*****
First: * Okay. This is the ending chapter, :'( For the sad ending at least. Well, I like to think it's sad. I'll write up the slightly more happy chapter soon. This and the last chapter make up the sad ending, the next 1-2 (either or) should make up the happier ending. *
Second: * Okay, you probably all hate me for killing Hilde. I hate myself for doing it too, but it seemed like a dramatic ending.... So yeah. *
Third: Dedications! These go out to: Mich Maxwell, D.A, Nini, veronica, Blossy, miyu, shi-shi, Airurando, Seiji Takayama, Little-shinigami, Shining Emerald, Symee-Sama, Lorimlowe2, selene947, and Seak5. =) Hope you don't all curse me. ^_^; *
Fourth: * Randomness Inc. *
Umi: "Well, Fuu can't come and talk to all of you at the moment." * Muffled sounds. *
'MMMMPH!!! MMMMPH!' ^_^ Enjoy the next chapter, folks."
Fuu: * She hops into the room on a chair with duct tape over her mouth. * "MMMMPH!"
Umi: -_-U "Damn. I thought that would work, too."
Fuu: ¬_¬ "MMMMPH."
~soulwithwings
*****
Hilde's funeral was beautiful, all the more reason for Duo to hate it. It was too melancholy, he couldn't stand it. Whose idea had it been to make him do the eulogy? Oh yes. Hilde.
' "Duo, when I die, I want you to do my eulogy, okay?" Duo stared back at Hilde questioningly.
"All right, but... How come?" Hilde grinned.
"Don't ask me why, I just want you to." '
Duo felt the tears stinging his cheeks already. He hadn't bothered to buy a new crucifix. It wasn't worth it. The old shattered one was going to buried with Hilde; his soul buried with hers. Since he was soulless now, he didn't care much what happened to him. Heero and Trowa even had to force him to put on a suit, and as Duo looked out the crowd, all in black, he felt more tears stinging him.
"Hilde.." He began, "Was a great person... She cared for everyone more than she did for herself..." He paused looking out at the congregation, everyone had come that he knew, as well as a handful of others he didn't. As he said his speech, he saw how many people in the crowd were crying. Crying for her... Finally, with one ounce of strength he managed to finish. "She w- was my best friend for so long, and then only briefly something more. I regret not letting her get close to me..."
Duo sat down, and the minister returned to the podium. "Dearly beloved, we are here today to mark the passing of Hilde Schbeiker..." Here the minister paused for a long time before speaking again. "Would the coffin bearers please stand?" Heero, Wufei, Trowa, and Quatre all stood up. They made their way to the coffin. When they arrived there, Duo stood up and made his way to the coffin. He looked down at her face, and sorrowfully closed the casket.
The four other pilots picked up the casket and made their way to grave. After they had lowered the casket, the priest spoke again.
"Would anyone care to say a few words?" A girl stood up at the back.
"I would." Relena made her way through the group, making her way for Duo who was standing nearest the grave. "Hilde was a friend to us all. She was a brave and caring individual. So I would like to say I'm sorry for us all that her passing came so quickly." The minister nodded in approval and Relena stepped back into the crowd.
Duo stood unseeing, staring down at the blades of grass on the ground.
'They are alive... Why can't she be? God, are you saying that blades of grass deserve to be alive more than Hilde does?' The priest looked over to Duo with understanding eyes.
Bouquets of roses were handed around, everyone took a rose, red ones and white ones. Duo chose to buy his own.
"Hilde..." A voice murmured. Duo looked up. People were saying her name as they passed by. Relena dropped the blood-red rose onto Hilde's casket.
"...May you find what you are looking for." Dorothy dropped the rose onto the casket.
"...No laughter remains even for the clown, without you, Hilde." Trowa let go of his rose.
"Rest in peace." Quatre's rose fell.
"You were a true soldier." Heero's white rose lay atop the pile.
"I'm sorry I didn't know you better." Catherine admitted, letting go of her rose.
Wufei dropped his white rose onto the casket, and stood in a moment of silence.
"Goodbye, Hilde." Duo stood stiffly as Wufei wandered over to him. "I'm sorry," He said. "I'm sorry about Hilde." Then his eyes fell to Duo's rose, it wasn't perfect like the others, it was slightly wilted. "Aren't you going to put your rose with Hilde?" Duo nodded. He would, eventually, when he was ready, ready to let go. Wufei paused, shook his head, and turned away.
"I wish you could have had a fuller life." Sally dropped her rose.
Duo sighed and held the rose tightly in his hand, and walked slowly forward. His legs felt stiff, almost broken, and certainly brittle. But like the bullet wound in his arm, he ignored it.
'How come I survived and not Hilde?...' Duo groaned. His heart hurt, as well as a number of other things. He looked up at the minister who smiled.
"Hello."
"Father," Was all Duo could manage.
"Are you going to drop your rose?"
"Yes, Father."Duo looked down at the rose once more and trudged over to Hilde's casket.
There was a long pause before duo could think of anything to say.
"I love you." Duo dropped his rose. It's black petals were withered, and it mirrored the way Duo saw his heart., black and withered.
Duo stood there, alone, after everybody had left. It got dark, and the stars shone more brightly than they ever had before. Duo felt tears running down his cheeks.
"I love you." Was all he could manage to say, and the words carried in the wind, ending in a whisper next to the grave stone.
