Once a Lifetime

Chapter 19; God POV;

Shuishi left Duo after those words and headed off to find Zechs. Sure enough, she found him all alone and staring out the window, watching for the Gundam Pilots to arrive. She smiled sadly and placed a hand on his shoulder, a tear slipping down her cheek. He jumped, startled by her touch.

"Shuishi!? What are you doing here?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"I've come to tell you that you might not want to fight the pilots to hard. If Heero can't reach Duo in time, it will all be over. He will be dead before he can reach him. Even now, he grows weaker. Soon, even I can not refuse to take him." Zechs eyes flared open wide in disbelief.

"What!! I wasn't supposed to kill him, only kidnap him. What in the hell happened?" Shuishi looked away.

"The drug you gave him had silver nitrate in it. Harmless to humans in small doses, but deadly to daemons." Zechs glared at her.

"Why didn't you tell me about this when you told me to kidnap him?"

"The only thing I told you to do was capture him. Otherwise, you acted on your own. Finding that drug from G, you acted without finding out what was in it. It isn't really no ones fault, but a daemon is still a daemon, no matter what they look like on the outside."

"You tricked me. I told you I wanted no part of his death! I didn't want to be the bad guy."

"I know you didn't. This is only what the fates had in store for you. No other person could have managed what you had. Heero knows now that he loves Duo. All he needs do is make it here in time to tell him."

Zechs turned from her and rushed toward the main phone. He yanked it up and hollered into it. "Do not, I repeat, do not fire on the Gundam Pilots when they arrive. Let them onto the base without trouble. I have plans for them once they are in to see their friend," he called out, startling the young soldier on the other end.

"But the Gundam Pilots always attack first! Are we just supposed to fall to their skills?" Zechs glared at the phone as if he'd like the kill the young man.

"Just follow my orders. If you don't, I'll kill you myself."

"Hai, Lieutenant Zechs!" the man yelled and hung up, leaving Zechs to slam down his own phone. A second later the phone rang. He glared at Shuishi and picked it up.

"What is it??" he questioned gruffly, not in the mood for this.

"Sir, we've caught Miss Peacecraft sneaking around down on the grounds. What would you like us to do?" Zechs turned narrowed eyes on Shuishi.

"What in the world is she doing here?" he asked of her. Shuishi shrugged, her shoulders lifting her long dark hair.

"Perhaps, seeing as Heero and Duo remember the past now, she does as well. It would be Kami-sama's way of making things even. She might be here to see you and to confront Duo."

"Is it a good thing to let her see him?" Zechs asked. Shuishi nodded.

"This could be his last stand. I would suggest he get his anger toward her out before having to deal with his old life, wouldn't you." Zechs nodded, reluctantly.

"You are correct." He then turned back to the phone. "Bring her in and place her in Pilot 02's room. Perhaps they can keep each other company for the moment."

"Yes sir," the soldier answered and Zechs hung up before anything else can be said. He turned cool eyes on Shuishi.

"Can we manage to pull your invisible trick and see what goes on in the room?" he asked. Shuishi nodded, shifting her hair back over her shoulder so it would fall down her back.

"We can. I would rather like to see how she reacts to Duo's situation. After all, the way she acts now will bring about Kami-sama's judgment on her." Zechs nodded and without another word they faded from this word and into Shuishi own little part of this world, the realm of shadows.

"Duo, why are you just lying there?" Relena asked coldly as she was finally left alone with him. He struggled to open one eye and look at her. His skin was abnormally pale and his skin even looked clammy from where the former Angel Master of Water stood.

"Because I can't move, Relena. They gave me a drug that's got me really messed up." Relena seemed to want to glare spitefully at him, but then concern won over and she rushed to his side.

"Duo? What's wrong? What did they do?" Duo smirked, slowly, and laughed casually, or at least as casually as he could make it.

"The Angel Master has a soft side after all, huh, Relena?"

"I know I've always been mean to you, Duo, but I didn't want this. I only wanted Heero, not your death." Duo smiled softly, a real one.

"I see. You care, although it isn't the same as what we feel for one another. That is how your life is. I'm sorry I didn't realize that his loving me hurt you. You really aren't as bad as everyone thinks, are you, Relena?"

"No, I'm not. I suppose I was just being greedy." Duo laughed at that.

"At least you're being honest." Relena nodded and slowly placed a hand on Duo's cheek, feeling the coldness of death already touching his flesh.

"I wish I could die in your place, Duo. I wouldn't want this of anyone. It seems painful." Duo shook his head, despite the fact he was really hurting inside, and from more than the silver nitrate running in his veins.

"No, you don't need to be in my place, Relena. In this time, you are a positive influence, Miss Peacecraft. I would like to see you bring this world into peace." She sniffed, tears falling from her eyes. "Just one thing," Duo asked as his eyes shut once more. "Did you really sleep with Kami-sama, or was that just a rumor?" Relena sniffled once again and laughed.

"I've only ever enjoyed humans as my sexual partners, Duo. Besides, I think Kami-sama has better takes than a promiscuous angel." Duo laughed, but it was soft, almost not there.

"Good. I thought as much but couldn't be certain." Relena placed a hand over his forehead.

"Save your strength, Duo. Heero is on the way to save you. You have to stay alive to see him one more time." Duo nodded and slowly slipped back into unconsciousness. Relena looked up to see Zechs soon enter the room, having left the shadows of Shuishi's realm to see the young angel master whose place he had taken.

"Relena, that was fairly nice of you."

"What do you want? I can't even see you as a brother for what you've done."

"That's good, because I'm not really your brother."

"Huh?" she asked, her voice confused.

"I'm Meridiana, Relena, not Milliardo." Relena's eyes widened in shock.

"You're Heero's sister!" Zechs nodded. Before he could say anything, though, Shuishi arrived.

"Relena, Kami-sama wants to see you." Relena nodded and flashed out in a whirl of water. Shuishi then turned to Zechs. "The Gundam Pilots are here, and Heero does not look happy. Shall we hide once more in the shadows to see how things turn out?" Zechs nodded, not quite as angry with Shuishi as he had been earlier.

"Please, I would like to see this become a happy ending," he answered. She waved her hand and the path between the shadows and the actual realm opened. As they moved to leave Zechs heard her soft reply.

"So do I. So dear Kami-sama and Satan-sama, so do I."