Once Upon The Night Of Death
By: Moonlit Love
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing but I own (most) of this story line.
(This chapter is kind of long, and it will take the expanse of ten years. This will lead us
into the story. There are also some choice words used later in the chapter.)
Prologue Part Seven: Days of Destiny: A Prelude to Death
It was just short of one month when the eyes of the girls slowly opened up. Their
wounds were gone as if the healing hand of some greater being had touched each of them.
It took a few weeks, but soon there was nothing with which could be counted wrong with
the girls.
Almost five months had gone by, and everything was just the way they wanted it
to be. Nothing could really be counted as imperfect, unless you counted the few days rain
had come, but even those days were special because they brought rain in for the garden
and freshened up the air. Today, Catherine sat holding hands with Trowa on 'their'
bench.
A calm breeze ruffled through Catherine's hair and gently tossed Trowa's hair
from one side to the other. The bright sun shone down on them from an impossibly blue
sky with but a few wisps for clouds floating around as if they were to comfortable to
move quickly. The green grass moved as if it was water, the blades moved in perfect
rhythm with the steady breeze.
The air was smooth, it was not thick with humidity. The petals from fruit trees
drifted down to the ground as if they were feathers. The soft breeze moved the sweet
scent of the garden around, so as to not let you get sick of one single scent. Tulips and
roses had already flowered, their beauty was in full power. The lilies down by the small
pond seemed to be glowing gold as the sun hit the water to cast a shimmery shadow onto
the surrounding areas.
The water itself was a deep, mystical blue. The hue was just perfect to accent the
deep green lily pads floating on the surface. It seemed as if the day was specially made
for Trowa and Catherine to enjoy together. "Isn't today just beautiful?" Catherine asked
in a soft voice, scared to break the peaceful calm surrounding her.
"It's beauty is diminished only by the sight of you," Trowa whispered into her ear,
a grin playing on his lips.
Catherine blushed and lightly smiled as she rewarded Trowa with a kiss on the
cheek. Trowa, in his own turn, blushed just as red as Catherine as he gallantly received
the kiss his maiden bestowed upon his skin. "Will milady take a chance and take up her
knives to practice sword throwing with me?" Trowa asked, as if he were a prince and
Catherine was the princess.
"If only milord will take my hand and lead me to the place of meeting shall I join
him in a game of skill," Catherine replied, keeping her tone light and elegant.
"Very well," Trowa said as he stood up.
He bowed before Catherine and took her hand. He placed a small kiss upon the
back as he helped her to her feet. Catherine took a soft grip on his hand as they walked to
the tent. Inside, the air was thick with no air circulation.
Heat could easily be seen in the tent. The heat rose from the ground in waves.
"Maybe a match should take place later on. It looks much to hot to play in here," Trowa
commented.
"Inside is air-conditioned, and all you can eat. Last one in is the worst knife
thrower ever!" Catherine shouted as she raced up to the house.
Trowa took off after her, following closely on her heels. Catherine stumbled a
few times, but always managed to keep the lead. She giggled and laughed as she reached
the door first. "I win!" she laughed as she collapsed just inside the door, her chest
heaving with laughter.
Trowa just looked down at her, a half smile crossing his face as he looked down
upon her. "How do you know I didn't let you win?" Trowa asked, his voice carefully
shielded from emotion.
Catherine looked up at him and blinked, her violet eyes curious and yet
inexpressive. She studied his face, not wanting to miss a single detail. Then a smile lit
up her features. "I know you did! But the loser is still a bad knife thrower!" Catherine
teased lightly.
~~
Hilde was lying on a blanket outside in the garden. The sun was shining down
and Hilde was gladly getting a tan. "Hey, Hild, you want something to drink? I'm going
in to get a pop," Duo's voice suddenly asked through the tranquil quiet of the yard.
"Duo! Use a quiet voice when all is silent!" Hilde laughed, "I'll take a
lemonade."
"I don't know if I want to get you anything now, you hurt my feelings," Duo
pouted as he crossed his arms and turned away from her.
Hilde looked up at him in partial interest. She noticed his childishly sad features
and decided to take pity upon the poor guy. She got up and slowly walked to his side.
"Duo, why don't I come with you. Than we can relax indoors, together. And if we go to
the club room, you can talk as loud as you want," Hilde whispered into his ear.
Duo's face instantly lit up in a smile. "Okay. As long as I can be noisy!" Duo
laughed as he held out his arm to escort Hilde inside.
They walked into the house as if they were going to a fancy restaurant. They went
and got their beverages of choice and made their way over to Duo's club. They danced
and talked (as loud as they wanted) until Duo's stomach growled for food. "Guess what
time it is!" Duo laughed.
"Lunch time!" Hilde laughed.
~~
Relena was by herself in the living room, reading a paperback book with
thoroughly dog-eared pages. Heero peeked in the room to check up on her and saw she
was comfortably situated. He let a half smile grace his face before he went into the back
maintenance room.
In the maintenance room, was where they kept their gundam suits and practiced
different items out to see how they would stand against the Death mist. He had to finish
touching up his gundam before trying out the newest mechanism from the government, a
full animated TV which gave a view on what would happen when Death would go to
somebody. This was what they wanted to do to try 'vaccinate' the people from the
traumatic grips of Death. Heero walked over to his gundam and leapt up into the cockpit.
He still had some tools from the last time he had worked on his mecha.
Heero took out some wrenches, a few bolts, and a newly polished joystick, with
which he would now control the movements of his gundam. It was a new experiment for
him, nothing would compare to the two joysticks they had previously had and Heero was
a little wary of using the virtually untested-in-battle item. He shook his head anyway, the
government wanted him and the others to start using it, practicing it to see what needs to
be perfected, Heero just thought it was a waste of time and a dangerous hazard.
He didn't go into battle much, except when the competition was to strong for the
military issue suits. Then they had to use the scientist perfected mechas to back up the
army. It was very rarely someone with enough power to demand the gundams ever
showed up, but it was better safe than sorry.
He finished inserting the joystick when sparks began to shoot from the control
panel. Heero cursed loudly at the machine, his voice angrily echoing throughout the
room. He pulled out the keyboard, the wires snapping and creating sparks as he threw it
out the cockpit door. He grabbed some replacement wire and began to rewire the
keyboard. "This damned joystick will ruin everything," Heero muttered as he adjusted
the lengths of the wires in front of him.
"New issue 678-1953 keyboard and communication system, Heero?" a voice
asked from down below.
Heero looked down from the cockpit to see a mechanic looking up at him. He
recognized him as Henry Bly. "Yeah, and send up my two joysticks again. This joystick
is a piece of shit," Heero told the mechanic.
Henry hurried to comply with Heero, he almost seemed as if he was afraid of
Heero. Soon, a floating table drifted up to Heero and Heero took the needed parts from it.
"Thanks," Heero said, indicating that Henry could lower the table.
Henry nodded and the table was gone. A cold wind blew threw the room, but
Heero dismissed it as a breeze. He went back to working when the lights flickered off
and a sudden migraine seemed to fill into his mind. He reeled back into the pilot seat, his
hands pressed against his temples against the roaring pain. The door to the cockpit began
to close, but Heero barely noticed the change. He took deep breaths to try ease the
headache away, but he didn't prevail. That was when he noticed his gundam began to
prepare for lift off.
