Okay... it was originally a oneshot but it just kept on going and going so I split it in half. So it's a twoshot.
Story is requested by Zenon Diabolica, based on the video: Shounen to Mahou no Robot by 40mp. I don't do requests unless I feel that the materials given to me are sufficient for me to create one when I sit down to type.
The story's AU, just putting it out there.
Character distinction:
Eve - Code Empress
Chung... everyone else that's not Eve (Up to Lu and Ciel) - any class you want them to be.
Will be Mostly Eve and Chung, other Elcharacters make minor appearance later.
Disclaimer: I do not own Elsword.
Once upon a time, there was a boy who ran away from the prying eyes, from the taunting laughter, and especially from their presence. He knew he couldn't sing in front of all those people. It was nigh impossible. Every time he tried, he would choke and end up squeaking. People had expected better of him, but ended up calling him a mouse.
He ran from those people and into the comfort of his own home. There, he was safe to do whatever he wanted, say whatever he wanted, and however loud he wanted.
He shut himself up in that clock tower, creating melodies on the piano that was as soothing as the ticking of the clock that lulls everyone to sleep at night. But he was alone. It was only him, his music, and his grandfather who had took care of him.
With time, he closed up to everyone else.
His grandfather then created a robot for him, perhaps hoping to reopen the boy's heart.
The boy was humming while he wrote on his music sheet on the floor, but unlike everyday, he had an audience that wasn't his grandfather.
"What is that?" A monotonic, yet silky soft voice had asked, catching the boy off guard. He jumped slightly and looked up, finding someone crouching right beside him, looking at him curiously with golden eyes.
It was a petite girl with silver hair; skin as smooth as porcelain and dressed up like a princess doll.
On sight, he had never seen anything as beautiful as her that he was mesmerized by her appearance for a second.
"W-who are you?" The boy'd asked, finally fumbling back in surprise.
A chuckle came from behind her and his grandfather appeared by the door way. "She's a robot that I created, but she wondered off when I wasn't looking. I didn't expect her to end up in your room."
He walked up to the focused silverette and patted her shoulder. "This is my grandson. He may be a bit troublesome but please take good care of him."
She nodded in response.
"A... a robot?" The boy stared incredulously from his grandfather to the petite girl, who continued to look at him. His jaws slacked from their position and he was about to voice another question if the robotic girl hadn't spoke up.
"That sound you were creating with your mouth," She pointed and hearing her monotone voice again convinced him that she was, indeed, a machine. "it was pretty."
That was the first conversation he had with the robotic girl and he became abashed because she was the first to compliment him other than his grandfather.
Ever since that day, the robotic girl had taken quite a shine to the boy who hummed a tone that she never could. She was always by his side, watching him work and helping if the boy ever asked.
He first found her annoying, since she was everywhere he went. But over the span of a few weeks, he came to terms that she didn't mean anything by it. She just found curiosity in him. And soon, the boy enjoyed her presence because someone actually liked the the music he makes.
"Do you want to learn it?" He boy'd asked while the petite robot was at peace listening to him play the piano.
Golden eyes blinked back at cerulean ones. "I do not comprehend." she said in response. "I am programmed to learn a task upon observation. Therefore, I do not need further instruction, as I have seen you perform several times already."
"Uh... I mean learning to make music." The boy elaborated, scratching the back of his head sheepishly out of habit. "I'm not all into robotics like my grandfather but I can assume that you can't make an original piece even if you can play the piano efficiently, right? If I teach you the scales, I'm sure you can make your own music."
The robotic silverette processed the offer in her CPU and then looked up. It may have been the boy's imagination, but he thought he saw a glint of hope in her golden orbs.
"Will I be able to make a melody with my vocal system?"
The boy blinked in start but then smiled. "You can if you put effort into it."
When the boy had assured that she could, he really had his doubts. She was a robot after all, and all robots lack one thing that humans have in order to create music. And that was human emotions.
He didn't know why, but he felt compelled to give the robotic silverette hope. He taught her the different notes, melodies and scales, the meaning of words, and how it should reach the heart of the listeners, not just the ears.
It wasn't perfect, but she slowly started to create different pitches.
That was how she started to learn to create her own music and her monotonic voice slowly transformed.
The boy was astounded by that achievement that he had concluded that it was magic. He barged into his grandfather's workshop to show what his robotic companion could do.
"That was wonderful!" His grandfather'd clapped after the robot's performance. "I see that emotion circuit chip I'd put in had finally started working."
The boy blinked. "Emotion... circuit?"
