Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ The Hope Diamond ❯ Gem-Stealer - 28 ( Chapter 28 )

Name: Androgene

Website: http://www.angelfire.com/space/noir13

Email: androgene@lycos.com

Title: The Hope Diamond (Book Two): Gem-Stealer - Chapter 28 to 30

Summary: wrapping up the story.

Category: AU, fantasy, drama, angst, action, yaoi, shounen-ai

Rating: NC-17

Warning: none

Date of completion: 27 November 2002

Author's Notes: This is it. It's been a long ride and I like to thank everyone who stayed with me, encouraged and supported me. I had a lot of fun writing 'The Hope Diamond' and I'm rather sad it's all over. But you know what they say - all good things must come to an end.

I hope you guys like the ending. I had decided to end on a sweet and romantic mood, yet with a hint of darkness and uncertainty. I thought it was appropriate, considering what Yohji had done. Anyway, drop me your comments! I like to hear from you.

By the way, Weiss Kreuz Glühen made an appearance. See if you can spot it! ^ ^

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Disclaimer:

All characters belong to their creators. WeiB Kreuz™ is created by Takehito Koyasu and Project WeiB. I don't own them and I don't profit from using these characters.

Gem-Stealer

The Dark Recession was a difficult and terrible decade. The sudden and total collapse of Estet Foundation and Takatori Enterprises in two consecutive days rocked the financial world and plunged every country into instant economic woes.

The only surviving oligopoly was Kritiker and Co, and it too was hit hard by the sudden imbalance of power. Suspicions fell upon Kritiker, being the only oligopoly left standing. People accused the company and its head of destroying Estet Foundation and Takatori Enterprises through foul means. Persia had to work long and hard to dispel these suspicions but it would take a very long time before public confidence was restored.

Being two of the three oligopolies, Estet Foundation and Takatori Enterprises' downfall created a huge vacuum of power and stability. Subsidiary companies closed down, thousands of jobs were lost, and the Wall Street experienced a major crash. While inflation kept rising, the average people's incomes did not increased, creating an untenable situation where it became increasingly difficult for ordinary people to maintain their lifestyles. Many people lost their fortunes and jobs overnight; the number of people plummeting to poverty level exploded.

Following closely on the heels of the economic turmoil came political instability. In many countries, bush wars broke out. Many rebellions seized the opportunity to rise up against their native governments. The resources of the United Nations Peacekeepers were stretched thin in containing trouble spots scattered all over the world.

Caught off guard, bewildered and frightened, people all over the world readily blamed Takatori's Blood Diamond for the onset of the Dark Recession. They cursed his existence, blaming him for their economic woes and the dangerous times. In a poll done by CNN, many said that if the Gem was still alive, he should be punished for his crime against humanity. Equally many demanded that the UN ban the practice of Gem Forging.

Needless to say, Gems were not the most popular or likeable creations during the Dark Recession.

Then the rumors began, spreading like wildfire across the globe. Rumors that the Blood Diamond did not die with his master. That somehow, another powerful Techno-Mage killed Reiji Takatori and stole the Gem from him. They said the Blood Diamond had been re-Forged in the fires of wild magic - now a nameless Gem bound to the unknown Techno-Mage the rumors called the Gem Stealer.

The rumors electrified the whole world. If the Blood Diamond still lived, he could be found and brought to justice. If his new master could be tracked down, they could kill him before the Gem's curse strike again.

The magical society was in an uproar, split evenly between those who believed the rumors were true and those who scoffed at the idea. But if the rumors were true, it would destroy the dogma held by the Techno-Mages for a full millennium. Everything they believed about Gems would have to be rewritten.

The UN Governing Council of Techno-Mages, naturally, wanted proof so they could render the proper judgment. To this end, they dispatched their agents to find evidence to sustain the rumors.

For other Techno-Mages, their intentions were less honorable. The rumors led them to believe that they could steal the Gem for their private gains. Greedy for the power and fortunes the Gem could bring them, unscrupulous Techno-Mages with the means and resources sent out their own clandestine agents.

However, no one really knew where and how to look.

Nobody knew the original identity of the former Blood Diamond. Reiji Takatori had been so possessive and jealous of his Gem that he left behind no documents, no photos that would pierce the shroud of mystery around his Gem's background. The only clue was a privately run hospital once owned by Takatori Enterprises but it ended in an empty ward and missing medical records. If the Gem were to walk unmasked in broad daylight, no one would even recognize him.

