AN: ! I’m still sick I guess. It’s weird. I feel fine except my throat hurts, then I feel like crap and I get these spells of weakness and I have to go lie down and sleep. On another, not so lighter note, I think I might have carpel tunnel syndrome. If I do, I blame it on the typing and the extreme joy I find in writing.

Warning: Hilde has some views about motherhood that some of you may not agree with. I’m sorry if you don’t, but these are very close to MY views of motherhood. These beliefs come from personal experiences (no I don’t have any kids and I’ve never been pregnant). Anyway, I’m seriously thinking that I’m going to have to change the rating.

The Gift of Cursed Blood

Chapter 8: The Dark

Natasha brushed her hair furiously. How she hated her father, that depraved old man. She hated him and that’s why she had wanted to marry Maxwell. He was young, good looking and strong in mind and body. He was the opposite of everything she despised about her father. If it had been possible, she would have killed the old bastard a long time ago. Years ago, actually, when he had come into her room, drunk and mumbling about how much he missed her mother. Disgusting old man! How could you do that to me? For years I’ve wanted nothing more than to escape from you! That’s why I wanted to marry Duo Maxwell. I thought you would never agree but when you did it was the happiest moment of my life but that bastard had to say no! He ruined my chances to escape this hell you have created for me!

Natasha sniffled and wiped the tears that had started leaking from her eyes with one of her hands. She looked at her mirror. She waved her hand before it and an image appeared in its depths. She smiled at the image of herself and Duo in their wedding attires. That’s all she ever wanted. Natasha scowled as the image changed to one of Duo and his wife, Hilde. This was all her fault. She was married to the man of her dreams. It was all her fault and Natasha was going to make her pay. She closed her eyes and shook her head. The image on the mirror disappeared and, once again, only her reflection showed in it.

Natasha paced around her room again. She had started to feel Hilde approaching a while ago. She didn’t know how close she was but she was very close. Natasha’s lips curled into a thin smile. “I will be ready for you when you get here, Hilde. Make no mistake about that you bitch!” she muttered to herself.

Natasha’s head turned as she heard shouts and the clang of metal. She smiled again as she looked out her window. Looks like the war continues. She laughed as she saw various men fall to their knees in agony at the hands of their enemy.

*~*~*~*

Hilde made it to the remnants of a camp. She had walked all through the night and most of the early morning but she had finally made it to what had been Duo’s camp the previous night. They had left, and by the looks of it, it had been hours ago.

Hilde sighed heavily. She had known that there was a chance she would not catch them at the camp but she had secretly wanted to get there before they left. She had wanted to make sure Duo was safe. The urge to cry suddenly overtook her. Her chin trembled and her eyes watered but she did not shed any tears. She had to be strong for anything that was to come. She knew that Natasha knew she was on her way to the castle. She had felt a presence in the back of her mind all day. It wasn’t really a presence, it was more of a feeling than anything else, but Natasha was the only that could get in her head like that. She couldn’t control her but she could wrap her power around her so much so that Hilde could hear her speak clearly. She knew that as she neared the castle that feeling would get stronger and, eventually, Natasha would be able to talk to her. Damn. If only I could keep my mind off limits from her. But I know her secret. I know the how she got that power.

Hilde sat in the camp long enough to get a small rest. She had ridden all night and all day yesterday until she had let her horse go and it had taken her all night to get here. She was tired and hungry but she would not stop. Her children’s lives were at stake here and if she had to go without food and water for them she would. She rubbed her sore feet and stretched her arms and legs. Her stomach rumbled but she ignored it. She didn’t have time to listen to what her body was telling her. She knew she would have to eat at some point but as long as she could get up she would ignore what her body told her.

After a few minutes of rest she realized she had to eat. She hadn’t really eaten during the three days she had been alone in the castle and today was the second day she was going without food. With a grimace she took out one of her concealed weapons and hunted for something to eat. She didn’t need to worry about starting a fire since she could do that without blinking her eyes. All she had to do was concentrate. Her heart ached as she remembered teaching Claire and Lucas the proper way to do this.

Her children were on her mind and in her heart wherever she went and in everything she did. They were the most precious of gifts life had given her. Before Lucas and Claire were born and before she had met Duo her life had been a meaningless jumble of emotions and because of that her powers had been out of control. Then she met Duo and, somehow, her chaotic emotions came to a semblance of control. This had multiplied as their relationship progressed and by the time Lucas and Claire were born she could all but completely separate her emotions from her power. True, it had taken her a long time to actually accomplish this but the feelings that she felt towards her husband and children had helped her accomplish it.