His grandfather nodded. "I been working on that little thing for a while, but I wasn't sure if it would work when I installed it in."
The boy was amazed with eyes sparkling. He turned to the robotic girl, who stood by his side with a blank look. For what seemed like the first time in forever, the boy wore a large grin. "You really are a magic robot!"
Her singing improved with time but in the department of creating her own music, she was still lacking. But it didn't matter to the robot. She could sing just like the boy and it gave her a tingling feeling inside.
The boy continued to help her, making music for her to sing with. Then one day, they quickly attracted the townspeople's attention when they decided to practice outside - the boy's grandfather had insisted them to.
It had taken the boy by surprise when people suddenly started to gather around. He started to get cold feet and had this sudden urge of going back to the safety of his room, but the robot took him be the hand and squeezed it a little to bring the boy back to his senses.
She allowed him a small smile of encouragement and started to sing.
He watched her sing the song that he had wrote for her and how she had sung it with such grace. He then found himself joining her, forgetting that there were ever anyone watching them.
...
"Will you be returning?" The girl inquired at the door, where the boy's bag of luggage sat.
A few years passed since his grandfather had introduced the boy to the robotic beauty, and he was now an adult. There was a war going on and the boy was, unluckily, drafted into it.
As he put on his shoes, his cerulean eyes focused on the petite girl whose appearance had never aged or changed since her creation. He was now taller than her and had to look down to meet her golden orbs.
At first, he didn't show anything, just stared down at his petite friend, but he then smiled reassuringly. "Yeah. Once the war is over, I'll come right back."
She was unconvinced and she tugged at the boy's sleeve, silently asking him to stay.
"I can't." The young man replied. "If I back out from the draft, I'll get in trouble with the military. And that'll make things even worst."
He then rested a hand on her head, stroking it. "Don't worry about it. I'll come back. I promise."
The silverette pursed her lips, worried.
The man heaved a sigh through his nose, smiling with furrowed brows. Then he remembered something. "Oh! I got something for you." He rummaged through his coat pockets and pulled out a gift box.
He presented it to the silverette. "Ta-da!"
"What is it?" She inquired with interest.
"Open it." Complying, she undid the ribbon and opening the rectangular container. Inside was a large, golden, music note ornament - a quarter note to be exact.
The silverette blinked, having no clue what is was for.
The young man chuckled at her bafflement and took the ornament from the box. "It's for your hair silly." He proceed to place it over one of the two hair buns she had - the right one.
He moved back to look her over again and nodded in satisfaction. "It looks good on you... though you were always beautiful." He mutter the last part, averting his gaze.
For some reason, the never aging girl felt heat rising to her cheeks. She didn't understand why her thermostat was acting up but she was really happy that the man had complimented her - not that she showed it.
"Will you... really come back?" She queried, still doubtful.
The young man sighed, scratching his blonde hair. "You should have a little faith in me." He leaned forward and down, placing a kiss on the girl's porcelain forehead.
He then straightened back and grinned with specks of red on his cheeks. "Let's sing together when I get back, Eve."
Eve really believed that the young man would return after that. His voice was so reassuring that she let him go and waited with his grandfather for him to return home.
She waited. And waited. And waited. But she never saw the blonde again.
Months passed with the grandfather's senile age finally catching up to him.
"I... I don't think..." He wheezed, voice weak and delicate, as he rested on his bed. He knew his time was coming to an end, but he couldn't bare to leave Eve alone. She was like a granddaughter to him. "I won't be able to see him come back... It's been... so long..."
Eve sat by his side, holding his pale, wrinkled hand. "Just rest grandfather, save your energy. He promised that he would return and that day is sure to come."
The grandfather looked up to the ceiling in the dimly lit room, his eyelids drooping no matter how hard he tried to push them back up. "I'm so sorry, Eve..." He apologized. "that you'll... have to... wait... alone..."
That was his last breath as his eyes finally closed.
After the grandfather passed away, the ever patient Eve waited alone in that clock tower, determined to see that promise fulfilled by young man.
Years passed with no sign of the blonde male with distinctive paw-printed cerulean eyes. Even after the war ended, he never returned home.
But still she waited.
Even more time passed with no luck in the wait.
It was a little after that that her core started to shut down itself. It seemed that she was programmed to shut down when she lacked the maintenance to sustain her life. She couldn't do anything about it but to finally fall asleep, wondering when the man was going to come back and they could sing together again.
This was originally supposed to be the end of the story but... for those who wanted a happy ending... go to the next chapter.