Author's Notes: Yey! So many reviews! You guys are most kind. Thanks for
the support you gave to this story. I enjoyed a lot writing it and I hope
you enjoyed reading it.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It's hard to make a list and thank each one, but you know that YOU, yes YOU, the one reading, has been the reason why I kept the fic alive.
Thanks to Lichan, Chibisora, Ryoko-onne, Alliyah, Emily Hato, MoonLight Eyes, Battousai, April Aries, Destrocat, Xellosalina, Dina, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
Kawaii Shinigami: Wow! Thanks for your mail! You're soooooo nice. And yeah, Duo rocks, rules and commands!! Vive le Duo! If I read correctly, your name is Sam, ne? You're a guy? Wow, you and Daniel Otono are the only 2 guys I've met here in the ffnet. I guess this is called 'Girl Power'. Or maybe some of my other reviewers are guys, but since the pen names seem for both guys and girls, I've never noticed.
Hellcat: Oh yeah, it's true. I made a mistake in that part. I wrote 'know' instead of 'now'. Gee, where did that 'k' come from? (snickers guiltily) Thanks, I'll fix it. And you asked me what would happen to Duo now, ne? Well, being Shin's apprentice sounds cool, but I think I'll let him live again, 'cause......I CAN'T let Duo dead forever. I love him too much.
Come and read the end now.
"Beyond Life and Death"
By Shinigami's Voice.
-final chapter-
The Japanese pilot looked up, his blue eyes filled with tears, running down his cheeks. Heero looked so lost.
Everyone stared at him. Stunned.
Shinigami widened his eyes. What was happening?
Duo managed a small smile, as more of Heero's tears fell to the floor.
Heero nodded.
If there was an opportunity to save this special, much needed friendship, Heero would grasp and cling to it like a lifeline.
'But......but what the? I didn't foreseen this. This is not what I had anticipated'
Shinigami stayed confused in the spot. He shook his head slightly, trying to order the ideas.
'I thought Duo would be, if not angry, at least disappointed. And that Heero Yuy didn't care. Why is that these mortals are so difficult to understand? Vengeance was what my mind dictated me to do. I felt so enraged at the way my protégé (1) was abandoned, that I could only think about taking revenge, pay blood with blood. I have always done that, until.......until I became this human's guardian........this boy named Duo.......seems to have knowledge of things I have never understood before...........'
Meanwhile, the four teens, and the soul of the American pilot stared silently at the God of Death.
The dark spirit looked lost in thought.
Suddenly, the bottomless, black eyes of the deity looked up to meet their glances.
"Should I assume......" -he said seriously- ".....that I have taken a wrong path? Should I assume that, for the first time, my duty wasn't to seek deaths? Should I assume that vengeance isn't the right way to deal with rage?"
Duo nodded. "I guess you should" -he murmured with a faint smile.
Shinigami sighed and also nodded in understanding.
"Then I guess I have done a poor job at playing with human emotions" -the deity shrugged- "There are many things I don't understand about mortals yet. Specially mortals like you five" -and the God locked glances with the bright blue eyes of 01- "I apologize. It was my own rage, not Duo's, which caused all these crimes. It was my own uncontrolled anger which tried to cause you pain. And it was me, not Duo, who haunted your dreams. I will look to harm you no more.....'
And the immortal spirit lowered his face a tiny bit, in a gesture of slight contrition.
After all, deities have always been too proud to clearly admit they had screwed over royalty.
The red alarms of the ship, one by one, started to turn off, as the ship recuperated the normal course and the auto-pilot started to function again.
Duo smiled in gratitude at his guardian. He was satisfied now, knowing his friends weren't in danger anymore.
"You'll be fine now" -he said, smiling happily at the four boys around him, his amethyst eyes lingering in the blue ones in front of him.
But Heero wasn't smiling. The white pearls were still running softly down his face.
Heero knew. He knew Duo had to leave.
