Eclipse of Dusk
By: Hseru
Warnings: Shounen ai 1x2 3x4 5xM
Disclaimer: I own not Gundam Wing, but I do own the world the G-boys traverse. Fear my god power
Chapter 36 -Epilogue
A joyful reunion and a week after Heero's return, the two of them decided to leave their companions. Duo's decision to leave was merely delayed for a time.
The journey was easy, and none of the hardships that had befallen before plagued them now. It was like the pains were being washed away from them all as they rode. The return of their once lost commander was like a breath of much needed air in a group that had been holding its breath for Duo's loss.
The day of parting finally came, however, when they crossed over into the main lands of the kingdom who had originally hired Heero and Wufei to take care of its problem.
With happy and sad tears and hugs, the group said their last goodbyes, and parted ways, promising to return at some point. The now smaller group headed for the heart of the kingdom, while Heero and Duo had planned a meeting with a certain mother earth.
…
The journey for the four came to an end as they reached the gates of Havrel. It seemed like it had been a life time since they last had entered the city, and indeed, all four of them had been changed on their journey.
The High Lord of Havrel welcomed them back with a feast to congratulate the 'dragon slayers'. The trade routes were cleared, and commerce between the kingdoms was coming back to the peaceful level of before. As a job well done, the High Lord paid in full the original price agreed upon by Wufei and Heero, plus extra for the 'loss' of two of their comrades. They had enough to rest easy for the completion of their lives.
Wufei and Meiran left the city a few days later, taking part of their share with the intent of traveling. Their parting with Quatre and Trowa was not the potentially sad affair Heero and Duo's parting had been. The pair promised to be back within the next six months or so, with stories to be shared both ways.
Quatre had known they would be leaving. They were both just too boisterous to be content staying in the capital city, resting easy on their fortunes. He felt sorry for anyone who came up against the sword master and warrior maiden, and the thought brought a chuckle to him.
"Something amuses you?" A quiet voice brought the little mage from his reverie. That's right… Wufei and Meiran had left a week ago. It was just him and Trowa who were left in the city, and even then, Quatre knew the elf was eager to be gone from the place as well.
"I was just thinking.. about Wufei and Meiran. I feel sorry for the people they'll encounter." Quatre turned a bright smile to the elf stretched out on the long, ornate sofa. He walked over, sitting next to where he lay. Trowa lifted his head, and rest it upon his hand, propped up on his elbow, that shadow of a smile on his fair features.
"I would have expected you to worry about them, not those they encounter." Trowa jested softly, reaching out a hand to sweep some of those pale blonde bangs from before his angel's aquamarine eyes. Quatre surprisingly enough, caught the hand, and brought it to his lips, kissing the fingers that were slightly calloused from years using a bow.
Trowa suddenly scooped the little mage to him, holding his angel close.
"And what about us? …" Quatre said softly, laying against the taller elf. "I know you don't wish to stay here… but my training isn't complete yet."
"They haven't seen your improvement, my little one. I can tell you've most likely surpassed those who were teaching you." Trowa whispered, and Quatre nodded slightly.
"Maybe… but I need to stay for my testing at least. It is only a month away… if I pass it, I'll be a first class mage, and free to do what I want."
"… very well… I can wait,… if I'm waiting for you."
Quatre was touched at the elf's quiet words, so full of that emotion they'd tried to hide on their journey. Tilting his head up, his eyes met the clear emerald of the elf's, who gazed quietly back at him. Slowly, he leaned upwards, and placed a brief, chaste kiss on Trowa's lips.
Only slightly taken aback by the open show of affection, Trowa easily filled the brief silence afterwards with the sound of his movements as he brought his angel's lips once more to his own, and gave him a deep kiss, one hand at the back of his head, the other holding them together.
They didn't have to hide it anymore.
…
It was on the eve of the third day that they found her.
Riding the Illians along a grassy trail, the earth suddenly opened up before them, and from the depths rose the familiar child-like figure, robed in earthy tones. Dismounting, is was with a smile that Duo walked forward, to bend slightly and take the slender form in his arms in greeting.
"I'm so happy to see you again." He said, leaning back to look into her ageless eyes. Phenris in return looked into the eyes of a once dear friend, and saw two friends now reflected back at her. She smiled, a smile so full of relief and happiness that it literally bloomed upon her face.
"I'm glad things have turned out well for you…. For you both." She amended, looking past Duo to where Heero stood. He nodded in greeting.
"I see you have found your true self my dear." She said, and walked past Duo, letting a hand linger on his shoulder in passing. "It is indeed a good thing. You have been made whole now, even as Shinigami is whole. You are the phoenix, one of the first to be born in countless years." Heero blinked at her words.
