appleqb (appleqb) wrote in roads_diverged, @ 2008-03-31 19:46:00 |
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Entry tags: | appleqb:heero/duo, gundam wing, theme 44: fairy tales |
[Gundam Wing] (Heero, Duo) "Death and the Thief of Hearts" Myth and Folklore: Theme 44: Fairy Tales
Title: Death and the Thief of Hearts
Author: appleqb
Fandom: Gundam Wing
Pairing: Heero/Duo (pretty harmless)
Rating: G maybe PG
Warnings: Lots of talk of Death... and er, people dying but no main charaters and nothing graphic. Heavily inspired by Kingdom Hearts, Howl's Moving Castle, and Harry Potter *cough* (feel free to ask if you dare.) Oh yeah, and intentional Purple Prose (it's a Fairy Tale, I kinda had to ^_^;) I tried not to get too carried away.
Theme: Fairy Tales
There is a tale, not often told
Of Mother's love, and what was sold
Her final prayer, her heart's last plead
The one who heard, and sealed the deed
'Please take my heart,' Death heard her say
A bargain struck, a debt to pay
She saved her child, and still Death grins
As this tale ends, the next begins
Death is something mortals fear because it is unknown. But, Death is not unknowable, though it usually prefers to remain anonymous. However, because Death is eternal, and Eternity can sometimes become quite tedious and is often boring, Death sometimes decides to take a hands-on approach to things.
At one such time, Death was making its way across the mortal plane when it heard something curious. A woman in the midst of childbirth was crying out for help. That in and of itself was not out of the ordinary, but her pleading was of a usual quality. She said, "Please, my Heart is dying. He is all I have in this world. I would give anything to save him. Please!"
Death could plainly see the woman's heart was fine. In fact, the woman's heart was strong and sure which was odd, for Death knew this woman; and Death, who did not care for the living, only knew those that it had taken or had come close to taking. The woman's husband had fallen ill some months previously, and as Death came to claim him it witnessed the woman's heart break with such intensity that it seemed odd to Death that it did not claim her then. It was not her time just then, but Death knew her time to be soon; for those with a heart as devastated as hers never truly recovered and Death always came back to claim them. So, seeing the woman's now untarnished heart, Death's interest was piqued.
Death could see this woman's remaining life could be counted in mere minutes yet her heart was the picture of health, a slightly distasteful prospect. The woman's child was yet another matter. The child was dying; that is to say, it appeared to Death as if this child's life would be ending almost as soon as it started. But it was not the child's time yet. Death
could not see this child's time at all, something that should never happen. Death had a time to come for everyone, but this child had no time. Plainly, there was something here that warranted further investigation.
Death appeared to the woman and said: Your heart is fine. Your child is dying. What would you have Death do?
The woman sobbed, though not at the sight of Death, but at its words. "My child is my Heart. My heart beats only for his sake and I would gladly give it to save him."
Death spoke again: To give your heart to save your child is a noble sacrifice. But with no Mother or no Father to care for it, Death will surely be back for this child soon after Death takes you.
"Please," the woman cried, "You can take anything thing you wish. Protect my child, watch over him and keep him safe."
“Good Lady, please calm your self. I am doing all that I can,” said a flustered Midwife, tending to the woman. She could not see Death and thought the woman was speaking to her. She was ignored by both.
Death watched the child life dwindle a little more but still saw no time appear. Suddenly, a solution occurred to Death and it said: What you ask is worth more than the price of one heart.
"I would give anything, my heart, my life, my soul, anything that I have," she pleaded again.
Contrary to popular belief, Death was not concerned with souls. Souls were living things and Death had no use for them. But Death could now see how this situation would be resolved and offered the woman a deal: Death will take your Heart in exchange for your child's. But to protect him, Death will take this child into employ. He will take Hearts in exchange for his protection.
"How many Hearts must he take for Death to be paid in full, how long must he serve you?"
“Good Lady!” The midwife said, scandalized. “Do not speak such words; you will surely draw Death to this room.” Again, she was ignored.
Death answered the woman: Eternity.
"No!" the woman cried, "My Heart, I love him! He must not be in the service of Death forever. Another way! There must be another way. I will serve you in his place. Please!"
