Ayashi no Yuugi
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter 14: Wishful Memories
Mitsuki Cosmos: We've rewritten this chapter. Enjoy!
April 24, 198 AC; 10:00 PM
CSA Battleship, First Class, Level 12, Goldstreak
"Goldstreak, this is Admiral Shinn Asuka. Do you have room in your hanger to take in ten Gundams?"
"More than enough room, Admiral," Morse's voice was calm.
"I hope you have room in the hold," Milliardo's voice was calm, "since we're bringing in four positron cannons as well."
"We have the room, Admiral Kaze," Morse said.
"Good," Duo said briskly.
"Admirals, lead the Gundams in through Bay, we'll open the bay doors."
"Thank you," Milliardo said.
"Let's go," Duo said into the link, "Follow me."
He led the Gundams into the battleship. They leapt out of the Gundams once the hanger was pressurized, and waiting medics instantly took them into the infirmary for a checkup.
Once they were declared to be in perfect health, except for Omnyouji and Sakurazukamori, who had several cracked ribs, sprained ankle or wrist, and broken limbs as well as a concussion (in Omnyouji's case).
The crew of the L1 shuttle and Relena were given rooms toward the heart of the ship, where they'd be safest.
Duo, Milliardo, Gaia, and Cosmos were shown to rooms near the bridge, and found that their uniforms and sabers were there. Apparently, Madame S had intended for them to attend some sort of meeting at L7. The other Gundam Pilots were shown to rooms down the hall from Duo, Milliardo, Gaia and Cosmos, and they were given a change of clothes, namely black slacks, and white dress shirts. They met in one of the three Officers' conference rooms for a quick meeting with the Captain and her First Officer.
They instantly decided to send the crew of the L1 shuttle and Relena to L1 via transfer shuttle, and then continue to L7 to deal with the repercussions of the Gundam Pilots knowing about the CSA. Once the six CSA agents and four Gundam Pilots were safely on the hidden colony, the Goldstreak would continue to the CSA Colony L4 Research and Development Center to have the positron cannons properly stored and studied.
April 25, 198 AC; 6:30 AM
CSA Battleship, First Class, Level 12, Goldstreak
Relena and the L1 shuttle crew were woken by a separate crew member of the Goldstreak at 6:00 AM, and given time to freshen up. At 6:30 AM, they boarded the Goldstreak Transfer Shuttle, Pallas. The CSA crew piloting the shuttle was careful not to wear their CSA uniforms, and was given specific orders as to what to do once they were launched from the battleship. At approximately 6:45 AM, the Goldstreak Transfer Shuttle, Pallas, was launched and on it's way to the colony L1 with it's precious cargo, the crew of the L1 shuttle, and the Vice Foreign Minister and Princess of Sanq, Relena Dorlian Peacecraft.
April 25, 198 AC; 3:02 PM
Colony L7 Orbital Base, Ceres Point
"Gentlemen, welcome to the CSA L7 Orbital Base, Ceres Point," Duo said lightly as the Goldstreak pulled into the hanger of the base.
The changes in the American pilot were amazing, Quatre thought. Only a moment ago, he was justified in calling himself the God of Death, now, with his head held high, and his back ramrod straight, with the impeccable manners of one born in high society, the joker was gone, replaced by a man one would not want to cross. While strikingly handsome most of the time, now, dressed in the standard field uniform of the CSA with the saber revealing his position as a high ranking officer at his side, and the proud but blank expression on his face, the Deathscythe Hell pilot was surrounded by an authoritive and commanding air, and was utterly breathtaking.
"Let's get this show on the road," Milliardo said, stepping into the bridge, his saber held lightly in his left hand, his platinum blonde hair pulled back and away from his face in a high ponytail.
Duo nodded and said calmly, "07 get 09 and 10 to the infirmary. 08 make sure if Relena and the crew of the L1 Shuttle have arrived safely on the colonies. Kaze, get the Gundam Pilots to Safe House 9. We follow through on procedure SL3 at 0900 hours."