When Duo told her to leave she had wanted to die. Once again she felt lost and adrift and her powers had once again taken control of her emotions. The feeling that death was her only way out completely flew out of her mind when she saw her children cradled in her arms in that carriage. She realized that she couldn’t let those feelings overtake her, that she did have reasons to live. She could live without Duo but she could never live without her children. If she had died at the moment she realized that her spirit would wander the earth forever in agony at having left her children. She could never leave them.

And this feeling is what had driven her all these years without Duo. Duo was the man of her dreams, the love of her life, but she was a mother first and a woman second. Her children came first. The love for her children would drive her to the ends of the earth if it was necessary. She would never abandon them if she had the choice. It wasn’t that she didn’t love Duo because she did, with all her heart and soul but the love a mother holds for her children is of a different kind. To love a man came from deep within your soul, but the love a mother had for her children was so much more than that. It was as different as night and day.

Claire, Lucas be brave. I will never let anything happen to you. Never. If I have to kill a thousand people to keep you safe, I will.

She waited for a few minutes after she had finished eating for her food to settle. She would reach the castle in two hours at the most. She ached to hold her children and Duo. She desperately wanted them with her.

Oh God, please let Lucas, Claire and Duo be safe. I don’t want to lose my children, and I don’t want to lose Duo a second time. Please keep them safe.

*~*~*~*

Duo was panting. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his long sleeve. They had been here all morning but they relentless. This was the day he would get his children back.

If all my men have to die at the hands of these people then so be it! I will not rest until I have my children back.

Duo was so tired. It had been a few days since they’d set off and there had been little food and hardly any sleep. The men were tired too but they were too loyal to say anything to him. They all felt they owed him for making his wife and children leave all those years ago. They had been selfish and narrow minded.

All of the men had heard of the stories of the mystical beings who could control the elements and the weather and the ones who could heal. Legend had turned to reality though and they all soon found out that those beings were not mystical at all. Their magical powers not magical at all, but natural. Nature had bestowed upon them a precious gift that had been turned into a curse by the ones that were not gifted.

Duo swung his sword and slashed across an enemy soldier’s chest. He couldn’t keep this up much longer. He was so tired and he couldn’t keep his mind on the battle. Another man rushed at Duo. The large sword missed Duo’s side by mere millimeters. Duo was too distracted and his thoughts of his children kept his mind away from where it should be.

The man had caught Duo off guard so now he had the advantage. He would keep on attacking, not letting up the tiniest bit to let Duo reciprocate. All he was able to do was fend off the attacks as best he could and try not to get killed. Duo’s shield weighed heavily on his arm but it was what kept the enemy’s sword from hitting its mark most of the time. With renewed determination, Duo struggled to keep the soldier off him. He was just too close to him. He brought his shield up close to his upper body and bowed his head slightly. He took a deep breath and rushed at the man with all his might and pushed him to the ground.

The man, too stunned to move, sat on the dirt and stared at the man who was known as the God of Death. His eyes widened as he saw the tip of Duo’s sword start to inch, rather rapidly, towards his face, but still time stood still for the man. It was almost as if he could see the blade moving in slow motion. He saw Duo look at him with scorn in his eyes as he brought up his long sword; in mere seconds the blade lay imbedded in the man’s eye, the tip of it protruding from the back of the man’s skull.

Duo pulled the sword from the man’s head and turned around only to see another one of Dushuku’s inexperienced soldiers rushing towards him. A small smirk played on his lips as he reading himself.

The God of Death raised his sword high, letting the combined blood of the men he’d killed trickle down the long blade until it reached his hand. With the fastest swing he could muster Duo cut off the man’s right arm, the one that held his sword. The man looked down, horrified at the sight of his severed arm, he clutched at the stump that was left and fell to his knees in front of the young king. He started at the fallen man for a minute before swinging his sword down one last to deliver the killing blow. Drops of blood splashed onto Duo’s face and he wiped them off. He cleaned the handle of the sword with his shirt and raised his head to look into the distance.

He looked around for a few seconds trying to assess how and what his men were doing. They seemed to be holding their own in the fight. He could see that his men, though small in number compared to Dushuku’s forces, were much more skilled and experienced. He allowed himself a small smile and he gave a silent thanks to God for that small advantage. They had been at this for hours. He didn’t know how much more they could take. He shook his head and psyched himself for the battle once more. He couldn’t be distracted if this was to be the last day of battle. He wanted this to end today.

Duo knew he shouldn’t dwell too much on their victory. He knew it was near but he also knew that if they turned their heads even for a second then Natasha would bring down the heavens upon them. She hadn’t shown up yet and he couldn’t help but wonder when she was going to show up to help her father’s men.

