Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.... Damn...
Songs: "Learning to Breathe" Switchfoot
"Love is a Movement" Switchfoot
"Ragdoll" Maroon 5
"Beautiful Let Down" Switchfoot
"Dare you To Move" Switchfoot
"We Were Meant To Live" Switchfoot
"Diamond Dogs" David Bowie
Pairings: Eventual 121, maybe some 343.
Warnings: Eventual Shonen Ai, maybe violence, and Rock n' Roll baby.
Notes: Standard as all the others, only this one is going to be different. I have unanimously decided that this will be a double if not triple length feature. So be prepared to read, cause it's gonna be long, but when you start reading, I think you'll hit this one in one sitting, because, there are some surprises comin' your way. I suggest that you have a listen to the music I have chosen for Duo's songs, you may or may not like them, but I think it would give you a better idea of what background the music is actually coming from. I have also decided that I will EXTEND the length of this fic, because if it ends in the next two chapters, I think that it would be boring. I'm glad that most of you liked the last chapter, even though some did not, I don't regret writing it, I wanted Wufei to get some love too, because he was being somewhat neglected and it happens in more fics than I care to count, so I just added a bit for him in there. But either way, I appreciate what you guys think, whether good or not, some feedback is better than none.
This fic is dedicated to the memory of my brother, Kohaku, I hope that no matter what I do, that he'll be proud of me. I love and miss you.
In The Valley Of The Diamond Dogs
By Black Dragon62
Chapter 16 : Learning To Breathe
Early morning, the sun had but risen in the East, and was shinning through all of the East facing windows in Tokyo. It was six in the morning, a little early for people to get up, and a little late for some people to be awake. One in particular.
A large beautiful German Shepard was barking incessantly at something on the floor. The dog's owner rolled over in bed. It's 6 in the morning Max.... He thought as he cracked open one eye to look at the digital clock on the nightstand. He put his left arm over his eyes and groaned as the dog kept barking.
"MAX!" A low baritone commanded the dog. "Shut the hell UP!!" His deep voice rumbled through the house to reach the dog's delicate ears. The dog stopped barking for a few seconds, looked around for his master, then started barking again. Shimatta, you little bastard. If I didn't have to go to work today I'd have you tied outside with a muzzle, insolent mutt... He thought angrily as he decided to get up and see what was causing his normally passive dog to spazz out. He climbed out of the bed, leaving the royal blue seats disorganized and wrinkled as his body left the safety of the warm blankets. He walked slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, towards the front of the house. There, he spotted the black and brown menace. He scowled darkly at the canine, who was still barking and had not noticed his master's presence in the room. "Max, quiet." Said his deep and dark voice.
The dog quieted and shrunk back from the harsh tone. He pressed his doggy ears to his brown head and shrunk a little in size. He tucked his tail between his legs and walked over carefully to his master. He ran his head up and down his leg in a silent apology and pleading for forgiveness. His master smiled and scratched the big baby behind the ears. You're all bark. He thought amused. After indulging his dog, he looked towards the floor, and saw what his dog was making such a big fuss over. On the floor, was an 8'x10' creamy white envelope, no name or address on the front except for 'his' name on it's clean surface. He scratched his flat stomach and he picked it up, and flipped it over a few times. He was completely puzzled. He noticed the dog looking up at him with deep brown eyes, pleading.
"Fine, come on, I'll feed you." He said as he walked towards the kitchen, and the big dog trotted happily after him and sat obediently besides his food dish, which was being filled with kibble. He waited patiently for his owner to finish filling the bowl before lunging in and glutton himself.
Meanwhile he sat at the kitchen table, and laid the envelope on the counter to ponder it's contents. After 5 minutes of watching the harmless envelope, he carefully took a letter opener and sliced one side of the envelope cleanly. After no powder or explosion happened, he decided it wasn't dangerous and removed the contents. He removed one 8'x10' piece of paper, and a smaller piece of thicker paper, decorated in blue and white with black lettering, and also a plastic card. He was confused and was unsure of the item's meanings. So, he set to read the elegant letters on the paper in his hand. After reading it thoroughly, he was even more confused.
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"But it's Saturday!!!" Duo whined. He looked at Hilde with pleading eyes. "Can we skip the sound check for today and just go sight seeing or something?" Duo pleaded with big watery violet eyes.