He moved forward, trying to find the manual shut-down button through tear
clouded eyes. He finally managed to pound the button down, the twin rocket blasters
shutting down. He felt the gundam sway from the sudden stop and was concerned it
might fall. But it didn't move. The cockpit door popped open, lights came back on and
his headache completely vanished as suddenly as it had come on.
"What was that all about, Yuy?" one of the moodier repairers, Johnson Lire,
yelled up, "You trying to get us all killed."
"Sorry," Heero muttered, anger beginning to heat his blood.
Heero jumped down from the gundam and headed inside, only a slight waver
could be noticed from his step, indicating the migraine had been real. He went inside the
house, the air conditioning cooling his slightly flushed skin as he made his way inside.
He went into the living room and practically fell into the nearest armchair.
He felt Relena glance up and look over at him. "Are you okay, Heero?" she
asked, only a slight trace of worry was evident in her voice.
"I will be," Heero said quietly.
~~*~~
Summer came and went. Everyone was outside enjoying the weather, catching
tans, swimming, and spending time with everyone else. Autumn soon arrived and the
yard work had been completed. It was also then when Relena turned in her resignation
from office, it was too hard to stay connected with her job and personal life at the same
time. She sometimes wondered how her father had handle it all.
Then autumn was gone and it gave way to winter. This seemed to be Duo's
favorite season as he made a point to throw snowballs at anyone who dared come outside
or pass by. Hilde got him back quite a few times, but Duo did not stop his childish
approach. The holidays were passed in a traditional manner, and soon Spring was
nearing. It had been one year since they had first met up with each other.
They started to venture out more and experience what they used to do more often
then just in the company of their home. Trowa even went to the Circus with Catherine a
few times and did a show. But, the year passed on quietly, with no incidents implying
Death was really out there.
Heero was always quiet, always watching, always searching for the inevitable
clue. None came in the following year, either though. His cautiousness soon drifted
away and his aloofness slowly lessened. It was a great year, for all of them.
~~*~~
It had been four years since he had first met her, and everyday he got to witness
her extraordinary beauty and her carefree spirit. He knew that deep down in his heart, he
loved her, but he didn't quite know how to tell her, didn't know how to tell her what he
really felt. Sure he had the same dream as she did, a dream about loving each other, but
what did it mean? Did it mean she knew he loved her? Did it mean he still had to tell
her?
All these questions were floating around in Duo's head one morning. It had been
a long night, but he had been unable to sleep so he got up and was sitting in the kitchen,
thinking about Hilde. He swirled his forefinger around the rim of his coffee cup, debating
how he could best tell her. His feelings for her had magnified to even deeper than before,
even deeper than he knew.
'How do you tell a girl you love her? Come on, Du. You have to think. How did
you tell the other girls you liked them, I mean it isn't as if you have never had a date
before. Come on!' Duo thought almost angrily at himself.
'None of them were like Hilde, though. How can you compare Hilde to a bunch
of frivolous bimbos? You can't. You only told them that so they wouldn't break up with
you. You were always scared of being rejected but never rejecting someone else. So how
you going to get yourself out of this one?' Duo contradicted himself.
He made a moan of disappointment. He dropped his head to the table and sat to
think, think about why he was doing all of this. It didn't make any sense. Everything was
different with Hilde, nothing was the same as it had been with all the other girls he dated.
Hilde was the one thing of which made him feel good and made being a protector easy.
He just didn't know how to tell her all of this.
~~
Trowa sat watching Catherine sleep. They had done a late night show the other
night and she had fallen asleep once she got into her trailer. The show had been a terrific
success, many already bought tickets for the next show, as long as Trowa was backing up
Catherine.
It seemed as if everyone liked the aura which the two gave off during each show.
Some said there was a 'perfect chemistry which makes them all the more interesting to
watch'. Others disagreed and thought the show would be better if Trowa had never came.
But many came to watch them, even more than before. With the thoughts of the daring
knife thrower and her fearless target, nothing would stop the people from crowding into
the tent, sitting restlessly through the rest of the show until this came.
Catherine had once said she liked having her show at the end. 'That way I know
the suspense is driving them up a wall,' she had laughed. Trowa had only smiled down at
her.
Pride swelled in his heart as he thought about her performance last night. She
hadn't even needed him. She had been completely focused and the roar of the crowd had
vanished from her ears, Trowa knew this because the same thing happened to him when
he was on the stage. He knew how to avoid getting hit, but he rarely had to do it as
Catherine would not try to hit him.
Trowa shook his head to clear his thoughts and once more focused on Catherine.
She looked like an angel in her sleep, and an angel was what she was to Trowa. She had
come into his life when he was getting bored with what he did, then she showed up and
suddenly he could live the life he had chosen. It was as if she was the finishing touch to
his life. It was in that moment when he knew what he had to do next.
He hastily scrawled a note out to her to tell her where he would be, the mall.
Then he got his jacket and headed for the car. He hoped she didn't awaken during his
time out, he wanted the moment to be perfect when he got her what he wanted to get her.
~~
Relena was sitting at the computer desk, typing away. She was writing an email
to an old co-worker of hers. She had woken up early and had been unable to get back to
sleep, so she opted to keep in touch with those who wished to keep in touch. She didn't
have to worry about Heero, she knew he was slaving away in the back, trying to perfect
his gundam.
She didn't understand all the stuff about it, but Heero had learned to trust her
enough to let her back there. She knew he wasn't always so hard and strict, but she also
knew it was dangerous back there and also a very top-secret government project. No one
but the gundam pilots were allowed to know about it.
The house was almost eerily quiet, but Relena knew why. Duo and Hilde had
stayed up late last night partying, everyone heard them. Then Trowa went with Catherine
to do a midnight show. So it was only her and Heero up, and Heero was always quiet.
She finished the letter and pressed send. This was when she wished Dorothy and
Sally were still around. They had been close friends of hers and preventers for her as
well. She knew they knew about the gundams, but they had never told her about them.
She sat thinking about them a little longer before she got up and went to shower.
After her shower, she went to her room to think about Heero. She wasn't quite
sure why, but she was drawn to Heero as a moth was to flame. Only she didn't think she
would die by touching him as moths did in a flame. Something about him made her think
twice about the other guy she had once dated. It had been a boring date and they both
agreed not to go out again. She swore off guys, then. But Heero had come along and
now her theory had been tested.
Sure she loved him, but she felt it only as a friend. Her feelings had been the most
acute right after the dream. But they had slowly faded into feelings of friendship as the
years passed by. She knew Heero felt the same way about her. She felt an odd pull in
heart when she was around him, but she didn't want to move to fast, Heero wasn't used to
openly expressing his feelings and she was worried it would hurt their relationship if they
did go out and it didn't work.
'So this is why people tell you to not go out with friends,' Relena thought, her
heart torn between two equally good choices, 'Maybe I just have to let him tell me first.'
~~
Hilde finished adjusting her beret. She hoped Duo remembered that he had
promised to take her out today. She applied a thin layer of gloss and went out to find
him. She found him sitting at the table. "Duo?" she whispered, unsure if he was awake
or not.