"Don't go" -he pleaded in soft voice.
Duo smile gained a tint of sadness. "I have to" -he murmured back.
"But, Duo, maybe there's a way. I don't know, something we can do" -Quatre protested slightly, apprehension in his voice.
"Yes. We can think of something" -Wufei added hurriedly- "We will find something...."
Maxwell had just returned now. The Chinese pilot couldn't let him go again.
"We have always find a solution together. Let us give it a try" -Trowa said, in an attempt to convince Duo.
But the braided spirit just looked at them, the same sad smile on his lips.
"Thanks, guys. But I guess this is how the story goes. Don't worry about me" -and 02 lifted one of his hands, which were placed on Heero's, to admonish the others in a mother-like way- "Now you gotta promise something. You will take care of yourselves and live at the fullest, k? I want you to continue and save the colonies...."
"But, Duo, we can't do it alone..." -the blond pilot tried to protest. Only to be cut off by Duo's voice again.
"Who says you'll be alone? You have each other. And it's not like I'm gonna leave you. You can't get rid of me so easily" -he joked softly, but the others' smiles were sorrowful- "I'm not sleeping an endless sleep, guys. You know I'll be with you. We're a team"
And Duo smiled his bright smile which seemed to lit up the whole place. His hand returned to the former spot, and he squeezed Heero's hands on his.
"Never forget that, Heero. Never. It's a mission, k?" -the soul in priest's garb whispered at his friend.
The Wing Zero pilot contemplated the violet depths in front of him.
'It's not enough. It's not enough. It's not supposed to be so' -he thought sadly.
The Japanese pilot returned the squeeze, feeling how his heart pounded with an increasing ache and.......
But the stabbing pain had disappeared from his chest.
Duo's eyes widened. The human contact wasn't affecting him anymore.
"I am the God of Death. I decide to take or not the human lives" -Shinigami spoke suddenly.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"And I am this human's guardian" -the dark spirit gave two steps ahead- "I haven't taken his life away yet"
Silence.
"Say what?" -Duo stuttered.
Shinigami gave a small smile.
"I am Shinigami. I wasn't going to let you die if it wasn't your time yet"
Everyone's confused looks compelled him to continue.
"I decided you wouldn't die in there. So, the night you were in the throes of death, I took your soul out of your body. The old guard was there, and he told you he heard whispers that night. It was me, taking Duo away from the doors of death......."
(a/n: go back to chapter 5-'Kiss goodbye' if you don't remember that)
"So........this means......that Duo is still alive?" Wufei asked in total surprise.
The dark God, who resembled every line of Duo's figure, nodded in confirmation.
"But..only his soul, right?" -Trowa asked sadly.
Without a body, they were in the same spot.
"Not really. I saved his body too" -the immortal spirit replied.
"You did?? Hontou ni?? You mean, I've never been dead? You fooled me completely!!" -Duo exclaimed in total wonder.
"Well, I needed a material body to come down to the mortals' ambit after all" -Shinigami said, his eyebrows arching.
Shinigami, who looked like Duo.
Shinigami, who smiled like Duo.
Shinigami's Voice, who was just like Duo's.
"That's.....that's my body!!" -Duo exclaimed.
"Of course it is" -Shinigami smiled faintly- "And I guess....this is the time to return what belongs to you. Your body and life, Duo. For I have decided you deserve it"
The dark spirit stepped forward, standing just centimeters behind 02. Then, the ageless black eyes gazed at Heero and the others.
"I will, once again, entrust this human to you. Take good care of him. Cherish him as much as he cherishes you. THIS is your mission, Heero Yuy"- and the deity placed one hand over Duo's shoulder, a blinding glow surrounding them-"Shinigami will be watching over you, young mortal. Until the time comes and I take you to Heaven, where your friend Solo, the Father and Sister Helen awaits for you.......So long"
And the voice faded in the middle of the bright light.
