Bound (part 8 of 8)
Back to Part 7Author's Note: This is the final chapter for "Bound," I hope you've all
enjoyed this fic, but unfortunately all good things must come to an
end. The story isn't totally over yet though, there will be a sequel
to this fic titled "Mother." Well with that said, let's see how this
tale comes to an end.
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Dreams of a Doll
Everyone is silent, not a single word escapes any who site around the
room. The floor seems to have gotten everyone's attention, our eyes
all glued to the growing lakes of tears that we had cast upon the
ground.
'Did I really do the right thing?' I ask myself.
Again and again I replay the scene over in my head. I remember the
weight the gun had on my hand, how I aimed it so perfectly at her
heart. I remember squeezing the trigger, barely a tug that unleashed
an onslaught upon my sister. The blast itself brought me to the
ground, my hip striking against the floor and making my body spring up
an inch before sending me back down. My weapon had slipped from my
grasp the moment I hit the ground, but I could still feel its warmth in
my palms. What I remembered the most was the lump in my throat, the
splitting of my heart, and the streams crawling down my face. I had
killed my sister, my other half, with my own hands. Surely she did
deserve it after all those things she did to Shion, the others, and
myself, but when I look at the cause behind her actions, I can't help
but think that I did deny her the ability to love and be loved. Maybe
if I hadn't pulled the trigger, maybe if I had tried to talk with her
some more, I may have been able to save her life without having fired a
single shot.
"Come on everyone, turn that frown upside down," Tony's voice suddenly
interrupts my thoughts. "This isn't like all of you to just stare at
the ground and feel sorry for yourselves."
"'Turn that frown upside down,' who says that anymore?" Hammer grumbles
beneath his breath.
"We got the jukebox fixed when we went into town, maybe some music'll
cheer you all up a bit," Tony continues.
In the click of a button, the melody of a symphony escapes the speakers
of the device. The sound of strings, wind, and drums takes over the
sound of silence in the room, releasing me from my thoughts of my
sister for a moment. The overall tone is rather soothing yet upbeat,
freeing everyone from their depression for the time being. Well,
almost everyone.
I look beside me to find my lover still entrapped in her sadness for
Miang. I can't blame her for this, after all it is the second time she
had to see her first child die. Child, can we even be considered her
children? Bound to the flesh, and bound to technology, that is what
Miang said about us, that no matter how human we became, our origins
would always be bound to technology. But that shouldn't matter, what
matters is not where our origins are from, but where we are today.
Someone told us that once, but who? Of course, it was him, it was
always him back then.
"Shion?" I call her below the melody of the nickelodeon.
She does nothing to respond to me, she simply continues to stare at the
ground before her ankles and sobs. Her fingers take hold of the edges
of her skirt, her arms tugging at the material tightly and her nails
practically ready to pierce through it.
"Miang...," she says my sister's name once more in barely a whisper.
My mind draws a blank as I try to think of words for consolation. At
first words such as "sorry" or "forgive me" come to mind, but I can
come up with nothing to follow those words. I begin to curse at myself
for not being able to think of anything, and once more I find my
thoughts returning to Miang's death. The tears begin to crawl down my
cheeks again, but there is something else that I'm feeling right now.
My fingers ball into fists, tightening as hard as I can make them, my
nails practically impaling through the material in my gloves and into
my palms. My teeth begin to push and slide against each other, as if
they were grinding my own bones. A lump once again sets itself in my
throat and I find my eyes narrowing. I feel like I want to scream,
to yell at myself for what I had done, to hurt myself for the murder of
my sister and bringing sadness unto Shion once more. That feeling
begins to slip though as I find her arms wrapping around my body and
her head resting upon my shoulder.
"Shion?" I look into the closed eyes of my lover.
"Please, don't say anything, Elly," she tells me.
My left arm then wraps around her shoulder, my palm stroking away the
strands that lay upon it. My fingers then find their way to her
delicate neck, scrolling up and down its outline as slowly and softly
as possible. I feel the warmth of her tears falling on my lap, and I
do nothing to wipe them away. These tears, she has every right to shed
them, I have no right to stop her from crying. She needs these tears
to ease the pain, just as I need her to help go through mine.
"Shion, Miss KOS-MOS?" I look up to find Jin with a tray of tea
standing before us.
"Thank you, Jin," Shion says as she takes a cup into her hands.
I take a cup of my own and take a sip of the piping hot liquid. The
bitter taste begins to calm my nerves, helping me begin to relax once
more. I place the drink on the table in front of us and return my
attention to Shion, who still sits there sulking with her cup of tea
still in her hands. She does not take a sip of the steaming green
liquid, instead she continues to stare at the bottom of the cup as her
tears mix with the tea.
"I'm sorry, Shion," Jin apologizes as he takes a seat beside his
sister.
"This was the second time...," Shion begins to speak, "the second time
I had to see her die. The first time, it was me who killed her, I shot
her with my own hands. Now it was Elly's turn to kill her, my other
daughter and her sister. When I created both of them, I knew that
their lives would always be surrounded by bloodshed, but never in my
wildest dreams did I ever see myself killing any of them or having them
kill each other. I never," a crack begins to appear in her voice,
"...never wanted any of them to ever be involved in killing, even if
they were created for that purpose. Do you remember the dolls our
father gave me, Jin? The ones named Miang and Elly? The tale of those
two dolls had been reborn in my daughters, the one who I neglected and
the one I showed my affection too. That's what this was all about,
negligence and affection. It was my fault why things ended up like
this, it's all my fault why Miang is dead!"
"Shion, it isn't entirely your fault," I assure her, "it is true that
you had neglected her for so long, but it's also because of you that
she was created. You had given her a chance at life, one that she
spent so recklessly. Miang could have tried to...overlook past her
loneliness and only focus on the feelings she had for Kevin. She could
have learned to accept her fate after the two of us were split,
but...," my mind begins to draw a blank once more. "Miang's death is
not entirely your fault," I try to speak again, "I was the one she
contacted when she became conscious once more, and I did nothing to
help her or to get to know her until she died. It was me who pulled
the trigger when she died, so Shion, if anyone is at fault for Miang's
death, it's me. We both killed my sister, Shion, it's a fact that both
of us will have to accept."
"Her death may sadden you at first, Shion," Jin begins to speak, "but
as time will pass, I'm sure her death will make you stronger, it will
help you endure through the other challenges of life. Let her death be
a foundation on where you can build your future, let her death allow
you to find new happiness and..."
"So you're saying that I should celebrate Miang's death, Jin?!" Shion
screams, her cup of tea falling onto the floor.
"No, I'm not saying that, I'm saying...," Jin tries to explain.
"What do you know, Jin?!" Shion continues, pushing herself out of her
seat with her hand ready to strike at her brother's face. "What do you
know about losing someone so close to you?! All you do is read your
stupid books all day and act out those ancient rituals! How can
someone like you understand?!"
"Shion, how could...?" he tries to ask.
"I don't want to hear it, Jin!" she yells again. "I... I..."
With that said, Shion quickly turns away and runs outside of the house,
her eyes flooding with tears and loud sobs escaping her breath as she
runs. Silence once again fills the room, everyone's eyes now focused
on where my lover had ran. The words that Shion said, again I find
myself saddened and angered at the same time. I am not angry at Jin,
but rather at Shion. What she said isn't true, of course he knows
about losing someone close to him.
"Wait here," I tell everyone, "I'll go talk to her."
I hurry outside to find the entire front lawn empty. The cold air of
the evening breeze begins to take its toll on me. My skin begins to
shiver and my breath becomes heavy. I begin to contemplate going back
inside to stay warm, but I quickly brush away that thought when I
remember that Shion had run out somewhere. I turn my attention to the
woods and quickly hurry down its path. There's really only one place I
can think of that Shion might run to at a time like this, a place I had
shown her not too long ago.