He whined a little, but he did not turn to her. She guessed he was asleep. She sat
in the chair opposite his and watched while he slept. 'Sleep makes him look so much
younger, he could almost be a child,' Hilde thought softly to herself. She watched him a
little longer before getting up and going outside.
She was forced to stand on the deck with the overhanging canopy over her head so
she avoided the downpour of rain. She was quietly standing on the deck when a cold
shiver ran down her spine and the hair on her neck stood on end. She turned, only
knowing this sensation from Death. She didn't see anything, though. Nonetheless she
hurried inside. She knew she would have to tell Duo when he awoke.
~~
Catherine woke up from a deep and comfortable slumber. She didn't see Trowa
around and guessed he had already arisen from his sleep. She got out of bed and pulled a
terry-cloth robe on before getting on some slippers. She shuffled out to the kitchen, a
slight coolness hung in the air and she turned the kitchen lights on.
She spotted a note and went over to read it. She was surprised what it said. It
read:
My Catherine,
I went out for a little while and don't know when I will be back. I will make sure
to bring you something special. If you awake before I get back, please pretend like you
are asleep. I have a surprise for you.
Trowa
Catherine smiled, he could be so sweet at times. She walked back into her room,
ready to pretend like she was sleep. It was half an hour before she heard the door open
once more. She knew it was Trowa because no sound was made as he walked through
her little trailer. She felt his gaze on her before he shut the door.
Sounds of food began to awaken themselves in the kitchen and Catherine felt her
stomach rumble in anticipation. She fell asleep after a little while, pretending to sleep
made her tired. She was woken up by a tender kiss on the lips.
She smiled as she stretched her arms above her head. "I've got something special
for you," she heard Trowa's voice whisper in her ear. Catherine squirmed away from the
light tickling sensation.
She then blinked her eyes open. Trowa stood in front of her and had his arm
extended to her, as if to escort her to the kitchen. "Milady, if you wouldn't mind coming
with me. There is a pleasant surprise for you out here," Trowa said with a touch of
accent.
Catherine smiled at him and took his hand. He led her out into the kitchen and sat
her down, a plateful of food sat before her. Trowa lit two candles and turned the
overhead light off. They ate in blissful silence. When she finished, Trowa took her
dishes away. He then flipped on some music and invited her to dance. They floated over
the linoleum as the soft strains of Beethoven's fifth drifted over to them.
The music stopped, but they continued to dance quietly. Then Trowa moved her
over to the sofa to sit. Small little Christmas lights turned on and looked like little stars.
Trowa moved over to Catherine and took her hand.
"These last few years have been a dream for me. I couldn't have asked for
anything else. It would make me extremely happy if you would say yes to being my
wife," Trowa stated softly.
Catherine looked up at him, knowing tears were in her eyes. "Yes," she
whispered as he slipped a diamond ring onto her finger.
Catherine got up and hugged Trowa before kissing him soundly on the lips.
"Thank you," Trowa murmured into her ear. Catherine just smiled, glad to have her life
made whole.
~~*~~
The year passed by with only an engagement party. No other engagements were
made, but everyone once again became alert, knowing to well Death was around once
more. They just didn't know when it would strike and what would happen when it did.
Soon it was time for Trowa and Catherine's wedding, a night no one would ever forget.
~~*~~
"Cat, you look so pretty!" Relena gushed. Relena stared adoringly at the white,
silk dress. She watched as Hilde put the veil on Catherine.
"You, guys, I am so glad you helped me out! I am totally nervous," Catherine
smiled.
Hilde and Relena had been more than glad to help, especially when they were
bridesmaids. Catherine's younger cousin, Samantha, was the flower girl and Catherine's
older sister, Cassi, was the maid of honor. "You'll do fine, Catty. Just don't trip," Cassi
teased.
"Thanks, sis."
~~
Duo tried to adjust his tie, but he wasn't having much luck with it. Heero on the
other hand was completely done. 'Heero almost looks like a mannequin, his suit is
perfectly pressed, his tie is straight, and he even straightened up his hair. Who had a clue
he could do so much without practice?' Duo thought enviously.
Trowa was over in front of the full length mirror, trying to get his cummerbund
secured. "A little help?" he asked.
Heero went over and secured it with no trouble at all, then went over to Duo to get
his tie on properly. "Thanks," Duo grinned impishly.
Catherine had asked her older brother, Mikel, to be the best man and her little
nephew, Stevie, to be the ring bearer. Duo and Heero had accepted when Trowa had
asked them, and now the wedding was but moments away. "Ready?" Duo asked.
"As I'll ever be," Trowa replied.
"You take care of her," Mikel told Trowa sternly.
Trowa nodded. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt her," he said solemnly.
~~
The wedding passed on without hitch. Soon it was time for the reception. Trowa
and Catherine were grinning as people came in. When all the people finally were in,
Trowa and Catherine took their seats. "Why didn't your family come?" Mikel whispered
to Trowa.
"They all died a while back," Trowa replied.
"Sorry, man."
"It's okay."
"Here is to the bride and her groom," Mikel began, giving his speech, "I don't
know much about Trowa, but he must be a pretty nice person for Catherine to marry. But
I should warn you, Trowa, when she gets mad, I would run."
Laughter erupted through the room and Catherine blushed, shooting a glare at her
brother. "But, otherwise she is a pretty nice girl. As you all probably know, Catty here is
a knife thrower in the circus here and Trowa is her target. Everyone who sings a song
with the word 'love' in it gets a free pass in. The bride and groom also have to kiss for
each time you sing the word love.
"Now, before this gets any later than it already is, let's eat!"
Everyone began moving around and scooping food onto their plates. Twenty
minutes later everyone had food and was eating. "You may begin the songs, but first a
toast," Mikel smiled, bringing his glass up and toasting the newlywed couple.
Glasses were raised in approval of the pair. Then the first pair of singers came up.
They sang their song, got their tickets, and the couple had to kiss three times. Group after
group came up to sing. The night passed on quickly and Trowa and Catherine got in their
car to begin the honeymoon.
But Duo had been the one to schedule the honeymoon, so it technically didn't start
until tomorrow because Duo had accidentally screwed up the dates. They went home
instead, having a quiet night with the others. "The wedding was perfect," Hilde
commented as she snuggled into Duo's chest.
"I agree," Relena smiled as she felt Heero take her hand.
"Thanks, you guys," Catherine smiled proudly.
They sat talking for a little while longer, a fire now flickering in the brick
fireplace. A chill wind suddenly blew violently through the room and everything went
dark. No one knew what was going on. Only Catherine was the one to feel anything.
Something sharp touched where her heart was. A deep voice recited something in
a voice foreign to her. She shivered as she felt her body turn to ice. Her breathing
became labored, her heart beat erratically, but as the lights came back to the room, there
was no clue of what she had just experienced.
"What happened?" Hilde and Relena asked at the same time.
"Death paid us a little visit. Did anyone feel anything?" Heero asked.
"I did," Catherine whispered so quietly only Trowa heard her.
Fear blanketed his face. "What?" he whispered almost as inaudibly.
"I felt like I was having a heart attack, or something. My chest hurt, I couldn't
breath, but then the lights came on and I was fine again," Catherine said in a louder voice
than before.
