring it down on her. All she could do was close her eyes and wait for death to come. Then she heard a clank as the scythe hit the floor and Duo covered his face with his hands.
"No…you can't kill her…you can't," the voice was Duo's as he struggled with himself. "I love her…she can't die at my hands…she can't…" He shook his head, tears coming from his eyes as well. When he pulled his head away to look at her, his expression changed to one of a weak smile. "Hilde… you're not dead yet…" he stated and stood, walking closer to her. "I'm so glad…I thought you were going to die…"
With that said he kissed her passionately on the lips, his fingers tracing along her facial features. When he pulled away he was grinning. "Let's get you out of here," he said lightly and then stopped, his eyes widening. He coughed up blood and backed away, his expression full of sudden pain and agony. His eyes were closed as he tried to block it out.
It was no use, he fell to the floor, holding his head in his hands. A scream full of pain came from his lips and then his head fell back, hitting into the cold hardness of the floor. "Duo?" she asked quietly, fearing that he'd died in front of her eyes. "Duo…are you okay?"
For a long, agonizing moment he didn't move or speak. When he finally found his voice it came out weak and shaky. "Hilde…" he replied, his voice deathly quiet and it scared her. He coughed, spitting blood out of his mouth as he rolled over onto his side slowly, pain gripping his body. Whatever was inside of him was winning again. "I…I love you…Hilde…" He could feel his heart beat slowing and his breathing was becoming more shallow.
She stared at him, scared that he was dying. "Duo? Why are you talking like that?" she asked angrily. "You're not dying! Sit up! Look at me! I love you too! Now, we have to get out of here! We're going home! Get up!" Her voice was turning desperate and fresh new tears were stinging her eyes, just when she thought she had none left to cry.
Duo sighed wearily and shut his eyes. 'I'm sorry, Hilde, I can't fight like this anymore…it hurts too much…' he thought sadly as he felt his body die around him and he retreated back to the dark corners of his mind. Shinigami came forth again, strengthening his body as he sat up to look at Hilde angrily. "You'll pay for that, mortal bitch," he growled and stood up. "You're death will be the cause of long painful agony."
Hilde spit at him and turned her face away before he could smack her. "Leave Duo alone! He's done nothing!" she cried angrily, her eyebrows pulling together. "All he did was love me! That's all he did…" She sobbed, but no tears came from her eyes, they were finally dry of all tears. "Please, find someone else…"
The scythe disappeared and a whip took its place. He flicked it absent-mindedly on his wrist as he glared at her. "I don't think so. This is what he was born to do. The one he would fall in love would be the one he would have to kill. It starts the downward cycle to total annihilation." He sneered again, twisting his face so that he no longer resembled Duo.
Her breath caught in her throat and she gasped, pulling in air in a sudden panic. Death she could handle, but not torture, and he was very serious. She watched every action in slow-mo as he lifted the whip and then snapped it across her legs. A scream came from her but she couldn't think. The scream was held out for only seconds, but it felt like minutes as the pain came searing up from the fresh gash on her thighs.
Cold, smooth blood slipped down her thighs and she took in a deep breath, closing her eyes against the pain. The whip snapped again, harder and faster this time, and it hit across her stomach. She cried out at the quick contact that ripped at her skin, pulling it away and leaving a long and bloody gash. Everything suddenly sped up as the whip made contact that second time and she could feel her heart racing in her chest. She felt dizzy and nauseous at the same time.
Once again the whip slashed her legs and she felt her bone snap under the pressure. A pain-filled scream echoed throughout the chamber and fresh tears fell down her cheeks and mixed with the dried ones on her face.
He walked closer to her, the whip balled up in his fist. With that he smacked her across the face hard and fast. She could feel her jaw chip and the blood started to flow down from the wound, adding to the tears. Then she slowly turned her face back to look at him, the throbbing from the wound making her wince.
The sneer crossed his face once more as he got dangerously close to her. "You are pretty for a human," he stated, using his hand to move her face back and forth. "I can see why he would be attracted to you…"
She closed her eyes and tried to imagine something other than his cold touch on her skin and the smell of his body so close to hers. It was the smell of decay that had occurred in her dream. All the facts coming together made her wanted to scream and fall apart at the same time. Then she felt her skort fall to the floor beneath her, followed by her underwear. Fresh air on her wounds made her wince and a short cry came from her barely parted lips.
His fingers were wandering along her legs, starting at the ankles and slowly, painfully moving up to rest on her thighs. The touch was feather light, but it felt like needles were piercing her skin in a million different places. He bent down and licked the blood from her wound sensuously, letting it drip down his throat. Then he brought fingers in between her legs and stroked them, threatening to enter her.
