cbman's Note: Not sure what to say really, but there's a few things
I've gotten some questions about from some readers so I'll take the
time to answer them now. In the last chapter, Jin referred to a beam
of light of sorts when heading to Labyrinthos, that light being the
Song of Nephilim. Some readers have asked me why Jin didn't hear the
actual song whereas Shion can. I'm afraid I can't answer that question
right now as it will ruin part of the plot for future chapters.
Another question I got was if Allen knows about Shion and Elly's
relationship. Unfortunately he doesn't; in fact the only ones in the
main party who know that Shion and Elly are intimate are MOMO and Jin.
The reason why most of the characters don't know is because Shion wants
to gradually reveal their relationship to the others (read chapter 4 of
"Warm" as reference to this statement), but Elly voluntarily told MOMO
and Jin about their relationship (see chapters 2 and 4 of "Bound" for
this). I should also note that there has been an edit in this chapter
for the ff.net version of this fic, check out the uncut version at
www.shoujoai.com under my other pen name, cbman. As usual, the events
in this fic are going to be a lot different from that of the Xenosaga 2
game. In any case, that should clear up some of the questions I've
got, so let's get back to the fic.
Shi's Note: I'm supposed to add something here so you guys know that
XenoMark's/cbman's not alone in this. Don't have much to say other than
it's fantastic being able to peek into his thoughts and ideas and see
what brilliant schemes he comes up with. I hope you like the newest
chapter and I hope even more that we get comments and opinions from you
all! Until next time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Complications
(Miang's POV)
This standstill has gone on for two minutes now, just three more and
the Quarantine Hangar of this ship will be destroyed. The shockwave of
Ether created by my sister and I is not moving at all, neither of us is
gaining the advantage over the other. My limbs begin to drop as do
hers; using the Zohar Emulators to amplify our powers is starting to
take its effect on our bodies. I know that Elly does not want to harm
me intentionally, but at the same time, I know she won't back down for
the sake of our mother and the people of this ship. I feel the same
way, but I can't back down from my orders because of the man that
observes our battle, the Testament in red.
The entire street has begun to crack now, all of the remaining
civilians are in a state of panic. The streams that escaped our
predicament have toppled several more buildings within the vicinity,
but none of the buildings have taken any lives. My sister wears an
angered expression on her face, I can tell that she's using all of her
strength to combat me. I try to keep a blank look on mine as well, but
that emotion changes with what I see next. Tears have begun to escape
my sister's eyes. It is now that emotions begin to take over again;
I've done enough damage, to my sister's emotions and to the city around
me.
"Elly, I..."
"Don't stop," my leader orders me.
Just the sound of his voice makes me continue my attack, my emotions
suppressing with the sound of his order. No matter what I want to do,
no matter how I truly feel, it's his word that is above everything
else, it's his word that controls everything I feel and do. My
sister's aura beam begins to give away now, my attack is slowly gaining
the upper hand as it pushes her back. I feel the power of her Ether
beginning to drain, now is my chance to overpower her. I don't
overpower her however, my power begins to hold back again as another
enters the fight.
"Elly, don't!" the individual clings onto my sister.
"Mother?" I quickly recognize the person.
"Stop this, both of you!" she orders, streams rolling down her face.
"Elly, Miang, stop trying to hurt each other," she says, burying her
face into my sister's shoulder. "I know you both want to make peace
with each other after everything that's happened, but this isn't the
way to do that!" she raises her voice. "Just seeing the two of you
like this, it's just like four days ago when you were trying to kill
each other. I don't want to lose either of you again, so please, both
of you, just stop, stop fighting for my sake!"
"Shion...," my sister turns her attention to her.
"Mother...," I begin to lower my power.
"I'm afraid neither one of them can afford to stop," my master
interrupts, "theirs is a destiny that will lead Mankind toward its
salvation."
"Salvation?" my mother looks to him, confused. "What are you talking
about? Who decided this? How can it be their destiny when they
haven't even chosen to follow through with it?!"
"Destiny is not something you can choose, Shion," he answers. "Each of
us have roles that have been given to us since birth and we all have no
choice but to follow through with it."
"Follow through...? No, that's not true, each of us can make a
difference, we just have to make a choice to...," Mother tries to
speak.
"Destiny is unavoidable, no matter what choices you make," my superior
says. "Look at the half of KOS-MOS on your side; she tried her best to
fight her destiny, trying to become something she can never be, a
human. I've seen how hard you've tried to save her, how you tried to
use your heart to change her. Tell me, is that the very same heart
that tried to save your parents, the same heart that tried to save your
first love?" he asks, my mother responding only with silence. "Of
course it was, all you've been looking for your entire life was for
someone to fill the gap of loneliness, trying to fill the space your
parents left in your heart by being with someone, anyone, that was
close to you."
"That's not...!" my mother tries to defend yourself.
"Look at how hard you cling onto the half of KOS-MOS beside you, how
hard you try to save her and yourself from your inner demons," my
master continues. "You raised her as your daughter, but you let your
inner demons get the best of you once more, using her to try and fill
the void of loneliness. Did you think you can fill the loss of your
family and lover by making a partner with the qualities of both?"
"I... I didn't..."
"You are at a loss of words. Still, it doesn't matter what you did, in
the end, she will still follow through with her fate. No matter what
you do, you can never alter destiny, the only thing you can do is
accept it. Look at my half of KOS-MOS, she accepts her destiny. Did
it have to do with the fact that no one raised her as if she were a
child? Did it have to do with the fact that the one she loved never
returned her feelings? Whatever the case may be, she did nothing to go
against her destiny, and just like her other half, here she is,
fighting against her once more. Destiny is unavoidable, it is
inevitable. Now my child, finish them, fulfill the role you were
given," he orders me.
"Yes sir," I find myself following his orders.
The stream of Ether pushes closer toward my mother and sister, my
orders taking priority over my emotions. I know of the pain it will
cause me after I fulfill this command, but regardless, his word is
above all else, despite how big the consequences are later. My
sister's strength is entirely used up now, the surge of Ether ready to
strike my family down at any moment. I'm sorry Elly, I'm sorry Mother,
but this is my fate, this is the role that I have been given.
The blast of aura surges toward the two of them, the onslaught ready to
eat away at their bodies. I close my eyes to hide the sight of their
deaths, but my ears are still open to their screams. No, that's not
their screams, it's another's. In an instant, my eyes open once more,
my arms moving the attack toward the direction of the source. A piece
of debris is falling toward a small individual, one I don't know. My
body automatically reacts, diverting my attack toward the piece of
debris, destroying it in an instant. The stream of ether disappears
shortly after, dispersing before it can strike the ceiling of the Kukai
Foundation.
"Miang, what are you doing?" my superior asks.
His voice becomes deaf to me in the next passing seconds. The rest of
the scenery seems to disappear as well, my attention focused only on
the one I saved. This boy, who is he, why did I feel obligated to save
him. Long brown hair with eyes of the same shade, somewhat tanned
skin, he looks familiar. Abel? Yes, that must be the boy I was sent
to capture earlier. I should take this opportunity to capture him, but
something is holding me back. A voice... I hear a voice, one I've
never heard before, but it feels familiar when I hear it. Everything
becomes blank as I hear this laughter, everything disappears except the
sound of that voice.
It's the sound of a young child's laughter that I hear. A face comes
into my mind shortly after, a very young and youthful face. It's a
child, a very young child, no older than three years old. More images
appear now; trees, a large field of grass, dandelions everywhere. I
can smell the flowers now, as well as the feel of the wind as it blows
through my hair. The child runs through the grass as fast as he can,
nearly tripping with each step he takes. His laughter grows louder and
louder with every step he takes, I can't help but smile as I watch my
son.