The same went for the Gem Stealer. He, like the former Blood Diamond, was a complete unknown. No one knew the Techno-Mage's face, his Discipline or even whether he was a male. Some had insisted the Gem Stealer was a female instead. If someone did know who he was, they were not talking.

Still the total lack of clues did not deter the greedy treasure hunters.

For the idea of owing a Gem without going through the deadly Forging was incredibly seductive.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It was a sunny summer day, with cloudless blue sky and a gentle cool breeze blowing in from the ocean. The little out-of-the-way cemetery at the cliff-side hill was a picturesque landscape of green grass, the shady tree and tiny dots laid out in neat rows across the hill. Not many people visited this cemetery and on this fine summer day, the cemetery saw only one visitor.

"...Been tough without you. We've been together for so long now it's hard to adjust to your absence. It's been a year and we still miss you." Omi sighed, sitting back on his hunches, and gazed at the plain black marble tombstone before him. A single joss stick was planted in the ground before the tombstone; next to it was a small pretty bouquet of white roses.

Written on the black tombstone in simple gold lettering were a name, a birth date and the date of death.

Every member of Weiss had an empty grave to their name, since they were all legally dead. Although this particular grave was still empty, it now held a new meaning for Omi. The authorities never found the body and Omi never truly believed that he was dead, even though Kritiker had officially declared him dead. Still the tombstone was the closest he could get to his friend, the last link to Yohji Kudoh.

It had been a full year since Yohji died in the fires of wild magic. A full year since Yohji chose death and his lover over life and his friends.

It hadn't been easy to get over Yohji's death. The three of them had been together for so long, living, working and killing. The bond forged in blood and death and survival wasn't a bond that could be easily broken. Omi and Ken mourned for weeks; their concentration suffered so much that they could not even operate the flower shop, much less carrying out the missions.

Finally, they requested for Weiss to disband. It just didn't feel right without Yohji anymore. Besides they had Aya-chan to take care of. How would they explain their real jobs to the innocent sixteen-year-old girl? They already found it impossible to tell her the truth about her brother's fate.

Surprisingly enough, Persia granted their request. Omi suspected that Persia was too busy containing the fallout from Estet and Takatori's collapse and asserting Kritiker's control over their former domains to give their request much contemplation.

Whatever the reason, both of them found themselves freed to lead their own lives, although still under assumed identities. They took Aya-chan back to her native country and started a new life there, determined to stay away from Magnopolis. They opened a new flower shop; Omi enrolled himself in the high school near their home and in addition, Ken somehow managed to get himself appointed as the coach for the neighborhood elementary school's football team.

They led a peaceful life now, happy and contented but sometimes they still found themselves missing Yohji and Aya-chan still inquired about her brother. They didn't know if they had the right to tell her the truth about her brother; all they could say was that her brother gave up his life to save hers.

This was Omi's first visit to Yohji's native country, and he wondered if he should erect a second tombstone next to Yohji's for his lover.

"Tell Ran," Omi said, "that Aya-chan is adjusting well. There were rough moments but she got through them with admirable courage. She's back in school, catching up with absolute brilliance and helping out in the flower shop whenever she could. Do you know Aya-chan has many fanboys who come just to moon over her?

"I'm not sure if I should tell her about her brother though. She has a right to know everything but somehow I have this feeling Ran wouldn't want her to know." Omi sighed again and glanced at his watch. "Ken-kun is late. He had that soccer match earlier, so he couldn't come with me. But he did promised to catch the earliest possible flight."

"Omi!"

"Speak of the devil." Omi smiled at the brunette running towards him.

"Sorry," Ken apologized. "The flight was delayed."

Omi rose to his feet, stepping aside to let Ken pay his respects. "That's all right. Knowing Yohji, he would say he has all the time in the world now to wait for a certain slowpoke."

Ken knelt to pay his respects, after which he sat back on his hunches and gazed at the black tombstone. "Do you really think he's dead?" he asked finally.

"I don't believe he is. Then again, I'm probably still in denial."

Ken chuckled. He rose to his feet, dusting off his jeans. "Same here too."

"It doesn't matter what we think." Omi tilted his face to the sky, enjoying the cool sea breeze. "Wherever they are, I'm sure they're together and finally happy. That's the only thing that matter now."

"Absolutely."