Jester Unmasked
Part 3
Later that evening Duo walked back into his room with a small smile. He really enjoyed spending time with
Tori and the others. The coffee house had been fun and he had shown them his newest work.
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Tori and Duo arrived at the coffee house, the others were already there and someone had already ordered
him a cafe mocha. "Thanks for ordering for me"
The group of friends continued with small talk, but they all were given quick glances in Duo's direction. Feeling
self-conscious at the stares he asked why they were looking at him like that.
"Well Chris-kun", began Tori, "we were wondering if you had anymore poems".
Seeing the looks from the others Duo laughed and nodded his consent. Going through his bag he pulled out
his poetry book.
"This one is called Heart's Melody", clearing his throat he began.
""The Heart plays a melody
Such beautiful melodies
Each one unique
So very soft the melody plays
Faintly I hear the melody
of my heart. A slow melody
of sadness. To any other
a normal melody.
The Days Pass, all
I have is the melody
Sad yet soothing as
it is familiar
How Envious I am,
of those with happy
melodies. Their heart
know many more joys than mine
Can anyone hear my melody,
does anyone hear?
Will the melody change, will
someone come along and teach
My heart anew?""
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He sat in his chair lost in recent memories, his eyes shifted to the picture on his desk. It was the only
one he had of all five pilots together. During one of their school infiltrations, one of the yearbook students,
with a camera, took the photo of all five. Duo asked for a copy.
"I wonder what they thought then", unbidden his mind raced back to that awful morning.
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"RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNG"
A hand shot out from the bed to slap the offending clock off of the nightstand. Low moans faintly came from
a lump on the bed.
"Damn alarm clock" grumbled a very grouchy Duo. Getting up from the warmth of the bed, he made his way to the
bathroom. After relieving himself and brushing his teeth, Duo made his way back into his room, only to trip over his
bag. "Shit!!!" "Dammit all to hell, I still need to unpack from the mission." After debating the issue for a while, he
decided to go get some coffee and breakfast before unpacking.
After downing his second cup of coffee and almost half a dozen donuts, he made his way into the foyer, with his
third cup, in search of the others. He heard voices coming from the make-shift conference. Heading that way, he
paused upon hearing his name.
"That Damned Maxwell, I swear by Nataku I'll kill him" Wufei shouted voice filled with anger unseen before."
He is worse than a damn toddler"
"I agree Wufei, Duo's antics are a bit trying on one's nerves" began Quatre
"Trying????? More like workin' my last nerve!!!" shouted the enraged Dragon.
Unknown to them, the subject of the conversation was listening to the exchange, the mask slowly fracturing.
"Hn, the Baka gets on my nerves worse than Relena. The fucking idiot has no sense of control, never shuts that
damn mouth, never takes anything seriously, we would all be better without him and the stupid half brained antics
of his." Heero put his opinion. Trying to calm down Wufei with humor, yet the consequences of this action will be severe.
"I tell you an Onna would have been a better choice. Relena would be a far better choice, Ne? I mean she might be
annoying as all hell, but no where near as annoying or immature as Maxwell." Wufei's tone was slowly becoming
normal as he began to joke around with Heero.
"Of all the people in the colonies" started Trowa
"We got stuck with the braided twit" finished Quatre. Slowly getting in the game, a little part of his mind was
telling him this was wrong, but he ignored it and continued in efforts to calm Wufei down."
"I know, why don't we cut off his braid, give him a mohawk and die it Pink" Heero delivered deadpan.
"I can see Duo with a pink mohawk, it would certainly fit his intellectual capacity" Trowa stated with the a smile
gracing his face.
"Ah but we can just continue to ignore him when he gets on our nerves, the lowly street rat always scurries away."
Quatre stated between giggles.
Everyone in the room started laughing, not noticing the person outside the door looking in. Nor did they see the
mask shatter and fall to the ground along with the coffee mug Duo drop while trying to stop the sobs and tears.
Racing up the stairs he thought he heard the door open from the conference room.
Running into his room, Duo grabbed his back from the night before ran into the bathroom threw in some of his
stuff, his body shaking from the uncontrollable sobs. After finishing in the bathroom he grabbed his poetry book
and quickly shoved it into the bag. He did not see one sheet of paper fall onto the bed as he went out the window
and climbed down.
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The sound of his laptop brought Duo back from his unpleasant memories. Opening the mail he saw it was
from Professor G.
02,
Request received and approved. For the time being you will be
working solo. Upgrades to Deathscythe are almost complete based
on the instructions you sent.
G.
Closing the laptop, Duo changed and decided to read in bed before going to sleep.
****************************
Running through the darkness, panting from running. Quatre stood in a clearing. Before him was Duo
with his back to him. "Duo..."
Slowly Duo turned to face the blond, with a sad small smile, he began to fade into the Darkness. Yelling for
him to stop, Quatre ran towards him trying to prevent him from leaving. Stretching out his hand, Duo just shook
his head and vanished completely.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" screamed Quatre. Covered in sweat and gasping for air. Realizing it was a dream, he
tried to go back to bed, but his mind refused to clam down. A knock at the door.
"Quatre are you OK?" Inquired Trowa
"I'm fine, just a nightmare. Sorry to wake you, go back to sleep I'll be OK"
He heard receding steps, taking a breath, he went over the dream once again. / What does it mean (1)/?
Meanwhile, in another room in Quatre's estate, Wufei was thinking when Trowa came in.
"Quatre is taking this really hard"
"We all are, it is our fault. Mainly mine for blowing up like that. How can I claim to defend justice when I do
something like this." not meeting Trowa's eyes, Wufei got up and left the room in an attempt to get some sleep.
"Come back Duo, how can we make up for this" Trowa wondered out loud. Leaving the study he made his way to
his room. Passing Quatre's door, he could still hear a few sobs. He felt a constriction in his chest, not wanting
to bother him anymore, Trowa went to his room.
Heero was knocked out on his bed, after spending most of his time looking for their missing partner his body
finally demanded sleep. Fitfully tossing in his sleep, low murmurs of apologies, and confessions of love faintly
filled the empty room. While on his laptop, the alert from they searches they all have been hoping for sat blinking
awaiting to be read.
Notes:
(1) Hum..now what could his dream mean. Is it just guilt for what he
said or is it a warning for the future????
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