My son? When did I have a child? What are these other things I'm
starting to remember. Go to the groceries, prepare fried mackerel for
dinner, read Abel a story before going to bed, since when did such
insignificant things come to mind? No, this isn't me, these can't be
my memories. Just what is...?
"Don't go too far, Abel," I tell him, my lips unwavering from my smile.
"Okay, Mommy."
Mommy? Why is it that the word brings me comfort? Why is it that I
feel happy as I watch this child frolic through the field? No, it's
not just happiness, I feel concerned, worrying about if something will
happen to him at any moment. I don't understand this feeling, I don't
understand any of this, I just don't understand...
"Mommy, look what I can do!" the child cries as he jumps an inch off
the ground, only to fall down after.
"Oh my gosh, Abel!" I hurry to the child's aid. "Are you okay?" I ask
deep with concern as I pick him off the floor.
"Yes Mommy," he smiles.
The scenery suddenly changes after I see his smile, the area suddenly
transforming into a kitchen I have never seen before. The room is
simple in design, the plants on the window next to the sink keep it
from looking entirely plain. The smell of vegetables boiling is
apparent in my nose, as is the sound of boiling of water. I find
myself washing the dishes, my concentration dwindling away from the
chore as a small tug falls upon my apron.
"Mommy," I find the boy once again at my side, "can I have a snack?"
"I'm sorry, Abel," I smile at the child, "but dinner will be ready in a
few minutes."
"But I want a snack!" he whines.
"All right," I sigh. "Just one piece of candy is all you get, all
right," I reach for a piece of chocolate in my apron's pocket.
"Okay," the boy says with a smile on his face.
This feeling again, it's just like what I felt back in the fields.
There's something about him, something about his voice, no, his very
presence, it catches my attention. Every time he wants something, I
feel obligated to fulfill his wishes. No, obligation isn't the right
word, I don't know how to describe this feeling. All I know is that
this feeling makes me want to do anything he wants as long as it will
make him smile.
The scene changes once again after, this time I find myself in the
doorway of what appears to be Abel's room. At the end of the room I
find Abel, tucked in tightly in his bed and sleeping soundly. I can't
help but smile as I watch him, but that smile soon melts away as I walk
to the living room.
"The boy will be turning four in a few months, correct?" my guest asks
as he sits on the couch.
"Yes," I nod.
"At long last, we can begin," he says, brushing away a single strand of
white hair away from his face.
My fingers can't help but curl into a fist upon hearing his words, my
teeth beginning to bite down on one another as well. The way he spoke
about my son, no, just the fact that he mentioned him has made me
angry. A part of me wants to just throw my guest out the door like
yesterday's garbage, but a feeling of obligation is holding me back.
"I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm afraid I can't go along
with it any longer," I tell him, doing my best to keep my temper in check.
"What?"
"I'm saying that I don't want to go through with your plan anymore," I
repeat myself.
"Do you know what you're saying?" he asks. "You've been very
supportive of our plan since the very beginning," he reminds me, "why
did you suddenly change you mind, Elhaym? Or should I say, Ne..."
"I don't go by that name now!" I stop him. "I don't want to have
anything to do with you anymore! I know I was very supportive of your
plan in the very beginning, but I... I can't do it, and I can't let
you use my son for your own selfish ambitions!"
"Selfish?" he says calmly. "My dear, you said it yourself, our
ambitions are anything but selfish, if anything it's for the greater
good of Mankind."
"It was different back then," I tell him. "How can you truly judge
them if you haven't done anything to try and understand them. You and
the others may have been able to assimilate into their way of life, but
you did nothing to try and learn to understand why they live their
lives the way they do like I have."
"It's a shame you feel this way, Elhaym," my guest says as he gets off
his seat. "But no matter, it is the boy's destiny after all, he will
come to us at some point."
"I won't let that happen!" I tell him.
"Still going by the notion that 'a tiny ripple may one day create a
huge wave?'" he asks. "That was always one subject we can never agree
on. Very well, I shall leave the boy with you for now, but remember
this, he will be ours one day, regardless of what you try to do."
"What is all of this?" I find my palms beginning to press against my
face.
"Miang, hurry and finish them!" my superior's words echo in my ears
once more.
Slowly my palms fall down to my sides, but my eyes remain locked on the
boy I had saved not too long ago. He continues to stare at me as well,
my reflection mirrored back from his chocolate brown eyes. A smile
stretches across the boy's face when he realizes our eyes have locked,
my body paralyzing completely the moment they do so.
"Mother, is that you?" I hear his voice in my head. "It is you,
Mother!"
Again I hear his voice echoing through my head, calling me "Mother"
every time. His words grow louder and louder in my head with every
second that passes, the title he has given me ready to break my
eardrums. I try to shield my eyes away from him by closing them, but
it does nothing to silence his voice.
"Stop it!" I begin to scream in an attempt to stop his calls.
"Miang...?" my mother and sister look at me puzzled.
"Stop calling me that!" I continue to cry. "Leave me alone! Just
stop...!"
The vision of flames appears before my eyes now as well as the smell of
burning vegetation and wood fills my nose. I find myself running, but
I'm already finding it almost impossible to move my legs. I look down
to find my child wrapped in my arms as I carry him, and I look back to
find several violet-uniformed men chasing after us. The sound of
bullets and the squeezing of triggers echoes above the sound of the
inferno behind us, the projectiles barely missing my body. Every
second the shots grow closer and closer to us, but I try to push myself
further and further. Suddenly a jolt of pain rushes up my leg and I
find myself no longer running. My entire body falls forward after the
shock, my face meeting with the uneven surface beneath all of the
grass. I look back to find the men drawing closer, I know there is
nothing more I can do.
"Abel, run!" I order the child in my arms.
"But Mother...!"
"Live, Abel, live!" I order in desperation. "No matter what happens,
you must live! I... I'll find you. Mommy will find you again one
day, but for now, run! Run away!"
"Run...," I say in the present. "Abel... ru..."
"Miang, what...?" my mother is left confused.
"Run Abel!" my body instinctively reacts. "Run!"
"I see, I should have known that...," the Testament is suddenly
interrupted.
My sister immediately launches forward with her remaining strength now,
charging toward my cloaked master. I do nothing to stop her, my
attention focused on the boy as he is carried off by a woman with
cinnamon brown hair. I turn back to my superior to find him engaged
with Elly, an invisible barrier once again standing between him and her
sword. Without moving his body at all, he sends my sister in the
direction from which she came, sending her to the floor immediately.
His form quickly stands beside me after, his cloak held in front of me,
hiding my vision away from my family.
"We'll postpone this act for now," he says, "but the curtain shall rise
once more in the near future."
And with that, the scenery around me begins to disappear, my entire
body once again engulfed in darkness. Though the color of black is the
only thing I see before my eyes, my mind continues to see the young boy
I had saved. Abel, why do I worry so much about a boy I had never
personally met? Why?
"There will be a time when you shall know why," a voice echoes within
the darkness.
"Master Wilhelm?"
"You have done well, Miang," his form suddenly appears before me.
"My apologies, sir, I know it wasn't in my orders to..."
"That was part of our plan as well, Miang," he explains. "To tell you
the truth, the Testaments were also unaware of the true purpose of this
mission. The reason why you were sent to the Kukai Foundation was not
to destroy it, but to make contact with the boy, which you have done
successfully. Though it was brief, you have completed the first step
toward your true awakening, and thus, end the first scene of the final
act."