Milliardo, Gaia, and Cosmos saluted and left the bridge, the Gundam Pilots in tow.
"Are you alright, Admiral?" Morse said, looking up from the console.
Duo smiled tightly. "I feel like I'm about to face a firing squad."
"It's not easy to send your friends to the Memory Sorter, is it?"
"No, Captain, it is not." Duo sighed, and squared his shoulders and nodded curtly at Morse before walking off the bridge, his steps measured and even.
April 25, 198 AC; 5:05 PM
Colony L7 Orbital Base, Ceres Point, Safe House 9
Admiral Shin Asuka, First Class, Type Two Unlimited of the CSA; he was admittedly one of the best Agents in the entire history of the Cosmos Star Agency.
Effective, polite, merciful, brutal, known for his good judgment and calm outlook in times which would have broken any other man, with a record of single handedly completing missions that normally required five or six to complete, and supposedly the next Shinigami of the Triad, he had risen quickly through the ranks. Unknown to many in the Agency, he was the Shinigami, and he'd been around longer than they could ever have imagined. His millennia of experience had molded him into an impartial watcher and participant in the dance that was life, and he was more likely to misjudge himself than a person he barely knew, hence the impression of good judgment.
Duo scoffed as he watched Heero pace the comfortable chamber that Milliardo had left him and the other three Gundam Pilots in from the observation deck. Right. Good judgment his ass. He'd bet his entire Hades Series MS that this was one of his worse moments, considering that he had lied to the people who saw him as their friend for the past two or three years. Now that one of his more minor secrets was out, he was getting ready to erase the incident, and leave them in the dark again.
He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to the cool glass, remembering the tak that led to his arrival on earth…
Flashback
A figure clad in a wine colored robe, with a long chestnut braid falling down his back to his knees carrying a scythe in his hand with outstretched bat wings stood in the swirling vortex of blacks, green, blues, reds, and violets. He floated in the darkness, ignoring the swirling and shifting colors that made up Existence, his head bowed as his pale face was bathed in a white light that was the Creator…
"Are you willing to do what you must to guard this earth, Shinigami?"
"Yes my Lord."
"Then go to Earth. With Omnyouji, Sakurazukamori, Gaia, and Cosmos, start up an orginiation to guard and train those blessed by me, and seek out Kamui. Bring back the 'Kamui' Power without killing Kamui, if possible, and see to it that Kamui can live a peaceful life."
"Yes my Lord."
"Shinigami, you will have to tear humans from their lives rather than guiding them during this mission. Are you willing to end the lives of these mortals before their time?"
"No, my Lord, but I will do so none the less."
"Then go. You will meet your companions on Earth, and you will do my will. All will have been arranged by Gaia."
"Yes my Lord," Shinigami said, bowing his head deferentially.
He faded out of the vortex that made up Existence, the only place that the Goddess of Existence, Cosmos, did not rule. So now he would work with three immortals with whom he did not get along with, as well as one who was his servant. Omnyouji and Sakurazukamori would follow the wills of Gaia, Cosmos, and himself, but what of the remainders? From what he understood, Gaia would follow Cosmos, if Cosmos should decide to command her, but to his understanding, neither he, Cosmos, nor Gaia enjoyed being ordered about. So who would command this mission?
End flashback
"Shinn?" Gaia's voice was gentle. "We're ready to follow through with Procedure SL3."
"Aa," Duo's voice was tired and held a deep sadness and loneliness, and reverberated with eternity, an immortal's voice.
Gaia's arms wrapped around him reassuringly. "I know how you feel, my friend," her voice changed to encompass the baying of hounds, the gurgling of running water, the roaring of the oceans, the peace and silent growth of green things, the lively chatter of the beasts, an echoing infinity reminiscent of the ancient days when humans were one with nature, the voice of her immortality.
Duo opened his eyes, and for a moment, reflected in the glass were his eyes, filled with emptiness, a deep swirling void of blackness, of peace, silence, loneliness, and destruction. Gaia's eyes reflected in the glass as well, a sparkling myriad of life, of peace, silence, bustle, growth, and chaos, shifting in color, deep with emotion and time.