I hurry down the forest path as fast as I can, making the first turn
down the road so that I may head in the direction of where I had just
gone earlier today. The ground grows grittier and grittier with each
step that I take now, I know I'm almost there, I can practically see
the moon's glow reflecting from a body of water. I now find myself
staring into the ocean and my feet sinking into the sand, but Shion is
nowhere to be found. I begin to pace down the shoreline toward the
east, finding nothing but the never-ending sand dunes and ocean. I
don't know how long I run for, but eventually I find something else
coming into view, a small mountain of rocks and someone sitting at its
peak.
"Shion," I realize who it is.
With the remaining strength in my legs, I push my feet harder into the
uneven ground and hurry to where my lover sits. Climbing the rocks is
rather simple compared to how fast I run, namely because the rocks are
lined up like a staircase. Finally I find myself on the same level as
Shion, but she does not realize I'm here, instead she looks straight
into the ocean just as when I first laid eyes on her. Her eyes are
left unblinking as she stares into the endless sea, her arms wrapped
around her legs, and her breath slow and heavy. She is locked deep in
her thoughts and I don't want to interrupt her, but I feel that if I
don't do something, then she'll only bring herself deeper into
depression.
"Shion?" I take the seat beside her.
"What does he know?" she asks, burying her face into her knees. "How
can he preach about building a foundation on Miang's death?"
"Shion, Jin didn't mean..."
"How can someone like him, who does nothing but read books all day and
resurrect a bunch of ancient rituals preach about losing someone dear
to him when he hasn't experienced such a thing?!" she screams at the
top of her lungs.
My heart jumps the moment I hear her finish those words, my eyes
widening as open as they can and my entire body suddenly starting to
boil. My arm then begins to move without a second thought, my palm
opening as I swing it to the side. My hand begins to burn the moment
it meets with Shion's cheek, the numbness disappearing within seconds
but my frustration still remains.
"What do you mean someone like him hasn't experienced losing someone
dear to him?!" I retort using all of the air in my lungs. "How can
you say such a thing, Shion, how can you say something like that about
your own brother?! Of course he knows how it feels to lose someone
dear to him! Didn't you tell me how he consoled you shortly after your
parents' death, how you weren't the only one who mourned for them? Of
course he lost someone dear to him, and that someone was actually two
people, your mother and your father! Don't you dare tell me that I'm
wrong, Shion, you and I know that he wouldn't have cried for them
otherwise!"
"Elly...," her eyes begin to water again, her hand rubbing the spot I
had struck. "Thank you, I needed that."
"I'm sorry," I apologize, "maybe that wasn't the best way to get my
point across."
"It's all right, really," Shion assures me.
I decide not to argue with her further and avert my attention toward
the ocean. How serene the sea is right now, how the waves lightly
crash against the shoreline and sink back into the depths they came.
The sea, it can show us many faces at once, it can be calm and serene
and at the same time, in another place yet same time, it can be very
wild and violent. For some reason the ocean reminds me of her, of my
sister.
"The stars are beautiful this evening, aren't they?" Shion changes the
subject. "Don't you think it's beautiful to see their lights
reflecting off the water's surface?"
I turn back to the ocean now, and I find such a sight to behold. The
stars' light really does reflect off the ocean perfectly, as if the
stars themselves were trapped within. The ocean seems to shimmer
through the reflection of the stars' illumination, their shine can't
help but bring a small smile to my face. This scene, it's so similar
to the one Miang had with Kevin, sitting at a beach and admiring
nature, yet at the same time, it reminds me of something else, it
reminds me of an event that occurred in my own lifetime. Yes, it
reminds me of when Shion and I watched the ocean for an entire day, in
each other's arms, comforting each not with words, but touch.
My body can't help but sink now, everything just feels so light. I
don't bother to sit back up right, I just let my body fall and have
hers catch me. Again I find myself in a familiar place, my arms
wrapped around her waist and my face nuzzling against her heart. Her
arms wrap around my shoulders now causing another brush of warmth to
flow up my body. My breath begins to grow short as her fingers begin
to slide across my face and her lips meet with my forehead for a
moment.
"Shion, may I ask you something?" I ask her.
"What?"
"Do you think Miang...was able to go into the afterlife?"
"Yes, I believe so," she answers without hesitation, "why?"
"Miang said that we would always be bound to technology, no matter how
human we became," I recall, "our origins will always be bound to it.
So I'm wondering if those born as machines are even able to go into the
afterlife, if we even have souls to begin with."
"Elly, many religions suggest that all of us don't start out with a
soul," Shion begins to answer, "that we have to earn it as we go
through life. Spiritualists say that those without souls are nothing
more than machines, and if both what the spiritualists and religions
say are true, than all of us are born as machines. Miang had gone
through a lot in her short life, she experienced anger, happiness,
sadness, pain, and pleasure, and based on those few experiences, I'm
sure she gained her own soul. I'm sure you saw it too when you last
looked into her eyes, how all her mechanical parts all seemed to have
disappeared and replaced with what seemed like organic ones, I'm sure
she was no longer considered a machine when she died, that's why she
must have died smiling. So to answer your question, Elly, I do believe
that Miang has passed on to the afterlife."
"I see," I nod, "I'm relieved to hear that."
"Elly, did you really mean it when you told your sister that you loved
her?" Shion asks.
"Yes," I answer, "of course I meant it. I know she had done many bad
deeds in her lifetime, all of them which may have very well destroyed
the lives of you, the others, and myself, but I knew where she was
coming from. I knew the pain she had gone through in her lifetime,
after all, I was also there to experience it. I truly did mean it when
I apologized to her and when I told her that I loved her, I knew that
if it had been me that was killed that day, I would be asking for the
very same thing. I don't know why I cared for her, maybe it was
because we both had gone through so much when we were one, so I suppose
my love for her was a way of saying sorry that she was left to die
instead of me," I find the tears once again crawling down my cheeks.
"Elly..."
"It was because of Miang's death that I was able to experience all of
my memories with you and everyone else," I continue, "and it pains me
to know that the foundation of my existence is based on my sister's
death. But you know what Shion, I'm also thankful for that, not
because I have any feelings of malice or hatred for her, but because
her sacrifice also allows me to live my life to the fullest. I haven't
realized it until recently, Shion, but I must live my life to the
fullest otherwise Miang's sacrifice would have been wasted. Shion, I'm
sure that's what Jin meant when he tried to speak with you, that you
should now live your life for Miang, for your daughter and my sister."
"You're right, Elly," my lover's eyes begin to water again, "that's
what she must have wanted in the end, for the two of us to live our
lives to the fullest at the expense of her life."
"I remember what chaos said when MOMO's sisters died, he said something
like 'their hearts and memories now exist within MOMO,' I believe that
the same is with Miang and us, her heart and memories are now with us,
so Miang is not dead as long as we live our lives for her sake."
"Elly..."
Her hand begins to pet at the seams of my tears, her touch as gentle
and comforting as ever. I close my eyes and indulge in the warmth of
her hand, the feeling bringing a soft smile to my lips. I feel the
device inside my chest beginning to beat deeply, as if it were striking
against my rib cage with all its might. My heart, yes, that's what it
is, my heart. No, its our heart now.
"Elly," her hand stops at the source of the beats.
"We should head back now, don't you think?" I ask.
"Yeah, everyone must be getting worried now," she nods.
We return to the house soon after, finding the living room full of life
as opposed to when we left. The moment I open the door, I find the
young realian in the middle of the living room with a microphone in her
hand and the melody of strings and a piano echoing from the music box.