Something feels different as I speak to Master Wilhelm. In the past I
felt very relaxed and calm when I saw him, but now, just the sound of
his voice begins to stir something inside me. This feeling of fire
that flows through my veins, the desire to rip every bone out of his
body, since when did I feel so much anger and hatred toward him? Even
that calm expression on his face is beginning to annoy me, but I do not
know why.
"Is there a problem, Miang?" Master Wilhelm suddenly asks.
"Nothing's wrong, sir," I answer, "nothing's wrong."
'Everything feels wrong,' I secretly think to myself.
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(Shion's POV)
Destiny is unavoidable, no matter what choices you make. Why was it
that my heart jumped with every word he said when he spoke with me?
It wasn't just the words that did that, it was something else. The
tone, the pitch, everything about his voice has stirred something
within me. I can't place my finger on it, but there was something
about that man that felt... familiar... No, I shouldn't be thinking
such things, that man is the one who's manipulating Miang, I know it.
So why, why am I feeling this way right now?
"Shion, are you all right?" I turn around to find Jr., chaos, and
several medics running toward us.
"I'm okay, although..."
I turn my attention to my side to find my blue haired angel kneeling on
the ground, her eyes locked on the pavement. She hasn't said a word or
moved an inch ever since that man left. I try to place my hand on her
shoulder so that I may help her back to her feet, but my hand quickly
backs away when I see her eyes. The look of shock, I've never seen her
wear this expression before, never in the time we've been together.
"Yo, KOS-MOS, you all right?" the Durandal's captain tries to ask, only
to get silence as a response. "Hey KOS..."
"Don't...," she interrupts, her voice harsh, "don't call me that!"
"Huh, KOS-MOS, what...?"
"Don't call me by that name!" she repeats, her eyes glaring into Jr.'s.
"Did something happen?" chaos attempts to ask her.
"Don't you ever...," she continues, her tone still sharp, "label me as
such anymore, do you understand?!" Elly explodes.
This tone of voice, she never used this tone on any of us before. That
sharp look in her eyes, how she balls her fingers into fists, for the
first time I find myself scared when I look at her. She begins to push
herself off the ground now, her body quickly turning away from all of
us, not even giving us a single glance. She reaches for her sword on
the ground now, slamming the end of it into the pavement with all her
strength as she picks it up. My angel walks away now, completely
ignoring all of us as we call out to her.
"Why is she angry all of a sudden?" Jr. wonders aloud. "If anything,
I'm the one who should be pissed off, she practically destroyed the
ship when she and her sister hacked into the Zohars."
"I'm sorry," I apologize for my lover. "Her sister and that man
provoked her into doing so. I know she didn't mean to cause such a
mess."
"I guess it's all right," the young captain says, "but I'm not sure
how the rest of the Foundation will take it."
"Well I'm going to try and calm her down now. I'll make sure that
we'll help out in rebuilding this section later."
I leave shortly after, running in the direction where Elly went.
There's only one place my angel would go at a time like this, it's a
place she's always gone whenever she's been feeling upset these last
few days.
I find her in my room in the Residential Area of the Durandal. For
the last few days, I always found her in my room in my house whenever
she wanted to think or calm down, and this time was no different. She
sits on our bed with her eyes glued to the floor and her fingers
tightly balling the skirt of her dress. It's obvious she is still
angry, the expression on her face hasn't changed since she left so
abruptly. I stand there watching her for a few moments, carefully
thinking about what I might say to calm her down. I find some words
and I prepare to speak, hoping they don't cause her to snap at me.
"Elly, what's wrong?" I ask, preparing for the worst. "Do you want to
tell me what's bothering you?"
"Isn't it obvious what's bothering me?" she answers, her glaring eyes
now turned toward me.
The sound of her voice paralyzes me, but the way it paralyzes me is
different from how it did in the past. Fear, just the sound of her
voice has scared me. I can feel sweat beginning to fall down my brow
now, my throat suddenly becoming parched, and my heart jumping. My
body instinctively begins to step backward, but I tell myself not to,
that I have to stay here and try to calm her down. I bring my hand to
the source of the beating in my chest and bring my feet together once
again, gulping down some of the contents in my mouth to take away the
dryness in my trachea.
"I know you're upset, that's why I was asking," I say, trying to regain
my composure. "Elly, you know I'll always be there for you, and if you
want to talk about what's upsetting you, I'm willing to listen."
"You mean you weren't listening earlier?!" she explodes, jumping out of
the bed in the process. "Didn't you hear what that man said?!"
"Yes, I heard him," I nod. "But why should you take what he said
seriously. Don't read into what he said, that man was probably just
trying to confuse you, just as he did with Miang."
"Just what do you know?"
"That's enough, Elly!" I find myself yelling now. "Now you're just
making me mad! Listen to yourself, you're upsetting yourself by
dwelling on that man's words. This isn't like you to get angry over
something so trivial."
"Trivial? Trivial?! What do you know is trivial and not trivial,
Shion?! You obviously had no idea what he meant when he spoke those
words! Or could it be that there was some truth to his words? Are you
just using me, Shion? Am I just something to fill the gap of
loneliness?!"
"Now you're just being ridiculous! Is that what's really upsetting
you? Elly, you know you mean everything to me, I would never use you
just for that. I love you for who you are,nothing more, nothing less.
So please, calm down."
"Shion... I...," my angel begins to calm down. "...sorry."
"It's okay," I tell her as I wrap my arms around her.
I walk her over to the bed now so that she may cool down some more. I
take the seat beside her so that she may rest her head on my shoulder.
She closes her eyes now and her breath grows slow; today has not been
an easy day on her, the fatigue has finally caught up with her. Her
head begins to fall off my shoulder shortly after, but my lap stops her
from falling further. Her body begins to curl inward and her hand
glides against my leg as her cheek snuggles against my lap. My angel
smiles as she finds a comfortable spot, I can't help but run my hand
down half her face. I smile as I watch her rest, just seeing her like
this helps me relax too.
She looks so vulnerable as she rests on my lap, so peaceful. Her body
begins to toss a little, almost like a baby in its crib. I continue to
glide my palm down her cheek, her own lips stretching as I do so. My
arm then wraps around her shoulders, cradling her form as I bring her
mouth close to mine. Her breath tickles my skin when she exhales, her
body turning again as she finds another comfortable spot on my body. I
resume gliding my hand on her face now, her mouth barely opening as I
slide the tips of my fingers against her lips. Her lips begin to move
but her voice speaks no words. Her skin is as soft as ever, how I
would like to taste her milk-hued skin at this moment.
Her mouth begins to quiver again, as if to say something, her face
turning into my chest, burrowing itself in the center. She must be
hungry because she continues to nuzzle against my chest. My free hand
begins to move against the fabric of my shirt now, pulling the clothing
upward and then dropping it onto the floor. I bring her face to my
breasts now, her lips closing on one of the nubs. The warmth of her
mouth ignites the rest of my body with the slightest tug, the fire of
passion burning further with the next pull. Her lips are gentle as she
sucks on my nipple, I can't help but gasp with every pull. Each time
is slow, but the duration between each one grows longer and longer. A
soft smile stretches across her lips as her mouth engulfs the contents
within, my body beginning to melt more and more with every drop that
flows into her mouth.
"My little girl...," I whisper as she nurses.
"What?" her eyes suddenly widen and her lips stop pulling. "What did
you say?"