"No. And stop asking. The show is in 2 hours, and you need to do a sound check, wardrobe check, equipment check, and you need something to eat. We have a lot of work to do and 2 hours to do it in, now if you will kindly stop whining for more than 3 minutes, we could actually get it done, so we can get the show over, THEN you can go sight seeing." Hilde said a bit out of breath. She looked at Duo, then her expression softened just a bit. "Look D, this is the last show, and you don't have to do anymore work for a long time, so let's just get this over with, deal?"
"Deal." Duo said sprightly. He walked away to do the sound check. Hilde watched him go, then snuck out towards the dressing rooms. She found Duo's dressing room close to the stage and opened the door. She found what she had been looking for. Trowa and Quatre were sitting comfortably on the over-stuffed beige sofas, eating fruits from the welcome baskets. She smiled and walked over to the pair, but noticed someone was missing.
"Where's Wufei?" She asked them. And saw 2 pairs of shoulders shrug. "Has anyone seen him since we arrived at least?"
Trowa looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "No, actually, I haven't seen him since we arrived Thursday. His bed has been slept in though, so he might come in late and leave early."
"I can't believe we lost some already..." Hilde said as she turned to leave the room, pinching the bridge of her nose as an oncoming migraine assaulted her senses.
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"Showtime." Hilde said as she pushed Duo on stage. Duo stumbled a bit, but caught himself before anyone saw. Only one back light was on the stage, showing his outline to the crowd, cheers and whistles erupted form the crowd as Duo's shadow took his place behind the mike. He licked his lips, ready to wow the crowd. The lights on the stage all went on at the same time, blinding and mesmerizing the people in their seats. Duo stood looking at the ground in an Elvis pose, then he raised his eyes and looked at the crowd, who cheered and screamed his name.
"What's up?" He started conversationally. He shifted his weight from one foot to another, and smiled. "Welcome, to the last show of the Diamond Dogs tour. We're gonna make this one extra special. So, Japan, are we ready?" He said as he backed away and the music slowly started. He stepped back up the mike, "We're gonna start out nice and slow, and maybe, just maybe, we're gonna get a little crazy...." He said as his voice drifted above an acoustic guitar. Little did the rockstar know, just who was hiding in the crowd, concealed within the shadows in blue jeans, and a black leather jacket.
"Hello, good morning, how you do?
What makes your rising sun so new?,
I could use a fresh beginning too,
All of my regrets are nothing new,
So this is the way that I say I need You,
This is the way that I'm.
Learning to breathe,
I'm learning to crawl,
I'm finding that You and You alone can break my fall,
I'm living again, awake and alive,
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies."
Something in the lyrics, maybe it was the sound of the music, that made it to his ears. But he was completely lost in it.
"Hello, good morning, how you been?
Yesterday left my head kicked in,
I never, never thought that,
I would fall like that,
Never knew that I could hurt this bad,
Learning to breathe,
I'm learning to crawl,
I'm finding that You and You alone can break my fall,
I'm living again, awake and alive,
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies,
So this is the way I say I need You,
This is the way that I say I love You,
This is the way that I say I'm Yours,
This is the way, this is the way,
That I'm Learning to breathe,
I'm learning to crawl,
I'm finding that You and You alone can break my fall,
I'm living again, awake and alive,
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies."
The song ended and the crowd begged for more. Duo looked out into the crowd, but was thankful that he couldn't look directly at anyone. He was in a sea of people, and lost in his own thoughts. "Alright! Let's pick it up a little, shaaalllll we?" An acoustic guitar picked up a beat, and he started moving his body in time to the rhythm.
"A day in LA,
And millions of faces,
Are looking for movement,
Cause everything's stuck,
And everything's frozen,
And everyone's broken,
And nobody moves,
And everybody's scared,
That the motion will never come.
This is the incompletion,
Stuck in a line,
Love is the movement,
Love is a revolution,
This is redemption,
We don't have to slow back down,
The stars are alive,
They dance to the music,
Of the deepest emotion,
And all of the world,
Is singing in time,
As the heavens are caving in,
Mysterious ways,
Why God gave His life,
To put motion inside my soul.
Love is the movement,
Love is a revolution,
This is redemption,
We don't have to slow back down.
It's bigger than cold religion,
It's bigger than life,
We're starting now,
We don't have to slow back down,
Love is the movement,
Love is a revolution,
This is redemption,
We don't have to slow back down,
This is a revolutioin,
Love is the movement,
Love is a revolution,
This is redemption,
We don't have to slow back down,
Get up, get up,
Love is moving you now."