MOMO's voice comes to a stop the moment Shion and I walk through the
door, although the sounds behind her voice continue to play.
"Um...sorry for running off so suddenly," Shion apologizes to everyone
with a bow.
"Don't worry about it," Jin assures her as she takes her seat once
more.
"...Jin, I owe you an apology," she gets to the point. "What I said
before running off, I didn't mean..."
"It's all right, don't worry about it," he assures her again with his
usual smile, "you were just angry and..."
"No, I really mean it, I'm sorry."
"Really, there's no need..."
"Just take my apology!" she begins to raise her voice.
"Forget it, just drop it!" he retorts by raising his own voice.
"I won't drop it!"
"Well I'm telling you...!"
"I guess they're okay with each other," I sigh.
"Hey KOS-MOS, why don't you sing?" the young realian tugs on my arm.
"Yeah, go for it," I look to the other side of the room to find Jr.
cheering.
"Come on, Miss Android, give it a shot," Captain Matthews' compliments
follow.
"Please, give it a try," I turn to the side to find chaos cheering for
me as usual.
"I've never done this before," I admit to everyone while taking the
microphone into my hand.
Something doesn't feel right. My entire body seems to be growing
tight, my breath somewhat choking, my heart once again beating like
crazy, and sweat beginning to drop from my brow. I look to the floor
to find my legs trembling at the knees, I find it hard to stay on my
two feet. Nervousness, that's probably what I'm feeling right now.
"...I think I'll pass," I try to hand the microphone back to the child.
"Please, Elly," I look back to Shion to see her argument with Jin
finally over, "please sing."
I find the trembling of my body beginning to ease now. I take in
another breath and let it escape my lungs and I find myself calm once
more.
"All right, I guess I'll try it just this once."
"Okay ladies and gentlemen," Tony announces from the jukebox, "next up
we have the lovely Miss Dynamite, the Cerulean-Haired Mistress of the
Machine, the one, the only..."
"So what do I do exactly?" I interrupt him, unaware of how I'm supposed
to do this.
"Just read the words off the screen in front of the monitor," Hammer
instructs me, pointing to the TV on the far wall.
"Don't just read them off the screen, okay," MOMO tells me, "try to
sing it."
"Sing?"
Come to think of it, I never did sing before. Isn't singing putting
emotion into your words in some sort of rhythm? Up until a few days
ago, I had been speaking in a monotone expression, and now I'm supposed
to put all my emotions into words in a rhythmic fashion? This is going
to be difficult.
"I think we got the perfect song for you," I look back to the jukebox
as Tony chooses a record.
"Um...," I find my knees beginning to shake again.
"Elly, what are you going to sing?" Shion asks from the audience.
I turn back to the monitor at the end of the room and several words
appear on screen.
"My Immortal, by Evanescence," I answer, reading the words on the TV.
At this moment I hear the sound of piano keys beginning to play from
the nickelodeon. My body begins to grow tense once more as words begin
to appear on the TV. My eyes begin to circle around the room to find
the smiles of everyone else looking on. I take in another deep breath
and try to calm my nerves once more, closing my eyes and letting the
words flow from my mouth.
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
I begin to hear the light rapping of the palms of everyone in the room.
I open my eyes for a second and see the smiles of everyone widening. I
feel a bit more at ease now seeing and hearing their support. A third
breath enters my lungs and I bring the microphone toward my lips once
more and continue.
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
A brush of warmth begins to fall upon my body now, flowing from within.
It starts to burn from within my heart, but I feel it beginning to
course through my veins. This warmth, it doesn't make me feel hot or
sweat, but it causes my mind to feel more at ease. I allow this
feeling to continue coursing through me as I bring the microphone to my
lips again.
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
The color of violet begins to appear in my closed vision, collecting in
the form of some sort of figure. The vibrant colors burn like fire,
slowly disappearing into the air as they rise into the sky. More
colors begin to appear within the purple haze; a grayish blue travels
down halfway in the middle of the haze, followed by the colors of
black. The haze slowly begins turning into a shape now, gloved arms
begin to dangle at the top side parts of the haze and silver boots take
form on the lower side parts of the outline. The blue begins to take
the form of hair and soon I find myself looking at a familiar image.
'Miang?'
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
The image of my sister now turns to face me, her face no longer wearing
the monotone expression she normally wore, but instead wearing the
final expression she had when I last saw her.
"Elly..."
Her smile, so warm and happy. How wide her smile is, stretching from
ear-to-ear and her eyes, those beautiful sky blue eyes, I can see my
reflection shimmering from them from afar. I find my legs suddenly
pushing myself toward her, her figure growing closer and closer with
every step. Her arms begins to reach for me now and I find the ground
disappearing before my feet as my legs push all of my weight into the
floor.
"Miang!"
The warmth of her body lays upon myself in the next moment. I find
myself snuggling against the top of her breast, my cheek nestling
against the beat of her heart. Her fingers slowly begin to travel down
my hair and her breath coursing onto my brow and nose.
"Elly..."
You used to captivate me
By your resonating life
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me
The warmth around me begins to fade now, the cold winds now taking it's
place. I feel my sister beginning to slip away from me and I try to
wrap my arms around her more tightly. Colder and colder her figure
becomes, thinner and thinner I feel her body becoming. My wrap
tightens around her body once more, my entire body pressed against her
skin.
"Don't go...," I beg in barely a whisper, "please, don't go."
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
I feel her arms starting to part from my body, her entire being now
beginning to slip away from my grasp. No matter how I hard I try to
pull her in, she continues to grow further and further apart. Her
milky smooth skin starts to pass through my fingers now, the texture
melting into vapor. Again I try to keep her from escaping my embrace,
but now I find myself holding nothing and in the place of her body is
the image of vapor.
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
'Miang...,' I find the tears once again coursing down my cheeks.
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
"Do not cry, Elly," I hear her voice within my ears. "We are one once
again. My hopes and dreams are with you once again. I had gotten my
wish to become one once again, Elly, so please don't cry."
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
"To love and be loved," I feel her embrace glide down my cheek once
more, "that is what we truly wanted back then. Through you, Elly, I
can embrace and be embraced. We are one, Elly, bound to the flesh and
soul. We are bound, my sister, bound to each other..."
All of me...
Me....
"Miang...," I place my hand over the warmth on my cheek.
I open my eyes in the present once more and find myself before the
presence of Shion and the others once more. Silence has once again
fallen upon the room and I slowly place the microphone down.
'I must've done something wrong,' I think to myself, 'why else aren't
they...?'
A small clap begins to interrupt my thoughts and I raise my head from
the floor. Another rapping of hands follows, followed by another until
the entire room is engulfed in an applause. I find water once again
falling from my eyes and down my face, but I feel my lips parting into
a smile.
"That was beautiful, Elly!" Shion applauds.
"That was great," I turn to the other side of the room to hear Allen's
compliment.
"Perfect, just perfect," chaos compliments.
"Oh man, that was just terr...oh what the hell, that was great!"
Captain Matthews gives a normal compliment for once.
"You're quite the singer, Miss KOS-MOS," Jin tells me.
"Thank you, everyone," I close my eyes. "Thank you, Miang..."
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The rest of the evening was followed by more singing, although I have
to admit, many of the others weren't very good. Still, we all had fun
mocking one another over our horrible singing skills, although no one
seemed to mock me really. Throughout the celebrations, I would notice
how Shion was always smiling at me, how she would ignore the others
unless they talked to her. I don't know why, but I could tell why she
was smiling at me; she was smiling because I had made her proud, as a
daughter and as her lover.
"Miang...," I look out the window of Shion's room to find a full moon
mingling with the stars.
"We are one once again. My hopes and dreams are with you once again.