Heero and the others covered their eyes from the light beams.
And when the light extinguished, silence took over the room.
A figure clad in clerical black clothes lay there, on the metallic floor.
The chestnut locks covered his closed eyes.
"Duo??" -four voices spoke at a time.
In a rush, the pilots kneeled beside him. Everyone wanted to touch him, to find his pulse, to hear the breath, to feel his warm.
The life signs.
Heero took him on his lap, his arms embracing him desperately.
Against his chest, the Japanese boy felt another heart beating at the same time as his.
"He's alive" -a murmur was all what Heero's voice could muster.
********
Three days had passed since Duo's 'resurrection'.
The pilots had taken him to the closest hospital station immediately.
He was put under medical care in the ICU since his arrival. But the doctors had told the pilots not to worry.
His condition was steady. He was going to be fine.
Besides, he had no signs of the torture suffered at the A.G. hands.
He had no slashes on his face or broken hands.
He only had a scar in the left area of his chest, where the bullet he had taken for Heero had impacted. But the wound had healed perfectly.
It seemed like Shinigami had taken care of everything. He was a deity after all.
During the last 22 hours, Duo had been transferred to a normal hospital room. He didn't even needed the oxygen mask anymore.
The four pilots hadn't moved from his side during the three days. They had hardly slept, taking turns into watching over him.
Waiting for him to wake up.
On Earth, by that time, the sun had started to set behind the snow-covered mountains of Canada. (2)
But in space, the stars continued to glitter faintly. The clocks on the station marked the incoming of night.
In a silent, white room, a pair of amethyst eyes fluttered open.
After a second of trying, Duo managed to fix his blurred sight in front of him.
He was lying in a bed, covered by white, thick blankets. Three chairs were surrounding the bed foot.
And three very tired-looking boys where asleep on them. A blonde one, a dark-haired, and a light brown head.
Duo's lips curved in a smile. The guys, always so over-protective.
When his eyes traveled to his side, he discovered the missing pilot. Heero was also sleep, his head rested on the mattress, right beside him. And 02 found out what the extra weight on his abdomen was. It was Heero's arm, which was placed on top of him. Like if trying to hold in place. Securing him.
Soft giggles reached 01's ears, waking him up. Well, he hadn't realized he had fallen sleep to begin with.
The Japanese teen raised his head, and his night blue glance met with 02's eyes.
Heero stayed still for a long minute, and Duo didn't move either. But someone had to break the silence. And, it was tradition for the DeathScythe pilot to do it.
"Hey" -he said softly, smiling weakly.
"Hey" -oddly enough, Heero answered in the same way. You could tell he was having a hard time with his talking skills.
Duo's smile grew wider, his eyes dancing with mirth.
And on top of it, Heero returned the gesture with a smile of his own.
'Priceless' -02 thought with amusement.
'I think I should say something' -Heero mused silently, but words had never been his strong point. And at a lack of words, he could just do one thing.
Before Duo started with a tirade of his own, the Wing pilot enveloped him in a soft hug.
"Glad you're back" -he murmured in Duo's ear, his voice a mere whisper.
"Ne, Heero, you can be such a sentimentalist sometimes" -Duo laughed, returning the embrace weakly. He still needed more rest.
"You're fault" -Heero replied.
"Guess so" -Duo smiled as he felt how the embrace tightened a little bit, 01's arms trembling a bit.
The American withdrew from the other's arms, in order to look at him. Heero's eyes were a bit blurred and moist.
"Don't do that" -Duo frowned slightly, one of his hands rapidly wiping away the tear that was about to fall from Heero's eyes- "I like your smile better. Though it's flattering to know that the Perfect Soldier can cry for this little jester" -Duo said giggling, with a wink of his violet eye.
"Baka" -Heero snorted. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't take out the affection from his voice.
"Thanks" -Duo flashed his brilliant smile- "Happy to be home again"
"Duo!!"- a certain Neo-Arabic exclaimed.
