So, this story has been dormant for three years. i'm seriously hoping that people will still read it and enjoy it. School needed to take precedence over writing, but I wrote when I could between work and school it's been very tough. working full time, going to school full time( College is not easy by the way) Not being able to get back to my school of preference and being stuck back in my home state. *sigh* tons of stuff. you have no idea how i felt last may when i said, "omg! i know how i want to finish it!" Anways, enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the gundam pilots or their world. however, the God's Ledge, Hell, and all the characters in those settings I do own.

Chapter The Thirty-first

Lessons on Control

An hour later found the two death deities in one of Alex's spacious rooms. The goddess stood in a floor length gown, strapless black, with blood red lace stitched around the bottom and across the chest area. The dress seemed tight, conformed to her body, accentuating the curves. When she moved, it swished back and forth and Duo's head followed her at every step.

"I like it. Despite the fact that this dress was made by Cupid, he really does know how to make a proper gown." The god stood up and moved towards Alex, grabbing her waist and holding her to him. "Please, I'm begging you, for the love of every god, come back to me, Anarhria…who ever you are. Just…come back to me."

She looked into his shining violet eyes only seeing hurt from thousands of years of loss. With his hands on her, the net started to close over her mind. She saw it coming and the fear that she'd lose herself was clear on her face as she pulled swiftly away, the dress hampering her efforts slightly. He reached for her again, but she'd backed away far enough that he would need to step forward substantially in order to grab her. She turned to leave only to have the door open in front of her as her forward motion to run lead her straight into the arms of a tall willowy man.

He had lightly browned hair, almost near the color of light bronze, that came down to a bit below his chin. His eyes, which were a warm brown color, twinkled slightly as he held her up and righted the goddess onto her own two feet. There was a slight smile on his face that could make any woman's heart melt. The wings springing from his back were a dark violet, nearly black, and his tunic and pants were of a distinctly blue color.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear as her eyes went between himself and the God standing inside the room with a look of pure shock. "You can't run from him forever, milady. You need to face your fears and combat the problems controlling your relationship with your husband-to-be."

By this point, Duo had regained his composure. "Rafael, so…pleasant to see you after so many years."

"The pleasure is all mine, My Lord Death. I'm guessing you don't want complete control over your wife-to-be. Am I correct?" Rafael's voice was like water sliding over rocks in a stream; gentle, yet swift.

"Quite correct." Duo's eyes drifted past Alex for a split second only to jump right back to the Goddess standing in the middle of the room.

"Then I suggest we move into a different room. Preferably a training room in order to swiftly handle and control both of your powers." Rafael moved back out into the hall, holding an arm out and gesturing for Alex to precede him. "Ladies first."

The Goddess took a step forward, her eyes confused, paused, and looked back at Duo. He sighed and walked forward, placing an arm around her waist while guiding her out the door. He walked with a slight bounce in his step, slowly, allowing Rafael to catch up with them.

Alex finally regained the power of speech, deftly asking, "Don't I get a say in this?"

Rafael turned his head towards the goddess, smiling, "Not unless you want to blow up the world, My lady Death."

Nothing more was said until they reached the room. The room in itself was large, white and had a wide array of weapons placed around the walls. The west wall was covered with mirrors. The light from the hall seemed much brighter in here. The white gave it a distinctly sterile feeling. They practiced for hours; Duo throwing enough energy at Alex to knock a horse over and Alex in turn attempting to block it.

"Concentrate now!" Rafael yelled again, "You must concentrate if you're going to control the power!"

Duo lunged forward, sending his power through the room. The door rattled on its hinges. Alex countered, throwing her weight back as she felt the mental cage start to form around her. She squeezed her eyes shut, blood-red tears coursed down her cheeks with the force. She envisioned herself free of the cage, again and again, repeatedly, until suddenly, there was peace.

She opened her eyes to find Rafael and Duo staring at each other slowly conversing about her.

"I think you gave her a bit too much, my Lord Death."

"You said, and I quote, 'Give it all you've got.' So I did."

"Well, I think, "all you've got" is a bit much to be throwing at her."

"Well, maybe you should watch what you say from now on." Duo smirked at Rafael, his violet eyes glinting.

Rafael sighed, "You always over did it though. Even back in the BC era when we competed."

"Hey, it's not my fault that you liked playing with the weather and bringing on a thunderstorm. I just directed the lightning to where I wanted to go. You supplied the weapon, which happened to be your own weapon, that turned against you."

"Your old, Duo." Both the deities' heads whipped down towards the goddess, leading both of them to hold the back of their necks in pain.

"Oh, you're up." Duo offered a hand to Alex who welcomed the hand and was pulled up swiftly. "Why are you crying, carissima?"

Rafael screwed up his face. The death god caught the look and turned his attentions towards his friend. "What?"

"She just said that you were old. I think she has a few problems with your mannerisms and the way you act. Do you call her carissima often?"

"Every once in a while. Why?"

The two discussed her as if she hadn't been there at all. She stood off to the side, carefully netting her mind so that Duo wouldn't feel her anxiety. Carissima was Latin for beloved. She had learned that from her Latin classes that she had taken when she'd first come to the God's Ledge.

"Maybe you should try to act a little more in this day and age than so far in the past. There's so much going on in this millennium that it's insane." Rafael scrunched up his face in thought. "Go follow up with JC. He's balanced out his more eternal duties with the millennium's activities. He's quite different."

"And JC is….whom?"

"Jesus."

"He goes by JC now? I ask again, what's wrong with the names of long past?"

Rafael sighed. "It would seem that though your body is new and revived, your soul is old and still in the roman era."

"My soul is fine thank you." Duo turned away and walked towards Alex. He held out a hand. "Come, my love. Old or not, we're going to eat something." After she'd placed her hand delicately in his, he pulled her up, dropping her hand again and moving over to the door. Just as he reached the door, he turned back to see that Alex hadn't moved from her spot over by the opposite wall. He motioned with his hand for her to come. As he turned to reach the door again, he was shocked to find that the door, at a blinding speed, had moved on it's own in the direction of his face and, without being able to stop it, slammed at full force into the side of his face.

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So, Did you enjoy it? My friend actually gave me the idea for Rafael. Yes, I did take Latin. In college, hopefully(fingers crossed) i'll be graduating next spring with a double major of Classics and Latin as well as a Biology Minor. Besides that, if u did enjoy(please say you did) feel free to review the story with the little button in the bottom corner :)