I had gotten my wish to become one once again, Elly, so please don't
cry. To love and be loved, that is what we truly wanted back then.
Through you, Elly, I can finally embrace and be embraced. We are one,
Elly, bound to the flesh and soul. We are bound, my sister, bound to
each other..."
Her final words, or at least I want to believe they were her final
words. So we are one once again, or so I would like to think. Are we
truly one, does living with another's wishes and memories make that
person a part of one's self?
A knock falls upon the door before I can contemplate on this further.
"Come in," I tell the person on the other side.
"Well that was a nice bath," Shion gives a sigh of relief as she enters
through the door, a towel in her hand and hair with flannel pajamas
covering her body. "Elly, do my pajamas fit you okay?"
I never had to wear articles of clothing such as this until now. I
must say that it is quite comfortable, although kind of tacky-looking.
I suppose there's nothing wrong with a big button-downed shirt that
covers my entire body and a pair of cotton pants to go with it, but the
color pink doesn't seem to fit me, along with squiggly lines and hearts
that are patterned on the breast pocket. Still, it's more comfortable
and warm than my usual uniform.
"It's okay," I answer, not wanting to get into the details about its
fashion.
"All right, that's good," she says as she takes a seat beside me on
the bed.
Just sitting next to Shion begins to put my mind at rest once more. I
feel so comfortable just sitting her next to her, yet my spine begins
to shiver in her presence and my breath short. I feel my throat
becoming parched for some reason, taking a gulp of my own saliva does
nothing to quench it. Perhaps its her pajamas that are making me feel
this way, I haven't seen her dressed in something so simple yet cute.
I don't care if it's the same clothing as mine, but the way it looks
on her, it just...
"You were wonderful tonight," she changes the subject, breaking my
observation of her perfect form.
"What?"
"When you were singing, your voice was beautiful," Shion explains,
"you're a very good singer, Elly."
"Thank you," I smile. "Miang was there with me," I recall.
"Huh?"
"She was there while I sang," I continue. "When I closed my eyes, I
saw her smiling at me. She took me into her embrace and told me not to
cry, saying that we were one once more. Through me, she said, she can
experience the ability to love and be loved. Is that even possible,
Shion, for two people to become one if another's wishes is simply cast
upon them?"
"I believe so," she answers without hesitation. "It's just like what
you said about keeping a person's memory alive Elly, as long as you
live for them, then they will always be a part of you."
"You're right."
"To love and be loved, that was Miang's wish," I find my lover's hand
brushing my cheek, "now that her memory is a part of you, Elly, your
emotions and actions are reflected from Miang."
"I know," I tell her, "there is something she wished to tell you, I
know that she meant to tell it to you before she died but... In her
place, as her new soul, memory, and self, will you allow me to tell it
to you, Shion?"
"Yes, please, tell me."
"Mother, I love you."
"And I love you, Elly."
Her lips begin to fall upon mine at this moment, the warmth of her
mouth leaving my entire body paralyzed. The two begin to bicker
amongst each other, constantly pressing against one another and pulling
on the other's skin. Her arms then begin to crawl onto my body, her
hands falling upon my shoulders and pushing my body to the mattress.
Her body lays atop of my own now, our true selves only an inch away
from each other, hidden from view and contact from the thin pieces of
flannel worn on our bodies. The battle between our lips continues, the
presses they push onto one another as slow as ever. My entire body
begins to shiver, my arms pulling her closer to calm its nerves. Her
mouth begins to part from mine now in slow manner, leaving me hungry
for more.
"Elly," she barely calls my name.
"Shion."
I can see my reflection in her emerald pupils, I can see how red my
cheeks blush at this moment. I can see myself slowly panting for more
breath, my entire body already covered in sweat and my pajamas clinging
tightly to my skin. The fire inside me burns once more as her hand
begins to glide down my cheek, caressing the left side of my face as
gently as possible. I close my eyes again and indulge in the feel of
her touch, creating a new brush of warmth with every inch her fingers
stroke. More, I want more.
My palm then reaches for her own and manages to plant themselves on her
wrist, pulling it down with her hand toward my heart. My breath grows
deeper and slower as her fingers trail down my neck and shoulder, not
once does her hand move from its path. I begin to pull my lover's hand
toward my breast and begin to slow down its pace as it comes toward the
mound. I do not let the hand stop however, I let it continue traveling
further down, brushing up the curve of the globe and passed its peak.
The warmth inside me ignites more brightly now, I feel my breath
slowing down so that the flame may grow into an inferno.
I continue to guide it further down and now I feel her hand beginning
tremble until it finds a small gap in between two buttons of my shirt.
I can feel the fingers of her hand suddenly straighten the moment they
come toward the space but I continue to guide them inward. A gasp
escapes my lips for a mere second as the tips of her fingers brush
against the texture of the skin inside. I can feel the fire of passion
within me growing stronger, its tingle suckling on the tender parts of
my chest. Again I guide the hand onto the curve of my breast, leaving
her hand to trail every inch within, guiding it passed my nipple once
more. Finally I bring it to a stop, her palm covering the beat of my
heart now and the rest of her hand covering the rest of my breast. I
open my eyes again and find her face wearing a look of insecurity. She
must be worried about what her next move might do, that I may
unwillingly kick her away if we are to go further. I know I won't do
it this time, I know that I am ready.
"Shion, make love to me," I tell her below my breath.
"Elly, are you sure?" Shion asks.
"Yes," I barely nod, "please don't torture me any longer."
Her lips begin to inch toward my own once more, moving an inch closer
with every second that passes. I lie waiting for her kiss, wait for an
eternity until they finally plant themselves upon mine. I return my
vision to the color of black so that I may fully indulge in the taste
of her mouth, indulge in the ambrosia within. Abundant yet so delicate
this substance is, I can never tire of its succulent flavor. The
guardian within her mouth begins to wrestle my own over the honey
inside, constantly pushing the other to the bottom while poking at the
sides of the gaps. Over and over again they push themselves away from
each other, only to draw back toward each other with the wrapping of
the other. At times our tongues escape the seal between our mouths,
painting the sides of our lips with some of the nectar we desperately
fight over. Neither of us appear to have the upper hand in this battle
over the delicious treasure, yet it appears neither intends to give up
despite the fact that both sides will emerge the victor.
I feel her hand beginning to move within my shirt now, forcing me to
break the seal of our lips. Another breath escapes my lungs almost in
a cry as she begins to move the mound with her hand, pushing it inward
with a gentle hold. Her thumb and fingers cup the edge of the globe,
the peak held between them. The gap between the two closes for a
moment, squeezing the peak for a mere second, further igniting the
burning feeling in my body. More tiny gasps begin to escape my lips as
she continues to grope my breast, her other hand now beginning to work
on the buttons on my shirt. Slowly I feel the cold air beginning to
touch my skin, but my body burns so warmly with the touch of her hand
that I only feel it for a mere second. I feel the cotton material
beginning to slip from my body now, falling to the space next to the
bed without wasting a second. Her hands begin to leave my chest now
and I feel her body lifting away from my own. The cold air begins to
brush against my bare skin once more, but I feel no warmth following
this time, only the panting of my breath. I open my eyes now and find
my lover now placing her glasses on the dresser next to the bed. My
body has grown impatient quickly, wanting her to ignite the flames
further with the caress of her hands and lips. I try to pull her body
back to mine, but she gently brushes my arm away before I can bring her
to me.
"Relax, Elly," she tells me.
With little hesitation, I lower my arm once more and allow my lungs to
refill themselves for a moment. Despite the fact that she does nothing
to my body, I still feel my throat becoming parched and sweat dripping
down my entire body with what she does next. Her fingers begin to move
inward, finding themselves on the top button of her pajama. Slowly she
frees the round hook from the material, her fingers tracing lower after
until they find the next one. So delicately she removes each one from
its place, so slow that the cold air begins to caress me further.