Though a beautiful girl, Natasha was sick and twisted. She liked to see other people suffer for no apparent reason. She liked to see others in pain; it brought her joy, which was precisely what she was doing to Duo. She had kidnapped his children because of his refusal to marry her. She hadn’t gotten what she wanted so now she was going to make him suffer for it. And if he didn’t hurry up she knew she would take out her anger and frustration on Claire and Lucas, if she hadn’t already.

He shuddered as he thought of what that woman was capable of. He’d heard stories but he’d turned a deaf ear to them and he couldn’t ignore them now. His children were in jeopardy because a mad woman had wanted to marry him and he’d refused.

She’s insane, God. Lucas, Claire be brave. Be brave, I’m coming for you.

Duo turned his head sharply from side to side. Someone was calling his name. He stopped and stood still, as much as was possible anyway since they were in the middle of a war.

“Damn it!” he swore as he recognized the voice. “Damn it!” he said again and rushed to where the sound was coming from. It was close, too close.

He found Hilde standing amidst a sea of dead bodies.

She tried to ignore the devastation around her to no avail. The stench of decaying bodies left out in the sun for long days made bile rise up in her throat. She brought up her hand to cover her mouth and nose but the sight of dozens of dead men made her stomach churn. She looked down at her feet at the soil, turned crimson from the blood of the many men who’d lost their lives.

Duo stopped to look at her. He hadn’t wanted her to see this destruction. He had wanted to spare her the sight of bloody, headless bodies that covered the ground. With shake if his head, he willed his feet to move towards her. He have her a bone crushing hug when he reached her, securely tucking her head in his neck to stop her from looking at the severed limbs and bodies on the ground. He sighed when he felt her arms lock around his waist tightly.

He buried his face in her hair in turn taking comfort from here mere presence. He should have been angry that she had disobeyed him but he couldn’t be. He had missed her so much that if he spoke now the words he wished to speak would not come. Her scent overwhelmed him. It was still her scent even after several days of no bathing and hard travel. The world stood still for those precious few seconds they basked in each other’s warmth. For those precious few seconds they could pretend they were back in time when everything was alright. When they’re children were safe from harm and they were still together. There was not Natasha, no war, no battles, no bloodshed. Only them and the love they held for each other.

He pulled away, but with her head and face still buried in his neck, he walked to the gates of the castle where he knew there would be no soldiers. The battle was too intense and he hoped that they were too busy fighting to notice he was gone.

They glanced back at the chaotic battleground and sighed deeply, glad to be getting away from the screaming and the blood even if it was just for a few minutes. When they reached a secure location he placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her slightly. With his eyes boring into hers he asked intensely, “What are you doing here, Hilde?”

With a pained expression she told him, “I had to come, Duo.” Tears began to roll down her cheeks when she spoke. “I couldn’t stay wondering if you and my children were dead or alive, Duo,” she sobbed.

His eyes were understanding but he was still angry. But he knew there was no point in arguing since she was already there. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs and kissed her forehead. “It’s okay, Hilde. It’s okay.” He crushed her to his chest again and she reciprocated.

“Are you alright, Duo? You’re not hurt?” she asked, still sniffling a little.

Duo shook his head in response in fear he would start crying if he said anything aloud. He felt like crying but wouldn’t do so. This was no time for him to be crying like a baby. He needed to be strong for his family.

I’ve see you’ve made it all the way here. I knew you would come.

Hilde stiffened in Duo’s arms. He looked down at her worriedly when her expression went blank. “What’s wrong, Hilde?”

Hilde didn’t answer him, instead she put her hand up to her temple.

You! You…how could you do this to my children? Why did you take them?

Hilde heard Natasha’s laughter echo in her mind.

Well, you have something I want-- or rather I wanted-- and now I have something that you want.

Duo searched his wife’s face for any sign of pain or discomfort but found none. He knew it must be Natasha’s doing. Whatever was going on with Hilde, it had to be Natasha. He felt helpless and useless, he couldn’t do anything if Natasha and Hilde were using telepathy. All he could do was stand there and look at Hilde.

This is beyond that! You don’t just have something I want, you have my children!

Don’t worry, Hilde. Tell your husband to call his men back. Then you and him come up, alone.

There was no mistaking the venom that dripped from the woman’s voice, and she was enjoying the upper hand.

Hilde stared at Duo. “She wants you to call your men back, and go in the castle alone, just the two of us,” she whispered.

Duo nodded, turned and ran to his captain. He gave him orders and came back to get Hilde.

Together, they walked in the gates and headed for the guard that would guide them to Natasha’s location and, hopefully, their children’s also.

Tbc…

AN: Did you guys like that part with the skull and the sword and the blood as much as I did? Bloodthirsty ain’t I? *giggles* I blame it all on watching Kenshin and reading too many Kenshin/Battousai fics. The rating has officially been changed to R. You’ll soon find out why if you haven’t all ready.