Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Shinigami's Stage; Behind the Jester's Mask ❯ Chapter two ( Chapter 2 )

Date posted: Friday, July 23, 2004
Pairings: 1x2 :: 3x4 :: 5x? Surprise. ::hint 001:: It is not 06.

Shinigami's Stage: Behind the Jester's Mask
By: Mira Watanabe

:.: Chapter Two :.:
How it all started:

July 1st , AC. 198
Age: 18

......................................................
Song/poem entrée: "My 2 ½ year battle"

I'm fighting against a losing battle,
One against myself.
Two people I can be.
Only one you can see,
One is fake,
One is real.
The one you won't see it here,
Inside me, it will hide.
My 2 ½ war,
Against me.

My mind are two opposing sides.
Always opposites of every kind.
One says to go and be free,
The other says just let it be.
I'm fighting a loosing battle,
(one against me.)
My 2 ½ year war,
(One against me.)

(Instrumental)
(speaking) God, if there is a God.
Help me to decide the right decision.
......................................................

Duo still sat in the middle of the three setter couch, rolled up in a protective position around a pillow, surrounded by its buddies of red, green, and blue squares. He mindlessly toyed with the tail of his braid, his violet eyes unfocused and glazed, while he went over the passed two and a half years.

The feeling of something missing never went away, and he knew Hilde knew it was there as well. She tried to help for a while, but it did no good. So they both started to ignore it. Only to think of it occasionally, and push it back to that dark region in their minds.

The others were still doing well. Even in a world of peace, one not meant for ex-soldiers, they all seemed to be settling right into life.

Middi Une had ended up adopting Marimaia since both her mother, Leia Barton, and father, Treize Khushrenada, had died in the war. Une proved to be a very kind mother. Both Une and her new daughter are doing fine in this new order of peace, and both are seeing a psychiatrist like a family. While Une is working as head of the Preventers Intelligence Agency, she still has time to spend with her daughter.

Marimaia Barton Khushrenada has moved on to her eighth birthday, and she is going to school like any normal girl her age. The poor kid had troubles making friends at school, and was constantly bullied by the other classmates, sometimes even teachers. Une was always worried about her, and just when she started to think about putting Marry into home school, the girl meet two new transfer students. Both boys helped her out a lot and became her two best friends. They showed her how to be herself and forget the past.

Quatre Reberba Winner still runs his family's colony-construction business and is currently on the same project from 2 ½ years ago - the re-construction on the colony X18999 of cluster L3. The project had moved from the planning stage to the building stage. His only trouble would be his 29 sisters, who decided they all needed some new family time. He and Trowa are hoping this is just a phase the girls are going through. The question they keep asking themselves thought, is how long this phase is going to last, because this one has been on going for two and a half years and counting.

Trowa Barton is consulting and regrouping with his sister Catherine Bloom. He had stayed with Cathy and the circus for one year before moving to Quatre's. He still works at the circus ever now and then. But currently he shadows the blond Arab around, working as his bodyguard and supporter.

Chang Wufei is working for the Preventers like always, being his normal detached self. His only problem is being bullied into reunions by Quatre, who wants all the Gundam pilots to stay in touch; but maybe the real reason for these reunions is so he isn't the only one that has to deal with his sisters. Other than that, Wufei still disappears without a trace every once and a while, but he is never gone for long so no one worries.

Then there is Heero Yuy. He is no longer wondering the crowds because Une had convinced him to join part of the Preventers. To contribute to that, he is also one of Relena's bodyguards. No one can pull off two jobs like Heero can. Duo smiled at that thought.

Hilde Schbeiker had gotten married to a nice young man one month after the war ended. It was right before the wedding that Duo had a little man-to-man "talk" with the husband-to-be. Hilde didn't take this too well, so after convincing her not to bash his head in for threatening her fiancé, he got off with being called an over protective brother and a lump on the head a reward.

Duo had held the fort at the Salvage organization -- also known as the Sweeper Group -- for three months as Hilde went off to her honeymoon. It was during this time that he found out he had no interest in salvaging anymore. He figured out that the only reason he stayed was for Hilde's company. Now without her there, it seemed his only companion was his sense of emptiness and thoughts.

