05-Mar-2002
Title: Death & the Phoenix
Author: Ebonydove
Pairings: 1x2, 3+4
Warnings: Plot holes, OOC, language, sap, yaoi.
Disclaimers: At this point I would love to keep them in my back pocket for
use at a whim, but I still don't own them. Drats.
"YOU DID WHAT?!" Heero bellowed causing Quatre to stumble backwards at the intensity of the rage directed at him from the Wing pilot. He was not foolish enough to think that Heero wouldn't be enraged when he found out that he had helped Duo leave Peacemillion. He just hoped that Heero would go through on his threats of death towards him.
"Heero, calm down. He couldn't have gotten far in his condition." Trowa tried to help the panic stricken Quatre to regain his footing by grabbing on to him. That and to put himself between Quatre and Heero.
"I... I tried to stop him, but... " Quatre looked to Trowa for help but the Heavyarms pilot just gave him a look of confusion. Apparently even Trowa didn't understand.
"We need to find him now!" Heero yelled racing from the room and into the hallway.
"Heero! Deathscythe just blasted out of the main bay and engaged his cloaking capabilities, we can't get a lock on him." Howard hollered as he ran up to Heero and the others in the hallway.
"Why would he go?" Wufei shook his head trying to understand how Duo was able to even move under his own power, let alone get off Peacemillion with Deathscythe.
"He... he didn't want us all to see him waste away. He said he had unfinished business that he had to take of on his own. He said you'd understand." Quatre's voice was calm and quiet as he spoke, obviously coming to terms that he had made the right decision for Duo.
"But we found out how to help him! G is even sending us the formula to recreate the very thing that will save Maxwell's life!" Wufei bellowed as he pace back and forth in the hall.
"We need to find him." Trowa and Wufei went with Howard tot he communications room to see if they could raise Duo that way. "Did he say where he was heading?"
"No." Quatre whispered as he watched them take off down the hallway. "Heero." Heero turned to face Quatre and brought tormented blues eyes up to meet sad aqua ones. "He wanted me to tell you that he was going to keep his promise."
Heero turned on his heel and made his way to the hanger and Wing. When he got there he glanced to the empty spot that Deathscythe had been in and made his way purposefully to his own Gundam. He'd find his lover and drag him back forcefully if need be. He couldn't keep his hands from shaking as he punched in the code to his Gundam. When the repel line lowered a small note was attached to it. He could feel the panic seep into sorrow already sure who had left it for him and why.
Heero:
I wrote this before we left on our mission to the base. I wasn't sure if I'd get the chance to give it to you later, and it looks like I was right.
You know I had to do this my own way, and I won't apologize for leaving you behind. I didn't want you to see me like that. Weak, afraid and fragile. I want you to remember me like I was in battle. What I was when you fell in love with me. Those are the memories I will keep in my heart.
I'm sorry Heero. Try not to be disappointed in me. I want you to know that I never blamed you for not telling me what you knew. I understand you had your reasons. I know you never meant to keep anything from me and in your own way were trying to protect me. And I'm grateful.
Be patient with Relena too, she loves you, almost as much as I did. Live and love and be happy. I never got to finish reading you the poem that night so I wrote the rest down. I think it's my favorite part. Like Father Mac said: the future is whatever you want it to be. Believe in that, like you believed in me.
Hearts remote, yet not asunder,
Distance and no space between,
Twixt the turtle and his lover,
But in them it were a wonder
So between them love did shine,
That the turtle saw his right,
Like flames in the Phoenix's sight,
Either was the other's mine
And here the anthem doth commence,
Love and constancy is dead,
Phoenix and the turtle fled,
In mutual flame from passion hence.
I'll always keep my promise to you.
I'll love you forever,
Duo
Heero held the paper in his shaking hand before crumbling it in his fist and hanging his head. There would be no point in trying to follow him.
He was trying not to feel betrayed by Duo's fleeing, but he couldn't help thinking that they each had broken the promises they'd made to one another. Duo had promised to fight, not to give up, and he had run away to find death alone.
Heero had promised not to say the words, because Duo was afraid that if he didn't survive that Heero would be forever bound to him. And he'd promised not to take his own life. He had been afraid that my telling Duo how much he loved him he had cursed them. Just like Duo predicted.
Only this time the Maxwell curse as Duo came to call it would leave him behind this time, and take Duo far out of reach. He cursed the very stars that would keep them apart. He looked up at Wing and ran his fingers over the smooth leg of his Gundam and willed tears to come. He wanted so badly to cry for Duo. But none came.
He could hear the voices and running feet as the others were rushing into the hanger to go with him after Duo, and in that moment he had made his decision. He would fulfill Duo's promise as his own. He wouldn't give up. He'd continue to fight. For the Earth, for the colonies, for his friends but most of all, for his love of Duo. He turned away from the glimmering white Gundam to tell them that Duo, like a great Phoenix, had flown into the sun.
Fini
~Well that's it. Hope you all enjoyed it. It was my very first fic and I had
no idea it would go on for as long as it did. I guess these things sometimes
take a life of their own. Try not to be too sad. There can't always be a happy
ending. Thanks to everyone who gave me encouragement and advice, especially Aya
for hosting, I really appreciated it! And to all others for actually reading it!
~Eb
(:./ebony/death18)
