Author's note – Just so everyone knows, I haven't forgotten about New Beginnings! I'm working on Chapter 36, but this plot bunnie came along, nipping at my heels. So to silence it, I figured I'd better write it and get it out of the way. It's just meant to be a somewhat fluffy story where Rubedo is protecting Shion during the Miltian Conflict. I was always disappointed that Shion never met up with any of the variants while she was running around…
URTV Unit 666, also known as Rubedo, was fleeing from the chaos that had ensued when he'd broken the mental link. Watching every one of his brethren but Nigredo succumb to either death or insanity was something he didn't want to think about. Regardless of how he wanted to bury the memory, Albedo's grief-stricken face flashed in his mind's eye. His twin had only had the briefest of seconds to accept that he'd lost the strength he'd always known in Rubedo, but his expression of terror was enough to make Rubedo's heart constrict as he recalled it. I'm sorry, Albedo, he cried silently. I know you won't believe me now, but I didn't mean for that to happen to you! He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes as he came to a halt. He knew he couldn't stay still for long, due to the sounds of fighting that seemed very close to him. He began running again, his heart heavy in his chest, and left the city behind him as he headed into the forest just outside it.
Not far from town, he was taken by surprise to come upon a small church. He didn't have much time to investigate the building before his attention became focused on the young girl that had obviously just exited it. Her build was small, and from his vantage point, he estimated her to be about eight or nine years old. His eyebrows drew together when she stopped to look back at the church. He heard noises coming from inside it and realized some sort of battle was taking place within. The little girl turned her head in his direction, and their eyes met and locked for a few seconds. He stiffened instantly, seeing the clear green of her gaze even with the distance separating them. Another memory sliced through him, and he balled his hands into fists. Sakura, he thought painfully. The girl's eyes were a far brighter green than Sakura's had been, but something within their depths had reminded him of Sakura. Perhaps it had been seeing his balled fists, or possibly something else had spooked the already frightened girl. Whatever had caused it, she tore her eyes from his and rushed away down the other path that would lead her deeper into the forest.
Rubedo stood for a moment, undecided as to what he should do. He could follow after the girl in an effort to keep her safe, or he could return to the city. The thought of returning to the city made his stomach twist in fear, because he couldn't stand to see again what he'd brought down upon his brothers during the confrontation with U-DO. I couldn't protect Sakura and I didn't protect Albedo, but maybe I can protect that girl. Maybe Sakura's telling me I need to. With his mind made up, he set off after the girl, making sure to keep a discreet distance so as not to scare her into hiding or attempting to lose him altogether. Most of the enemies within the forest didn't seem interested in her. She seemed to know she needed to keep out of sight despite the fear and sadness he could read in her so easily. Once she arrived at the old transportation gate, however, staying out of sight was no longer an option.
It was as she was trying to type something into the control panel in front of the gate that combat Realians appeared. Throwing caution to the wind and hoping against hope she didn't run on him, Rubedo got to his feet. He'd been crouched down to keep an eye on her and also to keep her from catching sight of him. He flung himself in front of the little girl, and she hunkered down close to the ground, hugging her knees. "You're gonna have to go through me if you want to get to her," he growled.
There was a strange moan from the leftmost Realian, and it lunged at Rubedo. He sidestepped it nimbly, and it stumbled before it righted itself and charged him again. Rubedo knew sidestepping could only get him so far with the berserk Realians, and with his main priority being to protect the young girl, he knew he had no choice but to do what he did next. He quickly indicated for the girl to hide herself behind boxes sitting just outside the gate, and she did so without question. Once he saw she was safely out of range and unable to see what he was about to do, he called upon a power that disturbed him due to its strength. Feeling it spread throughout him, he struggled to maintain control for the sake of the girl. Bending almost double, he wrapped his arms around his waist and bared his teeth in a hiss of rage. The Realians converged on him, thinking him an easy target in his position, and he unfolded to let loose his Red Dragon power.
The Realians were thrown backward from the force of the energy Rubedo had unleashed. He heard the sickening sounds made when their bodies made contact with the trees behind them. Knowing he had nothing more to worry about from their direction, he took a moment to draw a few deep breaths. Using his Red Dragon power required his accessing a rage within that terrified him, and he didn't want the girl to see him trying to bring his emotions back under control. He felt the burning rage finally return to its hidden place, and he made his way toward where the girl was hidden. She looked up at him with tear-filled green eyes, and he held out his hand to her. "I think it's okay now," he told her gently. "They're gone."
