Goodbye

That waist-length brown braid, those violet-blue eyes, the slight but pleasant rasp to his throaty voice… The first time she met him she had known there was something different about him. She couldn’t understand herself or her feelings: Duo Maxwell was a damn fool loudmouth obnoxious American who didn’t know when to be serious, laughed at everything and kept up a running commentary even in the heat of battle, very likely the most annoying person she had ever known. But on the flip side, that could be one of his most endearing traits! His eyes kept her awake at night and haunted her dreams when he was not there with her. Why did he always hold himself away from her? She turned over, trying to escape the sweet torture of his eyes, his voice resounding in her ears and mind.

As usual, he gave no hint of his approach. He knew where all the noisemakers were on this lake bank below this oak tree with fern-covered roots and he took care to avoid them so as not to wake her up just yet.

There she was, sleeping on the ground cushioned by soft grasses, pillowed by moss, covered from the waist down with a light blanket of tiny woven reeds, silky nightgown shining in the patches of moonlight that drifted down through the leaves above and dappled them both with odd shadow patterns. He was more than a little jealous of the nightgown- it was so close to the girl he loved and now he could never be. Duo knelt beside her and brushed the bangs that had fallen across her face away: the trailing ends woke her and blue eyes opened and widened in recognition as a smile formed on her face.

“Hilde.” It came out in the choked whisper that was all he could manage. “Hilde, I’m so sorry.” Hilde only looked him, the smile replaced by a puzzled and worried look that spoke a wordless question to him. He touched her lips gently with two fingertips, an indication of silence.

“Hilde… I’m not certain how I can tell you this but I have to- I won’t be coming home today.” At the girl’s shocked look he forced himself to continue although his voice was bringing tears to her eyes. “They caught me, Hilde, escaping with Deathscythe… They left me no choice and…I had to self-detonate.” Duo felt the tears in his own eyes as he watched Hilde’s, reading shock, denial…and finally belief. He had to tear out his next words, “I’ll- I’ll miss you,” as he drew her yielding form to him, brushed the tears that had begun to flow freely down her face away, kissed her forehead, until the sun’s golden edge rolled over the horizon. Then he rose, reluctantly letting go of Hilde and turning away, walking across the surface of the lake to a silhouette he knew too well.

“Duo!” He looked back. Hilde stood on the shore, reaching out to him. “Hilde…” The cry was wrenched out of him, but he turned once more to continue on. “I have to go, Hilde. We both know that. And you know I love you. “He climbed in, walking Deathscythe into the fiery line where the deep, cool lake met the rising sun, Hilde’s sobs pursuing him.

“Duo, don’t leave me!” Hilde woke, gasping and sobbing. No, it couldn’t be true. He was supposed to come back today. But she remembered, as though seared into memory, the pain and loss in everything about him, his lips on her forehead, the strength of him holding her. And she recalled his words as his silhouette walked into the sun. She looked out over the oak tree outside her window to the sun, halfway above the glittering lake horizon, a sad smile coming to her face. So Duo did love her after all, and had come back to say goodbye.

“Goodbye, Duo Maxwell.”