"Really?" Heero asked, "Something similar happened to me a few years ago. I
was fixing my gundam when the lights went out and a migraine unleashed all its fury on
me. The gundam was about to take off, but I found the manual shut-down. Then the
lights came on and I was fine."
"You never said anything about this before, Heero," Relena quietly whispered.
"I didn't want to worry you," Heero replied, just loud enough for her to hear and
no one else.
Relena nodded, knowing he was telling the truth. She settled back into the couch,
waiting for something to break the God-awful silence which was rapidly filling the room.
"When do you think Death will strike for real?" Duo wondered.
"I don't know. Someday it will be back and we have to be prepared," Heero
replied.
~~*~~
From that day on, they didn't live as freely as they had before, but still nothing
came to show them Death was ready to rear its ugly face on them once again.
Duo and Hilde had gotten married in a private ceremony, they hadn't even let any
of the others know when they had done so, but they were still happy and their friends still
talked to them. They did have plans to build a club, but not until after Death came. Until
then, they would just go club hopping and night and live to regret it in the morning.
Relena and Heero had decided to try going on a few dates. There was the right
chemistry between the two, they just didn't know how to get around the other person's
protective barrier. They decided to just be friends, not sure how to conquer the sturdy
shields of their hearts.
Trowa and Catherine went on their honeymoon in a simulated Hawaii, (the real
one had been destroyed in a devastating missile attack) and they then went home and
relaxed. Charles called them a few weeks later requesting they come back. They then
made that dream of long ago come true. They gave the crowd a heart-stopping show.
Nothing ever happened to Heero or Catherine after that incident, so no worry over
what was wrong bothered anyone. Friendships had strengthened in the time, making
everyone closely knit together. Time flew and soon almost ten years had passed since
their first meeting.
~~*~~
It was a warm summer day and the sun beat down on the three couples sitting
outside. Duo and Hilde had just played each other in tennis, Hilde being the victor.
Catherine and Trowa were resting before the show they had to put on tonight. Heero and
Relena were drying off after a cooling swim in the pool. Today seemed like the perfect
day.
Then big, dark, heavy clouds moved in, promising rain or maybe even storms.
Everyone scrambled to get inside before the wet drops splattered them with the icy
coolness known to rain. They all went into the comfortable living room and made
themselves at home. "How did such a nice day get gloomy so fast?" Catherine wondered,
looking outside at the bleak day the beautiful day had evolved into in a matter of seconds.
"I don't know, but I don't like it," Heero said, a touch of monotone coming back
after it had disappeared so many years ago.
"Don't talk like that," Relena scolded. She truly hated that empty, dreary tone he
sometimes resorted to.
Heero nodded his understanding and moved to the fireplace. There was no fire lit
in the fireplace so he rested comfortably there. Relena felt something inside her break at
his leave, but knew he was to worried to stay out of what she called his 'perfect soldier'
mode. Everything had settled down and Duo turned on the TV to check on the weather.
"Says some top notch storms are going to arise, maybe some really strong winds or even
some tornadoes," Duo reported, glad to know something Heero didn't know.
"Hn."
They still sat where they were, no one ever listened to the weather because it was
at times wrong. Rain began to come down heavily, it pelted at the winds like hail would
have. The trees outside whipped fiercely as a wisp of strong breeze rolled through.
Lightning etched its jagged patterns against a purple wall of clouds. Thunder rolled after
it, long and deep. Then, lightning filled the entire room in a bright, yellow-white light.
Crackling thunder arrived but a second later and the power flashed off. The city's
storm warning system was activated. "Time to move out. Trowa, lead the way to the
storm cellar," Heero instructed.
Trowa took the lead and held tightly onto Catherine's hand. Heero and Relena
followed, Relena gripping Heero's arm tightly as thunder erupted loudly outside. Duo
and Hilde were last, with Duo leading her a few steps ahead. Then Hilde screamed as the
glass of the windows blew inward and the doors burst open; cold, strong winds howling
through the complex.
They all went a little faster, wanting to escape the perilous storm brewing outside.
But Hilde fell after a few steps as a strong wind pushed her from behind. "Duo!" She
tried to call above the wailing of the wind.
He didn't seem to hear her and she let out a strangled cry. She tried to stand up,
but her legs were being traitourous and refused to help her up. "DUO!" Hilde cried as
loud as she could.
He still didn't hear her and fear was beginning to take over. She crawled against
the floor, glass scraping her as she made her way to the door they were at. Duo was about
to go in, but noticed she wasn't there and looked back. Hilde sighed in relief. He came
running back to help her. "Can you stand?" Duo shouted above the noise.
"No," she replied, her words lost in the now whistling winds.
Duo then proceeded to pick her up. But then a strong gust of icy wind threw him
against the wall, rendering him unconscious. "Duo!" Hilde choked out as she began to
make her way over to him.
Something began to pull at her feet. She turned to see what it was, and a
spire-looking object was entering the door, completely destroying the house. Hilde
screamed as it continued to pull at her. She tried to claw at the ground to escape its
deadly claws, but she couldn't. She was soon sucked up into the spiraling winds.
"DUO!" Hilde screamed one last time.
Just before Hilde was taken up into the tornado, Duo began to awake from what
felt like a drugged sleep. He shook his head and looked up as he felt the incredible pull
of a twister. He saw Hilde reaching out for him and made a move to get her, but then it
was too late and Hilde was gone.
"HILDE!" Duo cried out, desperately hoping this was all a dream.
He saw the tornado leave the house, and before long the storm had ended. Duo
scrambled up to try and find her. He hoped against hope that she was still alive. He went
outside, his eyes searching frantically around him, trying to see anything that would lead
him to his love. Then, he saw her, lying in the remains of someone's house. He rushed
over to her side.
"Hilde?" he whispered softly, trying to see if she was still alive.
She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head towards him. "Duo," she
whispered before coughing.
"Shh, don't talk. Everything will be all right," Duo comforted both her and
himself.
"No, it won't. Please don't ever forget me," Hilde said before coughing once
again. This time it turned into a coughing fit, and a small amount of blood appeared at
her mouth. "I love you," Hilde stuttered out.
"I love you, too," Duo whispered, his eyes clouding with tears.
"Good-bye," Hilde whispered as she reached her hand up to stroke his cheek one
last time.
Duo cupped her hand in his. "Good-bye, my love," he murmured as he kissed her
for the last time.
By this time, Trowa, Catherine, Relena, and Heero had come out to see where
Duo and Hilde had gone. They saw him bent over Hilde, tears shaking his frame. They
slowly walked over to him. "Is she gone?" Relena asked quietly, tears already welling up
behind her eyes.
"Yes," Duo whispered as he stood and picked her up in his arms.
They all walked silently back to the house. It was time for Death to come once
more, and they knew he was much more powerful than they had anticipated. Now begins
our story...
TBC...
*Hi, moonlit here! Hope you like the chapter. Sorry it isn't THAT long and it
still took me forever. I had a fit of writer's block and vacation. I'll get the next part out
as soon as I can.
*Sorry this seems so dreary and dark, but it is the way I had planned it. I upped
the rating to R for the intense scene. (so maybe it doesn't need to be that high, but better
safe than sorry!) Please make sure to review.