Hilde jumped slightly when she felt them push their way inside and her breath came out in short, raspy gasps. The pleasure reached her brain first and then the humility that this was beyond her control. The on thing she had been afraid of forever was finally happening. As his fingers moved in and out, pressing farther and farther inside each time, she began to breath heavily and closed her eyes. She wasn't supposed to enjoy this sensation running through her body. A burning had started in her lower stomach and she tried to suppress it, but it was no use.
Breathing and heart rate became quicker and louder as the burning became stronger and stronger until she couldn't take it anymore. Giving in to the pleasure she moaned, taking his hair in her hands and pulling on it.
When he noticed this he pulled his fingers away and replaced them with his tongue, slowly flicking it in and out of the warm cavity. It was wet and cool as it flicked in and out. She moaned again and refused to let him pull away from her. The burning was getting too strong, but she continued trying to hold it in. Her chest heaved up and down from the effort and she moaned loud enough to have it echo in the empty cavern of a room.
When the moans started to come faster and quicker he pulled his tongue slowly out of the cavity and licked his lips, looking up at her with a hungry look in his eyes. Her eyes remained closed as she felt the feeling slowly subside. He stood up slowly and kissed her deeply, tasting all of her with his tongue as it played with hers. Her eyes snapped open in surprise at the motion, but she refused to kiss back.
Disappointed, he pressed his body against hers and ran his hand along her curves. He wanted the seduction to continue. But, the burning fire inside of her had extinguished, leaving him no cards left to play. Disgusted, he pushed away from her and picked the whip up once more. The sneer crossed his features once more as he prepared to snap the whip against her bare skin.
'NO!' a voice cried inside his head, making him drop the whip and place two fingers on his forehead, pushing the voice away. 'Don't you dare touch her, you bastard!' He sneered and stood back up. "Don't tell me what to do. Or else I'll kill your little girlfriend right now," he threatened as he picked the whip up again. "And it won't be pretty…"
Hilde's eyes widened. Was Duo still fighting inside? "Duo? Are you there?" she asked, her voice shaking with hope and fear. "Duo! I want to see you! Please, show me you're still there! Fight him!" She started to struggle against the chains, causing blood to pour from the wounds. But she didn't care, not if Duo was still alive.
He backed up and dropped the chain again, holding his head in his hands. His eyebrows pulled together in a pained expression and he looked up at her with sudden determination in those pained eyes. "I will kill you…" he whispered, his voice raspy. Then he slowly walked towards her, picking up the whip on his way. Just as he lifted the whip to snap it against her chest it dropped again and he growled in annoyance. "Dammit, leave me alone!"
"Duo! Please! You can escape! Please, save me…I need you!" she cried desperately as she continued to struggle against the chains, more blood dripping down her arms and feet. "Duo…I love you! Show me where you are! Show me you're still here!"
"Shut up!" he exclaimed and smacked her across the face. "You're pleading is hopeless, he's dead. He'll stay dead." He froze again and his eyes suddenly softened. "Hilde…I'm trying…but it hurts so much to try…" the voice was definitely Duo's. "I can't win against him…I'm sorry…I failed you…" Tears were leaking down his face and she could feel her heart breaking at the sight. "I will always love you…always…" He reached out and touched her face forlornly.
She tilted her face into his warm touch and smiled slightly. "You can't fail…you're too strong for that…" she told him, her voice soft. "I love you…we have to end up happy ever after, right? Don't give up…please…" Her eyes were begging him to stay and he bent over to kiss her tenderly. Just after their lips touched he lurched backwards. "Duo?"
Duo screamed and coughed up more blood. "NO! I won't loose to you!" he cried stubbornly and coughed up more blood, wrapping his arms around his waist and bending in half. "I love her and I won't let you have her! I still need her…her touch…her smell…her smile…everything about her. I need her more than she'll ever know! You can't have her!" He screamed again and new wounds began to cover his body, blood spilling from them and causing new stains on his clothing.
"I need something from her too…her life!" the over voice exclaimed, the sneer taking over the sweet visage that had been there only seconds before. "The apocalypse is finally here…the end of the world is coming. News breaks hard, sweetheart."
Hilde was sobbing now, not able to look at the other person inside Duo. "Duo…please…beat him…" she whispered as he brought the whip up again. "I believe in you…I always have…" Those soft words soaked into Duo and he finally found the strength he needed.