"What??!" -a Chinese accent replied.
*Thump*
And a still half-asleep Chinese warrior fell from his chair, landing face- first on the floor.
The room was filled with giggles again.
Yes, Duo Maxwell was back.
After the Wufei's not-so-graceful movement, the other three pilots surrounded the bed, each one talking at the same time, hugging Duo, taping his head, squeezing his hands, and so on.
Almost half an hour later, after everyone was content and satisfied greeting the boy from L2 back, a minute of silence took over the place.
"Wow, and I am the noisy one" -Duo smiled at the others.
Heero took this opportunity to look down at his chest and take off the metal object that hung from his neck.
"This is yours" -he said simply, presenting the silver cross in front of Duo's eyes.
Duo nodded solemnly. Sister Helen's cross. Duo's cross.
Instead of waiting for Duo to take it, Heero leaned in and put it around Duo's neck.
"Thanks" -Duo said, looking up to meet the glance of the others.
His team.
His friends. Beyond life and death.
From now on, they had to work together to turn everything back to normal. Slowly, their lives would be restored.
Though no one would ever be the same.
Because now, they had renewed forces. Forces that kept them together. Forces all human hearts carry.
Affection, compassion, understanding, love, friendship.
And, invisible for everyone, in the corner of the room, a dark spirit with dark eyes contemplated them in silence.
Even the deities can learn something from these mortals. Even the God of Death.
Shinigami smiled, vanishing into nothing.
And in the center of the room, a braided boy laughed with all his heart, while his friends smiled, relived to have his precious friend back.
The End.
Note 1: This goes for Hellcat, who called Duo as Shinigami's protégé in her review.
Note 2: This goes for Lichan, my Italian-Canadian friend.
Thanks to everyone. Don't go anywhere without leaving me a review. Pretty please, please....
I guess I'll take this week off from writing, 'cause my family and I are moving and the house is made a mess. Wish me luck ordering the chaos that is supposed to be my room.
See ya in my next fic.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It's hard to make a list and thank each one, but you know that YOU, yes YOU, the one reading, has been the reason why I kept the fic alive.
Thanks to Lichan, Chibisora, Ryoko-onne, Alliyah, Emily Hato, MoonLight Eyes, Battousai, April Aries, Destrocat, Xellosalina, Dina, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
Kawaii Shinigami: Wow! Thanks for your mail! You're soooooo nice. And yeah, Duo rocks, rules and commands!! Vive le Duo! If I read correctly, your name is Sam, ne? You're a guy? Wow, you and Daniel Otono are the only 2 guys I've met here in the ffnet. I guess this is called 'Girl Power'. Or maybe some of my other reviewers are guys, but since the pen names seem for both guys and girls, I've never noticed.
Hellcat: Oh yeah, it's true. I made a mistake in that part. I wrote 'know' instead of 'now'. Gee, where did that 'k' come from? (snickers guiltily) Thanks, I'll fix it. And you asked me what would happen to Duo now, ne? Well, being Shin's apprentice sounds cool, but I think I'll let him live again, 'cause......I CAN'T let Duo dead forever. I love him too much.
Come and read the end now.
"Beyond Life and Death"
By Shinigami's Voice.
-final chapter-
The Japanese pilot looked up, his blue eyes filled with tears, running down his cheeks. Heero looked so lost.
Everyone stared at him. Stunned.
Shinigami widened his eyes. What was happening?
Duo managed a small smile, as more of Heero's tears fell to the floor.
Heero nodded.
If there was an opportunity to save this special, much needed friendship, Heero would grasp and cling to it like a lifeline.
'But......but what the? I didn't foreseen this. This is not what I had anticipated'
Shinigami stayed confused in the spot. He shook his head slightly, trying to order the ideas.
