MS: So, how did you all enjoy the last chapter? It was really fun to write^_^ Since it's summer, I can write until midnight or two or eight in the morning (I can, but I won't until eight. I love you people, but come on, I need to put some restrictions here!). I do hope you all like how it's going ^_^ Because if not, I need to know. I wouldn't be able to know what I'm doing wrong!
Peach: We get to divulge into more of Duo's powers this chapter. I hope you'll be surprised and happy at what they are! Enjoi!
"Good morning, Quatre." Duo yawned as he entered the kitchen, stretching. Quatre tipped his cup of steaming coffee towards him and continued reading.
"How are you today? Everything okay?" Quatre questioned, eyes skimming the colorless paper in front of him.
Duo eyed his reading material and shrugged. "Ah, black and white, just like your paper."
Quatre didn't reply as Wufei walked in and grabbed a coffee cup. "Hello, Maxwell. Up early again, I see. It surprises me, really. I don't think any other being could go to bed so late and get up so early every single morning for months upon months. I don't know how you do it, but, I don't care anyway."
Duo shot a menacing glare at him as he filled his cup full of hot coffee. "I am always asleep in this house."
Wufei just sipped his coffee and sat down, taking sections of the read paper from Quatre. "Whatever." He began to read silently, ignoring all distractions and people.
Duo snorted to himself, and looked around the kitchen. The light came in dingily through the dirty windows, and provided the only brightness in the room. Even in the morning, when the sun is shining and the world is starting anew, all I can feel is the emptiness beside me. I wave my arm in the sun's beams, or move around the lit room, but I can't feel a thing. I can't feel anything, and yet, all I can feel is nothing.
Heero came yawning into the bare room, and said a sleepy hello. "Hello, Heero. Planning on working more on your gundam today?" Quatre questioned halfheartedly. "It's the only thing around here to do."
Heero's eyes lowered slightly. "No, I can't." He stopped there and leaned against the counter, sipping another meaningless cup of coffee. "There's nothing left to do on it."
Once again, silence sounded throughout the small room, nobody willing to break its spell.
Duo huffed. "I'm outta here; I can't take this." He stamped over to the kitchen door leading outside and opened the rusty latches. Only Quatre spared a glance as the door slammed shut.
Quatre stood up and headed to the door, concern leaking into his face. "Oh dear…Duo…." The others watched as Quatre pursued the other pilot, but no words came from their mouths as they continued on with their morning activities.
Duo was sitting by a dead tree, looking up at the morning sky. No birds chirped on the deadened land, no squirrels ran throughout the yard in search of food.
"Is this seat taken?" Quatre questioned, pointing to a spot on the rough grass beside Duo. Only Duo's eyes moved as he cast a disappointed glance at the sun. Quatre took it as a yes, and placed himself down on the coarse plants. "So…." He said, attempting a conversation.
"Did you notice?" Duo asked, and Quatre stared uncertainly. "Did you notice how they hardly left a glance when I left? They said no words, they had no actions. It was like I'm air…just stale air…to them."
"No…no, Duo, that's not true. I'm sure they noticed, but it's…it's early in the morning. Their reactions are slow without their caffeine."
"They didn't really see me leave at all. They knew it, but only on the surface. Deep down, they only see dark shadows and dull light. They hear it, but only to a degree. When it comes to their hearts, they only heard the unspoken thoughts and ideas they themselves harbor, but never say. They only live on the outside, but on the inside, we're all dead, Quatre. All five of us; you, and me, and Trowa are no exceptions."
Quatre paused, unsure what to say. "See?" Duo continued. "Even you don't have the words to say something." Even you, the most alive of us all, are dying inside, Quatre. I can't stand it anymore. Even outside I hear nothing, and all skies seem grey to me. I'm shriveling up inside, and none of you can help me, because every time you try, I die a little more from your silence….
Quatre picked at the dead grass on the dry soil. "I think we should water this grass. It could help it come back to life, at least a little bit." He looked meaningfully towards Duo, as if expecting him to understand.
Duo changed his glance to the ground below him. "I don't think it will help. Water doesn't grow things, words, thoughts, and ideas do. And that's one thing we can't supply."
"Well, give it a chance, anyway. You never know what might happen."
Duo sighed. "Only for you, Quatre, could this grass possibly grow for." He stood up, and raised his arms. "You may not be watering it, but it's growing for you."
Quatre smiled, but concern and worry leaked from his eyes, sealing his fake smile away. Duo closed his eyes, and began to mumble words under his breath. Making grasping motions into the air, his face intensified, motions became more violent and quicker, and the ground began to rumble. Dark clouds flew across the sky with breathtaking speed, murky, gloomy, and full of rain. Lightening flashed, faster as it multiplied into hundreds of shots of electricity per few minutes. Rain began to sheet down, pelting cars, houses, people, and anything that was under the sun not minutes before. Thunder sounded in the distance, becoming louder by the second, as the lightening flashed before their eyes. What was light and peaceful a few minutes before no longer stood in the city and its surroundings.