The expression of anger has already returned, her cerulean blue eyes
glaring into my own once more. Before I get a chance to explain
myself, she pushes herself away from me and quickly returns to her
feet. Her face scrunches at me for a moment, but that disgruntled
changes into a tiny frown before she turns away from me.
"I see, it's just as he said," my lover says with a crack in her voice.
"You're trying to make me into something with the qualities of a family
member and a lover."
"What? Elly, that's not true, I...!"
"You called me your little girl!" she turns toward me again, tears
running down the side of her face. "You're disgusting, you know that!
Trying to satisfy yourself by trying to nurse me!"
"Elly, stop it!" I find myself yelling again. "It's true I tried to
nurse you, but it's because I thought..."
"Thought what?!" she interrupts me. "Thought that I was a child and
needed nourishment? Do you think I can't raise myself, Shion?!"
"That's not it. It's just that whenever we made love in the past, you
always..."
"I always needed you to baby me, is that it?! I'm not a child, Shion,
I don't need you to treat me as such!"
"Elly, I'm not babying you," I explain. "It's true you are my
daughter, but..."
"See, you admit that you treat me as a child!"
"Stop it, Elly! You're not listening to me!"
"No, I've heard enough," my lover turns toward the door. "I'm not
spending the night with someone who just sees me a child. I'm my own
person, Shion, you can't keep treating me like this. I don't think I
can be with you if you continue to treat me as such."
"Elly, wait!" I quickly take hold of her hand.
Her arm begins to pry away from my grasp now, my fingertips starting to
burn as they slip away from my angel's skin. They try to take hold of
her wrist, my body slipping to the floor as I try to stop her. She
does not stop, she continues to walk to the door as my hold of her
wrist slips onto her hand. Again she continues to walk toward the
exit, my grasp on her hand slipping further as it travels down to her
fingers. The streams flowing from my eyes run as rapid as ever, my
voice broken as I try and beg her not to leave me. She comes to a halt
now, her sky blue eyes looking down at mine as I tug down on her arm.
She closes her eyes after looking into my own and the tears stop. My
lips begin to curl at this moment, but they slowly melt back to their
previous state after seeing her eyes open once more.
"Goodbye, Shion."
There is little time for a break for the rivers washing from my eyes as
my angel begins to move again, my fingers burning yet again as they
slip from her own. The fingers and the space between us grows cold,
the chill strengthening with every step. The scenery around us feels
like it has disappeared as she stands before the door now, her eyes
still averted away from me. Again I beg her not leave, but she does
nothing to acknowledge my words. The door begins to open now and I cry
even louder, my cries still doing nothing to stop her. She takes two
more steps and the door begins to close, her form disappearing from my
eyes as it shuts. She has left me without taking a moment to look
back, my entire body now falling to the floor the moment I realize
that. My now empty palms begin to press against my face in an attempt
to block the floods that flow down my face, but it does nothing to
patch my now broken heart. More and more rivers race down my cheeks as
my whimpers break into loud cries, cries that call her name.
"Elly...," I call her name. "Elly," my voice grows louder.
"ELLY!!!!!!!!!!"
For the first time, she has left me on her own accord, not out of
guilt, but out of anger, and for the first time in our relationship, I
cry knowing that what she said was the truth. I always did treat her
as a child up to this moment. I always did let her run to my arms and
solve her emotional problems for her, I never did tell her to solve it
herself. I did it because... because I didn't want her to get hurt, I
didn't want to lose her. But that very reason has done the opposite
now, my caring for her as torn her away from me once again. I only did
it because I love her, but the reason for why I love her, I don't... I
don't know why.
I never cared about why we fell in love until now, so why? Why am I
thinking about this now? Love doesn't need a reason, does it, but when
I think about what that man in the red cloak said, I can't help but
ponder. Why did we fall in love? Is it just like that man said, or is
it because... Because... I don't even know!
I continue to cry, the flow of the tears falling faster than before.
My voice continues to cry her name, my voice dying into a whisper. My
body grows heavy and everything goes black, but I continue to call her
name, despite how quiet it may be.
"Elly..."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Elly's POV)
My body shivers at the touch of the air, my breath appearing as a small
cloud the moment I exhale. The chill continues to crawl up my body,
but I can do nothing to warm myself. I continue to stand with my legs
straight and my arms directly at my sides. I've never had to stand
at attention for so long in my life, but given the circumstances, it is
understandable why they would keep me standing here for this long.
"The inquisition may now begin," a voice booms from the darkness in
front of me. "Elhaym Van Houten, Student ID #453-29-0001 from the
Jugend Military Academy, are you her?"
"Yes," I answer.
"You are aware of the charges pressed against you?" another voice asks.
"Yes, but I..."
"Three accounts of manslaughter, each one a fellow classmate in the
academy," the voice continues. "Do you admit that you are responsible
for these crimes? Do admit that you killed each of them out of hatred?
Do you admit that it was your influence under the 'Drive' that..."
"No!" I shout, my hands covering my ears to silence their voices. "I
didn't do anything!"
"Cadet Van Houten, what do you mean you didn't do it?" another officer
asks. "The surveillance system at Jugend clearly captured the events
that occurred and..."
"It wasn't me, can't you understand?" I interrupt once more, my knees
falling to the floor.
"Of course it was you, Cadet!" the same voice yells. "There was no one
else at the scene when other students and officers arrived. How do you
explain that?!"
"I didn't do it."
"How do you explain the lacerations all over those men's bodies then?"
the same officer asks.
"I didn't do it."
"The blood was still fresh according to everyone that had arrived on
the scene. Even your own palms and uniform were stained by the same
fluids."
"I didn't do it...I didn't do it..."
"The limbs of the corpses of your fellow classmates were so cut up that
we couldn't identify whom they belonged to or who they came from. Some
limbs were even gone, vaporized by your sudden..."
"I didn't do it!" I scream at the top of my lungs.
"How much longer are you going to lie to us, Cadet Van Houten?!"
another officer's voice asks impatiently. "Why won't you make it
easier for yourself by taking responsibility for your actions! It's
obvious that your Ether ability was what caused each of those men to
die! Did you even consider how strong your power may be compared to
theirs?!"
"I'm...I'm not so strong," I try to calm down now, pushing myself back
to my feet. "I had never... trained with Ether before, sirs, never
during my time in Jugend, or anywhere else. For me to use a power
unknown to me right now would be..."
"Perhaps the 'Drive' is what awakened your talents in Ether, didn't
that ever occur to you?" another officer inquires.
"I'm not even all that talented," I admit, my head hanging low. "I
have no real knowledge of Ether, nothing on how it works, much less how
to cast it. I had no knowledge of combat whatsoever before coming to
Jugend either, so..."
"We're not here to listen to your life story, Cadet," I find myself cut
off again.
"We shall now take a moment to decide your sentence," another officer
speaks.
I continue to stand in place and await my sentence, only to hear the
officers from behind the darkness as they decide my fate.
"Were there any recorded past events that show the usage of mental
enhancement drugs?" I overhear.
"No," another officer answers. "There were no records on mental
enhancement drug use until now."
"Then it was sudden," a third concludes.
"She's probably a type that can't handle the 'Drive.'"
"That probably caused her lapse into delirium."
"And her loss of self control?"
"You mean an unconscious burst of pent up antipathy? But everyone has
that."
"Is that why the innate ability is so high?"
"Yes... What did the Commander call those girls again? It's probably
higher than they are."
"Then it's an instantaneous jump in numerical value."
"But we can't use her as a test subject in front of Erich."