'I thought Duo would be, if not angry, at least disappointed. And that Heero Yuy didn't care. Why is that these mortals are so difficult to understand? Vengeance was what my mind dictated me to do. I felt so enraged at the way my protégé (1) was abandoned, that I could only think about taking revenge, pay blood with blood. I have always done that, until.......until I became this human's guardian........this boy named Duo.......seems to have knowledge of things I have never understood before...........'
Meanwhile, the four teens, and the soul of the American pilot stared silently at the God of Death.
The dark spirit looked lost in thought.
Suddenly, the bottomless, black eyes of the deity looked up to meet their glances.
"Should I assume......" -he said seriously- ".....that I have taken a wrong path? Should I assume that, for the first time, my duty wasn't to seek deaths? Should I assume that vengeance isn't the right way to deal with rage?"
Duo nodded. "I guess you should" -he murmured with a faint smile.
Shinigami sighed and also nodded in understanding.
"Then I guess I have done a poor job at playing with human emotions" -the deity shrugged- "There are many things I don't understand about mortals yet. Specially mortals like you five" -and the God locked glances with the bright blue eyes of 01- "I apologize. It was my own rage, not Duo's, which caused all these crimes. It was my own uncontrolled anger which tried to cause you pain. And it was me, not Duo, who haunted your dreams. I will look to harm you no more.....'
And the immortal spirit lowered his face a tiny bit, in a gesture of slight contrition.
After all, deities have always been too proud to clearly admit they had screwed over royalty.
The red alarms of the ship, one by one, started to turn off, as the ship recuperated the normal course and the auto-pilot started to function again.
Duo smiled in gratitude at his guardian. He was satisfied now, knowing his friends weren't in danger anymore.
"You'll be fine now" -he said, smiling happily at the four boys around him, his amethyst eyes lingering in the blue ones in front of him.
But Heero wasn't smiling. The white pearls were still running softly down his face.
Heero knew. He knew Duo had to leave.
"Don't go" -he pleaded in soft voice.
Duo smile gained a tint of sadness. "I have to" -he murmured back.
"But, Duo, maybe there's a way. I don't know, something we can do" -Quatre protested slightly, apprehension in his voice.
"Yes. We can think of something" -Wufei added hurriedly- "We will find something...."
Maxwell had just returned now. The Chinese pilot couldn't let him go again.
"We have always find a solution together. Let us give it a try" -Trowa said, in an attempt to convince Duo.
But the braided spirit just looked at them, the same sad smile on his lips.
"Thanks, guys. But I guess this is how the story goes. Don't worry about me" -and 02 lifted one of his hands, which were placed on Heero's, to admonish the others in a mother-like way- "Now you gotta promise something. You will take care of yourselves and live at the fullest, k? I want you to continue and save the colonies...."
"But, Duo, we can't do it alone..." -the blond pilot tried to protest. Only to be cut off by Duo's voice again.
"Who says you'll be alone? You have each other. And it's not like I'm gonna leave you. You can't get rid of me so easily" -he joked softly, but the others' smiles were sorrowful- "I'm not sleeping an endless sleep, guys. You know I'll be with you. We're a team"
And Duo smiled his bright smile which seemed to lit up the whole place. His hand returned to the former spot, and he squeezed Heero's hands on his.
"Never forget that, Heero. Never. It's a mission, k?" -the soul in priest's garb whispered at his friend.
The Wing Zero pilot contemplated the violet depths in front of him.
'It's not enough. It's not enough. It's not supposed to be so' -he thought sadly.
The Japanese pilot returned the squeeze, feeling how his heart pounded with an increasing ache and.......
But the stabbing pain had disappeared from his chest.
Duo's eyes widened. The human contact wasn't affecting him anymore.
"I am the God of Death. I decide to take or not the human lives" -Shinigami spoke suddenly.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"And I am this human's guardian" -the dark spirit gave two steps ahead- "I haven't taken his life away yet"
Silence.
"Say what?" -Duo stuttered.