"I'm changing it up a little. I don't like the last show to be the same as this one. I write new material all the time, and I'm sharing it with all of you. You know, you all sound like crazy motherfuckers." Duo said as the crowd cheered. He smiled and leaned in closer to the mike. "But I might just be the craziest motherfucker here!" He missed someone nodding to his statement in the crowd. Again, the stranger listened attentively. "This song. This song was written about 3 years ago, but this is the first time it's being played here tonight. I hope you guys like it."
"How ya feelin'?
The day has had its way with both of us
And oh, I've gone out of my way
But I'm not free
From this pain I'm feeling
I was a fool to think someday
You would come around
But no, no, no
I'm not thinking that way
'Cause now i see
You are not what you seem
You are a mystery to me
Sometimes I just want to scream
I think you should just go away 'cause
There's no necessity for you to stay and
Next time you come around my way
Forget it baby
You're not comin' in
How's your day been? (yeah)
'Cause mine has taken strange and ugly turns
But no, no, no
I feel better today
Because I'm off my knees
You are not what you seem
You are a mystery to me
Sometimes I just want to scream
I think you should just go away 'cause
There's no necessity for you to stay and
Next time you come around my way
Forget it baby
You're not comin' in
A heart ready for a life of sorrow
No you can't come back tomorrow
Shut my windows
Lock my doors
'Cause my heart won't be your ragdoll anymore (yeah)
I think you should just go away 'cause
There's no necessity for you to stay and
Next time you come around my way
Forget it baby
You're not comin' in
A heart ready for a life of sorrow
No you can't come back tomorrow
Shut my windows
Lock my doors
'Cause my heart won't be your ragdoll anymore (oh oh yeah yeah)
'Cause my heart won't be your ragdoll anymore"
"I wrote that..." Duo said a little breathless. "I wrote that a while ago. But now, to all of you that have suffered a loss, I know you can relate right?" He heard positives from a few places in the crowd. "Now, let's see, what should we play next?" He said with a mischievous tone in his voice. "Oh, I know!"
"It was a beautiful let down,
When I crashed and burned,
When I found myself alone unknown and hurt,
I was a beautiful let down,
The day I knew,
That all the riches this world had to offer me,
Would never do,
In a world full of bitter pain and bitter doubt,
I was trying so hard to fit in, fit in,
Until I found out,
I don't belong here,
I don't belong here,
I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong,
But I don't belong,
It was a beautiful let down,
When you found me here,
Yeah for once in a blue moon I see everything clear,
I'll be a beautiful let down,
That's what I'll forever be,
And though it may cost my soul,
I'll sing for free,
We're still chasin our tails and the rising sun,
In our dark water planet,
Still spins in a race,
Where no one wins and no one's one,
I don't belong here,
I don't belong here,
I'm gonna set sight and set sail for the kingdom come,
Your kingdom come,
Won't you let me down yeah,
Let my foolish proud,
Forever let me down,
Easy living, not much like your name,
Easy dying, you look just about the same,
Won't you please take me off your list,
Easy living please come on and let me down,
We are a beautiful let down,
Painfully uncool,
The church of the dropouts,
And losers and sinners and failures and the fools,
Oh what a beautiful let down,
Are we salt in the wound,
Let us sing one true tune,
I don't belong here,
I don't belong here,
I don't belong here,
Feels like I don't belong here,
Let me down,
Let me down,
Feels like I'm let down,
Let me down.
Cuz I don't belong here,
Please,
Won't you let me down?"
The crowd was going crazy. And that made Duo smile wider. They watched as his body moved and swayed to the music. "Now, this is one of my favorite songs. I know you have all heard it. If you can't remember, here's a reminder."
"Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next
What happens next
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
Tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before"
"This next song. This next song was written on my stay in Rome. It came to me from someone, a dear friend of mine, and I thought it would make one kickass song. So, this is for him, even thought he might never hear it..." Duo carefully picked up his guitar for the first time that night, and strummed it as the crowd listened attentively.
1."Fumbling his confidence
And wondering why the world has passed him by
Hoping that he's bent for more than arguments
And failed attempts to fly, fly
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Somewhere we live inside
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Dreaming about Providence
And whether mice or men have second tries
Maybe we've been livin with our eyes half open
Maybe we're bent and broken, broken
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Somewhere we live inside
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
We want more than this world's got to offer
We want more than this world's got to offer
We want more than the wars of our fathers
And everything inside screams for second life, yeah
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live
We were meant to live"
"Ok, I hope you guys liked that one. Our time is up. So, Goodnight!" Duo said as strode off the stage. Then he heard the crowd murmuring in disappointment. He counted...1, 2, ,3, 4, 5.... Then he waltzed back on stage. "Fuck it, how 'bout one more song?" He heard the crowd agree unanimously. "Alright. Here is the signature to my tour. HIT IT!"