First: * Okay. This is the ending chapter, :'( For the sad ending at least. Well, I like to think it's sad. I'll write up the slightly more happy chapter soon. This and the last chapter make up the sad ending, the next 1-2 (either or) should make up the happier ending. *
Second: * Okay, you probably all hate me for killing Hilde. I hate myself for doing it too, but it seemed like a dramatic ending.... So yeah. *
Third: Dedications! These go out to: Mich Maxwell, D.A, Nini, veronica, Blossy, miyu, shi-shi, Airurando, Seiji Takayama, Little-shinigami, Shining Emerald, Symee-Sama, Lorimlowe2, selene947, and Seak5. =) Hope you don't all curse me. ^_^; *
Fourth: * Randomness Inc. *
Umi: "Well, Fuu can't come and talk to all of you at the moment." * Muffled sounds. *
'MMMMPH!!! MMMMPH!' ^_^ Enjoy the next chapter, folks."
Fuu: * She hops into the room on a chair with duct tape over her mouth. * "MMMMPH!"
Umi: -_-U "Damn. I thought that would work, too."
Fuu: ¬_¬ "MMMMPH."
~soulwithwings
*****
Hilde's funeral was beautiful, all the more reason for Duo to hate it. It was too melancholy, he couldn't stand it. Whose idea had it been to make him do the eulogy? Oh yes. Hilde.
' "Duo, when I die, I want you to do my eulogy, okay?" Duo stared back at Hilde questioningly.
"All right, but... How come?" Hilde grinned.
"Don't ask me why, I just want you to." '
Duo felt the tears stinging his cheeks already. He hadn't bothered to buy a new crucifix. It wasn't worth it. The old shattered one was going to buried with Hilde; his soul buried with hers. Since he was soulless now, he didn't care much what happened to him. Heero and Trowa even had to force him to put on a suit, and as Duo looked out the crowd, all in black, he felt more tears stinging him.
"Hilde.." He began, "Was a great person... She cared for everyone more than she did for herself..." He paused looking out at the congregation, everyone had come that he knew, as well as a handful of others he didn't. As he said his speech, he saw how many people in the crowd were crying. Crying for her... Finally, with one ounce of strength he managed to finish. "She w- was my best friend for so long, and then only briefly something more. I regret not letting her get close to me..."
Duo sat down, and the minister returned to the podium. "Dearly beloved, we are here today to mark the passing of Hilde Schbeiker..." Here the minister paused for a long time before speaking again. "Would the coffin bearers please stand?" Heero, Wufei, Trowa, and Quatre all stood up. They made their way to the coffin. When they arrived there, Duo stood up and made his way to the coffin. He looked down at her face, and sorrowfully closed the casket.
The four other pilots picked up the casket and made their way to grave. After they had lowered the casket, the priest spoke again.
"Would anyone care to say a few words?" A girl stood up at the back.
"I would." Relena made her way through the group, making her way for Duo who was standing nearest the grave. "Hilde was a friend to us all. She was a brave and caring individual. So I would like to say I'm sorry for us all that her passing came so quickly." The minister nodded in approval and Relena stepped back into the crowd.
Duo stood unseeing, staring down at the blades of grass on the ground.
'They are alive... Why can't she be? God, are you saying that blades of grass deserve to be alive more than Hilde does?' The priest looked over to Duo with understanding eyes.
Bouquets of roses were handed around, everyone took a rose, red ones and white ones. Duo chose to buy his own.
"Hilde..." A voice murmured. Duo looked up. People were saying her name as they passed by. Relena dropped the blood-red rose onto Hilde's casket.
"...May you find what you are looking for." Dorothy dropped the rose onto the casket.
"...No laughter remains even for the clown, without you, Hilde." Trowa let go of his rose.
"Rest in peace." Quatre's rose fell.
"You were a true soldier." Heero's white rose lay atop the pile.
"I'm sorry I didn't know you better." Catherine admitted, letting go of her rose.
Wufei dropped his white rose onto the casket, and stood in a moment of silence.
"Goodbye, Hilde." Duo stood stiffly as Wufei wandered over to him. "I'm sorry," He said. "I'm sorry about Hilde." Then his eyes fell to Duo's rose, it wasn't perfect like the others, it was slightly wilted. "Aren't you going to put your rose with Hilde?" Duo nodded. He would, eventually, when he was ready, ready to let go. Wufei paused, shook his head, and turned away.
"I wish you could have had a fuller life." Sally dropped her rose.
Duo sighed and held the rose tightly in his hand, and walked slowly forward. His legs felt stiff, almost broken, and certainly brittle. But like the bullet wound in his arm, he ignored it.
'How come I survived and not Hilde?...' Duo groaned. His heart hurt, as well as a number of other things. He looked up at the minister who smiled.
"Hello."
"Father," Was all Duo could manage.
"Are you going to drop your rose?"
"Yes, Father."Duo looked down at the rose once more and trudged over to Hilde's casket.
There was a long pause before duo could think of anything to say.
"I love you." Duo dropped his rose. It's black petals were withered, and it mirrored the way Duo saw his heart., black and withered.
Duo stood there, alone, after everybody had left. It got dark, and the stars shone more brightly than they ever had before. Duo felt tears running down his cheeks.
"I love you." Was all he could manage to say, and the words carried in the wind, ending in a whisper next to the grave stone.