*Thanks, Moonlit*
By: Moonlit Love
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing but I own (most) of this story line.
(This chapter is kind of long, and it will take the expanse of ten years. This will lead us
into the story. There are also some choice words used later in the chapter.)
Prologue Part Seven: Days of Destiny: A Prelude to Death
It was just short of one month when the eyes of the girls slowly opened up. Their
wounds were gone as if the healing hand of some greater being had touched each of them.
It took a few weeks, but soon there was nothing with which could be counted wrong with
the girls.
Almost five months had gone by, and everything was just the way they wanted it
to be. Nothing could really be counted as imperfect, unless you counted the few days rain
had come, but even those days were special because they brought rain in for the garden
and freshened up the air. Today, Catherine sat holding hands with Trowa on 'their'
bench.
A calm breeze ruffled through Catherine's hair and gently tossed Trowa's hair
from one side to the other. The bright sun shone down on them from an impossibly blue
sky with but a few wisps for clouds floating around as if they were to comfortable to
move quickly. The green grass moved as if it was water, the blades moved in perfect
rhythm with the steady breeze.
The air was smooth, it was not thick with humidity. The petals from fruit trees
drifted down to the ground as if they were feathers. The soft breeze moved the sweet
scent of the garden around, so as to not let you get sick of one single scent. Tulips and
roses had already flowered, their beauty was in full power. The lilies down by the small
pond seemed to be glowing gold as the sun hit the water to cast a shimmery shadow onto
the surrounding areas.
The water itself was a deep, mystical blue. The hue was just perfect to accent the
deep green lily pads floating on the surface. It seemed as if the day was specially made
for Trowa and Catherine to enjoy together. "Isn't today just beautiful?" Catherine asked
in a soft voice, scared to break the peaceful calm surrounding her.
"It's beauty is diminished only by the sight of you," Trowa whispered into her ear,
a grin playing on his lips.
Catherine blushed and lightly smiled as she rewarded Trowa with a kiss on the
cheek. Trowa, in his own turn, blushed just as red as Catherine as he gallantly received
the kiss his maiden bestowed upon his skin. "Will milady take a chance and take up her
knives to practice sword throwing with me?" Trowa asked, as if he were a prince and
Catherine was the princess.
"If only milord will take my hand and lead me to the place of meeting shall I join
him in a game of skill," Catherine replied, keeping her tone light and elegant.
"Very well," Trowa said as he stood up.
He bowed before Catherine and took her hand. He placed a small kiss upon the
back as he helped her to her feet. Catherine took a soft grip on his hand as they walked to
the tent. Inside, the air was thick with no air circulation.
Heat could easily be seen in the tent. The heat rose from the ground in waves.
"Maybe a match should take place later on. It looks much to hot to play in here," Trowa
commented.
"Inside is air-conditioned, and all you can eat. Last one in is the worst knife
thrower ever!" Catherine shouted as she raced up to the house.
Trowa took off after her, following closely on her heels. Catherine stumbled a
few times, but always managed to keep the lead. She giggled and laughed as she reached
the door first. "I win!" she laughed as she collapsed just inside the door, her chest
heaving with laughter.
Trowa just looked down at her, a half smile crossing his face as he looked down
upon her. "How do you know I didn't let you win?" Trowa asked, his voice carefully
shielded from emotion.
Catherine looked up at him and blinked, her violet eyes curious and yet
inexpressive. She studied his face, not wanting to miss a single detail. Then a smile lit
up her features. "I know you did! But the loser is still a bad knife thrower!" Catherine
teased lightly.
~~
Hilde was lying on a blanket outside in the garden. The sun was shining down
and Hilde was gladly getting a tan. "Hey, Hild, you want something to drink? I'm going
in to get a pop," Duo's voice suddenly asked through the tranquil quiet of the yard.
"Duo! Use a quiet voice when all is silent!" Hilde laughed, "I'll take a
lemonade."
"I don't know if I want to get you anything now, you hurt my feelings," Duo
pouted as he crossed his arms and turned away from her.
Hilde looked up at him in partial interest. She noticed his childishly sad features
and decided to take pity upon the poor guy. She got up and slowly walked to his side.
"Duo, why don't I come with you. Than we can relax indoors, together. And if we go to
the club room, you can talk as loud as you want," Hilde whispered into his ear.
Duo's face instantly lit up in a smile. "Okay. As long as I can be noisy!" Duo
laughed as he held out his arm to escort Hilde inside.
They walked into the house as if they were going to a fancy restaurant. They went
and got their beverages of choice and made their way over to Duo's club. They danced
and talked (as loud as they wanted) until Duo's stomach growled for food. "Guess what
time it is!" Duo laughed.
"Lunch time!" Hilde laughed.
~~
Relena was by herself in the living room, reading a paperback book with
thoroughly dog-eared pages. Heero peeked in the room to check up on her and saw she
was comfortably situated. He let a half smile grace his face before he went into the back
maintenance room.
In the maintenance room, was where they kept their gundam suits and practiced
different items out to see how they would stand against the Death mist. He had to finish
touching up his gundam before trying out the newest mechanism from the government, a
full animated TV which gave a view on what would happen when Death would go to
somebody. This was what they wanted to do to try 'vaccinate' the people from the
traumatic grips of Death. Heero walked over to his gundam and leapt up into the cockpit.
He still had some tools from the last time he had worked on his mecha.
Heero took out some wrenches, a few bolts, and a newly polished joystick, with
which he would now control the movements of his gundam. It was a new experiment for
him, nothing would compare to the two joysticks they had previously had and Heero was
a little wary of using the virtually untested-in-battle item. He shook his head anyway, the
government wanted him and the others to start using it, practicing it to see what needs to
be perfected, Heero just thought it was a waste of time and a dangerous hazard.
He didn't go into battle much, except when the competition was to strong for the
military issue suits. Then they had to use the scientist perfected mechas to back up the
army. It was very rarely someone with enough power to demand the gundams ever
showed up, but it was better safe than sorry.
He finished inserting the joystick when sparks began to shoot from the control
panel. Heero cursed loudly at the machine, his voice angrily echoing throughout the
room. He pulled out the keyboard, the wires snapping and creating sparks as he threw it
out the cockpit door. He grabbed some replacement wire and began to rewire the
keyboard. "This damned joystick will ruin everything," Heero muttered as he adjusted
the lengths of the wires in front of him.
"New issue 678-1953 keyboard and communication system, Heero?" a voice
asked from down below.
Heero looked down from the cockpit to see a mechanic looking up at him. He
recognized him as Henry Bly. "Yeah, and send up my two joysticks again. This joystick
is a piece of shit," Heero told the mechanic.
Henry hurried to comply with Heero, he almost seemed as if he was afraid of
Heero. Soon, a floating table drifted up to Heero and Heero took the needed parts from it.
"Thanks," Heero said, indicating that Henry could lower the table.
Henry nodded and the table was gone. A cold wind blew threw the room, but
Heero dismissed it as a breeze. He went back to working when the lights flickered off
and a sudden migraine seemed to fill into his mind. He reeled back into the pilot seat, his
hands pressed against his temples against the roaring pain. The door to the cockpit began
to close, but Heero barely noticed the change. He took deep breaths to try ease the
headache away, but he didn't prevail. That was when he noticed his gundam began to
prepare for lift off.
