Chapter Four: "Ai Shiteru.... Zutto"
"Hiya" Zuttolin screamed as she threw her sword through another of her
enemies.
Dita looked back at Hibiki. She felt better as a fused vanguard when they
were fighting the enemies but now she was concerned about Zuttolin.
"Why are her attacks so angry? I liked her fighting so much better when
it was like a dance. When it was graceful" Dita asked Hibiki in a voice
that he couldn't ignore. "I think she really is upset." Hibiki answered,
also worried.
"Duelo really hurt her... didn't he" Dita looked at Hibiki. Hibiki just
nodded and sighed. Dita turned back around to help fight off any remaining
enemies but there were none.
"She... killed... them...all?" Dita tried to keep her words strait.
Hibiki nodded and turned the vanguard around.
"Is now the time to talk to you" Duelo said as he entered Zuttolin's room. Zuttolin turned and snorted. "Talk if you want" she said angrily. "Can you tell me why you have suddenly started to hate me" Duelo asked in the first words of emotion Zuttolin had ever heard him mutter. "I just don't want to get in the way" Zuttolin said, choking back tears. "Of what?" Duelo asked in a nearly annoyed way. "You and Parfait. You are so perfect for her and she is so perfect for you. I wanted to stay out of that" tears started to form in Zuttolin's eyes. "If I may say, I talked to Parfait today. She said the same thing and I told her that I...." Duelo stopped as he noticed Zuttolin had turned to face him. "You what" she retorted in a irritated fashion. "That I wanted you and that I chose you... no matter how much I loved her, it felt as though you were a part of me now" Duelo said bravely. Zuttolin narrowed her eyes at Duelo. "I don't believe you" was all she had to say. Duelo's emotionless eyes filled with sadness and betrayal. "How can I make you believe me" Duelo offered. "I don't know Duelo!" Zuttolin yelled. At this sudden change of mood, her wings flew out to her side. Duelo took a step toward the heavenly figure. He took two more steps until his face was just inches from Zuttolin's. Duelo extended his hand and touched one of the outstretched wings. He instantly felt a soft group of feathers under his hand. Duelo took a few feathers in his hand and pulled them with all of his strength. Zuttolin screamed in pain. Duelo stopped pulling on the feathers. "If you felt that at all, then I love you" Duelo said plainly. "Duelo..." Zuttolin could not find words to express how she felt now. "I don't know what to do" Zuttolin tried to hold back more tears. "I think now would be the good time for you to kiss me" Duelo whispered. Zuttolin laughed and jumped into Duelo's arms. She rose her head slightly and looked deep into Duelo's eyes and kissed him passionately. Duelo returned the kiss and placed his hands gently on Zuttolin's waist. Zuttolin deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. After a few minutes, Zuttolin broke away from Duelo and placed her head on his chest. "Heartbeat..." Zuttolin whispered. Duelo was confused by her whispers. "What do you mean by that?" he asked quietly. Zuttolin looked up at Duelo. "It means that there is only a certain amount of time that I have to spend with you before Death comes" she said in a low voice. She spoke of death as if it were a person or a being. Duelo dismissed her death-as-a-person talk and shook his head. "No. You have all the time in the universe to spent with me" Duelo said gently. Zuttolin laughed a little. "How so?" she asked in wonder. "Ai shiteru.... zutto" Duelo said in a loving voice. Zuttolin rested her head back against Duelo's chest. "Forever" Zuttolin savored the word in her mouth. For once, Zuttolin felt complete. She no longer felt like a part of her was missing. And she knew that the void that had been there once was filled.... forever.
"Is now the time to talk to you" Duelo said as he entered Zuttolin's room. Zuttolin turned and snorted. "Talk if you want" she said angrily. "Can you tell me why you have suddenly started to hate me" Duelo asked in the first words of emotion Zuttolin had ever heard him mutter. "I just don't want to get in the way" Zuttolin said, choking back tears. "Of what?" Duelo asked in a nearly annoyed way. "You and Parfait. You are so perfect for her and she is so perfect for you. I wanted to stay out of that" tears started to form in Zuttolin's eyes. "If I may say, I talked to Parfait today. She said the same thing and I told her that I...." Duelo stopped as he noticed Zuttolin had turned to face him. "You what" she retorted in a irritated fashion. "That I wanted you and that I chose you... no matter how much I loved her, it felt as though you were a part of me now" Duelo said bravely. Zuttolin narrowed her eyes at Duelo. "I don't believe you" was all she had to say. Duelo's emotionless eyes filled with sadness and betrayal. "How can I make you believe me" Duelo offered. "I don't know Duelo!" Zuttolin yelled. At this sudden change of mood, her wings flew out to her side. Duelo took a step toward the heavenly figure. He took two more steps until his face was just inches from Zuttolin's. Duelo extended his hand and touched one of the outstretched wings. He instantly felt a soft group of feathers under his hand. Duelo took a few feathers in his hand and pulled them with all of his strength. Zuttolin screamed in pain. Duelo stopped pulling on the feathers. "If you felt that at all, then I love you" Duelo said plainly. "Duelo..." Zuttolin could not find words to express how she felt now. "I don't know what to do" Zuttolin tried to hold back more tears. "I think now would be the good time for you to kiss me" Duelo whispered. Zuttolin laughed and jumped into Duelo's arms. She rose her head slightly and looked deep into Duelo's eyes and kissed him passionately. Duelo returned the kiss and placed his hands gently on Zuttolin's waist. Zuttolin deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. After a few minutes, Zuttolin broke away from Duelo and placed her head on his chest. "Heartbeat..." Zuttolin whispered. Duelo was confused by her whispers. "What do you mean by that?" he asked quietly. Zuttolin looked up at Duelo. "It means that there is only a certain amount of time that I have to spend with you before Death comes" she said in a low voice. She spoke of death as if it were a person or a being. Duelo dismissed her death-as-a-person talk and shook his head. "No. You have all the time in the universe to spent with me" Duelo said gently. Zuttolin laughed a little. "How so?" she asked in wonder. "Ai shiteru.... zutto" Duelo said in a loving voice. Zuttolin rested her head back against Duelo's chest. "Forever" Zuttolin savored the word in her mouth. For once, Zuttolin felt complete. She no longer felt like a part of her was missing. And she knew that the void that had been there once was filled.... forever.