He blinked slowly, and his eyes became violet once more. In the window, he watched as Gaia's reflection closed her eyes and opened them again to reveal sad sea-grey depths. Their eyes met through the reflection on the glass, and understanding passed between the two, and sad smiles flickered across their features. Gaia's arms fell from around him, and she walked away.
Duo sighed, shook his head as he moved away from the glass, squared his shoulders, and left the observation deck in the opposite direction.
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The door slid open, and Heero turned stormy eyes onto the impassive American who walked in.
"We are now following through with Procedure SL3; your memories of the CSA which was momentarily revealed during the Mission Nautilus Strike will be erased."
"Maxwell! What is the meaning of this?" Heero snapped.
"Sorry, Yuy," Duo said, his eyes blank, his face impassive. Nothing in his posture showed any emotion, and his voice had taken on a flat quality the sent shivers down the Japanese pilot's spine. "This is standard procedure. If you're not a certified CSA agent, and you spot a CSA ship and/or learn the identity of a CSA Agent, you get brought to L7, and your memories of the CSA are erased."
"Will we even remember you, Duo?" Trowa asked.
Duo raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Are you kidding me? Have memories of one of your comrades in arms erased? You will still remember pilot 02; you just won't remember anything about pilot 02 being CSA Pilot 04 or a CSA Type Two Unlimited Admiral."
"This is…"
"If I even hear the word injustice in that sentence, Chang, I will personally make sure that you spend the rest of your days convinced that you're a six year old girl," Duo said, a murderous gleam appearing in his eyes before disappearing under a stoic mask.
"Are you allowed to do that?" Quatre asked.
"I'll even go as far as to have Noin, Dorothy, and Sally braid his hair and put him in a frilly pink dress with lots of ribbons," a spark of amusement flickered in the American's eyes before disappearing under the stoic mask as well.
"…not fair," Wufei finished.
Duo sighed. "Don't fight us on this; I don't like this procedure any more than you do. Trust me; it'll make it easier on the both of us, not to mention, it'll hurt me more than it hurts you. Just ask Quatre."
"Gentlemen," Milliardo said, entering the room, "we are ready for you now."
Duo sighed and left to hand in his report, leaving Milliardo with the task of strapping down the Gundam Pilots. He never noticed Quatre rubbing his chest in a gesture that showed that he was sensing something.
"Duo!" Quatre called.
"Yes?" Duo said as he turned around, his face blank.
"We won't be hurt, right?"
"No, you won't be hurt."
"Then why are you so worried?"
"Because a lot of things can go wrong. Granted that there is a one in a million chance of something going wrong, but if there's a chance of something bad happening, it will happen. You can all be turned into vegetables if something does go wrong. That, and right now, I can truly be happy, since you know almost everything, and I don't like keeping secrets from my friends. If things do go according to plan, after this, I'll be keeping secrets from you again."
"But this means that there's less chance that I'll let something slip, right Duo?" Quatre's eyes were reassuring.
"Aa," Duo's eyes suddenly showed sadness, "but you never said anything… I actually liked having someone who wouldn't question why I healed so quickly, who knew who I am, and wasn't afraid… I want you to remember, so I can better protect you… all of you… so I don't have to sneak around…"
"Have some faith in us, Maxwell," Wufei said. "Even if we don't remember this, we're still your friends, nothing will change."
"Yeah…" Duo nodded and left, his eyes filled with infinite sadness.
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"Generators at sixty percent," Cosmos said as she manned the console.
"Memory Sorter at twelve percent and rising; estimated time remaining before reaching full power, ten point five minutes," Noin said.
"Optic Impulse Beam at twenty percent; estimated time before fully loading, three point six minutes," Milliardo reported.
"Brain wave and heart monitor at one hundred percent, respirator at ninety nine percent, emergency teams standing by," Sally reported.
"Memory Sorter at fifty percent and rising; estimated time remaining; five point three minutes."