He moved forward, trying to find the manual shut-down button through tear
clouded eyes. He finally managed to pound the button down, the twin rocket blasters
shutting down. He felt the gundam sway from the sudden stop and was concerned it
might fall. But it didn't move. The cockpit door popped open, lights came back on and
his headache completely vanished as suddenly as it had come on.
"What was that all about, Yuy?" one of the moodier repairers, Johnson Lire,
yelled up, "You trying to get us all killed."
"Sorry," Heero muttered, anger beginning to heat his blood.
Heero jumped down from the gundam and headed inside, only a slight waver
could be noticed from his step, indicating the migraine had been real. He went inside the
house, the air conditioning cooling his slightly flushed skin as he made his way inside.
He went into the living room and practically fell into the nearest armchair.
He felt Relena glance up and look over at him. "Are you okay, Heero?" she
asked, only a slight trace of worry was evident in her voice.
"I will be," Heero said quietly.
~~*~~
Summer came and went. Everyone was outside enjoying the weather, catching
tans, swimming, and spending time with everyone else. Autumn soon arrived and the
yard work had been completed. It was also then when Relena turned in her resignation
from office, it was too hard to stay connected with her job and personal life at the same
time. She sometimes wondered how her father had handle it all.
Then autumn was gone and it gave way to winter. This seemed to be Duo's
favorite season as he made a point to throw snowballs at anyone who dared come outside
or pass by. Hilde got him back quite a few times, but Duo did not stop his childish
approach. The holidays were passed in a traditional manner, and soon Spring was
nearing. It had been one year since they had first met up with each other.
They started to venture out more and experience what they used to do more often
then just in the company of their home. Trowa even went to the Circus with Catherine a
few times and did a show. But, the year passed on quietly, with no incidents implying
Death was really out there.
Heero was always quiet, always watching, always searching for the inevitable
clue. None came in the following year, either though. His cautiousness soon drifted
away and his aloofness slowly lessened. It was a great year, for all of them.
~~*~~
It had been four years since he had first met her, and everyday he got to witness
her extraordinary beauty and her carefree spirit. He knew that deep down in his heart, he
loved her, but he didn't quite know how to tell her, didn't know how to tell her what he
really felt. Sure he had the same dream as she did, a dream about loving each other, but
what did it mean? Did it mean she knew he loved her? Did it mean he still had to tell
her?
All these questions were floating around in Duo's head one morning. It had been
a long night, but he had been unable to sleep so he got up and was sitting in the kitchen,
thinking about Hilde. He swirled his forefinger around the rim of his coffee cup, debating
how he could best tell her. His feelings for her had magnified to even deeper than before,
even deeper than he knew.
'How do you tell a girl you love her? Come on, Du. You have to think. How did
you tell the other girls you liked them, I mean it isn't as if you have never had a date
before. Come on!' Duo thought almost angrily at himself.
'None of them were like Hilde, though. How can you compare Hilde to a bunch
of frivolous bimbos? You can't. You only told them that so they wouldn't break up with
you. You were always scared of being rejected but never rejecting someone else. So how
you going to get yourself out of this one?' Duo contradicted himself.
He made a moan of disappointment. He dropped his head to the table and sat to
think, think about why he was doing all of this. It didn't make any sense. Everything was
different with Hilde, nothing was the same as it had been with all the other girls he dated.
Hilde was the one thing of which made him feel good and made being a protector easy.
He just didn't know how to tell her all of this.
~~
Trowa sat watching Catherine sleep. They had done a late night show the other
night and she had fallen asleep once she got into her trailer. The show had been a terrific
success, many already bought tickets for the next show, as long as Trowa was backing up
Catherine.
It seemed as if everyone liked the aura which the two gave off during each show.
Some said there was a 'perfect chemistry which makes them all the more interesting to
watch'. Others disagreed and thought the show would be better if Trowa had never came.
But many came to watch them, even more than before. With the thoughts of the daring
knife thrower and her fearless target, nothing would stop the people from crowding into
the tent, sitting restlessly through the rest of the show until this came.
Catherine had once said she liked having her show at the end. 'That way I know
the suspense is driving them up a wall,' she had laughed. Trowa had only smiled down at
her.
Pride swelled in his heart as he thought about her performance last night. She
hadn't even needed him. She had been completely focused and the roar of the crowd had
vanished from her ears, Trowa knew this because the same thing happened to him when
he was on the stage. He knew how to avoid getting hit, but he rarely had to do it as
Catherine would not try to hit him.
Trowa shook his head to clear his thoughts and once more focused on Catherine.
She looked like an angel in her sleep, and an angel was what she was to Trowa. She had
come into his life when he was getting bored with what he did, then she showed up and
suddenly he could live the life he had chosen. It was as if she was the finishing touch to
his life. It was in that moment when he knew what he had to do next.
He hastily scrawled a note out to her to tell her where he would be, the mall.
Then he got his jacket and headed for the car. He hoped she didn't awaken during his
time out, he wanted the moment to be perfect when he got her what he wanted to get her.
~~
Relena was sitting at the computer desk, typing away. She was writing an email
to an old co-worker of hers. She had woken up early and had been unable to get back to
sleep, so she opted to keep in touch with those who wished to keep in touch. She didn't
have to worry about Heero, she knew he was slaving away in the back, trying to perfect
his gundam.
She didn't understand all the stuff about it, but Heero had learned to trust her
enough to let her back there. She knew he wasn't always so hard and strict, but she also
knew it was dangerous back there and also a very top-secret government project. No one
but the gundam pilots were allowed to know about it.
The house was almost eerily quiet, but Relena knew why. Duo and Hilde had
stayed up late last night partying, everyone heard them. Then Trowa went with Catherine
to do a midnight show. So it was only her and Heero up, and Heero was always quiet.
She finished the letter and pressed send. This was when she wished Dorothy and
Sally were still around. They had been close friends of hers and preventers for her as
well. She knew they knew about the gundams, but they had never told her about them.
She sat thinking about them a little longer before she got up and went to shower.
After her shower, she went to her room to think about Heero. She wasn't quite
sure why, but she was drawn to Heero as a moth was to flame. Only she didn't think she
would die by touching him as moths did in a flame. Something about him made her think
twice about the other guy she had once dated. It had been a boring date and they both
agreed not to go out again. She swore off guys, then. But Heero had come along and
now her theory had been tested.
Sure she loved him, but she felt it only as a friend. Her feelings had been the most
acute right after the dream. But they had slowly faded into feelings of friendship as the
years passed by. She knew Heero felt the same way about her. She felt an odd pull in
heart when she was around him, but she didn't want to move to fast, Heero wasn't used to
openly expressing his feelings and she was worried it would hurt their relationship if they
did go out and it didn't work.
'So this is why people tell you to not go out with friends,' Relena thought, her
heart torn between two equally good choices, 'Maybe I just have to let him tell me first.'
~~
Hilde finished adjusting her beret. She hoped Duo remembered that he had
promised to take her out today. She applied a thin layer of gloss and went out to find
him. She found him sitting at the table. "Duo?" she whispered, unsure if he was awake
or not.