Shinigami gave a small smile.
"I am Shinigami. I wasn't going to let you die if it wasn't your time yet"
Everyone's confused looks compelled him to continue.
"I decided you wouldn't die in there. So, the night you were in the throes of death, I took your soul out of your body. The old guard was there, and he told you he heard whispers that night. It was me, taking Duo away from the doors of death......."
(a/n: go back to chapter 5-'Kiss goodbye' if you don't remember that)
"So........this means......that Duo is still alive?" Wufei asked in total surprise.
The dark God, who resembled every line of Duo's figure, nodded in confirmation.
"But..only his soul, right?" -Trowa asked sadly.
Without a body, they were in the same spot.
"Not really. I saved his body too" -the immortal spirit replied.
"You did?? Hontou ni?? You mean, I've never been dead? You fooled me completely!!" -Duo exclaimed in total wonder.
"Well, I needed a material body to come down to the mortals' ambit after all" -Shinigami said, his eyebrows arching.
Shinigami, who looked like Duo.
Shinigami, who smiled like Duo.
Shinigami's Voice, who was just like Duo's.
"That's.....that's my body!!" -Duo exclaimed.
"Of course it is" -Shinigami smiled faintly- "And I guess....this is the time to return what belongs to you. Your body and life, Duo. For I have decided you deserve it"
The dark spirit stepped forward, standing just centimeters behind 02. Then, the ageless black eyes gazed at Heero and the others.
"I will, once again, entrust this human to you. Take good care of him. Cherish him as much as he cherishes you. THIS is your mission, Heero Yuy"- and the deity placed one hand over Duo's shoulder, a blinding glow surrounding them-"Shinigami will be watching over you, young mortal. Until the time comes and I take you to Heaven, where your friend Solo, the Father and Sister Helen awaits for you.......So long"
And the voice faded in the middle of the bright light.
Heero and the others covered their eyes from the light beams.
And when the light extinguished, silence took over the room.
A figure clad in clerical black clothes lay there, on the metallic floor.
The chestnut locks covered his closed eyes.
"Duo??" -four voices spoke at a time.
In a rush, the pilots kneeled beside him. Everyone wanted to touch him, to find his pulse, to hear the breath, to feel his warm.
The life signs.
Heero took him on his lap, his arms embracing him desperately.
Against his chest, the Japanese boy felt another heart beating at the same time as his.
"He's alive" -a murmur was all what Heero's voice could muster.
********
Three days had passed since Duo's 'resurrection'.
The pilots had taken him to the closest hospital station immediately.
He was put under medical care in the ICU since his arrival. But the doctors had told the pilots not to worry.
His condition was steady. He was going to be fine.
Besides, he had no signs of the torture suffered at the A.G. hands.
He had no slashes on his face or broken hands.
He only had a scar in the left area of his chest, where the bullet he had taken for Heero had impacted. But the wound had healed perfectly.
It seemed like Shinigami had taken care of everything. He was a deity after all.
During the last 22 hours, Duo had been transferred to a normal hospital room. He didn't even needed the oxygen mask anymore.
The four pilots hadn't moved from his side during the three days. They had hardly slept, taking turns into watching over him.
Waiting for him to wake up.
On Earth, by that time, the sun had started to set behind the snow-covered mountains of Canada. (2)
But in space, the stars continued to glitter faintly. The clocks on the station marked the incoming of night.
In a silent, white room, a pair of amethyst eyes fluttered open.
After a second of trying, Duo managed to fix his blurred sight in front of him.
He was lying in a bed, covered by white, thick blankets. Three chairs were surrounding the bed foot.
And three very tired-looking boys where asleep on them. A blonde one, a dark-haired, and a light brown head.
Duo's lips curved in a smile. The guys, always so over-protective.