"Generators at ninety percent," Cosmos said steadily.
"Optic Impulse Beam at fifty percent," Milliardo said, "estimated time remaining, two point three minutes."
Memory Sorter at one hundred percent."
"Optic Impulse Beam at one hundred percent."
"Generator output at one hundred percent, all systems go."
"Begin procedure," Gaia ordered.
Trowa's Memory
(("That game, it was a transmitter all along."))
(("Hey, Nanashi, I wanna show you something…"))
(("You will take Trowa Barton's place in Operation Meteor."))
((Heero self destructed, and Trowa took his prone form away…))
((Duo's fist came down, and stopped mere inches away from impacting the desk. The wood shuddered and a small crater appeared as Duo snarled something in an unknown language.))
"Ah, there's one," Cosmos said smoothly.
"Activating Optical Impulse Beam," Milliardo said, "Overwriting memory."
Quatre's Memory
((The man the pilots had come to know as Rashid slapped him. "Have some pride!"))
((Mr. Winner picked up the letter…))
((Trowa walked over to the cabinet and picked up a flute and came to stand beside Quatre. Quatre's eyes opened and he smiled as they played the duet together…))
(("Duo?" Quatre whispered as the boy stood alone in the room, surrounded by the corpses of hundreds of OZ soldiers. Duo turned around, and Quatre took a step back. The expression on Duo's face was impassive, and his eyes were completely black, and Quatre's empathy picked up utter silence from the American…
"Quatre," the Ameican's voice was flat, and sounded through the Arabian's soul and mind… his empathy was going haywire… "You see me for what I truly am… Death…"
Quatre's eyes widened and his lips parted in a silent scream of terror as black bat wings unfolded behind Duo as he walked… no floated… toward him…
Duo stopped, and Quatre felt a sudden pang of regret when he saw the hurt that flashed over the boy's features. Duo turned and ran for the door on the other side of the room, and Quatre flung himself at the boy, wrapping his arms firmly around his waist, carefully avoiding crushing the wings…
"I'm sorry, Duo, you just surprised me for a while there…"
Duo turned to him with a pleading expression, "You…"
"I'm not scared, Duo… You've proven that you wouldn't purposefully hurt any of us many times before… I won't tell, I promise, just don't leave us!"
"You really want me to stay?" Duo's face was surprised. "Even knowing what I am, what I'm capable of?"
"At least if we die, it'll be you who takes us away!" Quatre said, "It'll reassure us, knowing that you're doing the work, and we'll know we're in good hands!"))
"There's another one," Cosmos said.
"That's a big one," Noin's voice was shocked, "and he even kept his promise too."
"It must be killing them both," Sally said quietly, "to know that the one thing that brought the two closer is about to disappear."
"I wish we can leave that memory there," Milliardo said sadly. "It was probably this test of their trust in each other that solidified the bond between Quatre and Duo."
"Then why remove it?" Gaia's voice intoned.
The four turned shocked eyes to the girl. "Nani?"
"You heard me," Gaia said calmly. "Quatre showed that he was capable of keeping this secret, and it did solidify their trust in one another, so let's allow him to keep that one memory."
Wide smiles spread across the four faces, and Gaia found herself a recipient of four very heartfelt hugs. "Oh, Gods! Stop that!" Gaia laughed.
The group laughed and turned back to the console.
(("We should never have tried to destroy them…"))
((Duo gripped Quatre's shirt, and with surprising strength, hauled him out of his seat and flung him out of the vehicle. Quatre paled when the jeep exploded into a ball of flames mere seconds after he'd hit the ground and rolled to his feet.
"DUO!" Trowa's horrified shout cut through the shocked haze in his mind.
"Maxwell!" Wufei's eyes held regret. He had called Duo a dishonorable blockhead who was a coward to boot before the mission, and he'd said that Duo was better off dead… oh, how he was regretting his words now…
"Duo…" a whisper drew Quatre's attention to Heero. His mask had vanished, and his face held a deep sorrow, fear, and some unidentifiable emotion…
Suddenly, a lithe figure leapt out from the flames. Quatre recognized the chestnut braid almost immediately.