'I love her…you will not kill her and you won't destroy this Earth…' he told Shinigami. 'I will beat your sorry ass out of here.' "You don't know what you're fighting against…boy…" he responded, his voice cold and heartless. "You will never defeat me…since I'm a part of you…" 'A part of me?' "That's right…I was born inside of you when you were born…you need me…"
She lifted her head and looked at him. The whip was once more on the floor and he was grimacing in pain. "Duo? You're there…" she smiled sadly. "You won't loose after all…that's my Duo…"
Something touched her wrists and she looked up to see Gas'la undoing the chains that bound her there, his touch was so gentle and caring that she was surprised. The way he caressed the wounds before he let her arms drop to her sides made her body relax. "You have to save him…" he explained as he moved around to undo each of her ankles. "You're the only one who can…"
"Gas'la…thank you…" she told him as she fell from the upside down cross into his arms. "But, what can I do?" She stood and pulled her jeans and underwear back up to cover herself.
He stood as well and smiled sadly. "You'll know what to do…" he said distantly just before a scythe ripped through his body and he collapsed onto the floor weakly. Shinigami stood behind him with a sneer on his face. Blood dripped from the end of his scythe and he looked like death himself standing there in that stance.
She looked at Gas'la one more time with tears coming out of her eyes. "Gas'la…" she whispered and then looked back up at Shinigami. "I'll do what you died so I could do." She slowly walked towards him, a determined look on her face.
"You're next…" he stated in his icy tone.
Hilde shook her head and covered his hand with her own, keeping complete control of the scythe. Her eyes bored into his and she pulled his face closer to hers with her other hand. "Too many people will die if I let you win…" she told him and took a deep breath. "You need my help, Duo, so I lend you my strength and my will…just beat him…"
Then she kissed him deeply, letting his hand go as the scythe fell useless to the floor next to him and he wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her closer to him as he tasted her and felt her warm body against his. 'She's right…we can't let you win…' he thought as he pulled away, still not letting her go.
'I will reign!' Shinigami told him angrily. 'You will loose.'
Duo closed his eyes against his voice and kissed Hilde again, taking in her strength to push him out of him. He felt himself slowly growing stronger as the kiss lasted longer and longer; he didn't want to let her go. Ever. She felt so good inside of his arms. But he knew he had to break away so he could defeat Shinigami.
'There will be plenty of time to hold me later, Duo, now get rid of this guy,' she told him sweetly and pulled away from him, collapsing in his arms. 'I love you…so we'll get through this…kill him…'
His eyes pooled with tears but he blinked them away and set her down on the ground gently. Then he stood up straight and closed his eyes. Wounds cut into his body but he ignored the pain as he searched for Shinigami. All he knew was that he had to kill him, silence him for all eternity. Then he found the figure in his mind and glared at him. 'You're going down…' he told him determinedly.
The figure sneered. 'You really will die for this?' he asked in surprise. 'You can't kill me without killing yourself…' He felt Duo's body tense and he chuckled. 'That makes you scared, doesn't it? After all, you are only human. Humans are weak…'
Anger flowed through Duo's veins and he snapped his eyes open. "If we're so weak, why is it that you have to use one of our bodies to invade our world?" he asked, his tone icy. "You will be silenced. For Hilde, for Earth, for all the people who live out their lives day-to-day, for my friends and their loved ones. And most of all…for myself…"
'Shut up, boy! The end of the world is coming, and a mortal like you can stop it. I will succeed,' he responded shortly. 'You will die…now.'
A sharp pain started in the center of Duo's brain and he cried out against it, holding his head in his hands and closing his eyes. Not this easily. He wouldn't die that easily. He was a Gundam pilot. A headache couldn't decide on life or death. There was no way. He screamed and pushed the pain back towards the figure. The figure was weakening, but the pain persisted inside his head.
Determination suddenly filled him and he pushed all of his strength inside of himself, breaking apart the barrier between himself and the figure. 'You will never win!' he exclaimed as he felt the tearing inside as he broke down the figure inside of his mind. 'You picked the wrong Gundam pilot to mess with…you son of a bitch!'
With that the blast of power suddenly became to much for the figure and he cried out through Duo, echoing throughout the room. More wounds opened along Duo's neck and chest, blood gushing from them and spilling onto the floor. He supported himself by placing his hands on the cold, hard floor and closing his eyes against the burning inside of him. The figure had to die, and if he died with him, so be it. Hilde, his friends, and everyone he didn't know couldn't die at the hands of this creature inside of him.
He felt all strength leave his body and the figure as well as the blackness threatened to consume him forever. 'Wait…don't die yet…you can live…' a voice so familiar to him stated, but he couldn't remember the source of the voice. He grimaced as he felt a warm touch against his head and then one on his chest.
Was the battle over? Had he defeated him? He was so tired. He simply wanted to sleep, to rest after the exhausting battle. To escape the pain that was throbbing over his entire body. But something was letting him.