Death considered her and her child again. Death so rarely received hearts as strong and renewed as hers so it was an acceptable trade for her child's life. But once she was dead Death could use her no more, or at least not in the way that Death would use her child. But Eternity was a long time, too long for a mortal indeed. To the woman Death said: Your love will save your child and Death will sustain him. Let it be so until love will save him again, and then love will sustain him in Death's place.
The woman nodded slowly. It seemed a terrible fate, who could love her child if Death was his constant companion? But she loved him and if he were to have any chance at all, she must make this choice. "Bless him, Duo, for Death with always walk beside him. But let Hope keep him company as well, for he is loved now and he will be loved again." Then, her time was up.
*~*~*~*~*~
The existence of Duo Maxwell has been curious since birth. No one in the room at the time can speak to the exact circumstances, as they have all passed. There are, however, surviving accounts of that night; one comes from a young girl names Sara. The night of Duo Maxwell’s birth, Sara was assisting the Midwife, training for the job along with another girl. During the birth, when the Midwife noticed the distress of the child and mother, she sent the girls for help and stayed behind to do what she could. As the girls were out of the room, both missed the odd, seemingly one-sided conversation the mother had with Death. The girls returned in time to hear the Midwife’s exclamation. They rushed to the room to see the Midwife, standing with the baby in her arms, her back to the woman.
“Oh Sara, don’t,” The midwife said as Sara ran past to check the woman while the other girl ran to the Midwife’s side.
“Oh, he’s so beautiful,” said the other young girl as Sara tried to revive the mother.
“And so quiet,” The Midwife agreed, “He’s barely cried. So small and precious. She named him Duo, before—”
“She’s dead,” Sara said, backing away from the woman, a note of hysteria in her voice. She turned to look at the other two women in the room in time to seem them fall. Sara, at first, thought they had fainted. She ran over and picked up the baby, who had whimpered slightly from the fall but still had not cried. And there, on her knees with the baby in her arms, as she looked down and saw that the other two women were dead as well.
She screamed until the doctor they had summoned arrived.
The baby never cried once.
Sara was questioned but she had no answers to explain the bizarre circumstances. No one thought to ask the baby; of course the baby wasn’t inclined to speak about it.
Sadly, the three women who died the day of Duo’s birth where not the last mysterious deaths that occurred around the child. And though no one suspected the child at first, it soon became clear that there was something odd about him. The child never cried, never laughed, never seemed to eat or sleep. It stared at people with an unerring gaze, its eyes the most usual color of purple that seemed to almost glow. In the beginning, no one seemed to notice these oddities and there were families to willing take the child, to care for it, but soon the people of the town began to fear the child as unexplained deaths seem to follow in its wake.
Soon there was talk of destroying the child and several attempts to end the child’s life, but no one with the intent of harming the child ever came close, falling dead themselves as they approached. As the child never needed care, it was left in a house on the outskirts of town. The townspeople sent one person every day to see if the child was still there, though no one made any attempt to help or harm it.
One day, some five years after the birth of the child, the man the town sent to check the child found its house quite empty, as if no one had ever been there. The town was searched but no trace of the child was ever found. That day the town breathed a sigh of relief, but there the story of Duo Maxwell is still told, and his return is still feared.
*~*~*~*~*~
At the age of five, Duo Maxwell ran away. The townspeople needn’t have worried about his return; he had no intention of ever going back.
Five may seem too young an age for a child to be out on its own, but the case of Duo Maxwell is a special one indeed. It was not as if Duo was receiving any sort of care or positive attention that a child needs or desires from the people of town. Not that he needed it from anyone other than his companion; it would have been nice though. Still, at the age of five, Duo was more than capable of taking care of himself, again, with the help of his companion. He felt well within his rights to run away and had tried not to be bitter about his escape, but he really couldn't help the feeling thoughts of his flight left him. It was not his fault that he was born with the innate ability to steal Hearts - he hadn't even been conscious of doing it the first couple of times it happened; he had been a baby! - But as he had gotten a bit older he had realized what he was doing. Then he gained control over his abilities, which of course meant that he had stopped doing those things. His companion had not approved, but what could he do; he had no wish to cause the people of the town more grief, and by that time they had shut him away in that house. Not that the people of the town stopped blaming him for every single death that occurred, even when he had absolutely nothing to do with them. It was not Duo's fault his companion still had a job to do. Therein lay Duo's dilemma: If the people of the town continued to die, they would send someone to try to kill Duo again; and since it had been some time since Duo had stolen a Heart, his companion would be less inclined to save him.