"Duo!" he cried, relieved that the American was still alive, and a strangled yell left his throat when the boy collapsed.))
(("Hey Qat," Duo rasped when he woke.
"You're alive!" Quatre leapt to his feet.
"Nice to see that you have so much faith in me, Qat," Duo chuckled. "I'm Shinigami, remember? Can't kill death that easily…"))
"Does that apply to the earlier rule?" Cosmos asked.
Gaia rolled her eyes. "Just erase the memories that connect Duo to the CSA."
"Hai!"
Wufei's Memory
(("You call yourself my husband? You're not worthy!"))
(("Is that so?" Wufei flung the hat to the ground. "Well, screw you!"))
((The Alliance attacked the colony and Wufei leapt into the cock pit of Altron.))
(("Are you sure you want to do this?" Master O asked.))
(("What kind of man would I be if I allow my wife to fight for me?"))
((The MS took the hit for him. Wufei stretched out the hand of Altron to pick up his wife's prone body from the wreckage.))
(("I saved your flowers…"))
((They sat on the field, and Meiran's head fell on his shoulder. Wufei looked down.
"Nataku?" he said.
She didn't answer. "NATAKU!" his cry rang out overer the field…))
((He watched in horror as Treize's suit exploded. He could hear his last words…
"Good work, my friend…"))
((Wufei watched in horror as Heero allowed Wing to fall into the sea…))
(("This is CSA Admiral Shinn Asuka reporting, Ninmou Kanryou."
"Starting up Optical Impulse Beam."
"Memory Overwrite commencing."
Heero's Memory
(("Be careful. You're getting old." The man smiled and walked away.))
((His gun was shot out of his hand. He looked at the boy in front of him, and ignoring his words, went for the gun, and the boy shot him again, this time in the leg.))
((He fired the Beam Rifle at the heavily guarded Mansion))
(("I'll put you out of your misery," he said, his gun aimed at Mariemia.
"Thank you," she said, and her eyes slid shut.
He pulled the trigger, and the gun clicked, signaling that it wasn't loaded. Heero's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell forward, unconscious…))
((Heero's eyes narrowed as he stood outside the American's closed door. Duo never closed his door; in fact, the only door he kept closed was the bathroom door, for obvious reasons. Trowa had told him that Duo'd been inside his room for the past three days, and the only sound coming through the oak was the clacking of computer keys.
Wufei had said that Duo was acting unusual, in other words, the American was imitating him. This made every one jumpy, with the exception of Quatre. Heero had a sneaking suspicion that the Arabian knew what was wrong with Duo…))
((Smoke filled the air. Kamui turned the corner and immediately dropped the bag of groceries in his hand. His eyes widened in horror.
"OKAA-SAN!" he cried, running towards the burning house.))
(("Kamui," his mother said. "Go to Tokyo. Your destiny is waiting."))
(("The Shinken shall be born at this Togakushi Shrine. From a woman's body."))
(("You chose you fate as a Ten no Ryu."))
(("KOTORI!"))
(("I am the Twin Star, the other Kamui. Born to fill the void when you chose."))
(("My name is Sumeragi Subaru."))
(("One I loved dearly was killed, by another whom I loved equally."))
(("The Shinken will hide here, safe from prying eyes. Until the day Kamui truly needs it."))
(("It is down to the two of us. One of us is destined to die this day."))
(("I will be the one to kill you. It is our destiny."))
Gaia's eyes widened in shock. "Cosmos! That memory about the fire! We've found him! We've finally found Kamui!"
"Yes, that's wonderful. There's only one problem. It's too early," Cosmos said lightly. "We can't extract the power now without killing Heero."
"I'm not telling you to extract it now. I was saying that we've found him. Kamui can't run anymore, not without killing his current body, and he loves his life all too much, he has friends who won't abandon him except in death, and they don't care that he can't show very many of his emotions."