Duo brought his arms to his chest, face narrowed determinedly. His teeth began to clench tighter and tighter as he continued to mumble his words, and his body began to shake in anticipation. A split second later, Duo lashed his arms from his body and thrusted his head to the sky, and the lightening, thunder, and rain intensified for the brief second, causing tremors in the earth, shaking its people to their core. Suddenly after, the rain lessened only slightly, the lightening slowed only a minor bit, and the thunder was hardly quieter.
Gasping for breath, Duo collapsed onto the ground, shaking and trembling as the earth had just moments before. His eyes were but small slits as he became violently ill, throwing up over the deadened grass. Everything became doused in the whipping rain, which cooled Duo off from the dangerously high body temperature that had taken over.
Quatre rushed over instantly to his friend, rubbing his back and talking to him, trying to calm him. "Duo, Duo, are you all right?"
Duo choked a little more, vomiting food and trying to inhale the misty air. Quatre gave him another minute before attempting to get him to talk again.
"I'm fine…" He breathed, wiping his mouth. "I was just really frustrated this time…" His voice trembled with his body as he tried to recover from the shock.
Quatre helped the pilot stand up, acting as a crutch. "You should be aware of your limits, Duo! Hauling all that power at once could overheat your body and kill you instantly! Please, please be more careful when you're doing something like this!" He pleaded, hugging his friend as they moved toward the kitchen door.
"I'm sorry, Quatre…. I just wanted something to soothe my nerves, that's all…. It's comforting, getting all that off my chest…I just didn't want to hold back and have something left afterward…."
Quatre closed his eyes disdainfully. "Duo, just be more careful, please…." He looked to the raging beat of the storm beside him. "This is the biggest one you've created yet…! You know, there are other ways of coping, other than trying to hit everything with the most powerful lightening ever. We can just throw batteries at everyone, it's the same thing!" His attempt at a joke brought a small smile to the braided boy's face.
"I just want it to be over…." He stopped and looked around at the seething storm he had caused. He gave a small disdainful chuckle. "Maybe I just thought that if I tried past my limits, all this emptiness would just go away…just go away from me…."
Duo closed his eyes painfully. Just go away... I just want it all to end.
Quatre ushered him inside, insisting he dry off right away. The kitchen was dark and empty as they entered, and they parted to their separate rooms to change clothes.
It doesn't matter anyway…maybe I should just stay this way…. Just let all this dirt we're made of slide off me, cleansing me…. I just want to be free of this empty life! I want to be free of nothing, all this nothing. He slopped into his room, creating squishing noises as he went. Heero looked up from his keyboard with questions running like the rain from his mouth.
"What the heck? Duo, why are you soaking wet? Are you going to change? You should, right away. Do you need any help for anything? Do you want something to warm you up? Soup? Heating sack?" He rushed over to the disgruntled boy, ushering him to the bathroom. "You're going to get sick if you stay in those! What were you doing, anyway? That got you completely wet? It could be dangerous!"
As Heero rushed over to Duo's dresser, grabbing fresh clothes, Duo slunk onto the bathroom floor, annoyed. It doesn't matter anyway. Maybe it's better if I get sick. At least the voices in my head will break the silence that's cast around me. It may be better, burning up with weakness leaking into me. I may be able to die, may be able to live again that way. Maybe I can get away after all…
"Duo!" Heero shouted, bringing the other boy from his thoughts. "Are you going to change or what!? The longer you stay in those clothes, the more likely you are to get extremely ill!"
Duo looked up haughtily at his worried companion. "Humph." He said, and turned his head. I can only hope, Heero, I can only hope.
Heero glared at him. "Duo! Duo, look at me when I'm talking to you!" Duo refused to even glance at anything, face furrowed in angry response. "DUO!" Heero shouted, still unable to even make the other wince. "Dammit, act your age! You're being immature!"
Duo turned a half circle. I don't care if I'm immature, Heero! Don't you get that already? I just don't care anymore! The more you yell, the more I can hear it echo off the empty walls in this house. That's the only noise I hear! Can't you tell? You have become deaf in the thundering silence of this house. It dulls your senses, killing the part of your mind that brings your senses to life. Can't you tell already? All of you have refused to beat this silence, letting it take over you, slicing you, using you to its will. It has become impossible for me to escape it, except for one…except for one way out…!
Heero paused a moment to collect himself, then roughly grabbed the waist of Duo's saddened shirt, attempting to rip it from the shivering body. Taking the other pilot by surprise, the shirt slid off the slim frame easily, leaving a moist skin bare.
"Hey, hey, dammit! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Duo yelled, scraping at Heero's hands as they attempted to undo the pants. "You scumbag! Get the hell off me!! Dammit! Heero, stop it!!" Hands and arms bleeding freely from the fierce scratches, Heero looked Duo in the eye.
"If I had another choice, I'd take it, Duo. I can't let you just fall sick and die from a stupid cold because you decided to wallow in your own despair."