Finally she removes the final button and her fingers takes hold of the
sides of the newly opened gap in her clothing, pulling the shirt off
her body in the same manner as the hooks that kept her clothing on in
the first place. At this moment I try to clear the dryness in my
throat with a gulp of my own ambrosia that Shion had fought for, but it
does nothing to fight it. She lets the top fall to the floor so
effortlessly and I already finding my body drenching further in its own
sweat, but she does not stop there.
'Oh God, please stop taunting me...,' I beg in my mind.
She begins to work on the material that covers the lower half of her
body now, discarding it in the same manner. The beats of my heart grow
stronger at this moment, the image of her nearly nude figure leaves my
breath short. I find myself taking longer and deeper breaths, my body
practically melting before the woman before me. Another jump falls
upon the device within my chest now, jumping as her fingers now take
the rims of the material that covers my legs. I feel my entire being
sinking further into the mattress beneath me, my body paralyzed with
the kiss of the air. The tingling air begins to crawl down my legs
now, meeting with my skin the very second it is bared. I look into the
jewel-hued pupils of my lover once more, finding a look of assurance
on her smiling lips.
With only one piece of cotton clinging onto our bodies, my lover
resumes her duty. Her hands once again find themselves on my breasts,
pushing both of them inward in a counter-clockwise fashion. My body
begins to ignite once more with the caress of her hands and I feel my
entire body beginning to tingle. Gasps once again escape my mouth with
every inch she moves them, the nubs at the peak slowly swelling. The
moving comes to a stop a second later, frustrating me once more. I
take a handful of the sheets into my palm at this moment and I try to
pull my body away from the mattress, but I find my entire body melting
once more when I find her tongue circling my breast. A shriek
practically escapes my lips the moment a layer of saliva paints the tip
of one of the nubs and I feel it swell even further. Her tongue begins
to lap around the base of the nipple now, slowly painting it with her
mouth's ambrosia as her right hand catches its neighbor between her
fingers. More cries escape now, each louder than the last but carried
out in a short breath. The licking comes to a halt for a second, but
the warmth it brings my body has not yet disappeared.
I feel her hand beginning to glide across my belly now, traveling down
to a region I had not welcomed her not too long ago. My legs grow
tense for a moment, but the further her hand travels, the more they
begin to relax. Finally her hand finds itself outside the cotton
barrier, her finger now beginning to stroke at its base. I practically
scream the moment her finger begins to move, but the screaming doesn't
come to a halt as it begins to increase its pace. I feel her lips
now starting to press against my breast now, her tongue wrapping around
the nub as her mouth engulfs it. Slowly she pulls at the nub with her
mouth, suckling it ever so gently as she pays equal attention to the
region below. My arms wrap around the back of her head now so that I
may silence my cries to a certain degree. My hold doesn't last long
however as her body rises once more, returning the chill of the evening
onto my skin.
"It's your turn," she tells me.
"My...?"
Before I could say anything further, her hands quickly take hold of my
shoulders and pull my entire body upward. I find my face now planted
before her heart now and my stomach nearly aligned with hers. The
warmth of her body brushes against my face as I breathe against it,
the sweet aroma of her autumn brown hair is so close. The pace of my
heart beats as quickly as ever, just being pressed against her, I feel
as if I had found Heaven itself. So hungry, I just have to taste one
of its delicious features. My eyes begin to linger for a moment,
finding the nubs of her breasts not too far from my face. My tongue
escapes it prison for a moment the moment I see these, lining my lips
with saliva. My lips begins to press against her skin now, slowly
trailing downward so that I may reach its ultimate destination.
Finally I find one of the nubs before my lips now, my breath barely
causing it to swell. The nectar within, dare I taste the forbidden
drink that is meant for her child? No, I needn't dare, I am that
child.
Wasting little time I take it into my lips, causing my lover to nearly
shriek. I ignore her cries and gasps as I begin to pull against the
nub, slurping any of the contents that escape my mouth. I can taste
the sweet geysers of white locked within the peaks of her breasts after
several moments of pulling, how the warm delicacy quenches my parched
throat. I take her other breast into my left hand and begin to pull at
its nipple, causing another set of soft cries to escape her lips. So
delicious, so sweet, but I am curious to know the taste of the other.
My right hand takes its place at her nipple, my mouth relieving my left
hand from its duty. A soft moan escapes my lips as I sample the
equally pleasant taste. Back and forth I switch between the two globes
now, never growing tired of either of their tastes.
"Elly...," my lover barely calls my name.
I am unable to respond as she continues to call me, I find myself to
preoccupied with the sweet texture of her breasts. More and more gasps
escape her lips along with my name as I continue to slide her nipples
inside my mouth. I feel her hands beginning to move again, traveling
down once more. They take hold of the cotton material before my sex
and begin to pull. The cotton restraint is unable to slide passed our
bodies as I continue to hold her in this fashion, so I bend my legs so
that they are able to fall to the floor, bending one leg at a time to
remove one half after the other. I free myself from her breasts now
and allow her body to flatten against the mattress so that I may take
my turn to free her sex. I find my fingers taking hold of the
material's side within an instant, but they pull it downward slowly, as
if the material were highlighting each inch of her silk-like skin that
it passes. I feel a small flood beginning to escape the gaps between
my legs and I know I can't hold it for much longer.
"Shion, may I?" I ask.
"Yes," she answers, running her hand down my face once more, "please
Elly, don't torment me any longer."
I plant the source of the flood atop hers as my knees and hands meet
with the sheets of the bed. My hips begin to move forward with a small
push of my body causing the both of us to nearly scream in pleasure,
casting another brush of warmth against our forms. The doors that
hold the flood begin to widen a little, but not enough to free it.
Another, but slightly faster, brush follows in the next second, setting
our bodies on fire once more. A third follows, and then a fourth, I
can feel the gaps between our legs beginning to widen as the pace
between each push grows faster and our cries grow louder. Her hands
begin to move up my sides now, stopping the moment they find my
breasts. Again they take hold and begin to rotate them inward,
throwing even more tinder into the fire within my body. I can feel it
coming, I know I can't...
"Shion...I...I can't hold it in much longer," I tell her between my
pants and pushes, "I can't..."
"Together," Shion tells me, "let it go toge...!"
"SHION!!!!!!!!!!"
"ELLY!!!!!!!!!!"
Finally the floods escape the gaps just as a warm substance pushes and
mingles with it at the same time. My entire body begins to tingle at
this very moment and I feel the fire beginning to die. Every second
puts out the inferno little by little, taking with it some of the
strength within my body. Slowly it drains further and further and
soon I find myself no longer able to sit up straight. After moments of
trembling and sitting, I find myself collapsing, my lover's body
breaking my fall to the mattress. My entire body feels like it has
already melted, disintegrated by the fires of passion. I find my
breath as heavy and deep as ever, my body feels as if it will sink
through the entire mattress. The cold seems to already freeze each of
the droplets of sweat on my body, the cool waters killing the rest of
the fire within me. The fire ignites once more however, igniting with
the brush of my lover's hand against my cheek just as the smell of her
hair and remaining taste of her lips and body keeps me from blacking
out. I push myself away from her form from an inch to find her emerald
eyes glowing and her lips curved widely.
"Elly, I love you," she tells me in barely a whisper.
"And I love you, Shion..."