"We've searched for so long, I'm sure we can wait another year."
"We have to tell Shinigami, Omnyouji, and Sakurazukamori," Gaia's eyes sparkled. "All we have to do now is make sure he doesn't get killed until December 31, and we'll be able to extract the power! We'll be able to leave, and Heero will continue to live his life as he was meant to."
"It's a long time until December, but it'll pass by faster than wind blows," Cosmos said.
"Now that we've found Kamui, let's hurry up and erase the memories of the CSA before we get yelled at," Gaia said.
"Aa."
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Kamui Gaia 07: We'll jump forward a year or so.
MitsukiCosmos: Read the side story "KamuiAn Ayashi no Yuugi Side Story" It goes into more detail about the beginning of the search for Kamui.
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December 31, 199 AC; 11:00 PM
Tokyo Tower, Tokyo, Japan
"Maxwell?"
"Heero?"
"Tell me again why we're on the Observation Deck of the Tokyo Tower?"
"I never told you why we're here," Duo said flippantly. "Do you know about the earthquakes that devastated Tokyo in 1999 AD?"
"Yes."
"Duo?"
"Yes, Quatre?"
"What does that have to do with why we're on the Tokyo Tower?"
"I'm getting there, Quatre. Just to make sure, you do know about the earthquakes that nearly destroyed Tokyo in 1999 AD?"
Heero and Quatre nodded.
"Good. Like I was saying, in 1999 AD, Tokyo was devastated by a series of earthquakes. Hundreds of people were killed. Of course, in the mystical sense, December 31, 1999 AD was considered the Year of Destiny, where two powers, the Ten no Ryuu, and the Chi no Ryuu, would fight for the fate of the Earth, and the battleground was this city, Tokyo. Tokyo is supposedly built on unstable ground, which is where the forces with the power to destroy the Earth, the Dragons of Earth, were confined. Humankind built a series of artificial barrier stones, seen to be precise, also known as Kekkai, to contain the Dragons of Earth, and to stabilize the ground. These barrier stones are called the Dragons of Heaven. They are the Yamanote Line, laid in the shape of the Buddha's Palm with the Imperial Palace in the center, the Shinjuku High-rises, which support the unstable ground, Sunshine 60, the Diet Building, the Rainbow Bridge, the Municipal Building, and of course, the Final Battlefield, the Tokyo Tower."
The two exchanged uneasy looks, which Duo ignored.
"One boy was said to be the key to the fate of the earth, a boy named 'Kamui'. His name had two meanings, "He Who Leads the Majesty of God" and "He Who Hunts the Majesty of God". He had two destinies, to become one of the Seven Seals, a Ten no Ryu, and save the earth, or to be come one of the Seven Angels, a Chi no Ryu, and destroy the earth.
"Kamui chose to become a Dragon of Heaven, and so, his childhood friend, Monoe Fuuma, became his Twin Star, the Other Kamui, and took the empty seat of Power as a Dragon of Earth.
"Kamui died, and as was his heritage through his Magami blood, he became Earth's Shadow Sacrifice."
Here, Duo paused. "You've heard of scapegoat dolls, haven't you? In Shamanic Sorcery, a sacrificial doll, called a scapegoat, takes on the dangers and tragedies and all ill luck that would befall a person. A Magami, plays the same purpose, and in essence, to be a Magami, is to be a living Sacrificial Doll. It is said that half the Prime Ministers in Japan were under their protection.
"Anyway, Kamui was killed by Fuuma here on Tokyo Tower as a scapegoat for Earth, as humanity's Shadow Sacrifice. He died so Mankind could live, and his wish was left unfulfilled.
"To prevent another from having to suffer his fate, and to keep his power from ever being used again, Kamui's soul fled, taking with him his destructive power. Unknown to him, his power was supposed to be returned to the Gods after his death, to prevent it running rampant and destroying the earth which he had fought to protect, and by taking it away with him, he set the gears of Destiny in motion once more.