"It's a pity we can't manage it...since there's so much potential."
I lose track of what they are saying now, my mind focusing on the
previous statements they made. This innate ability that they're
talking about, what is it they're referring to? These girls that they
mentioned, could they be referring to the Elements, the title given to
the best students of Jugend? And a test subject, was that supposed to
be my sentence but can't be because my father is an official in the
Gebler Forces? What is that they want with me exactly?
"We'll leave you to the bureau," one of the officers turns their
attention back to me. "Stay at your residence until further notice.
Don't worry! You have power worthy of the chosen one's. It's these
weak people's fault for not being able to withstand your powers."
My eyes open now, and I awaken to find myself staring into an alien
ceiling. That dream I just had, it was just as strange as the other
ones I've had recently. All of these dreams are linked somehow, but I
can't figure out how. All I can conclude right now is that I'm some
sort of military officer in them and that there was an incident that
may have involved my Ether ability going berserk. But how is it
connected to my first dream where I was in the forest? This whole
concept is just too strange for me, I shouldn't be thinking about
things like this, there are more important things that should be on my
mind.
"What am I doing here?" I look around to find myself in an unfamiliar
room.
That's when I remember, remember the argument I had with Shion last
night. She was treating me like a child, the way she always did. This
never upset me in the past, but now, after what that Testament said, it
does. I don't why it upsets me so much, but... No, I know why, it's
because she thinks she can use me to as something to fill the gaps of
the loss of her parents and Kevin, that's why!
After I left, I decided to get another room, one on the other side of
the residential district so that I wouldn't see her. I would have
preferred to stay at the hotel in the Foundation, but unfortunately my
battle with Miang may have destroyed it. Then there's the issue of how
the people on the Foundation would react to me after that battle, they
wouldn't be happy with what my sister and I did.
I get up from my bed now and decide to head outside so that I may get
some breakfast. I begin to make my way out of the district and onto
the transport. The transport arrives the moment I enter the dock,
masses of people walking in and out. I manage to push my way through
the crowds and into the car, taking the closest seat I can to the door.
The doors close shortly after and the train begins to move.
"Next time stop, Dining Area," the conductor announces over the
intercom.
I sigh and push my back against the seat in an attempt to relax, but my
mind cannot do so. I think back to that sudden attack on the
Foundation last night, how it seemed so out of place in accordance to
the Zohar Project. It's true that the Foundation was to be eliminated
in the near future, but not this early. Something isn't right about
it, the attack itself was so sloppy, they could've just sent in all of
the Testaments and themselves to easily destroy this place. Perhaps it
was a test of Miang's power, or... No, I mustn't think about that
right now, if the Project is still in its first phase, I have to take
this opportunity to...
"Good morning, Miss KOS-MOS."
I turn to the source of the greeting and find Shion's brother, Jin
standing in front of me. He greets me with his usual smile, but the
way he addressed me earlier causes me to glare. "KOS-MOS," I never
really cared about that name until now, but now that name is used as a
label to define my sister and me as weapons. It just angers me knowing
that fact.
"I'd appreciate it if you don't call me by that name anymore," I tell
him, trying my best to control my temper.
"Oh, I'm sorry, should I address you as 'Miss Elly' from now on?" he
corrects himself.
"That would be best."
"If you don't mind, may I accompany you to breakfast, there's something
I'd like to talk with you about."
"...sure."
* * *
As expected, the dining area is very busy at this hour. I decide to
take a seat in the corner of the facility so that I won't attract any
attention to the other people. Naturally the entire vicinity is noisy
as well, but for some reason, Jin does not add to that noise, despite
the fact that he said he wanted to talk to me about something. Instead
he focuses on the meal given to everyone here, a bowl of chicken soup
and a cornbread muffin. I can't complain about the taste, I didn't
even pay for it. This silence that passes over the two of us is making
me feel unsettled, maybe he's the type not to start a conversation,
unlike his sister.
"You said there's something you wanted to talk with me about?" I ask.
"Yes there is," he answers as he pats his lips with a napkin. "It's
something very important."
"What is it?"
"I know of your current relationship with my sister," he begins,
"personally I find it a bit strange, but as long as she is happy, I
will support the two of you."
"Is that all you wanted to talk with me about?" I question.
"No, Miss Elly, I haven't even gotten to my point," he answers.
"Though I may support your relationship, there is one thing I
definitely won't support."
"And what would that be?" his words catch my attention.
"The Zohar Project, how long did you think you could keep us hidden
from all that?" he continues.
"How do you...?"
"You've been playing us all for fools, Miss Elly," he continues. "I
know what your true intentions are. It all hit me when you suddenly
appeared nearly a week ago, how you suddenly appeared near the shores
of my house."
"That was...!" I try to explain.
"My sister cares for you deeply, you know that? Your mission, it
presides over everything else, does it not? Was charming her a part of
that mission as well? And Abel, I saw how you tried to win him over as
well back at the orphanage and again at the hospital. Everything
that's happened to my sister and her friends so far, everything that
happened fourteen years ago on Miltia, everything that transpired in
history since the evacuation from Lost Jerusalem, all of it was done
according to your plans, wasn't it?!" he raises his voice.
"I had nothing to...!"
"Of course you had nothing to do with all of it, you're just a pawn in
this whole game, aren't you? Just like the rest of us, you're just
another piece in what your superiors have in store for the universe.
My sister and her former lover created you to destroy the Gnosis, but I
know that was never your true purpose. You were created primarily
to..."
"Stop it!" I order. "Just stop it. I don't want to talk about this."
"Then tell me what is going on," Jin orders, as calm as ever. "If you
truly do care for my sister and Abel, then you will tell me everything
you know so we can prevent..."
"You expect me to tell you everything after how you just spoke to me?!"
I push myself out of my seat. "Even if I were to tell you everything,
you think you can just change everything and save the day? Things
aren't that simple, they're much more complicated then you can ever
imagine."
I've had enough of talking with Jin, just the sound of his voice has
returned my frustration from last night. I take my sword which rests
against the table and begin to make my way out of the area, only to
bump into another I didn't want to run into.
"Elly?" Shion tries to greet me before I make my way to the door.
"Good morning, Shion, or should I say, 'Mother?'" I say in a sarcastic
tone as I brush past her.
"Elly, don't do this again, please," she begs.
"Your brother's a jerk, you know that!" I tell her as I leave.
The nerve of the two of them! Both of them demanding something out of
me and expecting me to just give it to them. How did he know about the
Zohar Project? What makes him think he can just go off on me like
that? He had no right to accuse me of doing anything! It's true that
I may have had some involvement in the past, but now... Now I want
nothing to do with it. Destiny, the mark of KOS-MOS, why did it have
to be me that had to be pulled into all of this? Why is all of this
suddenly catching up with me? I thought I could escape all of it after
everything I experienced this past week, but now even the people I have
grown close to are pushing me toward that path again! Well I won't let
them, I won't let them force me back into that way of life, I won't let
them treat me like a child, and most of all, I won't let them control
me anymore!
I make my way to the hangar now, if the rest of the Project is still
going to their original plan, then it isn't too late to stop them. The
E.S. Dinah, for some reason the Kukai Foundation decided to take it
with them after the incident yesterday at the hospital. I remember the
technicians saying that it can travel through hyper space without the
aid of the U.M.N., and if that's the case, then I should be able to
reach the first destination of the Project with no problems. Wait,
why should I do this though? This isn't my problem anymore, after how
Shion and Jin treated me, why should I do this for their sakes?
"Elly, Elly, Elly!" a familiar voice stops me.
