Frozen By: Kyoryoku Nazo *eerie violin opening: It's snowing. View slowly centers in on the remains of a building, focusing on the hunched over form of a young man. His back is coated in light snow as if he'd been sitting in that position for quite a little while. Shoulders heave up and down in slow but random repititions. *percussion adds to measure and repeats* You see his face now, his eyes hidden by the brim on his hat. He's clutching a cross to his chest and crying openly. As the lashes of his eyes part and his head raises, soft violet shimmers can be seen behind the tears. The view keeps getting closer and closer until the image shatters. /You only see what your eyes want to see. How can life be what you want it to be?/ Those same amethyst eyes burst open again but in a different surrounding. Sweat runs freely down the cheeks of the young piolet and his breath comes short as the familiar yellow glow fills the cockpit sending the unlucky commander of WingZero into horrible hallucinations. /You're frozen. When your hearts not open./ Fear is suddenly gone as he impassivley directs the massive Gundam into a rutheless attack. If only the youth knew what sort of inhuman battle tactics he'd taken part in. /You're so consumed with how much you get. You waste your time with hate and regret./ The image fades into one of years passed. A mere boy with ragged hair and tattered clothes runs stealthly down an ally to avoid several angry shopkeepers. Short of breath, he collapses against the side of a filthy wall, slowly opening his hand to see the fistfull of change he risked his life to steal. A slow manical laughter fills the dark corner that would soon resurface later in his life as a solider. /You're broken. When your hearts not open./ The same young boy appears years later with his ragged hair braided back wearing the garb of a Catholic priest. With confidence in his voice, he tells the nun who took him in that he no longer believes in God, but only Shinigami, the bringer of death. /Mmmm, if I could melt your heart/ The memories are vague of the Maxwell Church, but Duo remembers them clearly. He sighs and slides down the cold side of the OZ holding cell wall, watching the closed door with faint interest. /Mmmm, we'd never be apart/ His eyes widen as the metal portal bursts open and they are drawn at first to the cold metal of the gun pointed directly at him, then they travel up to the even colder glare of the cobalt eyes staring him down. /Mmmm, give yourself to me/ The braided pilot stares in disbelief for but half a second before donning the expected mask of joy and happiness. With several impassive remarks he hides the initial reaction the stoic boy sent through him. /Mmmm, you hold the key/ All sorts of feelings possess his mind and heart, igniting a conflict within him. Those eyes which burn his soul stir feelings of his days on the street, bringing the painful memories to surface. If only the now approaching pilot knew what he was doing to Duo's thoughts. /Now there's no point in placing the blame. And should know I suffer the same./ A shivering boy leans crying over the body of his dying friend. A slow, gentle hand strokes through the matted dark-brown hair of the sickened child. Whispered apologies are exchanged between both of them, tears cascading down the faces of the young boys. One curses the fact that he left and the other damns himself for leaving. /If I lose you my heart will be broken/ The younger of the two, the one who was doomed to survive the plague vows to never forget his friend, to take his place as the leader of the starving children of the streets. The Prussian blue eyes close for the last time, causing the long haired boy to throw his head back in a wail of utter dispair. /Love is a bird, she needs to fly. Let all the hurt inside of you die./ As Wing Gundam descends into the heavens, a young man clad in black chases the disappearing form, shouting obscenities. The pilot of the craft had apparently left the safe-house without notice, abbandoning the boy chasing him. When the final speck of the Gundam dissapears out of sight, the boy falls to his knees, sobbing uncontrolably. /You're frozen. When your hearts not open./ Phantom faces of the boy with eyes as cold and harsh as ice. The youth in black tears at the grass below him, cursing in frustration and loss. Once again, he is alone. /Mmmm, if I could melt your heart/ "So, are you gonna kill me?" Duo asked non-chalantly, jerking his chin in Heero's direction. For a brief instant, concern flashed in the eyes of the Perfect Solider. /Mmmm, we'd never be apart/ "Is that what you want?" was the stoic response. It was an obvious challange, and the American knew it. Duo smirked, tossing his braid to the side. /Mmmm, give yourself to me/ "I figure it's better for you to do it then OZ," he retorted, placing