"In hopes of preventing catastrophe, God sent down to earth, five immortals, Shinigami, Cosmos, Gaia, Omnyouji, and Sakurazukamori to retrieve the Kamui Power. Kamui found out, and he fled once more.
"To evade the five immortals sent to retrieve the 'Kamui' Power, Kamui fled once more, and with his destructive power and the horrifying memories of 1999 AD sealed inside of him, was reincarnated into a young boy in the midst of a war.
His memories returned to him over time, and with his mind filled with horrors long past, he forgot all that made him who he was in the present times. 'Kamui' became cold and withdrawn, and by 175 AC, he was found by an assassin, and was being trained for that profession.
"After the assassination of Pacifist Colony Leader Heero Yuy, 'Kamui's' mentor and surrogate father was killed, and 'Kamui' was taken and trained to be a Gundam Pilot.
"In the year 195 AC, 'Kamui' took on an alias 'into his subconscious, taking with him all trace of his power and the memories of horrors long passed and forgotten. Operation Meteor commenced, and on Earth, Kamui met the first of his four comrades, who was one of the five immortals in disguise.
"Kamui was very fortunate, because by retreating into his subconscious, the only trace of the 'Kamui' power was the speed, and endurance, impossibly light steps, and enhanced senses and reflexes; making the search for the power more difficult for the immortals. As a result, the immortal was beside him throughout the war, and never realized how close he really was.
"Kamui hid himself well, but such secrets can never be hidden forever, so on April 25, 198 AC at 3:00 PM, the Immortal discovered the location of Kamui." Duo grinned. "Am I right, Heero?"
Heero glared and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about Maxwell."
"Really, Kamui? I think you know precisely what we're talking about," a female voice said from behind the Pilots. The boys jumped and spun around, and stared as four figures materialized from the shadows.
The first was a woman with waist length silver hair. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were liquid silver, and her lips were full but pale. She was dressed in a white dress that clung lightly to her curves, and fell to the floor. The sleeves were wide and trimmed with a very light blue, embroidered with silver, and she wore delicate white slippers. Her throat was covered by diamonds, and diamond drops adorned her ears and a circlet of silver and pale blue stones adorned her brow. A pair of snowy white wings sprouted from her back at her shoulder blades. This was the Goddess Cosmos.
The second was a woman with knee length black hair. Her skin was tanned, and her eyes were amber, flecked with green and violet, and her lips were full and rosy. She was dressed in a green gown which lightly hugged her curves and fell to the floor, and the back was longer than the front to form a train of green silk. The sleeves were broad and trimmed with gold, and she wore a cap of gold lace and emeralds. Emeralds adorned her ears, and covered her throat, and she wore slippers of green silk. A pair of snowy white wings and black bat wings sprouted from her shoulder blades. This was the Goddess Gaia.
The third was a man dressed in a white shikifuku. He had black hair, a green eye, a white eye, in which he was blind and pale skin. A pair of black bat wings sprouted from his shoulder blades. This was the immortal Omnyouji, the reincarnation of the Dragon of Heaven, Sumeragi Subaru.
The fourth and last one was a man dressed in a black shikifuku. He had black hair, a gold eye, a white eye, in which he was blind and pale skin. A pair of white wings sprouted from his shoulder blades. This was the immortal Sakurazukamori, the reincarnation of the Dragon of Earth, Sakurazuka Seishirou.
"Are you ready, Shinigami?" Gaia said.