"This ain't rock'n'roll. this is genocide!
As they pulled you out of the oxygen tent
You asked for the latest party
With your silicone hump and your ten inch stump
Dressed like a priest you was
Tod browning's freak you was
Crawling down the alley on your hands and knee
I'm sure you're not protected, for it's plain to see
The diamond dogs are poachers and they hide behind trees
Hunt you to the ground they will, mannequins with kill appeal
(will they come? )
I'll keep a friend serene
(will they come? )
Oh baby, come unto me
(will they come? )
Well, she's come, been and gone.
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch your death in the fog
Young girl, they call them the diamond dogs
Young girl, they call them the diamond dogs
The halloween jack is a real cool cat
And he lives on top of manhattan chase
The elevator's broke, so he slides down a rope
Onto the street below, oh tarzie, go man go
Meet his little hussy with his ghost town approach
Her face is sans feature, but she wears a dali brooch
Sweetly reminiscent, something mother used to bake
Wrecked up and paralyzed, diamond dogs are sableized
(will they come? )
I'll keep a friend serene
(will they come? )
Oh baby, come unto me
(will they come? )
Well, she's come, been and gone.
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch your death in the fog
Young girl, they call them the diamond dogs
Young girl, they call them the diamond dogs
Oo-oo-ooh, call them the diamond dogs
Oo-oo-ooh, call them the diamond dogs
In the year of the scavenger, the season of the bitch
Sashay on the boardwalk, scurry to the ditch
Just another future song, lonely little kitsch
(there's gonna be sorrow) try and wake up tomorrow
(will they come? )
I'll keep a friend serene
(will they come? )
Oh baby, come unto me
(will they come? )
Well, she's come, been and gone.
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch your death in the fog
Young girl, they call them the diamond dogs
Young girl, they call them the diamond dogs
Oo-oo-ooh, call them the diamond dogs
Oo-oo-ooh, call them the diamond dogs
Bow-wow, woof woof, bow-wow, wow
Call them the diamond dogs
Dogs
Call them the diamond dogs, call them, call them
Call them the diamond dogs, call them, call them, ooo
Call them the diamond dogs
Keep cool
Diamond dogs rule, ok
Hey-hey-hey-hey
Beware of the diamond dogs
Beware of the diamond dogs
Beware of the diamond dogs
Beware of the diamond dogs
Beware of the diamond dogs"
"Thank You Japan! Goodnight!!!!!" He said as he bowed and waved to the crowd. He jumped into the arms of Hilde, whom he swung around happily. "I'm done! No more concerts, no more recording for a long time! Vacation time baby!"
He looked at his friends with a smile on his face. He saw Wufei come in from behind, with someone's hand in his. Duo looked puzzled, and the rest of them turned to see what Duo was looking at. There, hand in hand, stood Wufei, and Sally. Duo grinned even wider. He nodded and watched as the pair walked off hand in hand. He looked over to Trowa and Quatre, and smiled as the pair were dumbfounded.
"Trowa and I are going to grab some dinner, care to join us?" Quatre asked.
"Nah, I'm tired, I'm going back to the hotel and going to bed," Hilde said as she faked a yawn and walked off as well.
They both looked at Duo. Who shook his head. "Three's a crowd. Go on, I got some stuff to do." He watched as they walked away as well.
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Duo sat in his dressing room, untying his braid, and combing it out, and re-braiding it again. He heard a soft knock on the door. Must be the food. He thought absent mindedly. "Come in." He hollered.
The door opened, and silent feet entered and shut the door carefully. He waited.
Duo looked into the mirror as he finished tying his braid. And saw something that almost made him faint. He turned in the chair and stared wide eyed at the person in the room. "Heero?"
To Be Continued.............................
1. If you remember from Chapter 9, 'We Were Meant to Live' is exactly what Heero had said to Duo in his dream.
Another cliffhanger?!!! WTF?! Sorry, I have to study for Biology so I couldn't make it longer than it already is. I hope you enjoyed it. I FINALLY brought Heero into this fic. I hope some of you are happy about that. The next chapter should be finished before the 25th, so stay tuned! This fic is dedicated to my brother.
Heero: You couldn't have brought me in earlier?
Me: No, that would have ruined the story line I planned out, and you wouldn't want that now would you?
Heero: Grunts I would have made it better, you saw the reviews, the people love me.
Me: rolls eyes Yeah yeah, whatever. Big headed...
Heero: What?
Me: Nevermind....