| Gundam Wing: Legend of Mystiks Chapter 10 � Late, as usual,� Halcyon and Zechs said simultaneously. They looked at each other, confused yet amused, their faces asking, �Yours too?�. � Urusai!� Cosmos snapped. � Death works on her own time!� � Sou!� Duo agreed quickly. Everybody gave them strange looks. � Iie!� Duo and Cosmos snarled together, reading the expressions of their friends. Heero humphed. � It�s the only logical thing to assume. You two left together, you came back together.� � How do you know we didn�t go to a nearby tavern? We did, if it will make you hentais stop thinking like that!� Cosmos growled. She didn�t like lying, but it wouldn�t hurt them to not know about where she and Duo had really been. Maybe one day she�d show them, but for now, they had to be in the dark. *~*~* � Those kids were sweet,� Cosmos mused when they returned to the castle. � That old man must�ve been a proud grandfather.� Duo only nodded, his thoughts on the day�s events. The first meeting had been cancelled, due to Cosmos�s sudden job during dinner the previous night, and for an unknown reason (for the guys, at least) had not been rescheduled. <So I�m a Mystik, huh? A Mystik of Death, like Cosmos. I always knew there was something else about myself I couldn�t reach. Something just beyond my fingertips . . .> Crying . . . So lonely . . . A tall man . . . Holding me . . . Talking to me . . . Smiling . . . Putting me back in a crib . . . A crib made of the energy of Death . . . � . . .? Duo?� Duo looked up at Cosmos. � Hm?� � Daijibou desu ka? You look a little pale. Has everything been too much?� <I wonder what he�d do if he found out he was Shinigami�s son.> The questions were answered in order. � Daijibou. It�s probably just the light. Somewhat.� Cosmos gave him a small hug and led him back to his room. � How �bout I brush your hair for you?� <She has long hair too, so she would understand . . .> � All right.� Duo allowed himself to be led into his room and set on his bed. Cosmos untied his hair and slowly unravelled it, then picked up a brush and began working, gently untangling any knots that had formed since morning. Duo was hard-pressed not to lean into the brush strokes. � So when are you going to teach me, sensei?� � When you stop calling me that.� � Why can�t I?� � It makes me feel old. I do already. I�ve got five-thousand, nine-hundred seventy-five years to go so feeling old started five years ago.� � So I�m going to be around as long as you?� � Probably longer, unless another Reaper kills you first.� � What about battles?� � As long as your defense is strong enough, you�re invincible.� Cosmos realized that all the knots had been removed already and she was absently brushing out well de-tangled hair. She was about to stop when Duo began to purr. She liked the sound so she kept going. � Are you tired?� � A little,� was the quiet answer. Cosmos expertly braided his hair, then laid him back on his bed. He continued to purr as she ran one hand lightly up and down his spine. She smiled as he relaxed and drifted off, then, after watching him for a while, thought it was a good idea. She laid her head between his shoulder blades and fell asleep herself. *~*~* � Are you sure? Light is a very powerful Element, being a Primary, and is not to be handled in a slip-shot manner.� Quatre nodded. Seraph sighed. � All right, but I warned you.� She formed a ball of white light in her hand, then snapped the fingers of her free hand and held the light out to him. � Could you hold this a moment? I forgot something.� Quatre took the light and Seraph turned, half of her body disappearing into thin air. He could hear her muttering to herself inside his head, not through his ears. Strange. He finally noticed a burning sensation radiating from his hands and dropped the ball of light. � Itai!� Seraph lifted her foot and repeatedly bounced the light back into the air like a ping-pong ball. She gave a final hard smack and the light shot up into the sky, coming back down almost immediately. Seraph�s top half reappeared and she caught the light in her hand. � Nice try.� � Gomen nasai.� � It�s okay. It�s going to hurt the first few times until you get used to it. Are you all right?� � I want you to teach me to use my power.� Terestria shrugged. � If that�s what you want and you know you�re ready.� Trowa nodded. � Okay then.� She playfully lifted his bangs and pointed with her other hand. � See that boulder?� Quatre looked down at his hands. � Anou, they�re a little dark.� Seraph set what seemed to be a huge goblet on the ground and placed the light inside it before taking his hands and looking them over. � First degree. You�ll be okay in a sec.� She held the backs of his hands in hers and gently pressed her thumbs into the center of his palms. White light came from her hands and soaked into his. � There. All better.� Quatre�s eyes widened at his now healed hands. � I . . . I don�t believe it!� Seraph laughed softly. � Believe it. You�re going to be able to do it too when I�m through with you.� She picked up the goblet and tipped it toward him. � Are you ready to continue?� *~*~* � Don�t talk much, do you?� � . . .� � Is that all you say?� � Usually.� � Why don�t you talk more?� � Nobody asks the right questions. I prefer to keep to myself.� � Hm. So does Cosmos . . .� � Cosmos? She likes to keep to herself?� � Sou. What everyone sees of her is a better mask than yours.� � Duo is like that. Uses emotions to cover up other emotions. Why is that?� � There are myriad reasons. To Mystiks, it would be because they are Death and their job saddens them greatly but they are happy for the sake of those around them. To regular people, they can�t see the facade most of the time so they do not think of it. Those who do notice . . . you�ll have to ask them.� � Sou ka.� � So what did you really drag me out here for?� � I want you to teach me to use my power.� Terestria shrugged. � If that�s what you want and you know you�re ready.� Trowa nodded. � Okay then.� She playfully lifted his bangs and pointed with her other hand. � See that boulder?� Trowa took her wrist and moved it away from him. � Hai.� |