Duo sat shocked from Heero's words as they rang about him. Taking advantage of the pause, Heero ripped at the pants, finally able to force them off. He grabbed the end of Duo's boxers, finally, and shutting his eyes tightly, gave them a rip.
Duo gasped as Heero turned around, holding the drenched article of clothing in his fingers. "Your dry clothes are beside you. Put them on." Heero said, trying to fight the urge to go and caress the boy behind him. "I'm going to put these in the dryer." Snatching up the wet clothes, Heero left the room in a fast pace.
Duo clenched his fist and teeth as the bedroom door swung shut. "Damn you!!" He called to the wood, receiving no reply. What the hell is that supposed to mean!? Wallowing in my own despair my ass! He doesn't realize what's going on about him, he can't see the blank expressions that dawn my face. He could never understand the loneliness I feel, the empty emotions that flood this room, this house. He could never understand what I have to put up with! He could never…never, as long as he is as dead inside as he is now. He will never see the empty walls as I do, never feel this house's pain and see its wishful memories as it dies slowly. He could never understand the meaning of abandonment as I do. He could never understand the aching silence that floods this house. He could never understand as I do. He could never understand.
Fuming, Duo snatched up his new clothes and roughly threw them on, frustration flowing through his veins. He paced around the room, writhing with anger. The pouring rain could be heard from the dust-caked window, loud despite the strong noise blocker it was. "Nobody feels this…!" Duo yelled, throwing his hands to the musty air beside him. "Nobody…! Nobody…but me...!" His fury brought his emotions at bay, making his breath quiver with every heave. "Nobody…but me…." Hot tears formed at his eyes, blinding him to see only his wrath that lied within him.
He stumbled to the window and placed his hot forehead against the cool glass, watching the light flow outside. The thunder that followed shook Duo to the bone, causing his knees to weaken under the pressure. This thunder…it's like it's coming from me, every time it rings. As if it comes from my own core, depending on my emotions to keep it strong... I can feel it, the essence of it, reminding myself of only me… It can only attempt to break the silence that surrounds it, but when it's through, it's silent once more. It leaves an impression once, but quickly fades from memory. Powerful as it may be, it is only strong for awhile, until the stillness swallows it whole…
As his thoughts and passionate emotions flooded his mind and body, Duo collapsed onto the cold window, sobbing uncontrollably. He placed his fingers lightly to the pane, attempting to touch his own reflection, trying to see if he was really there. As the shadow moved with his hand, obscuring his reflection, Duo realized that he, too, was being eaten by the nothingness around him. Moaning miserably, he began to convulse as the tears splashed down his cool cheeks, dousing his chilly clothing.
A knock at the door brought Duo from his thoughts, as Heero opened the door slightly. "Duo? Are you okay in there?" Finding no arguments to his entering, Heero stepped into the room and cast his eyes to the depressed boy crying by the window. His glance softened, and he rushed to his companion's side. "Shh, Duo, it's okay, everything's okay."
Duo looked up with a tear streaked face, endeavoring to hold in another trembling sob. He turned his head away, back to the windowpane, trying not to seem weak in front of the other.
Heero paused and stared at Duo, instantly taking the boy into his arms for comfort. "It's okay, Duo, just cry. I'm here, I'm here for you. Everything's going to be okay, everything." He ran his fingers through the damp hair over and over, kissing the head. He hugged the boy tightly, afraid to let go. "What's wrong, Duo? Tell me, please, I'll listen, tell me anything."
Duo let out another sob as he turned and hugged Heero back, holding firmly. "Heero…" He let out finally, and began to cry into his warm chest. "Don't leave me yet, I don't want to be alone..."
Heero hugged the boy again, resting his cheek on his head. "Shh, I'm here for you; I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you for anything."
The rain pounded outside as the two boys sat on the windowsill, wind blowing in gusts and kicking debris to them, but failing to catch their attention.
"Heero, Heero, I have so much to tell you…so many, many things…but I can't…I just can't…you'll have to wait for me…please, wait...for me… I can't tell you anything yet…I can only speak of nothing…."
Heero felt a warmth streak through him and he hugged and rocked the distressed boy. "I'll wait for you, until you're ready, I'll wait forever, Duo…." The braided pilot began to sob, clutching the shirt of the other and sobbing into his chest. He'll wait for me, he always will… He will wait until I'm ready…wait until I can defeat my own silence....
The rain continued to fall in the early morning, thunder and lightening raging, to the beat of one certain boy's heart.
MS: That was another enjoyable chapter of The Rainmaker! Now you can tell why I named it that^_^ What do you think?
Peach: Duo can't always hold his thoughts and ideas to himself, as I'm sure is the same as everyone else. (~starts singing Absolutely, Duo version~ Hmm, perhaps we should write one of those like Heero's…) Please tell us your thoughts and ideas about this chapter! Thank you!
MS: Yes, as always, thank you, readers! We always enjoy your comments ^_^ Please leave a review if you've gotten this far, or else I will think nobody wants to read The Rainmaker!! Thank you!