My lips begin to plant themselves upon hers once more and I feel my
strength once again leaving my body. The cold air causes me to shiver
again, but the warmth of her lips is enough to keep my from submitting
to the frozen breeze. My body begins to turn to the side and I find
my body lying next to hers. I am not completely free from her embrace
however as her left arm still wraps around my waist. I face her once
more and find her eyes already closed and embracing the gift of
slumber. I smile at the sight of her resting peacefully and I move my
body closer to hers so that I may observe her grin more clearly. My
eyelids begin to grow heavy with every second I observe her, and slowly
but surely I let myself enter the black cave before the world of dreams.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The sound of birds chirping is the first thing I hear after leaving the
world of dreams, the lullabies of finches pulling away the seals of my
vision. I feel a mass of warmth already pressing against me, causing
my body to rise with it. Where I lie, I feel so safe and comfortable
lying here, I feel as if it is my sanctuary, where I can be alone with
my thoughts and feelings. No, that's not true, I'm not alone where I
lie, for this is her form, her heart I lie on.
"Good morning, Elly," my lover greets me.
"Good morning, Shion," I return the greeting after a yawn.
I find her hands already drawn to my face, cupping my cheeks and
pulling my face toward hers. Her tender yet warm hands lightly press
against the sides of my face, gliding down them as our lips come
closer. When they finally meet, I find my entire being beginning to
melt once more, that melting feeling starting from my lips and then
running through my veins. Her lips are so soft and delicate as I press
against them, I fear that I may break them if I were to move them
further. Yet she is the one who dares to move them, breaking from our
kiss for a mere second and then planting them upon my mouth once more
from a different angle. I indulge in the sampling nectar on the
surface of her mouth, but I wish to explore further. I try to move my
tongue inward, but...
"Hey Shion, it's time for...ack!" I turn to the doorway to find Jin
suddenly stumbling over.
The moment I see Shion's brother standing in the doorway, I quickly
bury myself inside the warmth of the bed's sheets. My entire face
seems to burn with embarrassment as I find my heart racing once more.
I can't help but cover the tender areas of my body with my hands and
arms, ensuring that he take not another second to observe my true self.
"Jin, haven't you ever heard of knocking?!" Shion lectures. "The
door's locked for a reason you know!"
"I... I dunno, the thought just never occurred to me," he stammers.
"Oh God, my eyes have been soiled!"
"What are you getting upset with me for, you're the one who walked in
on us?!"
"Well how was I supposed to know that the two of you were... this early
in the morning?!" he retorts with another stutter in his voice.
"We were not doing that, we were...!"
"If not this morning, than last night!"
"That's none of your business, Jin!"
"I just happened to make it my business! Do you know what Mom and Dad
would think if they were still alive and found out...?"
"You leave them out of this!"
"They're my parents too you know!"
"Oh God, just kill me...," I bury myself further into the sheets.
I lose track of the rest of the squabble between the siblings, trying
to tune out by thinking of anything else besides their argument. It
seems like an eternity before the two stop arguing and finally I can
come out of the bed's sheets.
"Sorry about that," Shion apologizes, "Jin can just be so inconsiderate
at times."
"It's okay," I assure her, "at least he didn't come in last night,
right Shion? Shion?" my lover suddenly turns beet red with her eyes
lowering to the floor.
"...let's just get dressed, okay," she tells me after a moment of
silence.
We get dressed shortly after. Instead of choosing her Vector uniform,
Shion chooses a different kind of apparel I haven't seen her in before.
She takes a pair of khaki pants from her dresser that hug her hips,
along with a red tank top to go with it. To complete the outfit, she
adds a black jacket that has sleeves that cover the top half of her
arms, but she leaves the jacket unzipped to show off her red top. I
choose to go with a simpler uniform, choosing blue denim jeans and a
white t-shirt with the number 70 etched along on the bust-line in red
numbers and the logo "Miltian Outpost" behind the numbers. We walk
downstairs to find everyone waiting; MOMO's in the kitchen placing what
looks like toast and eggs on plates, Jr. and Ziggy are watching the
television, the Elsa's crew (minus chaos) talking with one another at
the dining table, and chaos and Jin talking with one another.
"Breakfast is ready, everyone!" the young realian tells everyone.
"Thanks for cooking, MOMO," the Durandal's captain thanks her as he
takes one of the plates.
"You're welcome," she replies.
"This is good," the silver-haired boy compliments her as he takes a
fork full of egg into his mouth, "you're an excellent chef, MOMO."
"I'm not that good, Shion's a lot better than I am."
Everyone including myself takes a plate of their own and finds a seat
somewhere within the first floor. Shion finds herself a seat on the
counter close to the kitchen's entrance and I decide to take a seat
between her and Jr. I take the piece of bread into my mouth for a
second and take a bite out of it. It tastes rather plain if not for
the butter on it, but still, it's better than Jin's wheat cereal.
"So how is it?" MOMO asks from two seats down from Jr.'s direction.
"It's good," I find myself inclined to lie.
"How about something to drink?" Jr. passes a drink to me.
I take the plastic cup into my hands for a moment, taking time to look
at the translucent liquid. A slight chill passes onto my fingers as I
hold the cup, but it's not cold enough to freeze them further. I look
closer into the drink held within, finding small bubbles clinging to
the sides and some floating to the top where they pop and fizz for a
moment. I bring the liquid closer to my lips and a faint smell of
citrus enters my nose. I bring my lips to the drink, the bubbles
tingling against my lips the moment they touch the liquid. I ignore
the tiny burns and sip the drink further, the cold liquid sinking into
my mouth and into my throat. The sour taste of lemon and lime is
barely apparent as I gulp the contents, but for some reason I find it
enjoyable. More and more of the liquid sinks down my mouth and throat
until the contents of my cup are empty.
"Well, how was it?" chaos asks from the seat next to Shion.
"I liked it," I answer, "may I have some more?"
The silver-haired boy takes my cup and fills it again with a liter
bottle of the citrus soda. Strange, that's the very same drink the
others attempted to give me about week ago, the day before I jumped off
the Elsa. Yes, that's right, I remember, they invited me to join them
for breakfast but I had refused them. Come to think of it, I really
have changed a lot compared to what I was like a week ago. It's
strange to realize how much I've changed so much in so little time. I
guess I have Shion and Miang to thank for that.
"Here you go," chaos returns the drink before me.
"Thank you," I take the glass into my hand again.
After breakfast, we all once again return to the beach like yesterday.
Again I find everyone including myself wearing undergarment-like
clothing for the occasion (well maybe not Allen, he once again wears
the hilarious-looking outfit that covers most of his body). Once we
arrive, everyone returns to their duty from yesterday. The children,
along with chaos, play with that inflatable ball, Jin is out fishing on
the dock while Shion tries to help him, and new to the group is Ziggy
and the rest of the Elsa's crew who sit in one corner and talk with one
another. I don't find myself with any of these groups, instead I look
out into the ocean and find myself locked in my thoughts.
"'To love and be loved,'" I find myself once again recalling Miang's
words, "to be in the companionship of others and welcomed in their
arms. All of us that have these things take them for granted."
At that moment I feel a small force pushing against my shoulder, but it
only lasts for a second. I turn to where the device had fallen and
find the ball the children were playing with at my feet. I take it
into my hands and look back to where MOMO and Jr. are. I find the
young realian running toward me, finding her standing before me in
seconds.
"Thanks," the child smiles as I return the ball to her.
"You're welcome," I return the smile.
"Hey KOS-MOS, do you wanna play too?" she then asks me.
"Okay," I answer.
The next thing I know I'm also hitting the ball around with the
children. I can't help but smile the entire time as I strike at the
ball in the direction of either of the kids' or chaos's paths.
"Got it!" Jr. calls before he hits the ball toward me.
"Got it!" I say as I hit the ball towards MOMO.
