"ANGEL"
By:
Solo Kitsune
Based
on the song "Angel" by Wumpscut
"ANGEL COME TO ME TO ME
COME TO ME
ANGEL BELONG TO ME TO ME
BELONG TO ME
ANGEL YOU HAVE WINGS TO FLY
FLY TO ME
ANGEL DO YOU DOUBT NO NEED
TO HAVE DOUBT"
Duo
stared out at the military graveyard.
The forest of grey stone seemed to stretch on forever, reaching out to
the inky ocean, framed against the black velvet backdrop of a midnight
sky. It was a forest he helped
grow. On the battlefield he planted the
seeds of its creation, and watered them with blood. Oh, so much blood. He
stood there, hoping that his presence would bring some sort of forgiveness or
vindication. But he wasn't alone.
Another was performing the same penance.
Duo could see him as he reverently bent down over the grave of an
unmarked soldier, placing a pale flower at the headstone, stern cobalt eyes
searching for something, anything. Of
course he had not known he would be there, and was surprised when he saw his
comrade. Stepping forward, he called
out to the boy. The cobalt eyes snapped
upward, broken from a silent reverie.
Duo could almost hear a faint rustle of feathers as his companion's head
came up. He looked up at the pale,
silvery moon, which seemed to stare at him like the clouded, dead eye of a
blind man. He felt a faint tickle on
his cheek. He looked ahead; his comrade
was gone and when he put his hand to his cheek to brush away whatever nuisance
was agitating him, he found a soft, delicate white feather. He looked around, violet-blue eyes searching
for him, and headed deeper into the stone forest.
"ANGEL FEEL MY LOVE MY
LOVE FOR YOU FEEL MY LOVE FOR YOU
ANGEL CARRY ME TO YOU TO
YOUR HOME TO PARADISE
ANGEL I WOULD LIE FOR YOU
FOR YOU JUST FOR YOU WITH MY YEARNING HEART
AND ANGEL I WOULD DIE FOR
YOU FOR YOU JUST FOR YOU WITH MY BURNING HEART"
Heero
heard Death call his name as he crouched there, amidst a forest of cold marble,
cold as death itself. He saw the boy
standing there, bathed in the pale moonlight.
He was struggling with something he could not define nor control as he
stood there in front of the soldier's grave, fists clenching and unclenching,
fighting back something that was, to the Perfect Soldier, the greatest enemy he
had ever faced. Death must not know of
the weakness. And so he ran deeper into
the shadows. He almost thought he heard
a snap behind him, like leathery wings unfolding. Was he being followed?
::Stupid
baka::, he thought as he fled. ::Why
can't he leave me be? Doesn't he
understand that I need to be left alone to deal with this? Wait...perhaps he does. Afterall, he's here too...he helped me grow
this forest of stone::
*********
Duo,
too wandered deeper into the graveyard, calling the name of the one he most
loved. He remembered how, during the
war, they had fought side by side, saving each other's lives. And yet Heero still tried to build that
seemingly inpenetrable wall ever higher, trying to block him out. Was he still trying to build that wall?
::How
high must it be, Heero? How high must
you build that wall to block me out?
One day it will grow too high, and it will come toppling down on you. Who then, will save you from the rubble of
your own foul torment? I am the only
one you have, Heero. The war is over
now...but its not over for us. I need
an ally Heero, I can't fight it alone.
Even the Perfect Soldier cannot fight it alone.::
Duo
scrambled up on top of a masoleum and stared out over the marble fields, trying
to locate any trace of his partner. He
saw nothing, and with a sinking heart, he realized that, when Heero put his
mind to it, he would not be found. Duo
sat down atop the stone vault and pulled his legs up, hugging his knees. He took out the single white feather and
played it between slender fingers, marvelling at how the moonlight danced across
each tiny, gossamer strand. Tears
welled up into his eyes. Finally he
spoke out loud, hoping that he would be heard.
"Heero,
I've always said that I may run and hide, but I would never lie. Heero, I was a hypocrite in saying
that. This smile that I carry day to
day, its only a mask. Its a lie, Heero,
a lie. Don't you realize I feel the
same? Thats why I'm here. I wanted you to feel...happy. To FEEL, Heero. I would...I would die...just to see you shed a tear...just one
single tear..."
It
was then the Angel stepped out of hiding.
He stared up at the boy with cold, penetrating cobalt orbs. He saw something strange, like dark leather
wrapped around his slender, lithe form.
The wings stirred between sobs as the Boy Death cried, a single white
feather clasped in his hands.
"ANGEL DON'T FEEL
LIABLE FOR ME AND MY PAIN DON'T FEEL LIABLE CAUSE ANGELS MUST BE FREE HIGH UP
FROM THIS WORLD IN ETERNITY"
"Duo...I'm
sorry", he said flatly. "I
knew all along, and yet I said nothing.
I did nothing. Even as I killed
all those people...I did nothing. And
now my walls have crumbled...and I am left facing an enemy I cannot
defeat..."
The
words that came from Heero's lips still sounded cold, like the stone that
surrounded them. And yet, it startled
Duo a great deal, and he almost fell from his perch. He lifted his head as the silvery trails came down from his
eyes. He smiled despite himself, and
slid down from the roof of the masoleum.
"Its
not your fault, Heero. But the walls
are gone now. Let me in, Heero. I can help you be free, if you'll let
me."
"ANGEL I COULD CLIP
YOUR WINGS TO CATCH ALL YOUR LOVE TO CALM YOUR PAIN BUT ANGEL THIS WOULD BE SO
WRONG YOU WOULD BLEED TO DEATH IMMEDIATELY"
Duo
stepped forward, holding his arms out to him, but Heero backed up, cringing
like a wounded animal. Duo drew in a
sharp breath as he saw the tears come from those cobalt orbs. They where so long in coming.
::So
thats why you ran, Heero. I was
right. Thats why you ran. Don't you realize you cannot fight it
alone??::
"Just...Just
go away!", came the pained response, followed by a hefty shove, which
landed Duo sprawled against a headstone.
Heero drew the back of his wrist across his face to wipe away the tears. But no matter how hard he wiped, they just
kept coming.
Duo
felt a miserable pain as his body impacted with the marble, but none so
misrable as the pain his soul felt.
Gripping the headstone for support, he tried to lift his body, but his
legs felt shakey, and with a sob he collapsed, not caring about the apparent
defilement to the graves Heero and himself where causing.
Heero
just stared down at him, his stern, cold face marred by silvery traces flowing
from his deep, penetrating eyes. Then,
all of a sudden, his cold features softened.
"SO ANGEL COME TO ME
HEAL MY GLARING PAIN VOLUNTARILY"
Duo
felt a soft brush against his face. It
tickled, and almost felt like...feathers.
Wings. Brushing away his tears. He looked up, and saw Heero, crouching over
him. There was a strange twinkle in his
eyes, and his thin lips where curved into a smile. Something Duo had never seen him do. Gently, ever so gently, Heero put a hand to Duo's cheek and spoke
softly. This time, his voice quavered
with much built up sorrow.
"I...I'm
just tired, Duo. I'm tired of
running. I...I just can't do it
anymore. You're running too...just like
me. But together...we don't have to run
anymore. Together...we can
heal..."
Duo
could almost see great white wings reach up to the moonlight as the Angel
pulled him into a deep embrace. He
could feel soft lips caressing his. It
was then that the dull throb of so many years seemed to subside, and ease
away. Together, they buried their pain
forever in that dark graveyard.
"I LOVE YOU"