"Abel?" I turn around to find the young boy running toward me. "I'm
sorry, but I don't have time to really talk right now," I apologize as
he stops in front of me.
"Why?" he asks.
"I'm very busy right now. I have to go somewhere."
"Where are you going to go?"
"I have something I have to do," I tell the boy, turning my back toward
him.
"Something to do? What? What is it, Elly?"
The boy acts so innocent, so naive of everything that is going on. I
can't blame him, one his age shouldn't have to deal with the weight
upon my shoulders. He is lucky that he was born like this, born in a
life where he gets to choose his life, where he can choose to do
whatever he wants. I sigh as I realize this fact, I can't help but
envy him, having the ability to choose.
"It's something I was born to do," I answer.
"Huh?"
"I have to go somewhere to do something important," I repeat myself.
"It means a lot to me."
"Where is this place you have to go?"
"...it's far away, very far away."
"Will you come back when you're done?"
Will I come back, does it even matter if I come back? Do I even want
to come back when this is all through? Those arguments I had with
Shion and Jin, I'm letting them get to me, why am I suddenly realizing
this now? Still, after my revelation with Shion, I don't know if I can
go back to her so easily, but... This child, why is it that when I
just look at him I see my own immaturity? I don't know the answer, but
there is one thing I do know now.
"I'll come back," I turn back toward the boy.
"Really?" his eyes light up.
"Yes," I nod, putting my best smile on my lips, "I'll come back."
"Promise?" he asks, holding his pinky toward me.
"I promise," I answer, wrapping my pinky with his, "I promise that I'll
come back."
'I'll come back so I can learn what it is that allows you to make me
think more clearly,' I think to myself.
* * *
The entire cockpit begins to hum now, the lights of the control panels
beginning to illuminate in seconds. The screen before me activates
now, revealing the rest of the hangar. I turn the camera of my machine
to the walkway below to check on the guards, all of whom were hesitant
to let me take back the E.S. Dinah. Naturally they tried to stop me
through force, but I was able to easily knock each of them out with my
sword still sheathed. None of the guards have regained consciousness
yet luckily, so far everything is going well.
My fingers begin to push against the different keys on the control
panel closest to my right hand, each key clicking or beeping after
pressing them down. The entire cockpit begins to rise now, I know that
my E.S. is beginning to stand now. My left hand begins to type on the
panel closest to my left now, pushing a different sequence of keys as
causing the entire unit to shake. The shaking stops shortly, the
transformation to flight mode has ended successfully. I turn my
attention to the last control panel above my head, pushing two more
buttons so that the gate for the hangar may open. I move my craft
through the first set of doors and quickly close the ones behind me.
I punch in a different sequence in the top control panel and the second
gate begins to open.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" the Durandal's captain's voice screams
through the communications line. "Who's down there?"
"I'm sorry, Jr.," I tell the young captain, putting his face on one of
the monitors, "but I have a mission to carry out."
"What, what do you mean?" he asks. "KOS-MOS, what the hell are
you...?"
"I told you never to label me as such again!" I find my anger suddenly
returning with that name. "Look, this doesn't involve you or the Kukai
Foundation any longer. This is something I have to resolve by myself!
Over and out," I cut the line.
The second gate fully opens now and the dark abyss of space greets me
with its many stars and blackness. I almost find myself overwhelmed as
I stare into the never-ending black ocean, but the feel of the controls
and seat in my craft reminds me that I need not fear being sucked in.
I take in another breath and wrap my fingers around the control sticks
of the E.S., ready to take off at any moment until another voice on the
communications line stops me.
"Elly, stop it!" it is the voice of Shion. "What are you doing? I
don't know what you're thinking, but please, come back here."
"Shion...," I find myself torn by my emotions from last night once
again. "I can't go back," I tell her, keeping my emotions in check.
"Like I told Jr., this is something I have to do. I can't let any of
you get involved anymore, I'm sorry."
"Involved anymore, Elly, what are you...?"
"I can take care of myself," I tell her, "I don't need to keep running
to you whenever I'm distressed. That's all I've been doing this past
week. Whenever I felt upset or anything, I would always cry and run to
you. I realize now that I really am nothing but a child if I continue
to let you and the others solve all my problems. When you lectured to
me how I crushed your heart back on the Elsa, I ran to chaos; when I
argued with you that you didn't care anymore, I ran to MOMO; and when
Miang was still inside me, I always ran to you. I can't keep running
anymore, Shion, I don't want to burden any of you like that anymore, I
have to learn how to deal with my own problems by myself. I'm sorry,
Shion, but I... I...," I find myself at a loss for words. "If and
when I come back, I'll tell you everything, I promise," are the only
words I can say. "And Shion, I'm sorry about earlier and last night.
Goodbye, Shion."
"Elly, wait! Please do...," I silence the rest of her voice with the
touch of a button.
"I truly am sorry, Shion," I apologize once more, "there's been so much
I've hidden from you and the others for so long, and all of you were
always there for me when I needed you, but now it's my turn to watch
out for all of you."
After saying my final words, I push in the final launch code into the
control panels. The Hyper Space Travel function is activated now, the
entire space around me disappearing in seconds, replacing itself with a
bright flash. The flash lasts in the span of a blink and I find the
entire area foreign to me now. There is no sign of any planets or
anything close by, the only things my monitor and radar detect are two
blackholes closely aligned with one another. This is it, the place
described in my original orders.
"Ormus Control, do you read me, Ormus Control?" I send out a
transmission to the surrounding area.
"This is Ormus Control," a voice responds after several moments.
"Identify yourself or we will open fire."
The space between the blackholes begins to peel away now, revealing a
giant swirling top-like structure. Many battleships surround the
stronghold, along with dozens of fleets of A.M.W.S. and A.G.W.S. units.
There's no way my craft can stand up to all of these machines alone,
but it wasn't my intention to just come invading with these kinds of
odds.
"This is KP-X, abbreviated name: KOS-MOS, Serial Number: 00-00-00-00-1,
of the Zohar Project," I transmit my identity, doing my best to hold
back my anger upon saying that title. "Transmitting personal data."
I send the data through the communications line. There shouldn't be
any problems, even if I am human now, my personal data is the same for
the most part, I doubt they'll check for anything like vital signs.
After waiting for several moments, the fleet's weapons are lowered and
several A.M.W.S. craft come over to my machine.
"Data accepted," one of the craft says, "we will now escort you into
the premises."
The stronghold itself doesn't look like a military base at all, if
anything it looks like a giant cathedral inside. The halls and rooms
that I pass and travel through are dimly lit, each individual that I
pass wears some sort of dark purple cloak and hood. The sound of
prayer echoes throughout the entire stronghold, nearly every individual
I pass is kneeling on the floor with their hands pushing against one
another as they look at some sort of cross-like mural.
"In here," my guides stop in front of a pair of large doors. "His
Holiness awaits you."
The doors open now, revealing to me another large room. This room is
just as dimly lit as the others, but the room itself is more open.
Many bench-like seats are aligned in columns throughout the area, as
well as many murals. In the center of the front of the room I find a
giant podium with the sect's cross on it, along with a large book
resting on it. Behind the podium is an elder man, his voice barely
projecting the words written in the scripture before him. Those long
white robes, the cap covering the back of his head, the signs of the
highest rank in the Ormus Sect, there's no doubt about it, this is the
Patriarch.
"Your Holiness," my guides and I approach the man, "the KOS-MOS unit
from Vector has just arrived."
"Very well," the elder man says, turning his attention away from his
reading, "you may leave us now."