So Duo fled. He was quite excited to get away. Duo was eager to get out and experience the world with his companion, who was learned in the way of the world and who never hesitated to impart knowledge. This may be odd to say of a five year-old, but Duo did so hate to be thought of as a child. He was born with all the knowledge and comprehension to understand his companion, enough to know what It was and what he had been born to do. It had taken a while to get a handle on the basics, but at five he was well qualified. That is to say, Duo Maxwell was born with none of the innocence
and naivety that all other children have and, at five years old, the only thing childlike about the boy was his age and size.
This was to change though.
When Duo set out from his hometown, his companion had made only one demand: Do not speak of Death as your companion to those who can not see Death for themselves. If you reveal Death to anyone, Death will take them.
The boy was perfectly fine with that. He told no one of his companion and resolved to call himself Death; after all he was doing Death's work. His companion had no problems with that, Duo soon found it was because no one took him seriously when he said it. He got over that quickly though.
Seemingly out on his own at such a young age there weren't many options for Duo. However, the solution was rather obvious to him: he was already to set steal Hearts for his living, so why not extend his practice? Duo became a thief; not just of Hearts, but of money and clothing and food when he wanted it (not that he really needed the last of those things, but he had found that his existence was a lot easier when not afflicted with hunger).
Duo soon found that it was best if he did not stay in one place too long, just as his companion had advised him. If people started to notice an unusual amount of mysterious deaths, the first place they looked for the culprit was in the slums, which was where Duo often hid. So Duo learned to move from town to town as a sort of vagrant, stealing Hearts when he could and visiting new places and people as he went.
It was during this time that Duo met Solo, another young boy very similar to Duo in many ways. Solo too had seen death many times, though he did not know of Duo's companion; Duo was very careful not to tell him. They were around the same age, though Solo was slightly older and took Duo under his wing, watching out for him. Duo didn't think it important to mention that he didn't need the looking after; he was getting the chance to appreciate care and attention for the first time in his life. Solo became his first and only friend, and it was Solo who taught Duo how to laugh and cry
(though Duo said he would never do that) and take simple pleasures out of life. He never asked too many questions of Duo about when he had to leave and where he was going, but he was always happy to see Duo come back. And it was for that reason that Duo always came back, like he was drawn to Solo, like he just could not stay away for long.
His companion advised him against going back again and again, but Duo found that for the first time in his life he was happy and he wasn't ready to give that - or Solo - up yet. So, of course, it came as a shock to Duo that one day, when he returned to that town where Solo stayed and embraced his friend, Solo collapsed in his arms. Duo was terrified to think that he had some how killed his friend and was relieved for a moment to realize that his friend was still breathing, only to become scared once more when he could not revive Solo.
He turned to his companion, "What has happened to him?" Duo wailed.
Death said: You were warned.
"What do you mean?" Duo asked.
Death said: As Solo became more attached to you, you slowly took his Heart. And as per our agreement, those parts of his Heart have come to me.
"You have parts of his Heart?" Duo glared, "Give them back."
Death said: I cannot. I can not give back what you have taken.
"What can I do to help him?"
Death said: You may steal the rest of his Heart.
"But that will kill him!" Duo said, his eyes filling with tears.
Death said: It is all that can be done. He may live for a time in this state, but he will not survive. He will not eat, he will not drink, and he will continue to waste away. The only help you can give is to end his suffering.
Duo sat there for a long time, holding Solo with tears falling down his cheeks; the first and last tears he would ever cry, and he cried them for Solo. "I'm so sorry." he said to Solo, his last words to the boy as he stole what was left of his Heart and ran away before he had to watch Death take him.
*~*~*~*~*~
Duo ran away from Solo and what he had accidentally done. He threw himself into his work, for now he truly knew the truth:
He was Death, and Death walked beside him, all he would know was Death, and Death was all he would have.
But, for all that he claimed to be Death, he was not. Duo's new outlook on life soon became too bleak for even him, and he withdrew from the world: he ran away again. He ran from the cities and the towns and the villages and the people, but try as he might, he could not run from Death. Duo knew the consequence of his actions; he was not stealing Hearts for Death and so as Death followed him it became less for his protection and more to catch him when he finally fell. Duo did not care; he continued to wander through the wilderness for he had no desire to be saved by Death or himself.