I look to the other side of the beach to find Shion watching Jin still
trying to catch a fish. She seems rather bored as she sits there
watching her brother's failed attempts, sighing once nearly every ten
seconds.
"Shion," I call her at the top of my lungs, "do you want to play with
us?"
"All right, sure!" she calls back with a smile on her face.
"Hey wait Shion, I think I got something!" Jin tells his sister as
his fishing pole begins to tug.
"Oh give it a rest, Jin!" Shion tells him as she gives his back a
slight push.
The moment Shion pushes him, Jin begins to stagger forward, one foot
slipping off the edge of the dock and the rest of his body falling
forward in the next. His entire body plummets into the ocean after,
fishing pole and all. The others and myself can't start laughing as
soon as Jin emerges from the ocean, his clothing and body soaked and
pieces of seaweed hanging from his hair. Friendship, truly something I
can no longer live without.
We spent the rest of the day at the beach until it was time for dinner.
Jin wasn't able to catch any fish that day because he lost his fishing
pole when Shion pushed him into the ocean. Luckily we had ingredients
to make Shion's special curry for dinner, so we were able to get a good
meal. There was karaoke again after we ate, everyone had a turn to
sing this time. It was pretty cute to see MOMO singing a song with
Ziggy, it's amazing how she's able to get him to do things he's usually
not comfortable with. When it was Allen's turn to sing however, I had
to contain myself from laughing when he tried to sing Elvis's
"Jailhouse Rock."
Now that that's all over, I once again find myself in Shion's bed with
my lover resting at my side. Both of our eyes linger toward the
ceiling as we reflect on our day. Such joy and laughter I felt today,
and it wasn't with just Shion alone. For once I was smiling for an
entire day, not worrying about anything else. I'm sure Miang would
have loved to have had a day like this, a day dedicated only to having
fun with friends. I just feel really happy right now, lying here right
this after living through such a wonderful day. Another thought
crosses my mind though. My mission from HQ, I had forgotten all about
it this past week, and I had especially forgotten it today.
"Is something wrong, Elly?" I turn to my side to find my lover.
"My mission from HQ," I answer, "I had forgotten all about it these
past few days."
"Do you really need to remember it now," Shion asks, "do you really
have to worry about your work when you're having fun?"
"What?"
"I thought a lot like that too not too long ago," Shion recalls, "I
was always thinking about work when I was supposed to be having
vacation. I missed out on a lot of opportunities I could've been happy
because I kept thinking about work."
"So what made you stop thinking like that?"
"You, Elly, it was you," she smiles, snuggling against my shoulder.
"Life is but a grace period, Elly, so live it to its fullest when you
can."
"Yeah," I nod.
My eyes meet with hers at this moment and our lips begin to move
forward. For a second they press against each other, just long enough
for either of us to get a good taste of the ambrosia within. Her head
falls upon my shoulder again at this moment and her arms wrap around my
waist. My hand begins to brush several strands of her hair, slowly
running through the amber brown until it stops at her shoulder. I
press my palm against it and pull her in closer, bringing her forehead
to my lips. I look back to her face now and find her sleeping soundly,
her breathing tickling against my skin and her heart beating against my
body. I smile at the sight of her form and I begin to close my eyes.
I feel the darkness slowly beginning to engulf me, my eyes now shut and
my breathing beginning to grow slow. The evening breeze enters through
the window, but it causes neither of us to shiver. A small brush of
warmth then crawls down my cheek at this moment, as if fingers were
gliding across it. I feel a weight softly pushing against my body now
and the breath of another beating upon my lips. For a second they meet
with the mouth of another, filling my being with another touch of
warmth. Their face then meets with my own at this moment as I feel the
side of one's face on my cheek, barely rubbing against it. A drop of
water then crawls down the cheek of my mysterious visitor, gliding down
the crevice between our faces.
"Goodbye...," she whispers.
Slowly the weight pressing against my body begins to disappear and my
body begins to grow cold. Her fingers glide down my face once more, my
body practically dragging itself with the hand as it does so. The
moment the fingers meet with my chin I feel my entire being frozen once
more and the evening breeze blowing as cool as ever. The breeze begins
to settle now, my body sinking further into the comfort of the mattress
and embrace of my lover. I find my entire being beginning to relax
now, as if my self is being absorbed into the environment. Even though
my mysterious visitor has left me and the cold winds have removed the
trails of warmth of her fingers, the fire of her soul still remains in
my heart. Water begins to drip from the gaps between my eyes and their
seals, and yet there is a smile perched upon my lips. A part of me is
sad that she is gone, but another part of me is proud that her memory
will always be with me.
"Goodbye, Miang..."
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Author's Note: Well, that's the end of "Bound," I hope you all enjoyed
this fic, I enjoyed writing. The purpose of this chapter was basically
to show how Elly changed from the beginning of the story, how she is
now able to express herself more openly compared to how she was
emotionless and whatnot in the game and beginning of the story. The
ending was pretty hard to make, and it was hard for me to pull off, I
just had to think of a way to have Elly say farewell to Miang. Elly
and Shion's story isn't over yet, because there will be a sequel to
"Bound," titled "Mother." "Mother" will be an AU of Xenosaga Episode
2, and will roughly connect Xenosaga with Xenogears. Unlike "Warm" and
"Bound," "Mother" will be told in multiple POV's, not just Elly's or
Shion's. Below is a preview of "Mother," told in Shion's POV. The
preview is a mere rough draft, so many details and whatnot are missing,
and the final product will probably be different. Well for now, enjoy!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Shion's POV)
Vector Industries, Second R & D Division, after spending three days at
home, Elly, Allen, and I have finally come back here. We had just
gotten word yesterday from HQ to bring Elly here to receive her
secondary equipment, but there's a problem with that. Elly is no
longer the same android Allen, myself, and the rest of my staff,
created several months ago, she's a living, breathing human being. The
company still doesn't know this, and before I could report this to the
director, our communications were cut off. It looks like his patience
for me delivering Elly has run short, probably because he found out
that I was on Second Miltia all this time and I hadn't reported to
Vector.
A hand wraps around my own at this moment, and I turn to its owner.
She gives me a smile for reassurance, but her cerulean blue eyes tell
me a different story. I can see the worry behind her mask of
happiness, she's not sure what's going to happen. Looking into her
eyes also worries me, but I try not to show her this and give her a
smile of my own.
"I'll be all right, Shion," she tries to assure me, "I'm sure if we
were to explain what happened these last few days the company will
reconsider taking me back."
"You're right, Elly," I tell her, trying my best to lie, "the
director's a patient and understanding man, I'm sure he'll understand
why I can't turn you over to the Second Division."
What a liar I am, even if I were to explain to him what had happened
these last few days, would he even believe my story. The story about
Elly's dormant sister, Miang, resurfacing after all these years and
trying to take over her body would sound ridiculous to most people.
Although it was also because of Miang that Elly became who she is
today, and I am grateful for that, but I do disapprove of the method
she used to do that. Miang, my first daughter, if only I had shown her
I cared back then, maybe if I did that Elly wouldn't have gone through
all that torture these past few days. But then, if I did that, then
Elly wouldn't have been born, well not born in the sense she is now.
"Shion, are you all right?" Jin's voice breaks me out of my thoughts.
Jin decided to accompany us on this trip, after all he does need to go
out into the city every once and a while so he can get some groceries
and whatnot. Besides, he also does volunteer work at one of the
orphanages, which he joined him for about an hour ago.
"I'm all right, thanks," I answer.
"Are you sure, Chief," Allen asks, "you've got that look in your eyes
again, the one that says 'something's not going to work out the way
it's supposed to.'"
"He's right, Shion," Elly adds, "the way you tried to reassure me
seconds ago didn't sound too convincing, are you really worried
that..."
