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Six
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Noin hissed in pain while a servant finished cleaning her wound. Angry eyes focused on Dorothy as she instructed, “The play will be adjusted as I mentioned earlier, and Mirialdo will come to me after the performance tomorrow or I will shut down the Moulin Rouge! And if I ever see that writer with Mirialdo, or in my sight, ever again I will have him killed.” Her eyes flickered back to her bodyguard standing just outside the shadows.
Dorothy paled, “Killed...? But...”
Glaring at her, Noin repeated, “He will die! Understand?”
“Y-yes...” Dorothy averted her eyes, already wondering how she was going to break the news to Zechs.
When Dorothy arrived back at the Moulin Rouge, she was met by Otto. He told her that Zechs was in his dressing room packing. Sally was trying to stop him, but Dorothy would most likely have to get involved. Taking a careful breath, Dorothy hurried down the backstage hallways to where Zechs would be. Otto followed, standing just outside the doorway as Dorothy entered the room, watching Zechs silently for a few moments.
Zechs returned her look and smiled, “You can't stop me, Dorothy. I'm going to leave. Treize and I are going where none of you will have any influence over us!”
“Mirialdo...” Dorothy's tone was low, the use of his real name enough to make Zechs tense. He studied her, eyes narrowing. “The Duchess will kill him. You must never see him again.”
He laughed at her and went over to grab some of the clothes hanging in the wardrobe. “You can't scare us! We'll be out of her reach!”
“Mirialdo! Listen to me!” Dorothy snapped, coming closer to him. Zechs stopped and faced her, an annoyed look on his face. “You have to listen to me,” she hissed. “That woman holds the papers to the Moulin Rouge! Are you just going to toss all of us out? After so long?”
“Why do I have to be responsible for this?” Zechs shouted at her, face pained. “I just want to leave here! Why should I care about anyone else? Dorothy! All my life you've had me convinced I'm only worth as much as someone paid. But Treize... Treize loves me! He loves me. For the first time in my life I'm happy! Let me have my happiness and my freedom!”
Looking to Sally, Dorothy's face turned grim. “Mirialdo... you know that the Duchess will kill him. One way or another she will if you do this!” As Zechs stared at her, anger and fear mixing in his eyes, Dorothy pressed on, delivering the final blow. “Mirialdo, you're dying.”
Zechs stared at her incredulously. “Don't try to scare me Dorothy!”
Dorothy shouted, “I'm telling you the truth!” Zechs stared at her, his eyes going blank. Dorothy knew that he would try to block her out; she knew that look. “The doctor...” she started softly but broke off, sighing while she looked away.
“Sally...?” Zechs whispered, breathing quickly.
“I'm sorry...” Sally turned her head away, hand going to her face as she fought back tears. Zechs looked around, shoulders shaking.
He dropped down to sit on the stool in front of his mirror. He continued looking between the three around him. “Please... don't... don't joke with me!”
Dorothy was shaking her head; she looked at him again with pain on her face. “Mirialdo, the doctor already said you were dying! You can't leave now... We must go on. The show must go on. If not for yourself, do it for Treize!”
“Treize...” Zechs murmured, running his hand through his bangs as his body shook with silent sobs.
“You have to send him away!”
“I can't do that!” Zechs looked up at her horrified. “I just can't do that!”
“He'll be killed!”
“But he'll fight for me!”
Sighing, Dorothy told him, “Then you must make him believe you don't love him.”
“No!” Zechs screamed at her, anguish filling his heart and covering his features. Sally went to him, sitting beside him and resting a hand on his shoulder in support.
“You have to do it!” Dorothy repeated. “Mirialdo, he'll die if the Duchess ever sees him again.” She gazed at him solemnly. “The Duchess is mad with jealousy. If she ever finds him again, she'll kill him. I'm sure of it. Turn him away... save him by turning him away.”
“I can't...” Zechs cried, burying his face in his hands. “Don't ask me to!” Dorothy met Sally's gaze sadly, shaking her head once again.
“It's all you can do...” she murmured.
`No... oh God... Don't make me do this!'
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Zechs rose the next morning and went down to his dressing room, looking into the mirror to see his tear-stained face. He quickly washed his face and looked for a dark-colored outfit to fit his mood. He found a pair of black pants and a deep red shirt. After donning his clothes, he sat at the vanity and stared into the mirror.
“It's what you have to do...” Zechs turned around to find Dorothy standing quietly at the door, watching him. He said nothing to her as he turned around again to put on make-up. “You're an actor Zechs. You can fool him. It's to save him, don't forget that.