his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. A wry grin spread on his face, immediatly passing though as soon as Heero pulled back the firing pin on his gun. /Mmmm, you hold the key/ "Hey! You're serious arn't you?" Duo exclaimed, tensing as Heero's eyes narrowed. For the slightest of moment's it truley looked as if the Japanese solider was going to shoot him. Duo winced inwardly, making his final prayers when he heard a dull clang of metal against the floor as Heero slid him a gun. "Let's go." *the vocals trail off, leading into a musical bridge of violins and soft percussion* Heero broke lifted the wounded pilot onto his shoulders, serving as a crutch as the two of them made their way out of the prison cell. As they cleared the door, Duo looked up into the frozen eyes of his savior, marveling at the wonder hidden in them. He could swear that he'd seen those same eyes somewhere before. Just as he thought those words, the Japanese boy winced slightly at the burden on his shoulders. The face he made then sparked a memory that sent chills down Duo's spine. "No! You can't die Solo!" "Don't worry...we'll always be together....I promise..." "T-then...then if Solo's with me...w-we'll be Duo........." The face was unmistakable. How could it be? How?! *the bridge comes to a close, violins raising in octaves before the vocals come back in* Duo's trance was broken as gunfire could be heard in the distance. "So..which way from here?" he studdered. /You only see what your eyes want to see. How can life be what you want it to be?/ The figure of the young boy crying in the snow appears once more. However, this time he lifts his head from his hands. His violet eyes shine against the snow ladden ground and various images flash across the screen. Duo piloting WingZero and losing control. Solo and Duo running together happily down the streets of L-2. DeathscytheHell fighting a sqaud of MD. Solo's body lying lifeless. The golden glow surrounding Duo in the cockpit. Wing Gundam flying away from Duo's screaming. When Heero first met Duo at the water's edge. /You're frozen. When your heart's not open/ The images repeat in sequence, flashing faster and faster until there is practically no pause. Finally, Duo shakes the memories and the visions out of his head, staring back up at Heero's beautiful eyes. /Mmmm, if I could melt your heart/ "Heero..I.." Duo studders, leaning as close to his rescuer as he possibly could. "What is it?" Heero snapped, pulling away as much as he could without dropping his friend. /Mmmm, we'd never be apart/ "Um," was the only sound he could make. Clearing his throat, Duo tried again. "So how do we get out of here?" "You asked that already, baka," sighed the Perfect Solider, trying to dodge security cameras. /Mmmm, give yourself to me/ "I..I know..it's just that..I," Duo was completly studdering now, all of his usual tact and formalities gone completly out the window. "What??" Heero practically shouted at him, losing all patience. /Mmmm, you hold.../ "Well..., it's just.." once again, Duo was leaning closer to Heero than the stoic pilot would ever feel comfortable with. /...the key/ "Thank you," Duo finally managed to say, lifting his chin and actually tried to kiss Heero. /If I could melt your heart/ The two pilots stood frozen in time, despite the fact that they were being chased by OZ soliders. Heero blinked once, then twice staring into the deep and passionate eyes of his companion. /Mmmm, we'd never be apart/ But the spell between them was broken when Heero's training kicked in, causing him to jerk away and don a look of digust. "We don't have time for that. Now come on, or I'll leave you here," was the last thing he said to Duo before dragging him down the corridor to the hanger of transports. /Mmmm, give yourself to me/ As the two soliders of their own right were heading away from the colony, all Duo could do was stare whistfully at Heero, while inwardly hating himself for what he had done. /Mmmm, you hold the key/ Somehow, he managed to keep a steady face in front of his friend before they were safe behind the door of Heero's dorm room. Once inside, he broke down, turning to face the Japanese solider. "I.....I..I'm so..I'm s-s-sorry," he panted out between sobs. /If I could melt your heart/ But before he could get another word out, Heero held his face in his hands and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. "Forgive me," the Perfect Solider breathed. *music dies down and fades into silence* The lights fade with the music until all that can be seen is the siloutte of the two boys, standing in the middle of the room, embraced in each other's arms. ************************************* SONG LYRICS BELONG TO MADDONNA GUNDAM WING AND IT'S CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE CREATORS ORIGINAL FICTION IS CONSIDERED PROPERTY OF KYORYOKU NAZO *************************************