He remembered Heero then as he thought of their first war against OZ. Heero was a mystery to him, always calm and cool, never saying much. But it seemed something was drawing him closer, like a study pull of gravity. Duo studied him every time they were together, which wasn't too often. They spent a few missions together, most of the time sharing dorms or bedrooms.

Both of them were opposites in personality, Duo knew that, but there was one thing they had uncommon. They both hid behind a mask. It was then that he started liking the other boy, but it wasn't until the end of the last war that he figured out that that was only denial. He was in love with him, and Duo knew his love will never be returned and stay unrequited.

So he fled, using Hilde as a shield.

It was two week until Hilde was to comeback from her honeymoon. By then Duo had made the decision to give her the space-salvaging operation. It was that day that Heero walked through the door. It was a big surprise when he requested Duo's assistance in a part of the Preventers unit. And Duo had thrown his head back, laughing full heartedly before he replied, "Right on time as always, Hee-chan!"

So now it's been two and a half years since the last war. Duo was now a Preventer, but not for long. A withdrawal form laid on the coffee table waiting for his signature. Duo looked out the window from his place on the three setter couch, shivering from a cold that no amount of blankets could warm. A coldness from the very soul and being. Then it happened, something that never accrued to him in a very long time, he started crying, silently.

Heero was gone from his life once again. Running away from him to the one thing that matters most to the perfect soldier, "Duty." Running away to Relena Peacecraft, "Queen-of-the-whole-damn-world."

Why did Heero ever ask him to move in with him, Duo will never know. But He did, and being the baka he was, he excepted. To think he dared hope there could be something more, Duo berated himself once more. He knew it from the very beginning.

Heero was gone now and probably forever, because he will never return.

And you know what?

Duo Maxwell, forever cursed with the devil's luck, waved him off happily. 'Treacherous hand,' he thought, nearly going into a hysterical laugh.

And then to his horror he realized once more, his Jester's mask was still in place. That was when he let loose his strangled laugh.

But what he didn't know was that this was only the beginning. The next few years were to be harder than any war he ever fought, because he would be fighting it against himself. These years will be know as "Duo's three years of Darkness," because not only were they very bad, but also never said. Left in the dark, only a select few knew what happened. And one black book.

Thanks to his very few lucky stars, a lost friend - who he thought died a very long time ago - the said guy's two fiancés, a pair of twins, and one baby, he was able to over come the dark years and make a life for himself. He was happier than he ever been, or so he thought. For there was still that one piece that lingered.

Only the future can tell what will happen next.

End Chapter: To Be Continued.

Annoying Author's Notes:

So what do you think of Marimaia's name? I picked Marimaia Barton Khushrenada because I got mixed information. One, her last name is Barton in the manga. And two, her name is Khushrenada in the series. So I put them together. Makes things simpler.

About the "Wars". I keep mentioning two. The reason is I'm talking about the series and the movie, The Endless Waltz. The "first war" being the series, and the second EW.

The last part is about the title to this story, "Shinigami's Stage: Behind the Jester's Mask." I had Like three names, (Shinigami's Stage, the Jester's Mask, Behind the Jester's Mask." I figured they're practically all the same, so I did what I normally do, and put them all together. (-.-);; Heeh…

(looks to Duo's trailer's closed door) Umm... I think he is still sulking about the girl thing. I'm promises to separate my persona and his. (-.-)#

Duo: (a big sniff) Yeah right! You're enjoying this, aren't you?! wails

(Looks at Duo's trailer like it sprouted a head and legs and decided to run away. Not considering that it looked like a gigantic hairy dog.) Aw c'mon Duo! Forgive me! Please?! Okay, how about I make it up to you?

Duo: (sniff opens door and peaks out) How?

We can both go out and rig Heero's script or something.

Duo: (runs out the door and slams it shut) Right behind ya! I have a great idea! Do you think we could show the reader's though? It's going to be good!

Sure but on one condition.

Duo: (puzzled) What would that be?

R E V I E W
P L E A S E!