| Gundam Wing: Legend of Mystiks Chapter 21 Cosmos knocked, but there was no answer. Quietly, she opened the door a bit and stepped into the room, glancing around before spotting what she was looking for. Duo stood at a window, clad only in a pair of regular black shorts. His bandaged wings, still numb from Cosmos� spell, hung down either side to the floor like a dog�s ears. He was staring out across the lake toward the Kaskara Mountains, his gaze somewhat wistful as he watched the setting sun throw orange light on the tall peaks. Without warning he began to speak, somehow knowing she was there. � I don�t think I can stand the stress any more, Cosmos. I think I�ll just go home.� � To where?� � Where else?� � L2 is counting on you, Duo. You are the representative of that Dominion. If you back away and leave everything behind, L2 will fall deeper into chaos because as soon as you announce your resignation, it will be on the lips of every messenger within the kingdom.� Angrily, Duo turned and threw something shiny at her at an impossible speed. � Don�t you think I know that?!� Cosmos never twitched, even when it grazed her cheek and cut a deep gash. The knife imbedded itself in the wood door right beside her ear. � I�m not trying to make you upset.� <If that isn�t a lie.> � I�m just reminding you.� � You shouldn�t�ve bothered. It�s all I�ve been thinking about for the past nine hours.� Cosmos straightened. � I�m not going to oppose you. My job is to be your consort and your personal guard. If you want to quit and be a coward, I can try to talk you out of it, but if you really want to go through with it, I�ll back you up.� Duo did not miss the emphasized word. � That�s right!� he snapped bitterly. � I�m a coward! A damned coward! A fucking coward! Happy?!� � Iie, but it�ll have to do.� Cosmos wasn�t really looking for a fight, but if that would relieve the pressure of the past few weeks from Duo, she�d gladly get into one. � I don�t suppose you want me to pack your bags for you or anything.� In a flash, Duo was in front of her, his left hand around her neck and his right pulled back into a fist. Cosmos did not resist in any way. Even if he did beat her, she�d survive. It wouldn�t be the first time she�d been manhandled. Realizing what he was about to do, Duo dropped his arms and sighed very heavily. � Gomen nasai, Cosmos.� Then he broke down and cried. Cosmos had been waiting for that. She guided Duo over to his bed and laid him in it. Covering him up, she kissed his forehead and said quietly, � I�ll be right back.� He grabbed her hand as she turned to go. � Don�t leave,� he begged, tugging her into the bed with him. Slipping under the covers and leaning against the headboard, Cosmos pulled Duo back against her and let him sob into her wings, which she�d wrapped around him as comfort. � All right. I�ll stay. Just get some rest.� �Is yours asleep?� Halcyon asked. �Not quite,� Cosmos answered, stroking Duo�s shaking body. �Doushite?� �No reason. They need to get as much rest as possible. That battle was too taxing on them. Both their minds and their bodies ache from wounds, visible or invisible.� �Wakatta.� Cosmos glanced down at Duo�s softly snoozing form. �Mine�s out.� �I need to have a meeting with you and the others about an unexpected development.� �Gomen, but you�ll have to tell me later. I promised Duo I�d stay with him.� There was a mental snort. �Evidently we all made the same promise. I didn�t plan on having us gather in a room. Stay where you are and just listen.� �Okay.� �Good. Now all of you pay attention. We�re having visitors tomorrow and they�re not just any visitors . . .� *~*~* � They�re late!� � They�re always late. Calm down.� � But I told her to be down here at six! No later!� � It�s not that late.� � It�s eight o�clock!� � Give them half an hour.� � I gave them two hours!� � Just---� � Iie!� Halcyon turned and stormed up the stairs, muttering the whole way. She went to the door and flung it open, expecting to see them jump up guiltily. Instead, she was greeted by a completely different sight. They hadn�t woken when the door hit the wall, so they obviously didn�t feel threatened the way they were. Duo lay in Cosmos� embrace, his face buried in the midst of the violet-black feathers and the rest of him curled up to her like a child would to its mother. Cosmos, her arms and wings around Duo, had her nose in his hair as her fingers subconsciously ran through his unbound braid. Halcyon couldn�t help but smile at the pair. No Death Mystik had ever looked so content, let alone two. Then she remembered what she was doing there and glared at them. � GET UP!� There was no change. � DUO! COSMOS! GET UP!� Still no change. Then Halcyon thought she heard something. Listening, she caught it again and discovered she was right. � How long do you think it�ll take for her to strangle us?� Duo whispered. � Three minutes,� Cosmos replied in the same tone. Halcyon stomped over to the bed, hearing a �Scratch that. Three seconds.� before grabbing Cosmos� wing and pulling her to the floor. There was an audible snapping sound and Halcyon scowled. � Now get up, get changed, and get downstairs! They�ll be here in five minutes!� Cosmos held her broken wings as best she could, barely holding back tears of pain. It was what she deserved, she knew, but it still hurt. Looking up at Duo, she murmured, � Anou, we�re both flightless now.� Duo knelt and hugged her, pressing a kiss to her lips momentarily. � Gomen, Cosmos. I know it won�t make the pain go away, but gomen. It was my idea.� Cosmos smiled through the tears. � Arigatou, Duo.� � What for?� � Everything. You taught me so much I can�t repay it in one lifetime.� Duo pulled away and held her at arms-length. � What are you talking about?� � I---� � You�re leaving,� he said quietly, answering his own question. � There�s a war coming, Duo. Creatures from other planets are coming here to fight. They are impossibly strong. No army could defeat them. No amount of any wizards� Master magic, learned as a craft, can subdue them. Only the magic of magic-born creatures, the Ferine magic, stands any chance against them.� � Why just Ferine magic?� |