"Of course I'm worried!" I practically yell, stopping everyone in their
footsteps. "I mean, I don't want to turn you over to the Second
Division, Elly, not after what happened these last few days. I can't
just turn..."
"You're late, Ms. Uzuki."
That voice, that's not the director's voice, but it sounds familiar. I
look before me now and find a well-dressed gentleman in black, his eyes
a red-brown shade, but his hair is as white as a ghost. His hair's
bangs are separated into two strands that can easily cover his eyes,
both of these strands rather curled while the rest of his hair is cut
neatly, not one strand going past his skull. His skin is nearly as
pale as his hair, and his figure is rather short and flail. His
appearance and demeanor reminds me of someone, but who? chaos? No
wait, I do recognize this man, this is...
"M...M...Mr. Wilhelm, CEO of Vector Industries, what are you doing
here?" Allen stammers.
"Sir Wilhelm?!" I quickly realize. "Oh my gosh, it's quite an honor to
meet you, sir!" I quickly bow.
"No, the honor is quite mine," he says calmly. "Please, there is no
need to be formal with me, Ms. Uzuki, Mr. Ridgeley. Hm, so you're
KOS-MOS, correct?" he quickly turns his attention to Elly.
"That's right," Elly nods, "that's what many people call me."
"You have not communicated with us for several days now, do you have an
explanation for that?" the gentleman asks.
"Er..., well, you see...," the blue-haired angel begins to stammer.
"Ms. Uzuki, is this really the KOS-MOS unit you've been working on for
nearly two years now?" Mr. Wilhelm asks, a slight hint of frustration
in his voice. "The last time I checked, I thought KOS-MOS wasn't
supposed to have an emotions module that mimicked nervousness. This
individual seems just like a normal girl."
"Well, there is an explanation for that, but...," I try to explain.
"Sir!" I turn around to find another individual.
I find a woman now standing before us dressed in a security uniform,
her entire clothing a dull gray color. The color of her skin is a
milky white color, and she wears no make up on her face. She wears a
hat with the Vector Industries logo on it, and the bill of the hat
covers the image of her pupils. I cannot see the color of her hair
either, all of it seems to be collected within the cap. I feel my body
slightly shiver from her presence, but another part of me feels rather
relaxed.
She begins to walk forward now, her eyes never lingering toward myself,
Jin or Allen. For a moment she stops though, stopping for a few
moments to look at Elly. Elly keeps her eyes on the floor as this
woman observes her, every once and a while taking a split second or two
to look at the woman's face.
"I'm guessing that this is the new weapon that will combat the Gnosis?"
the security guard asks as she turns to Mr. Wilhelm.
"That's what Ms. Uzuki claims at least," Wilhelm answers.
"You look just like an ordinary girl to me," the woman tells Elly.
"But this is KOS-MOS, it's just that in the past few days...," I try to
explain again.
"No need for an explanation," Mr. Wilhelm stops me once more. "If you
say that this woman truly is KOS-MOS, than I shall take your word for
it. Guards!" his fingers snap.
Two more security guards arrive at this moment, rushing to Mr.
Wilhelm's side.
"Take this blue-haired woman to the main lab please," he orders.
"What?!"
"Stop it!" Elly tries to order the guards as they take her arms. "Let
me go! Shion!"
My eyes widen at the sight of the men dragging my love away from me,
the liquid within beginning to crawl down my face. I feel my teeth
beginning to grind against each other now, my fingers balling into
fists, and frustration building up within me. There's no way I'm going
to let them take Elly away from me so easily!
"Elly!" I try to chase after her.
"Chief, stop it," Allen takes a hold of my arm.
"Let me go, Allen!" I order him. "I can't just let them take Elly!"
"But Chief, no matter how you look at it, we..."
"Elly!" I manage to escape Allen's grasp.
I try to run past Mr. Wilhelm as they take Elly away, but the female
security guard blocks my path. I try to run past her just like Allen
and Mr. Wilhelm, but she takes a hold of my shoulder and pushes me
back.
"Stop it, you can't just take Elly away from me!" I spit.
"Restrain yourself otherwise I will be forced to take drastic action,"
the security guard orders me. "Please, Ms. Uzuki, I don't want to have
any harm come to you, so please calm down and..."
"Elly!" I try to push the woman out of my way.
I am able to move her out of my way and find myself rushing toward Elly
as fast as I can. A sharp pain suddenly enters the back of my head
now, my hair being tugged back by the woman I had tried to run past. I
turn around now and step back toward the woman to relieve the stress
from my hair, but I do not back down from my chase. I bring my knee
upward at the first opportunity I can, striking at the abdomen of my
captor. She hunches forward from the impact of the blow and he hold on
my hair now loosens. My other leg then rises after, my foot striking
against the chin of the woman and sending her to the floor. I take no
time to see if I had hurt her badly or not and return to chasing after
Elly.
"Elly!" I scream.
The woman I had just sent to the floor already returns to her feet and
blocks my path once more. I bring my elbow to her jaw this time, but
it does nothing but push her head back for a mere second. I try to
bring my other fist to her face this time, but this time the crook of
her arm catches my attack. Before I can react, I suddenly find a force
exerting on my sternum and my body suddenly being pushed back all the
way where Allen and Jin stand. My back strikes against the metal floor
in a mere second and I find myself already staring at the building's
ceiling.
"SHION!!!!!" I hear my lover scream.
"Chief, are you all right?" Allen quickly rushes to my aid.
"Why you!" Jin begins to draw his sword.
"Elly, hold on!" I push Allen out of my way again, staggering back to
my feet.
"Don't try anything else," the woman reaches for the pistol on her
belt.
"That's enough!" Mr. Wilhelm orders. "Ms. Uzuki, whether you like it
or not, we are taking KOS-MOS out of your custody! As a result of your
misbehavior and inability to follow orders, you are hereby suspended
without pay from Vector Industries for six months! I bid you good
day," he begins to turn away.
"You can fire me for all I care, just return Elly to me right now!" I
yell.
"Ms. Hawwa, if Ms. Uzuki is to try anything else, you have permission
to kill her," Mr. Wilhelm tells her before starting to walk off.
"Understood, sir," the woman nods.
"Wait!" I try to chase after Elly once more but the guard stops me once
more.
"Please don't do anything else," she tries to ask me politely now, "I
don't want any harm to come to you."
"You tell me that after you punched me to the ground?!" I seethe.
"Please, Shion," she tells me in a somewhat pleading tone, "I don't
want anymore harm to come to you."
Part of me begins to calm down now for some reason. For some reason I
feel obligated to obey this woman, not out of fear, but for some other
reason I can't describe. The events that just happened begin to take
their toll on me now and I begin to stop my pursuit now the tears once
again crawling down my face as rapid as ever. I find my fists
beginning to pound against the guard's chest and shoulders, but she
does nothing but let me strike at her. Cries and whimpers escape my
lips, and I know I can't do anything to stop them from taking Elly
away. Arms then begins to wrap around my waist now and a cheek begins
to brush against my own. This woman, why is she holding me like this.
I feel obligated to strike her, but something else is stopping me from
doing so.
"I'm sorry, Shion," she apologizes, "I truly am sorry about
everything."
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Author's Note: Well that's a small preview of one of the beginning
chapters of "Mother," this fic will be much more action-oriented than
"Warm" and "Bound" and will try and solve all the mysteries of the Xeno
series. So "Bound" is finished now, and I hope you've all enjoyed
reading this fic, and I hope you all look forward to "Mother." Reviews
are welcome, and as usual, no flames or anything like that. Well I
guess that's it for now, I hope to see you all in "Mother," later
people!
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