“My heart's breaking...” Zechs whispered softly, staring at Dorothy's reflection in his mirror. He paused with his make-up to stare at himself again. He forced his lips into a smile. “Although my make-up is flaking... my smile still stays on...” he murmured to himself, attempting to block all emotions from his eyes.
“You have what it takes to convince him... Hurt him to save him, Zechs,” Dorothy told him quietly as Zechs rose, staring at her from across the small room. “None of us can afford to love... we're just creatures of the underworld.” She shook her head. “The show goes on.”
Zechs stared at her, his mask in place already. He looked at her coldly. “The dream dies today. I kill it with my own hand. Don't I?” With that, he passed Dorothy and headed outside where the dawn was breaking.
His pace was regular although his heart was racing and aching with pain. Still, Zechs kept his mask on, knowing he would need all his strength to face Treize, to play his part. “You're dying.” Dorothy's news had shocked him to no end. He had never guessed that... but if his life was to end soon, he mustn't let Treize feel that pain. And he could not risk his lover's life with the crazed Duchess's jealousy.
“I'm killing the dream, Treize, I'm killing the dream with my own hands....”
He entered the rundown apartment building, walking up the stairs slowly with his face set in a grim mask. Before he knocked on Treize's door he composed himself and looked down the hallway as he knocked, not wishing to see Treize's face when his lover answered the door.
Outside storm clouds were coming in, preparing for a repeat of last night's downpour.
The door opened. “You're here!” Treize was smiling brightly and as Zechs turned, mask still in place, to face him, he almost broke down. He stepped inside, past his lover, but didn't enter too far. “Where are your bags?”
Zechs finally met his gaze. Staring into the beautiful blue sapphire eyes was one of the hardest things he had ever done. With trembling lips he managed to get his words out coldly, “I changed my mind. I am not going with you.”
“What? But I don't understand...” Treize started.
Cutting him off, Zechs broke in, “Last night, after I saw you, the Duchess came and offered me all I've ever wanted.” He smiled slightly. “She has one condition. I must never see you again.”
Treize looked at him critically. “But love...!”
“It means nothing!” Zechs snapped. “If you'll excuse me, I'll be going now.” He swallowed, facing Treize with a fierce gaze. “This is the final goodbye.” He paused only a moment longer before turning around and walking steadily down the first flight of stairs. He heard Treize calling after him, then the footsteps behind him.
Feeling the tears already cascading down his face, Zechs bit back a sob and sprinted down the next flights of steps, rushing out the main door and into the street. It was already raining hard, lightning crackling in the distance. He dashed down the muddy street, pushing towards the Moulin Rouge before he would let himself collapse and cry over his broken heart. He managed to get in through the main doors of the complex, looking back only once to see Treize chasing after him, shouting his name loudly. Shaking his head, Zechs continued to run.
The gates closed behind his fleeing form and as Treize attempted to enter, the men at the door grabbed him, pulling him away.
“Mirialdo!” Treize screamed after him, struggling to get free. “Mirialdo!”
One of the men punched him in the face and dropped him to the ground. Treize lifted his head but soon gave up on that, unconsciousness claiming him as his head fell back into the mud.
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When Treize awoke again, he was laying on his bed in his own apartment. He stared up at the ceiling silently, mind a complete break. His heart had just been torn apart and left in the street - out in the mud. Feeling very cold and alone, Treize swallowed carefully to keep back the instinctive anger that was fighting to gain control.
“Hey, you're up.”
Treize turned his head to the side and sat up, finally noticing that Duo was sitting at the edge of his bed, looking rather contemplative. Treize turned his gaze from the young man and learned back against the wall, staring across the room.
“I don't believe he meant it, y'know.” Duo looked back at him but Treize refused to acknowledge him. Duo frowned. “Hey, listen. What you two had going was real. It was true love. C'mon, you're that one who was dishing all that stuff about love before... You wrote the whole damned musical based on the original mix-up that made you fall in love.”
“Leave me alone,” Treize snapped.
“There's something else going on,” Duo pressed. “He loves you, damnit, and there's got to be a good reason why he said otherwise!”
Treize sneered at him angrily. “He just chose a better life than what I could offer! Now leave!”
Duo shook his head, looking at him. “Shit...” He sighed. “Never mind, I won't bug you anymore. But think on it. Don't let him get away if you really love him.” They heard a thud from the apartment above. Glancing up, Duo gave a small, half-smile. Looking to Treize he remarked, “I almost let him go, you know? I'd be so miserable right now if I had lost him. Hang in there, man.” He stood and left the room.
Continuing to stare blankly, Treize fought back trying to make sense of the situation. He had already been hurt, he didn't feel like adding more damage. He should just leave, as he had planned, but this time he'd be going alone. Lips pressed tightly together, he made up his mind and stood, beginning his packing.
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