The guides leave us now and I find myself alone with this man. My hand
shakes as I stand before this man, the desire to just draw my sword and
finish him now continues to pick at my brain. I decide not to, because
the guides may still be outside and waiting for us. Instead I lower my
sword, placing it on the ground as I kneel before the man.
"You are the one?" the man asks.
"Yes sir," I answer, keeping my head low. "I am KOS-MOS, Serial Number
00-00-00-00-1. I have been sent here as specified in Phase 1 of the
Zohar Project. I await your orders, Your Holiness."
"I've heard that Vector's Android looked nothing like a combat weapon,
but I didn't believe it until now," the Patriarch says, his palm
sweeping down on his well-groomed mustache. "In any case, come with
me, KOS-MOS," he signals me toward the organ behind him.
He plays several notes on the giant instrument causing it to lower into
the ground, revealing a passageway. The Patriarch begins to lead the
way and I simply follow. The sound of prayer once again fills the
narrow hallway that we pass, again this isn't the best opportunity to
finish the man. The prayers only grow louder and louder with every
step we take, as a light at the end of the hallways begins to appear.
"I'm glad you've come," the Patriarch speaks as we continue down the
hidden hallway, "however..."
"However, sir?"
We arrive at the source of the light, my heart skipping a beat when I
see the images on the other side. Translucent containers from as far
as the eye can see lined up on top of one another on the walls of this
circular area. I can't help but turn to the closest container, only to
nearly faint after seeing what's inside it. A woman totally unclothed
and naked, her eyes unopened, and her body unmoving. Her long hair
flows with the chemicals inside the container, slowly bobbing upward
with the bubbles inside it. I take a closer look at her, trying my
best to stay conscious as I do so to find an even more shocking sight.
Her face, I've seen it many times before. The milk-hued skin, the long
dull blue hair, and the mark of KOS-MOS on her forehead.
"Miang?!" I exclaim when I recognize the face inside the container.
I turn to the next container and find the face of my sister once again.
I turn to the one after and see the same sight. I close my eyes and
turn them to the other side of the room, only to find my sister in each
of those containers once again. I try to divert my eyes elsewhere, but
wherever I turn, I find my sister's face. My body begins to collapse
now, my knees and hands breaking my fall. I turn my eyes to the floor,
hoping that I can hide my vision away from my sister and her copies,
only to find that the ground is also translucent.
Even more containers are seen beneath me, the entire floor below us
filled with copies of her. I try to prevent myself from fainting once
again, but the eyes of the one directly below me begins to open, those
crimson red eyes staring blankly into my own. My own eyes widen at the
sight, turning away from hers as quickly as possible, only to find the
sight of those eyes once again when I avert my vision elsewhere. I can
no longer keep my shock in much longer, my emotions escaping from a
scream in voice that echoes throughout the entire room.
I shut my eyes now, trying to block their own eyes away from my own but
to no avail. I still see all of them, all of those blank stares
looking back at me. I try my best to shut out the images with more of
my screams, but they continue to stare, their eyes never blinking. My
eyes begin to open, only to find another pair staring directly at me,
these eyes closer than the others. The image of these pupils forces me
backward, but then I realize that this pair is an ocean blue and not in
a container. The owner of these eyes begins to walk toward me,
kneeling before me and placing her hand on my shoulder in an attempt to
calm me down.
"Elly," the person calls.
"What...what is all of this?!" I exclaim.
"Mass production of the KOS-MOS series has already begun," the
Patriarch answers. "Did you think we could keep the original schedule
the same after the events that had occurred recently, Unit
00-00-00-00-1?"
"But how...?"
"I'm sorry, Elly," my sister apologizes.
"That's right, the mass-produced models are based off the Hawwa System
that the Archetype was based on," the Patriarch explains. "Miang, or
rather the Archetype, arrived here last night so that we may upload
copies of her personal data into the mass-produced units. The bodies
of these units were built at the same time the Archetype was built, but
the data for them was never uploaded until recently. We originally
preferred to use the Elhaym System that you were programmed with, but
because of the events that happened recently, your system was lost,
along with your mechanical components. It was rather bold of you to
come here and try to stop the Zohar Project by yourself as you are now,
but as you can see, you're already too late."
"Miang, how could you go through with this?" I ask. "You know what the
purpose of the Zohar Project is, and even knowing that, you still went
ahead and..."
"Orders are orders, Elly," my sister tells me. "Even if I wanted to
object to those orders, it would mean nothing. I would be destroyed
for defying those orders, and I would eventually be replaced by
another. It wouldn't be difficult for them to create a third KOS-MOS
unit, it would just take them a little more time and the Project would
continue anyway."
"So then why? Why follow them if you're that intent on not following
their orders?"
"It's because," she brings her lips to my ear, the rest of her voice
barely audible, "you're the only one who can stop me, my darling."
"What?"
"If we were to have a third sister, do you think she'd have the same
emotional attachment that we have for one another?" she asks, her words
still in a whisper. "No, she would not have the bond we have
established, she would not have any mercy for you or for Mother. And
so, Elly, take advantage of my kindness, take advantage of my sorrow,
take advantage of my weakness and kill me now! End this before I bring
an end to everything!"
"Miang, I..."
"Kill me," she says, her voice beginning to crack. "The data upload to
the mass-produced units has not been completed yet, if you can kill me,
you can prevent that from happening, you can prevent the deaths of
millions and put an end to the Project here and now. You've done it
once before, so do it once more. Kill me now, hurry!"
"KOS-MOS, stand down," another voice enters the facility.
I turn to the entrance to the room and find a person I have never seen
before. White hair in a braid on the left side of her head, black
clothing consisting of a corset, long skirt, and gloves, and a dagger
hanging from her corset. Her voice is rather cold as she speaks, with
little emotion in it. I recognize her uniform now, it is the female
uniform of an Inquisitor, a high-ranking soldier in the Ormus Sect.
"Yes, Lady Orgulla," my sister returns to her feet, her eyes glued to
the floor.
"KOS-MOS Unit 00-00-00-00-1, you have been rendered obsolete by the
Zohar Project and its officials," the Patriarch speaks, "and us such,
we shall now carry out your fate. Inquisitor Orgulla shall be the one
to render that. We applaud you for attempting to prevent us from
carrying out our plans on your own, but I'm afraid your efforts mean
nothing in the end. Die knowing that you lived a meaningless
existence. Orgulla, take care of her," the Patriarch orders as he
begins to leave.
"Yes, your Holiness," the white-haired woman bows.
"Wait, where do you think you're going?" I try to chase after the old
man.
"Stop right there!" I find a green-colored beam pointed at my throat
now. "I can't allow you to interfere with our plans any longer,
KOS-MOS Unit 00-00-00-00-1," Orgulla threatens.
"Don't call me that!" I order, jumping out of the range of her energy
sword.
"And the title 'Elly' is any better?" she asks. "It shouldn't even
matter to machines such as yourself. Machines don't need things such
as names, at most they should have model numbers."
"Stop it! I'm not a machine any longer!"
"You dare raise your voice toward an Inquisitor?!" she glares. "You
shall repent for that before I kill you?!"
She swings her energy sword at me now, the sheath of my sword barely
catching it in time. The force of the blow pushes me back a little,
but I quickly notice that she is going for a second strike after, this
time with the dagger that was previously hanging on her clothing. I
manage to dodge the shorter edge, but the attack that follows after
strikes closer, piercing the material of the corner of my skirt. I try
to counter now, swinging my sword with the blade still sheathed, aiming
for her side. She blocks the sheath with her longer blade, but she
fails to realize that wasn't the strike I wanted to connect. I draw my
blade now, freeing it from my sheath as quickly as possible and go for
a lunge with it. The lunge barely skids across her shoulder, barely
deflected by her dagger. Her leg pushes against me after, knocking me
a few inches back.
