| Gundam Wing: Legend of Mystiks Chapter 24 Duo reached up and felt it, watching Cosmos turn away as if the contact hurt. � Where did it come from?� No answer. He held her chin and turned her head to face him, but her eyes remained on the ground. � Cosmos, look at me.� She did so rather reluctantly. He traced the scar with his thumb. � Who did that to you?� Still nothing. He looked down and noticed similar scars on her arms, legs, and body. He held back a scream of rage, promising a painful death to the one who�d hurt his Cosmos. � Please Cosmos, tell me who did this to you.� There was no reply for a long time. Duo was about to yell at her when she said in a whisper, � You�re upset.� � I�m worse than upset. I�m very pissed--iie, royally pissed--and I�m going to give whoever did it a worse beating than they gave you.� � Please don�t.� � Don�t what?� � Just don�t. If you knew who it was, you wouldn�t be saying that.� � Then tell me who did it!� Duo yelled, instantly regretting it as Cosmos shrank away in fear. � Gomen, Cosmos. I�m just angry that I couldn�t protect you.� <What could�ve happened to her that made her this afraid of other people? Even me?> He then noticed her wings. They were dull and positioned oddly, as if some child had just glued them there without thinking. He barely touched one and it jerked away from him, making Cosmos hiss in pain. The move also revealed patches of new feathers that had been fully-grown before. � Cosmos, your wings . . .� � I can�t fly.� � Nani?!� � I can�t fly anymore. They�re ruined. Just for show now.� Duo felt his heart break at Cosmos� emotionless proclamation. They wouldn�t be able to take those night flights ever again. He lifted her head once more and said softly, � Would you please tell me who did this to you? Onegai?� Another long silence. Then: � Shinigami-sama.� Duo pulled back in surprise and disbelief. � N-Nani? B-B-But Otousan would never . . .� � He thought you were dead and had ordered me to meet him in the Second Chamber after an hour for my punishment. I totally forgot about the punishment when you woke and didn�t remember until he found me later. I tried to explain, but he wouldn�t listen.� � Matte, matte. �Punishment�?� � I have three jobs. Be a Mystik, a Reaper, and your guardian. Because I was alive and you weren�t, I had obviously failed at my job. Therefore, my punishment was duly earned.� � And Otousan never listened to you once?� � Iie.� Cosmos sensed his rising anger. � Before you judge, Duo, recall that you are his only child, one with whom he has spent little time. Losing you is as bad as losing your okaasan. He was probably so grief-stricken that he acted without thinking.� � But he didn�t even listen to you.� � He hasn�t always. Just talk to him Duo, like a civil person, Death to Death, and hear out his half of the story. I have forgiven him. Now it is your turn.� She transported herself to the Seventh Dimension. � Come here, Cosmos.� Slowly, Cosmos moved forward. Her chin was caught in a painful grip and her head lifted to meet angry indigo eyes. � You do not expect forgiveness, sou ka.� The other Reapers watched in silence. Shinigami-sama had never spoken to her in that tone. The one promising eternal pain. � I---� Cosmos began. He squeezed and Cosmos felt her jawbone cracking from the pressure. She writhed and pulled away as she knelt on the ground, but that only made it worse. Then, like a godsend, Duo arrived. He paused in surprise, then bolted forward and gripped Shinigami�s wrist, giving back the pain Cosmos was receiving. The Reapers backed away into the �walls� and a few of the newer ones even left. Nobody challenged the God of Death. � Let her go!� Duo ordered, his voice raised in anger. Cosmos was released, but Duo broke the wrist anyway. Then he knelt by Cosmos. � Daijibou desu ka?� Cosmos nodded, but wouldn�t speak. Duo inspected her jawbone and discovered it to be slightly fractured. � Yeah right! Stop fidgeting!� Cosmos immediately stopped moving. Shinigami held his wrist and looked it over, then looked up. � How dare you! Wh---� He stopped himself as he noted the long braid. Then the body turned and it was as if he were staring into a mirror. � Duo?� � Don�t �how dare you� me!� Duo snarled. � That�s my line!� Ignoring Duo for the moment, Shinigami turned to the still knelt Cosmos and whispered, � Why didn�t you tell me? I never would�ve . . . I never wanted to . . .� Cosmos stood very slowly, her head still down. Her voice was rough from her broken jaw, but she still spoke. � I tried, Shinigami-sama, but you . . .� Her conditioning refused to allow her to accuse him. Shinigami winced as if he�d been struck and he knelt on the ground. His eyes closed as his head turned away. � I can�t believe I . . .� � Shinigami-sama.� � Hai?� � It doesn�t matter anymore. It�s in the past and cannot be changed. I�ve forgiven you already because I understand.� Shinigami looked at her, eyes glistening with unshed tears, and smiled. � You are such a smart girl, Cosmos. Too smart for your years. But I do appreciate it.� He then turned to Duo, but couldn�t say anything for quite a while. The boy�s unforgiving indigo glare was a bit unnerving. <No wonder all my Reapers have been wary around me. If my boss looked like that, I�d be pretty scared too.> � Duo---� � Iie! Urusai!� Stunned, Shinigami shut his mouth. The other Reapers gawked in amazement. A boy had told Shinigami to shut up and the Death God actually did as the boy said! This boy must be stronger than Shinigami to make him do as he was told! � How could you hurt her?! After all she�s done for you, all she�s sacrificed for you, everything she�s done for you, and the only thing you do in thanks is beat her without letting her explain herself first?!� Though it was a hard blow to Shinigami�s heart to be hated so vehemently by his own son, he felt a small sense of relief as well. <He�s in love. He�d never be that possessive if he wasn�t. Thank Kami for small things even if they come in the worst packages.> Cosmos interrupted Duo�s ranting. � Duo! Didn�t I ask you to hear his side of the story before attempting to damn him for eternity?� Duo calmed and glared at Shinigami. � Start talking.� It took a while, but the whole story finally came out. Duo seemed to realize his wrong because he looked more embarrassed the longer the story went on. Cosmos smirked. � See, Duo? I told you that everything would be clear once you heard both sides of the story.� � Sou, I remember.� Duo fell to his knees and bowed his head at his father. � Gomen Otousan. I just . . .� � Wakatta, Duo. If it had been your okaasan, I would�ve been the same way. I am not angry.� Cosmos looked over at the other Reapers. � Nani?� One was bold enough to step forward and say it. � Shinigami-sama has a son?!� |