He whined a little, but he did not turn to her. She guessed he was asleep. She sat
in the chair opposite his and watched while he slept. 'Sleep makes him look so much
younger, he could almost be a child,' Hilde thought softly to herself. She watched him a
little longer before getting up and going outside.
She was forced to stand on the deck with the overhanging canopy over her head so
she avoided the downpour of rain. She was quietly standing on the deck when a cold
shiver ran down her spine and the hair on her neck stood on end. She turned, only
knowing this sensation from Death. She didn't see anything, though. Nonetheless she
hurried inside. She knew she would have to tell Duo when he awoke.
~~
Catherine woke up from a deep and comfortable slumber. She didn't see Trowa
around and guessed he had already arisen from his sleep. She got out of bed and pulled a
terry-cloth robe on before getting on some slippers. She shuffled out to the kitchen, a
slight coolness hung in the air and she turned the kitchen lights on.
She spotted a note and went over to read it. She was surprised what it said. It
read:
My Catherine,
I went out for a little while and don't know when I will be back. I will make sure
to bring you something special. If you awake before I get back, please pretend like you
are asleep. I have a surprise for you.
Trowa
Catherine smiled, he could be so sweet at times. She walked back into her room,
ready to pretend like she was sleep. It was half an hour before she heard the door open
once more. She knew it was Trowa because no sound was made as he walked through
her little trailer. She felt his gaze on her before he shut the door.
Sounds of food began to awaken themselves in the kitchen and Catherine felt her
stomach rumble in anticipation. She fell asleep after a little while, pretending to sleep
made her tired. She was woken up by a tender kiss on the lips.
She smiled as she stretched her arms above her head. "I've got something special
for you," she heard Trowa's voice whisper in her ear. Catherine squirmed away from the
light tickling sensation.
She then blinked her eyes open. Trowa stood in front of her and had his arm
extended to her, as if to escort her to the kitchen. "Milady, if you wouldn't mind coming
with me. There is a pleasant surprise for you out here," Trowa said with a touch of
accent.
Catherine smiled at him and took his hand. He led her out into the kitchen and sat
her down, a plateful of food sat before her. Trowa lit two candles and turned the
overhead light off. They ate in blissful silence. When she finished, Trowa took her
dishes away. He then flipped on some music and invited her to dance. They floated over
the linoleum as the soft strains of Beethoven's fifth drifted over to them.
The music stopped, but they continued to dance quietly. Then Trowa moved her
over to the sofa to sit. Small little Christmas lights turned on and looked like little stars.
Trowa moved over to Catherine and took her hand.
"These last few years have been a dream for me. I couldn't have asked for
anything else. It would make me extremely happy if you would say yes to being my
wife," Trowa stated softly.
Catherine looked up at him, knowing tears were in her eyes. "Yes," she
whispered as he slipped a diamond ring onto her finger.
Catherine got up and hugged Trowa before kissing him soundly on the lips.
"Thank you," Trowa murmured into her ear. Catherine just smiled, glad to have her life
made whole.
~~*~~
The year passed by with only an engagement party. No other engagements were
made, but everyone once again became alert, knowing to well Death was around once
more. They just didn't know when it would strike and what would happen when it did.
Soon it was time for Trowa and Catherine's wedding, a night no one would ever forget.
~~*~~
"Cat, you look so pretty!" Relena gushed. Relena stared adoringly at the white,
silk dress. She watched as Hilde put the veil on Catherine.
"You, guys, I am so glad you helped me out! I am totally nervous," Catherine
smiled.
Hilde and Relena had been more than glad to help, especially when they were
bridesmaids. Catherine's younger cousin, Samantha, was the flower girl and Catherine's
older sister, Cassi, was the maid of honor. "You'll do fine, Catty. Just don't trip," Cassi
teased.
"Thanks, sis."
~~
Duo tried to adjust his tie, but he wasn't having much luck with it. Heero on the
other hand was completely done. 'Heero almost looks like a mannequin, his suit is
perfectly pressed, his tie is straight, and he even straightened up his hair. Who had a clue
he could do so much without practice?' Duo thought enviously.
Trowa was over in front of the full length mirror, trying to get his cummerbund
secured. "A little help?" he asked.
Heero went over and secured it with no trouble at all, then went over to Duo to get
his tie on properly. "Thanks," Duo grinned impishly.
Catherine had asked her older brother, Mikel, to be the best man and her little
nephew, Stevie, to be the ring bearer. Duo and Heero had accepted when Trowa had
asked them, and now the wedding was but moments away. "Ready?" Duo asked.
"As I'll ever be," Trowa replied.
"You take care of her," Mikel told Trowa sternly.
Trowa nodded. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt her," he said solemnly.
~~
The wedding passed on without hitch. Soon it was time for the reception. Trowa
and Catherine were grinning as people came in. When all the people finally were in,
Trowa and Catherine took their seats. "Why didn't your family come?" Mikel whispered
to Trowa.
"They all died a while back," Trowa replied.
"Sorry, man."
"It's okay."
"Here is to the bride and her groom," Mikel began, giving his speech, "I don't
know much about Trowa, but he must be a pretty nice person for Catherine to marry. But
I should warn you, Trowa, when she gets mad, I would run."
Laughter erupted through the room and Catherine blushed, shooting a glare at her
brother. "But, otherwise she is a pretty nice girl. As you all probably know, Catty here is
a knife thrower in the circus here and Trowa is her target. Everyone who sings a song
with the word 'love' in it gets a free pass in. The bride and groom also have to kiss for
each time you sing the word love.
"Now, before this gets any later than it already is, let's eat!"
Everyone began moving around and scooping food onto their plates. Twenty
minutes later everyone had food and was eating. "You may begin the songs, but first a
toast," Mikel smiled, bringing his glass up and toasting the newlywed couple.
Glasses were raised in approval of the pair. Then the first pair of singers came up.
They sang their song, got their tickets, and the couple had to kiss three times. Group after
group came up to sing. The night passed on quickly and Trowa and Catherine got in their
car to begin the honeymoon.
But Duo had been the one to schedule the honeymoon, so it technically didn't start
until tomorrow because Duo had accidentally screwed up the dates. They went home
instead, having a quiet night with the others. "The wedding was perfect," Hilde
commented as she snuggled into Duo's chest.
"I agree," Relena smiled as she felt Heero take her hand.
"Thanks, you guys," Catherine smiled proudly.
They sat talking for a little while longer, a fire now flickering in the brick
fireplace. A chill wind suddenly blew violently through the room and everything went
dark. No one knew what was going on. Only Catherine was the one to feel anything.
Something sharp touched where her heart was. A deep voice recited something in
a voice foreign to her. She shivered as she felt her body turn to ice. Her breathing
became labored, her heart beat erratically, but as the lights came back to the room, there
was no clue of what she had just experienced.
"What happened?" Hilde and Relena asked at the same time.
"Death paid us a little visit. Did anyone feel anything?" Heero asked.
"I did," Catherine whispered so quietly only Trowa heard her.
Fear blanketed his face. "What?" he whispered almost as inaudibly.
"I felt like I was having a heart attack, or something. My chest hurt, I couldn't
breath, but then the lights came on and I was fine again," Catherine said in a louder voice
than before.