Lips touched his and he felt the pain slowly wash away, starting at his toes and making it's way up to his head. Once the throbbing left his exhaustion left the same way. He opened his eyes to see Gas'la leaning over him. "You…" he stated, his voice raspy and soft as he sat up, rubbing his temples with his thumbs.
"You're alive, I thought I'd loose you," he responded, taking his face in his hands and leaning in closer to him. "You did it…Shinigami is now dormant inside of you. He will only awaken if you want him to…no one can force him out again without killing both you and him."
Duo pulled away and looked around him. Hilde was no where to be found. This thought made panic rise up in him and he turned back to face Gas'la. "Where's Hilde? What did you do with her?" he asked angrily. Gas'la simply smiled and moved out of the way, showing Hilde lying behind him on the floor. "Hilde! Oh, thank God!" he exclaimed as he ran back over to her, cradling her head in his lap and stroking her hair.
Gas'la smiled at them sadly, his body suddenly looking very weak. Duo's eyes observed a bloody scythe and then the wound going through Gas'la's stomach. "You two will be happy…" he said, his voice quavering as more blood poured from the wound. He coughed to clear his throat, blood leaking out of his lips and down his chin. "I'll send you home now…"
"What about you?" he asked, suddenly caring about the thing that had once frightened and angered him the most. "What will happen to you?"
His green eyes saddened as he felt the strength of his body leaking away. "I will die here…in the room of my master…whom I loved so much," here his eyes became wistful again. "The last of my strength will be used to transport you back to your world. Farewell, Duo Maxwell."
A crimson light surrounded him and Hilde, blocking and distorting his view of the room. Everything was slowly disappearing, including the dying Gas'la on the floor. "Wait! I don't even know your name!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing as the darkness outside of the swirling light grew larger. He held Hilde closer to him.
"Gas'la…" a voice whispered before the view went completely black.
Duo closed his eyes and leaned down to kiss Hilde's cheek. "May you rest in peace, Gas'la…" he whispered before his lips brushed her skin. She was still unconscious in his arms and very light. This worried him and his heart raced slightly in his chest.
The light stopped swirling and slowly dissipated, leaving them outside of their trailer. He looked down at her in the sunlight, squinting his eyes to block out the light from the sun. She looked very pale, too pale. Not knowing what else to do, he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the trailer, laying her down on the couch. 'What do I do?' he thought, looking around desperately. 'Think, you stupid fool, think!'
Then a thought struck him. He would have to give her strength back to her the same way she had given it to him. Without hesitation he pressed his lips to hers, lifting her up in his arms as he did so. Slowly he felt her skin warm beneath his touch. When he pulled away he found himself staring directly into her eyes and a smile spread across his lips.
"Did we do it, Duo?" she asked weakly, a smile of her own playing across her face. "We did, didn't we? W-what happened to Gas'la?" When she saw his expression her smile disappeared. "He died…" she whispered knowingly, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his chest. "At least it's over…"
He stroked her hair, his gaze distant. He wouldn't tell her that Shinigami was simply dormant. She didn't need to know. They were both alive and they had each other. That was all that mattered at the moment. Why worry over something? Why not just be happy and hold on to each other?
"Yes…it's over…" he whispered back before he lifted her chin up to kiss her. "It's all over. And, you're still here." He smiled sadly, tears sparkling in his eyes. "Thank God, you're still here…I'm not alone…" He kissed her deeply, running his hands along her curves to make sure she was truly there in his arms.
When they pulled away Hilde smiled, brushing his bangs out of his face. "No…" she responded, shaking her head. "You're not alone, Duo, and you'll never be. We'll always have each other…" She kissed him then, deeply and passionately, pulling him down on top of her with a playful grin on her face.
"You really did like last night, didn't you?" he asked jokingly before he kissed her again, still holding her close to him. "Hilde…I want you…I mean…I…I would like it if you…" His voice faltered slightly and he kissed her again for reassurance. When they pulled away she saw blush on his cheeks. "Will you marry me, Hilde?"
Hilde froze, her eyes wide at the sudden question. Then she smiled, kissing him deeply and running her fingers through his hair. "I would love to, Duo," she told him with tears in her eyes. "I think I always wanted that…always…" A single tear fell from her eyes, a tear of happiness, but a tear nonetheless.
He brushed it away with his finger and kissed her again. Then their passion unfolded, thankful to be in each other's arms again. They touched, they felt, they became one. Each touch reassured them that the other would never go away. That they could stay as one forever. That it would never end. Their love was blooming that afternoon and the junkyard never opened.
~Owari.