However, as Duo continued his travels though the wilderness, a forest this
time, with tree so thick it became easier to walk through the branches and
leaves than between the trunks, Duo heard a strange noise. Having not heard a noise from any man, beast, or animal for some time, Duo decided to investigate. He climbed carefully and quietly through the trees towards the motion and noise he could sense just ahead until - suddenly and without warning – he reached the outer branches of the tree at the edge of a clearing. The cause of the motion, the noise and the clearing became clear all at once.
Below him on the ground several feet away was a boy chopping down trees to make the clearing which was so long it stretched further than he could see. Having not seen anyone in quite some time, Duo was quite shocked; but even more so when he noticed the resemblance this boy shared with Solo.
Duo fell out of the tree.
The fall was not far and the impact did not really hurt, but it did give away his position. The boy stopped chopping trees and turned around to look at Duo just as the fallen boy looked up into his startlingly blue eyes.
Duo felt a sudden jerk and both boys clutched their chest as if they had been hit.
Death chuckled slightly.
Both boys stared at each other for a long moment unable to move or think or breathe. The blue-eyed boy recovered first. With a long slow blink, he shook his head as if recovering from a dream. He said, "Who are you? And who is your companion?"
Startled again, Duo turned to look up at Death, "He can see you?" He asked, astonished.
Death said: Certainly. He can see Death as you see Death.
"How?" Duo asked, perplexed but finally getting to his feet.
Death said: It should be obvious to you, Thief of Hearts. He has stolen yours.
Both boys clutched their chest again. Duo said, "But you can not live without a Heart! Why have you not taken me?"
Death said: That is not strictly true. And your danger has not yet passed; Death may still take you.
"But Solo!" Duo accused, "If he could have lived without a Heart why did you take him?!"
Death said: There was nothing that could be done in his case and you, as always, are a special case.
Duo turned to look at the boy again, who looked curiously between Duo and Death, content to watch and not speak. "He can not keep my heart," Duo said firmly. "Where is he keeping it? I will steal it back."
Death said: He keeps it where he would keep his own. You may try to take it back, but you will find it more difficult to take than most while he knows exactly who you are and what you are doing with Death at your side.
"But he only has one Heart, and if that is my Heart, than where is his?" He addressed the boy with the blue eyes once again, "Who are you, mortal? What happened to your Heart and why have you taken mine?"
"My name is Heero Yuy," He said with a bit of a glare. "My Heart is my own business and I do not know how I came by yours."
"Give it back," Duo said stubbornly.
"I will not. I do not know how it took it and I would not give it back if I did. It has broken the spell and I think I will need it to do what must be done." And with that he turned, grabbed his axe and strode away.
Duo spluttered for a moment then hurried to follow his Heart.
*~*~*~*~*~
It was a long journey that the two boys and Death made. They passed no one and nothing on the way. Heero refused to tell them where he intended to go or what he was doing, so Duo continued to pass the time by trying to steal his Heart back. Much like Death had said, the task proved too difficult for the thief to accomplish. Eventually, even this grew tiring and Duo settled down. He agreed to follow Heero and help him accomplish his mission. So finally, Heero shared his story.
He was from a small village far away, peaceful and quiet, settled in the woods. One day an evil Witch attacked the town. She cast a spell to steal all the young men's Hearts and locked the woman in servitude. But the Witch had not stopped there; she wanted to make all the young men of the village into her suitors. But Heero, even deep under her spell, had resisted; so she sent him into exile to chop trees, forever. He did not know what had become of his village or even how long he had been chopping down trees. But Duo's Heart had broken the spell on him and now Heero was going back to his village to stop the Witch and free his people.
After hearing the tale, Duo agreed once more to help, now with a solid conviction to do so. After all Heero's fate had most definitely been worse than his own. For all the solitude Duo had ever suffered, he had always had Death as his companion, and he had never been in servitude; he had always had a choice. Duo was glad to help.
At last, the moment arrived. Heero and Duo made it back into the village and headed for the tower in the center. Heero said the Witch had conjured it and proclaimed herself Queen. Slowly and stealthily they entered the tower and climbed to the top, moving side by side with Death at their backs. They managed to make their way to the throne room without being detected, but Duo had to stifle a gasp as he finally laid eyes on the Witch. Though Heero now had his Heart and could see Death, he could not see what Duo could see.