"Really?" Heero asked, "Something similar happened to me a few years ago. I
was fixing my gundam when the lights went out and a migraine unleashed all its fury on
me. The gundam was about to take off, but I found the manual shut-down. Then the
lights came on and I was fine."
"You never said anything about this before, Heero," Relena quietly whispered.
"I didn't want to worry you," Heero replied, just loud enough for her to hear and
no one else.
Relena nodded, knowing he was telling the truth. She settled back into the couch,
waiting for something to break the God-awful silence which was rapidly filling the room.
"When do you think Death will strike for real?" Duo wondered.
"I don't know. Someday it will be back and we have to be prepared," Heero
replied.
~~*~~
From that day on, they didn't live as freely as they had before, but still nothing
came to show them Death was ready to rear its ugly face on them once again.
Duo and Hilde had gotten married in a private ceremony, they hadn't even let any
of the others know when they had done so, but they were still happy and their friends still
talked to them. They did have plans to build a club, but not until after Death came. Until
then, they would just go club hopping and night and live to regret it in the morning.
Relena and Heero had decided to try going on a few dates. There was the right
chemistry between the two, they just didn't know how to get around the other person's
protective barrier. They decided to just be friends, not sure how to conquer the sturdy
shields of their hearts.
Trowa and Catherine went on their honeymoon in a simulated Hawaii, (the real
one had been destroyed in a devastating missile attack) and they then went home and
relaxed. Charles called them a few weeks later requesting they come back. They then
made that dream of long ago come true. They gave the crowd a heart-stopping show.
Nothing ever happened to Heero or Catherine after that incident, so no worry over
what was wrong bothered anyone. Friendships had strengthened in the time, making
everyone closely knit together. Time flew and soon almost ten years had passed since
their first meeting.
~~*~~
It was a warm summer day and the sun beat down on the three couples sitting
outside. Duo and Hilde had just played each other in tennis, Hilde being the victor.
Catherine and Trowa were resting before the show they had to put on tonight. Heero and
Relena were drying off after a cooling swim in the pool. Today seemed like the perfect
day.
Then big, dark, heavy clouds moved in, promising rain or maybe even storms.
Everyone scrambled to get inside before the wet drops splattered them with the icy
coolness known to rain. They all went into the comfortable living room and made
themselves at home. "How did such a nice day get gloomy so fast?" Catherine wondered,
looking outside at the bleak day the beautiful day had evolved into in a matter of seconds.
"I don't know, but I don't like it," Heero said, a touch of monotone coming back
after it had disappeared so many years ago.
"Don't talk like that," Relena scolded. She truly hated that empty, dreary tone he
sometimes resorted to.
Heero nodded his understanding and moved to the fireplace. There was no fire lit
in the fireplace so he rested comfortably there. Relena felt something inside her break at
his leave, but knew he was to worried to stay out of what she called his 'perfect soldier'
mode. Everything had settled down and Duo turned on the TV to check on the weather.
"Says some top notch storms are going to arise, maybe some really strong winds or even
some tornadoes," Duo reported, glad to know something Heero didn't know.
"Hn."
They still sat where they were, no one ever listened to the weather because it was
at times wrong. Rain began to come down heavily, it pelted at the winds like hail would
have. The trees outside whipped fiercely as a wisp of strong breeze rolled through.
Lightning etched its jagged patterns against a purple wall of clouds. Thunder rolled after
it, long and deep. Then, lightning filled the entire room in a bright, yellow-white light.
Crackling thunder arrived but a second later and the power flashed off. The city's
storm warning system was activated. "Time to move out. Trowa, lead the way to the
storm cellar," Heero instructed.
Trowa took the lead and held tightly onto Catherine's hand. Heero and Relena
followed, Relena gripping Heero's arm tightly as thunder erupted loudly outside. Duo
and Hilde were last, with Duo leading her a few steps ahead. Then Hilde screamed as the
glass of the windows blew inward and the doors burst open; cold, strong winds howling
through the complex.
They all went a little faster, wanting to escape the perilous storm brewing outside.
But Hilde fell after a few steps as a strong wind pushed her from behind. "Duo!" She
tried to call above the wailing of the wind.
He didn't seem to hear her and she let out a strangled cry. She tried to stand up,
but her legs were being traitourous and refused to help her up. "DUO!" Hilde cried as
loud as she could.
He still didn't hear her and fear was beginning to take over. She crawled against
the floor, glass scraping her as she made her way to the door they were at. Duo was about
to go in, but noticed she wasn't there and looked back. Hilde sighed in relief. He came
running back to help her. "Can you stand?" Duo shouted above the noise.
"No," she replied, her words lost in the now whistling winds.
Duo then proceeded to pick her up. But then a strong gust of icy wind threw him
against the wall, rendering him unconscious. "Duo!" Hilde choked out as she began to
make her way over to him.
Something began to pull at her feet. She turned to see what it was, and a
spire-looking object was entering the door, completely destroying the house. Hilde
screamed as it continued to pull at her. She tried to claw at the ground to escape its
deadly claws, but she couldn't. She was soon sucked up into the spiraling winds.
"DUO!" Hilde screamed one last time.
Just before Hilde was taken up into the tornado, Duo began to awake from what
felt like a drugged sleep. He shook his head and looked up as he felt the incredible pull
of a twister. He saw Hilde reaching out for him and made a move to get her, but then it
was too late and Hilde was gone.
"HILDE!" Duo cried out, desperately hoping this was all a dream.
He saw the tornado leave the house, and before long the storm had ended. Duo
scrambled up to try and find her. He hoped against hope that she was still alive. He went
outside, his eyes searching frantically around him, trying to see anything that would lead
him to his love. Then, he saw her, lying in the remains of someone's house. He rushed
over to her side.
"Hilde?" he whispered softly, trying to see if she was still alive.
She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head towards him. "Duo," she
whispered before coughing.
"Shh, don't talk. Everything will be all right," Duo comforted both her and
himself.
"No, it won't. Please don't ever forget me," Hilde said before coughing once
again. This time it turned into a coughing fit, and a small amount of blood appeared at
her mouth. "I love you," Hilde stuttered out.
"I love you, too," Duo whispered, his eyes clouding with tears.
"Good-bye," Hilde whispered as she reached her hand up to stroke his cheek one
last time.
Duo cupped her hand in his. "Good-bye, my love," he murmured as he kissed her
for the last time.
By this time, Trowa, Catherine, Relena, and Heero had come out to see where
Duo and Hilde had gone. They saw him bent over Hilde, tears shaking his frame. They
slowly walked over to him. "Is she gone?" Relena asked quietly, tears already welling up
behind her eyes.
"Yes," Duo whispered as he stood and picked her up in his arms.
They all walked silently back to the house. It was time for Death to come once
more, and they knew he was much more powerful than they had anticipated. Now begins
our story...
TBC...
*Hi, moonlit here! Hope you like the chapter. Sorry it isn't THAT long and it
still took me forever. I had a fit of writer's block and vacation. I'll get the next part out
as soon as I can.
*Sorry this seems so dreary and dark, but it is the way I had planned it. I upped
the rating to R for the intense scene. (so maybe it doesn't need to be that high, but better
safe than sorry!) Please make sure to review.
*Thanks, Moonlit*