"You mean, there really aren't more of them?" He asked.
"Oh yes, there are more. A small number, as with the dragonkin, but more. You are simply the new generation." She smiled, before him now, and reached up a hand to place it comfortingly on his shoulder.
"You will never die of old age. You will go on living, as Shinigami has, forever." She paused, tilting her head to the side. "Can you feel it? The power inside you? It is much the same as it was before, but the range of your abilities has expanded tenfold." She locked eyes with him, leaning forward. "I want you to reach for it now. Fell that fire flow through and around you as is has never done before. Become one with it.." And she stepped back.
Heero looked momentarily confused, then closed his eyes, and searched inside himself for that so familiar spark, only to find that she was right. There was no spark. He was the spark. His entire spirit was infused with the flames he'd always possessed. So, he did as she commanded, and gave the power a tug, willing it into life.
Heero's body burst into crimson flame. It engulfed him, and in an instant, he felt the change. It shaped his limbs, forming them into the form he'd taken once before, only now the change was consciously willed. Before, it had been instinct. Now, as he grew in size, the form of the phoenix, his birthright, took over his human form, and in seconds, he rest in his true-form.
It was exhilarating, so much power. This must be what Duo felt like when he changed. That thought led him to search for the other, and through golden orbs, the great golden firebird sought out Duo, who was smiling brightly beside Phenris.
They were both like this. Part of a whole, and wholly different from all. Yet, they were alike even more so now than ever before. The perfect pair. Perfect forever.
Duo's form melted away, and Shinigami soon stood in place of the youth, ebon scales reflecting the light cast off of the flaming bird.
Shinigami now regarded the flaming creature before him, having long ago accepted it as one of the great powers. Now, because he knew how Duo felt, he came to the grudging acceptance that the Phoenix was probably going to be around for a while, and he couldn't challenge the creature. It galled him only slightly, and he gave a short bow of his head to the Phoenix, who returned it in kind.
Phenris walked over to the great dragon, and stopped by his foreleg, placing a hand upon it in greeting. Shinigami lowered his head until he drew nearly level with her.
It is good to see you again, mother. Shinigami said.
The bright smile on the child-like face was overwhelming, and it was much like the air around her reflected the happiness and increased it until the whole area was alive with it.
"My dearest child. I'm so glad you are whole again." She said, running a hand down the scales around one of his eyes.
Mother? Duo's voice echoed in Shinigami's mind.
She is mother to us all. It is from her that we are all born. The dragon answered privately. Duo saw flashes of memory as the dragon remembered. Shinigami and Phenris really had known each other for countless years, and Duo watched a montage of a million different times and places flash by him in a split second, his soul reeling from the amount of time he'd just witnessed.
And now, we will live this time over again. As she lives on, so too will we, until the end of everything brings the universe full circle once more.
It was almost too much to comprehend, but Duo saw that he and Shinigami would not be alone in their never-ending journey. Phenris would be with them… and Heero. And others of the long-lived beings would continue on, fading into the background of history, until they existed in the shadows of memory as myth and legend, caught in the corners of the eyes, phantasmal in nature; sleeping until the time came to rise again and once more claim the world as a land full of magick and wonder.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prologue
Brown eyes glowed yellow in the darkened confines of a small cave. The stench of rancid meat and other malodorous things clogged the senses, and the darkness in the cave whispered madness. A growl was heard from the darkness, and something within that chattering madness moved further back into the cave to avoid the light of day.
This… this is no end… no end. We will return…. We will conquer…will return… death to those who opposed… The words were filled with hatred, and an unnatural power.
No time… no place to run… We will find you… We will kill you… no matter the time… the place.. kill you… We will find you… Then, for a moment, as if the thing had pulled its shattered mind back together long enough to reason.
The dragon will die… blackness… its dark soul will be consumed… We will return…
The words fell into nothingness, and were heard by none. The dark energies that still surrounded the once mighty stronghold of a powerful sorcerer kept all potentially prying eyes from seeing the shambling remains of a once living thing, doomed to dark madness.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh wow… This is the end of Eclipse of Dusk. I can't believe it's over…
Ah! I'm definitely going to write a sequel to this story. I saw that several of my readers were really excited about one, and truth be told, I liked having something continuously in the works.
As my first fully completed fanfic, I'm so glad EoD had such a great turn out. I want to thank all my readers, and everyone who left me reviews with both constructive criticism, and encouragement. Believe me, they helped me continue this.
And now, for the last question. If you peeps were to name the sequel to EoD, what would you name it? Believe me, it doesn't have to have anything to do with the story…. I'm just really bad at naming stories. --'
Any help would be appreciated, and please look forward to the next installment of EoD!