Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Living Shinigami ❯ Painting ( Chapter 15 )

“Living Shinigami”

Chapter Fifteen

Painting

When she had died, Meiran had never expected to see her husband again. He had always seemed to have too much of a practical nature to become a shinigami. She especially hadn’t expected to see him in the imaginary world before he had actually died.

At least he was as shocked as she was.

“Ancestor, why is my grandson here?” Mao asked, eyes wide. “Humans are forbidden!”

“Well, the old man’s always making exceptions when Hijiri-kun is involved,” Kurikara said, waving off the shinigami’s concerns. “He brought Wufei home to Meifu with him, and then here. And since both of them are here, I figured there was something that you should explain to our descendant.”

Catching the dragon’s meaning, Mao ‘meeped,’ the sound startling Wufei and Meiran. From what they’d heard and seen, Chang Mao did not ‘meep.’

“Could I perhaps see Hijiri-sama before that?” the elder Chang asked hopefully. “I haven’t since he was very little. I’m sure he’s changed a lot since then.”

Kurikara considered the offer for a while before nodding. “But don’t tell them that I called you.”

Duo was scratching Byakko behind the ears of his true form when they arrived back near the Kenku palace, but he stopped to stare at Mao when he caught sight of their group. “I know you.”

“I used to sometimes watch you as a child,” the Chinese man said, staring back at him with something Wufei could have sworn was awe.

Duo’s face brightened. “Mao-san! You started to teach me the sword.” He suddenly started to glance between Mao and Wufei. “Wait a second... I should have known. That’s why Fei always looked so familiar.”

“It’s not the only reason,” Kurikara murmured.

“How many people do you know?” Wufei asked his comrade, deciding to ask about the dragon’s comment later. “Those people at the nightclub-”

“Dead,” Duo added in cheerfully.

Wufei continued on. “My grandfather-”

“Also dead.”

“-the four gods-”

“Work for my dad.”

“-Kurikara-”

“Works for me.”

“-and that couple you were chatting with at the club,” the mortal finished. “Who’s next, King Enma?”

Everyone suddenly found the surroundings very interesting, especially Duo and Mao. Wufei was almost afraid to ask.

“You know how I said that I was a test-tube baby?” Duo asked cautiously. Wufei nodded slowly. “Well, he’s the one who removed me from the tank. King Enma was the first person I ever saw.”

“That’s right, you’re due for a visit soon, aren’t you?” Kurikara said, snapping his fingers. “And he’ll probably want to be longer because of all the years you’ve missed it.”

Duo grinned. “Bet Dad won’t be happy about that. He used to always get nervous when I went to Enma-sama’s halls.”

“Probably worrying that the old man’s not going to let you leave one of these years,” the dragon said, ignoring his descendants’ shocked expressions over his form of address. “Alright, Mao, you’ve talked to him. Now go talk to Wufei.”

Mao cringed but nodded, leading his grandson away from the group. “This might take a while.”

The four agents went back to the shrine where ‘Hijiri’ had been seen the following morning. The priest was waiting for them at the top of the stairs when they arrived. Another man stood with him.

“You’ve brought reinforcements,” the old priest said, his eyes crinkling.

Millardo smirked. “So have you.”

The new man snorted. “Not this old geezer. He doesn’t need back-up against the likes of you.”

“This is David Kelly, formerly of L2 before he came here,” the priest said in introduction. “He too has seen your child. Come inside. My living room is more comfortable than the shrine.”

And it was, with modest furniture and modern conveniences. The six men arranged themselves on various chairs and the couch, Kelly electing to sit on the floor in front of the television. He picked up a rolled canvas that had been leaning against the wall and held it in his lap.

“I was a wandering artist during part of the war,” he said, getting comfortable. “Like I said, I originally came from L2, though I left about, oh, eight years before the war ended.”

“Before which you saw Agent Maxwell,” Heero said, eyes narrowed. The man was holding something back.

“If we’re thinking about the same boy, then how the mighty have fallen to be working with the likes of the Preventors,” Kelly said, shaking his head. He removed the rubber band from the canvas and unrolled it onto the floor. The agents couldn’t help but to gasp sharply. “I call this one ‘Heaven’s Orphan Son.’ I’ve never sold it or any copies.”

The boy in the painting was undoubtedly Duo, though dressed in a way that even Quatre and Millardo had only seen in Japanese ink paintings.

His hair was tied in a small bun like that of a Chinese prince, including two very ornate hair sticks. Embroidered slippers peeked from under rich brown hakama. His outer kimono was green with a pattern of dragon’s on it.

He was stretched out in profile, running to escape the smoking rubble that surrounded him. Tears made streaks on dust-grayed cheeks. And behind him, snagged on a chunk of vertical concrete, was a milky white scarf that still floated on the air, reaching for him.

“How much of this was done through artists’ license?” Quatre asked, voice shaking as he fought the urge to try and reach into the canvas and comfort the child depicted on it. Oh Duo...

The painter shrugged. “The exact pattern on his shoes and kimono, the neatness of his hair. It’d mostly come down by the time I spotted him. There were also tears and burns on his clothing. I didn’t think they’d have as much of an effect. Otherwise, I might as well have taking a photograph.”

“Where was this?” Trowa asked.

“That,’ Kelly said matter-of-factly, “was where the L2 capital building used to be. I was working as an office intern when it was attacked. Started working as a painter afterwards. You can check the records if you’re skeptical.”

Millardo was on the phone to Une the moment that they’d left the grounds. “We have the records and several leads. Now we need the satellite feed from the L2 capital building for the last few hours before they cut off with the destruction.”

“Why those?” Une asked, jotting down the specifics.”

“We think Duo might have been there when it was attacked.” The prince’s lips thinned. “It might have been when his parents died.