Ageless

Author's Note: This story contains spoilers for Rockman Exe. Stream. So if you don't want to know ahead of time what's going to happen in the anime, don't read. Otherwise, enjoy the story and R&R.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Rockman Exe. Series, nor do I own "My Immortal" sung by Evanescence.

Summary:

Destined to reap the world of evil and sow the seeds of sovereignty, the messenger of omnipotence descends. Earth erasure is at hand.

…

Nothingness…

Still nothingness…

Eternal nothingness…

…

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
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

These wounds won't seem to heal
The pain is just to real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

…

"The air is tainted by darkness. It swirls around me and I hear its cry from afar. Seeking to purge my master from his place in the heavens, it pursues a lofty dream. Thick with scathing aroma, I cannot see through the winds. 'He' draws close. I realize that now. Wielding great power, to him, his aim seems simple to accomplish. A fool he is. Great to his world…But nothing matches that of supremacy. I need not the command to begin. It is time, the hour of ascension for the dwellers of the Earth…and I fall, a mere flare of a god."

…

"His screams of battle rage through the empty funnel of data. Each passing second, his presence grows nearer. I feel no wavering in his determination…An effort. It has been a long time since I felt of such. A mind fixated on one goal…at the cost of everything. My mission seems similar, but different. Although I too pursue, there is no need to squander all I hold dear…for there is but one who holds such a title. Towering above the dwellers and Navis alike…An existence to be desired. Little concern flashes by me as I fall, heat streaking my sides, a comet on my own, straight into the devil incarnate."

…

"I hear their panic. I see their faces. They are but witnesses that must be judged by the head of the hierarchy. The fool who sought victory is now gone…at least temporarily. His disgusting presence still lingers here, like a ghost wandering the world to exact revenge. The body that he possessed has been stripped away, or rather abandoned amongst the dwellers. I pay no heed to the shadow. I have arrived, and my message is clear."

…

"A Net Navi?"

"One of the dwellers speaks…A youngster. His derivation is correct. I am a Navi…not of this world, but of another, but still a Navi. They question me, demanding answers to questions that plague their pitiful human psyches. Perhaps it is my blinding aura that brings them fear."

"Who are you? Are you Duo?"

"Such a despicable and disrespectful gesture it is. To think that I would be confused with the Great One. I live far from a perfect existence, but they live further. My glory alone wipes emotion from their faces. They think me a god, yet I am not. How will they react when my lord descends? A question that I have no right to answer…so I instead answer what ails the dwellers."

"I am Slur."

"Another youngster seems unsatisfied with my answer. He repeats my name, but not as if I was the demigod that I am."

"Ageless and immortal…the herald of Duo."

"Duo's hera-? Then answer me this: Is Duo truly planning to go about the Earth's erasure?"

"Again they question me. They know of my lord's intention, yet they still question. Many of the dwellers appear afraid. What do they have to fear when all will soon be well?"

"It is true…Duo will cleanse the Earth."

"Do you think you can do that?"

"The first youngster, naïve and bold…I see now why my master sees him fit to be the Chosen One. That time draws near."

"All are Duo's subjects."

"I leap gracefully aside, just as the shadow's strong-willed blast hits. The dwellers are amazed. Is he their subordinate, as I am my god? He floats above me, no wings needed to keep him there, just as I."

"Forte!"

"Is that his name? Forte?"

"Once Duo is defeated…I will take Duo's power for myself!"

"Defeat…the Great One? Indeed, a lofty dream it is. To defeat my master is to kill a god. An impossible task it would be, especially for a narrow-minded delinquent."

"Fool."

"The shadow still refuses to submit. He plummets headfirst, fists raised. Energy crackles from his palms. Those who defy my lord shall be punished, and have no place in the perfection that the world will bask in."

"Earthbreaker!"

"An admiral attempt, I'll admit…but he is still dealing with powers that exceed his existence. I catch his technique with my arm, the resulting flames little more than an annoyance. With a wave of my arm, he is sent backwards. At this moment, I feel it…My lord has begun Earth's erasure. I see all that the unleashed viruses see. They scale the human buildings and undo the centuries of work. Some of the dwellers do not even seem concerned. A pilot of sorts smiles as he looks on the destruction. An old man sits quietly as the swarms pass. An elegant female sips from her glass of wine and smirks. Are they welcoming my master? A wise decision it is. Others are not so keen to accept the goodwill being handed to them. They growl in anger and pray for salvation. How strange…They pray for salvation from salvation."

"Darkness Overload!"

"The shadow does not back down. Another blast, larger than before strikes me. The torrent of blackness envelops me and scatters blindly through my body. I can hear his laugh…A sick laugh that curses me harshly."

"Disappeared, huh?"

"So much this one has to learn…yet he will not. I make sure of it. Within the clouds of dust, I utter a silent chant."

"What?"

"The fool is trapped. I have subdued him with my wiring and he now struggles to break free. I do not allow him the privilege to do so."

…

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

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
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

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

…

"I descend upon him, my aura strong…so strong that it seethes through his tattered cloak. He thrashes and resists, but it is useless. Seconds later, I am alone. Only his screams remain, tangled in the data stream like thorns on a vine. Faintly, his figure is still visible in the distance. It will be a long while before his return, if at all. With a final cry, his form crashes through the code and information of the net, and into the hollow, blazing abyss below."

"The one to disappear is you. Do not return…from your place in the underworld."

"And so it begins…Earth's erasure. A mere mortal when compared to the god, I leave, back to my master's side. My next objective is definite…To test the abilities of the Chosen One and sow the seeds of sovereignty…"

…

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

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

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

…

-Owari-