The pain inflicted from her kick is minimal, but she uses this
opportunity to rush in once more. She comes in with a swing of her
sword, the slash missing as I dodge by moving a few steps backward.
Another one quickly follows, the blade drifting closer than the last
slash. A third quickly follows, this one aiming toward my face, but
the blade only catches my glasses and sends them to the floor. Her
body is wide open as she goes for a fourth strike, an overhead slash
with her longer weapon. I bring my sheath upward to block the slash,
my right hand swinging upward in a diagonal fashion to counter with my
own attack. My aim is perfect, the blade sliding across her entire
body and sending her backward, sending her to the floor. The fight is
over, but one more seems to stand in my way.
"Do I have to fight you too, Miang?" I ask, readying my sword once
more.
"No," she answers, "at least not yet. Lady Orgulla's not done yet."
I turn back to my previous opponent and find her standing once more.
She bends her neck in an angle, the cartilage making a loud cracking
noise as she does so. I ready my sword once again and just like the
last time, she charges in, this time with her sword leading. I prepare
to strike with a downward slash this time, but I soon realize that this
thrust wasn't her main attack. Her body quickly spirals out of my
blade's way the moment I bring my sword down, her leg moving upward as
she spins, knocking my weapon out of my hand. I try to strike with my
sheath, but to my surprise, she drops her weapons and wraps her arms
around my own, her body then jumping onto my back until she sits on it,
sending me to my knees. She exerts force onto my arm, forcing me to
drop my sheath and leaving me weaponless. I can't help but scream as
she pushes it, it feels like she's going to tear my arm out of its
socket.
"Repent!" she screams. "Repent now and I'll make your death painless.
Refuse to redeem yourself and I'll break your arm our of its socket!"
Slowly I slide my right arm against my skirt, reaching inward so that I
may find my other weapon. Even more force exerts on my arm, but she
fails to notice that I have found my blaster that was resting in my
garter. I slide the gun upward from the ground and then lift my arm
up, bending it so that the barrel faces her. I pull the trigger
several times, but each shot misses. Regardless, she lets go of my
arm. I return to my feet and try to fire more shots, but only the
sound of clicking escapes my gun. I throw the weapon to the ground
after, realizing that there wouldn't be enough time to reload in a
fight like this.
She springs forward again, this time without any weapons. I decide to
try and not counter this time, that she might get me in another joint
lock. She tries to attack me with a side kick to the face, but I
manage to deflect the attack with my wrist. I counter with a right
hook to her jaw, the punch stunning her for a moment, allowing me to
continue. I follow up with another hook from my other hand, then a
jab with my first, followed with an elbow from the second, then a
strike with my knee to her abdomen, ending the combo with a roundhouse
to her face. The power of my kick manages to send her to the ground, a
loud clunk echoing in the room as she does so.
My breath is short, and my body heavy, but I know that I can continue
to stop the Patriarch. I turn to my sister once again, but she simply
points back to the direction of my opponent. To my shock, she rises
once more. She readies her fists again and I do the same, but then she
quickly lowers them, her hands pushing against the side of her head. I
begin to lower my stance as I see this, how she begins to fall to the
ground gripping her head in pain.
"Stay out of it, Manes!" she screams as electricity crackles around her
body.
The electricity comes to a stop now and she begins to lower her hands.
Her gaze returns to me, but something is different. Her eyes, a cold
ice blue, but something else is different. She points the back of her
hands toward me as her arms form an "X" in front of her chest.
Throwing daggers suddenly appear in between the spaces of her fingers,
the daggers quickly hurling at me afterwards.
I manage to dodge each of the knives by either moving them out of their
path entirely or by slapping them down by hitting their dull sides with
my palms. I look back to Orgulla and find more daggers in her hands,
each of them being tossed toward me again. I rush in, now, barely
striking down each of the daggers again with my palms. By the time she
notices that I've rushed in far enough to hit her, she finds herself
falling back again as I bring my elbow into her chest. I bend the rest
of my arm upward after so that I can strike her face with the back of
my hand, followed by a straight punch with my left and then a front
kick with my right leg. She falls to the ground once again, but this
time I wait for her to get back up.
I decide to go for the attack this time before she can pull out any
more weapons. I try to attack with my own side kick, but she manages
to duck under it. Before I can follow with another attack, I find her
palm launching upward, meeting with my chin. Her knee strikes my
abdomen after, forcing me to hunch over. Her fingers grab a lock of my
hair now, her knee beginning to strike against my forehead. She lets
go of my hair after several moments of thrashing, but now her fists
begin striking against my abdomen and rib cage. Rivers of scarlet
crawl up my throat now, falling to the floor and my clothes in drops.
More and more jolts of pain continue to push against my body, and I
find my consciousness fading.
My body falls to the floor now, I find myself barely able to move.
The aches from each of the strikes hurt as much as ever, but
unfortunately I find myself drained of so much strength that I can't
even cast a Medica Ether on myself. The area around me begins to meld
into itself, the colors and images becoming one. The sounds begin to
deafen too, everything just seems to be disappearing. I still
recognize one image though, my sister, who still stands there in the
same spot she did as soon as the fight began. The strength left in me
begins to reach toward her, but it does nothing to bring me closer to
her. She begins to turn away now and my arm drops as she does this.
I'm sorry Shion, Miang, everyone, but I failed. I really am just a
child...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
XenoMark's Note: Well, that was definitely hard for me to write. As
for why Elly is acting like this now, well to put it simply, she's
growing up. When we first saw her in "Warm," she didn't know anything
about emotions, she was very naive about it like a child. Then in
"Bound," she learned how to understand and develop her emotions a
little better, and now in "Mother," she's trying to develop her own
identity based on what she felt in the previous two installments.
Think of her as being in the teenager phase of someone growing up, she
wants to make her own identity by being independent, not wanting to
depend on her parent (in this case, Shion) like most teenagers. As for
Miang's scene in the beginning with Abel, I guess I should explain two
things. I won't explain the connection between Miang and Elly's
connection to Abel right now, but I can give a little hint, it all
points to Nephilim. As for why he calls both Miang and Elly 'Mother,'
it goes back to the fact that the two used to be one. Now for that
dream in the beginning of Elly's POV, that was a combination of two
scenes from Xenogears, plus some of my own original dialogue. It was a
combination of the scene where Elly (from Xenogears) is reflecting on
herself after calling Fei a coward and the scene where Elly remembers
when she first took 'Drive' at Jugend. For those who haven't played
Xenogears, 'Drive' is a drug that temporarily shuts down one's emotions
in order to bring out one's full potential, taking too much of it can
cause brain damage. I should also note that the "Elhaym" in Miang's
POV is different from the "Elhaym" in Elly's POV. All I'll reveal for
now is that the "Elhaym" in Elly's POV is the real name of the Elly in
Xenogears. I think I covered everything that needed to be answered for
now, if you still have any questions on what's going on, ask in a
review with your e-mail and I'll get back to you on the answer. If
you're waiting for everyone to go to Miltia, don't worry, they'll be
headin' there in the next chapter (minus Elly I'm afraid). So that's
it for now, the more (positive) reviews we get, the faster we'll
update. Well that's all for now, later!
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