When his eyes traveled to his side, he discovered the missing pilot. Heero was also sleep, his head rested on the mattress, right beside him. And 02 found out what the extra weight on his abdomen was. It was Heero's arm, which was placed on top of him. Like if trying to hold in place. Securing him.
Soft giggles reached 01's ears, waking him up. Well, he hadn't realized he had fallen sleep to begin with.
The Japanese teen raised his head, and his night blue glance met with 02's eyes.
Heero stayed still for a long minute, and Duo didn't move either. But someone had to break the silence. And, it was tradition for the DeathScythe pilot to do it.
"Hey" -he said softly, smiling weakly.
"Hey" -oddly enough, Heero answered in the same way. You could tell he was having a hard time with his talking skills.
Duo's smile grew wider, his eyes dancing with mirth.
And on top of it, Heero returned the gesture with a smile of his own.
'Priceless' -02 thought with amusement.
'I think I should say something' -Heero mused silently, but words had never been his strong point. And at a lack of words, he could just do one thing.
Before Duo started with a tirade of his own, the Wing pilot enveloped him in a soft hug.
"Glad you're back" -he murmured in Duo's ear, his voice a mere whisper.
"Ne, Heero, you can be such a sentimentalist sometimes" -Duo laughed, returning the embrace weakly. He still needed more rest.
"You're fault" -Heero replied.
"Guess so" -Duo smiled as he felt how the embrace tightened a little bit, 01's arms trembling a bit.
The American withdrew from the other's arms, in order to look at him. Heero's eyes were a bit blurred and moist.
"Don't do that" -Duo frowned slightly, one of his hands rapidly wiping away the tear that was about to fall from Heero's eyes- "I like your smile better. Though it's flattering to know that the Perfect Soldier can cry for this little jester" -Duo said giggling, with a wink of his violet eye.
"Baka" -Heero snorted. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't take out the affection from his voice.
"Thanks" -Duo flashed his brilliant smile- "Happy to be home again"
"Duo!!"- a certain Neo-Arabic exclaimed.
"What??!" -a Chinese accent replied.
*Thump*
And a still half-asleep Chinese warrior fell from his chair, landing face- first on the floor.
The room was filled with giggles again.
Yes, Duo Maxwell was back.
After the Wufei's not-so-graceful movement, the other three pilots surrounded the bed, each one talking at the same time, hugging Duo, taping his head, squeezing his hands, and so on.
Almost half an hour later, after everyone was content and satisfied greeting the boy from L2 back, a minute of silence took over the place.
"Wow, and I am the noisy one" -Duo smiled at the others.
Heero took this opportunity to look down at his chest and take off the metal object that hung from his neck.
"This is yours" -he said simply, presenting the silver cross in front of Duo's eyes.
Duo nodded solemnly. Sister Helen's cross. Duo's cross.
Instead of waiting for Duo to take it, Heero leaned in and put it around Duo's neck.
"Thanks" -Duo said, looking up to meet the glance of the others.
His team.
His friends. Beyond life and death.
From now on, they had to work together to turn everything back to normal. Slowly, their lives would be restored.
Though no one would ever be the same.
Because now, they had renewed forces. Forces that kept them together. Forces all human hearts carry.
Affection, compassion, understanding, love, friendship.
And, invisible for everyone, in the corner of the room, a dark spirit with dark eyes contemplated them in silence.
Even the deities can learn something from these mortals. Even the God of Death.
Shinigami smiled, vanishing into nothing.
And in the center of the room, a braided boy laughed with all his heart, while his friends smiled, relived to have his precious friend back.
The End.
Note 1: This goes for Hellcat, who called Duo as Shinigami's protégé in her review.
Note 2: This goes for Lichan, my Italian-Canadian friend.
Thanks to everyone. Don't go anywhere without leaving me a review. Pretty please, please....
I guess I'll take this week off from writing, 'cause my family and I are moving and the house is made a mess. Wish me luck ordering the chaos that is supposed to be my room.
See ya in my next fic.