The Witch's own Heart had been swallowed by Darkness so completely that it was no longer there. There was only the Darkness granting her power, coursing through and around her into the crown that sat a top her head where all the Hearts of the villagers pulsed.
"So horrible," Duo breathed backing away from the room. He reached for Heero and pulled him back just as Heero started forward.
"Let me go," Heero growled, hand tight on his ax. "I must kill her."
Duo shook his head and whispered back, "You can not kill her, not with that axe. She lives without a Heart and her power is too great."
"That can not be. She must be killed."
"I will kill her," Duo said fiercely, then turned his attention to Death. "If I take and smash her crown?"
Death said: It will be like you have stolen all of the Hearts and I will take all the villagers, including Heero.
Duo shuddered, shaking his head, "No. Another way. If I distract her for Heero, then can he take and smash the crown?"
Death said: The Hearts will be released but her power will not break. She may recall them again.
"How do I break her power so that she may not recall them?" Duo asked, stealing himself for a most unpleasant answer.
Death said: You must steal her Heart.
"But she has no Heart, I can not see one. The Darkness has swallowed it.
Death said: And now she has a Heart of Darkness. It can be taken just like any other.
"And I can do this?"
Death said: You can, but not without great risk to yourself. I will not save you; you have not stolen a Heart for payment of protection and her Heart of Darkness will not be worth your life.
"Oh, yes it is," Duo said looking at Heero. “If my life is to be worth anything, let it be worth these people, and you.” Duo nodded, "It is a risk I must take."
Heero put his hand on Duo's shoulder, "I can not let you do this."
Duo smiled, genuine for the first time since before Solo's death, and said, "You can not stop me." His smile turned into a cheeky grin, "This needs to be done if she is to be stopped and I am the only one who can do it."
"Are you sure? You never seemed like much of a thief to me. You couldn't even steal your own Heart back," Heero said, trying to distract Duo from the task ahead.
"Heero," Duo said, softly touching his face, "I never really wanted to take it back as long as it was you who had it." He pressed his lips to Heero's and then stepped backwards into the darkness of the throne room.
Heero stared at him for a long moment, not knowing what to do.
He jumped when, several seconds later, Death said: You know, a Heart can heal many wounds.
*~*~*~*~*~
It was a simple task, Duo thought as he made his way around the edge of the room to the Witch's back, the very Darkness of the Witch's power shrouding his progress. Duo had done this many times before and, though he had never really wanted to steal Hearts, he felt this last time, for Heero, would be worth it.
A fingers-length away from his goal he paused to think, I love you, Heero, and he snatched the Heart of Darkness away.
The Witch's power broke suddenly in a blast of Darkness that spread in every direction, shaking the tower and hitting Duo full in his Heartless chest. He fell backwards and knew it to be a mortal blow as he landed several feet away. It was only a matter to time before Death took him, but at least he could see the crown shatter, the Hearts of the villagers escaping from every window, crack and cranny to their proper owners.
Heero and Death both entered the room: Heero rushing to Duo's side, and Death to the fallen Witch. Heero stroked Duo's cheek and said, "Oh Duo, you're dying."
"I know," Duo's voice was shaking as his remaining life left him. "But we won. The Witch is gone and all of your people are free. I can go with Death gladly."
Heero shook his head, "I can't let you die like this."
Duo's laugh was short and mirthless, "You really don't have a choice in the matter."
"I do." Heero said as he held up his hand, in it he held his own Heart. "Death will save your life for the price of a Heart. If you steal mine he will spare your life."
"No! Heero, you mustn't. If I steal your Heart then Death will take you. I would rather die than let that happen."
"Oh Duo," Heero said with a slight smile, "You really don't have a choice in the matter." and he pushed his Heart into Duo's chest.
A second great blast went through the room and Duo sat up suddenly, once more full of life. Duo and Heero embraced each other on the floor of the throne room.
Coming over to the two boys for the final time Death said: Duo Maxwell, your service has ended. You have found the one Heart you can not steal, the one that is freely given. As Duo Maxwell holds Heero Yuy's Heart and Heero Yuy holds Duo Maxwell's Heart, your love will sustain each other and you will be together forever.
And with that, Death went away from them forever. Heero helped Duo up and they kissed quite soundly. They left the tower hand and hand,
Happily Ever After.