Duo smiled, and a blanket of darkness covered him. When it cleared, it was no longer Duo Maxwell who stood there, but Shinigami, the God of Death. He was tall and slender. His face was pale and smooth, unmarked by any visible blemishes, and was ageless, neither young nor old. His hair was amber and his braid reached to his knees while the two locks that framed his face was waist length. His golden eyes glowed in the light of the moon, and contained a great wisdom and deep sadness. Upon his brow was a circlet of woven silver with seven white stones which were evenly spaced along his hairline. Hanging from his pointed ears were rings of gold. His pitch black bat wings were folded against his back, and shimmered in the moon's silver light. He wore a tunic with a high neck of grey and the cloth buttons were of a silver cloth. Over the tunic he wore a heavy wine colored robe embroidered in gold in a Celtic design. The sleeves came to his knuckles and flared out slightly to allow him to spread his fingers wide. Over the robe he wore an over robe of black velvet trimmed with fur with a silver clasp to hold the robe closed over the breast in the shape of an inverted pentacle. The sleeves were broad and trimmed with silver embroidery in a swirling design of vines and leaves. His boots were made of supple leather and fitted him well, and though none could see it, the top of the knee high boots had a swirling design of leaves and vines stamped into the leather in gold. In his hand was a cherry wood staff that matched him in height and the ends were shod in gold and was carved in the same swirling design as on his over robe and boots, representing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, the three aspects of existence over which he held absolute mastery.
"Wow… Duo…" Quatre breathed.
Shinigami's lips turned upward slightly. "Yes, Quatre, this is my true form, or at least as close to it as you can comprehend. Three years ago in that Oz Base, you saw a human reflection of what I am. You now see me in the form that can be best understood by your mortal consciousness." His smile vanished and he said seriously, "Silence, now. The extraction process is very delicate. One distraction, and Heero could be killed." With that, he turned around, and pinned Heero, who had been trying to get off the observation deck, with his gaze, bringing the Perfect Soldier to a stop.
Gaia drew a nexus around Heero, ten meters in diameter, to keep the spells of the immortals and the 'Kamui' Power in, and everything else out.
The five surrounded Heero, and they chanted an ancient spell in Latin. The five immortals glowed the color of their magic, Shinigami, black, Gaia, green, Cosmos, silver, Omnyouji, white, and Sakurazukamori, blood red. Their power formed a five pointed star, and in the center, Heero glowed pale blue, the color of the long hidden 'Kamui' Power. By the end of the spell, the blue light gathered in Heero's hands and shot upward. A hole opened in the shield, and the power, still surrounded by the pentagram of the five immortals' powers, shot into the sky, returning to the Gods as it should have been so many years ago. Heero collapsed.
Shinigami darted forward and caught him before he hit the metal. He gently laid the boy on the ground and as he straightened, he caught the eyes of Gaia, Cosmos, Omnyouji, and Sakurazukamori. They smiled and nodded. Shinigami nodded in response and the immortals vanished in a flurry of green, silver, white, and violet lights. A dark light surrounded Shinigami, and his wings closed around him. The light faded, and the wings parted, revealing Duo in all his human form. He folded his wings against his back, and they vanished.
Duo knelt beside the Japanese boy and carefully slipped one arm under Heero's lax back and slim muscled legs, and lifted the boy into his arms and stood slowly, with a lithe grace that came from his immortality.
He lifted quiet violet eyes to his friend's worried ones and said quietly, "He'll be alright. It takes a while to adjust to not having such a large amount of power in his system, but he'll be fine. All he needs is some rest, and maybe a week from today, we can begin his training."
"What kind of training?" Quatre's voice was confused.
Duo nodded. "To be or to have been someone with a destiny of Kamui's magnitude, one must be born with some power, even empathy will do. Kamui was born into the Magami Clan, therefore he had a lot of power. When he fled after his death, Kamui took with him, not only the 'Kamui' Power, but the Magami Magic of Shadow Sacrifice. We extracted the 'Kamui' Power, the Magami sorcery is still there, and since there are no more Magamis to teach him to control the power, another person must take on the task."
"Won't that get in the way of your duties?" he asked.
Duo chuckled. "If you want to be picky about it, I am a death. People are constantly dieing, if not from war or starvation, then in accidents, disease, violence, old age, suicide; believe you me, there is plenty of work to go around." He cocked his head and pinned Quatre with a bright gaze. "Didn't we have this discussion once before?"
"Umm… I think so."
Duo's lips twitched and for a moment, he looked like a father watching his child indulgently. "Come on, Qat, let's get Soldier Boy into bed."
Quatre nodded and followed Duo out of the Tokyo Tower.