She hesitated before stretching her hand up so he could grasp it. Once she was on her feet again, Rubedo took the time to evaluate her. Her short blue dress had a tear in the skirt, and both of her knees were scraped. Her glasses were askew, and he slowly lifted his hand to adjust them. She flinched slightly at his touch, but she didn't back away. "Are you sure they're gone?" she asked quietly, revealing the hint of a lisp.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Don't worry; I wouldn't have let them hurt you." After he'd glanced around to be sure they were in no danger of being attacked again, he returned his attention to her. Sticking out his hand, he announced, "I'm Rubedo. Glad to meet ya." When she didn't take his hand or offer her name back, he couldn't say he was surprised. Her eyes held a wariness in them, but it was those very eyes that he was entranced with. Now that there was less distance between them, he could see how little they resembled Sakura's in the way of actual color. Perhaps it was the quiet sadness they held that was reminding him so strongly of Sakura. "Hey, you don't have to be afraid of me. I promise, okay?" She seemed to believe him and put her small hand in his, giving a sad smile when he squeezed it lightly.
"I'm Shion Uzuki. How come you don't have a last name?" she said suddenly, tilting her head to the side and looking confused.
Not wanting to get into any details of his life at the Yuriev Institute, he decided upon using fabrication to talk his way through. "Ah, I don't really like my last name, so I don't use it. Where were you headed, anyway? This way looks blocked."
Shion pointed to the control panel. "We can open it using that," she told him imperiously. "I can't remember the password, though." She sniffled softly, and he rested a hand on her shoulder.
"I bet it was because you were so scared. Now you've got me, and I'm going to keep you safe. So how about we head over there and try to figure it out?" She allowed him to take her by the hand, and he led them over to where the control panel was. Seeing that the screen was displaying "ERROR" across it, he used his free hand to type something in, and the screen cleared immediately. "So do you think you can remember the password now?"
Her face scrunched up in concentration, and he waited patiently while she thought. Patience wasn't something he possessed in great quantity, but knowing he was her only protector seemed to lend him needed qualities. He reflected upon what had happened when his URTV brothers had confronted U-DO and wished he'd had the clarity of thought this girl invoked in him then. She rested a hand on his arm. "I remembered it," she declared. She watched him type in the password after she'd said it, and together they turned to watch the old gate rise creakily. "Will you stay with me?" Her lower lip trembled, and he nodded reassuringly.
"I don't have anywhere else I've gotta be," he answered. He felt a tightening in his chest as he thought about Albedo and Nigredo, but he set it aside. Shion needed him with her both physically and mentally, and it was with that thought in mind that he led her forward into the semi-darkness of the transport gate tunnel.
He was able to keep them out of sight of the U-TIC soldiers that were prowling the tunnel, but the second half of the tunnel held enemies that he couldn't avoid. They sensed him instantly due to the URTV wavelength they shared. He was just fast enough to shift Shion out of the way to keep her from being hit by their mental wave attack. I can't hurt them! I already did enough when I broke the link! Please don't make me fight them! He sent up the mental plea to whatever higher power might be listening. It seemed none was, because his brothers continued to advance upon him and Shion, lifting their weapons and aiming them at the trembling little girl.
"I can't!" Rubedo cried out, grabbing Shion by the hand and lowering his head. He barreled through the three infected URTVs, knocking them to the ground. He rushed through the exit just behind the fallen URTVs and pulled Shion through so he could close the gate. "We don't want them following us," he panted. "Trust me when I say they're really dangerous."
"But they looked like you," Shion observed, giving the closed gate a nervous glance. "Did you know them?"
He didn't want to talk about his brothers, because the near battle had shaken him to the core. He simply said, "Yeah, I know them, but it's kind of something I don't want to talk about." She remained quiet, though he could still feel her curiosity beating at him. "So where are we headed from here?"
"I have to get to the hospital," she told him, a desperate look replacing her former nervous one. "My mommy's there, and so is my daddy. Mommy's sick, so I have to make sure she's okay."
"I'll get you there," he said, determined. "We're going to have to try really hard not to let any of the soldiers or Realians see us. So stick close to me, okay?" She took hold of the back of his Yuriev Institute uniform, and he set off in the direction of Labyrinthos. He was able to keep her safe throughout the remainder of their journey, and they came to a stop just outside the towering building of Labyrinthos. "This where you meant?" he questioned.
"Uh-huh," she replied and then moved away from him. Not wanting her to stray too far from his side, Rubedo followed after her, only to see her staring down at a trampled bed of flowers sadly. "Feb can't help me fix them now…" She turned to him and snuggled against him, beginning to cry.
He stroked her hair awkwardly, wondering why the flowers were affecting her so. Had it not been for his short, childish romance with Sakura, he wouldn't have felt at all comfortable holding a girl in his embrace. "Were these important to you?"
"I planted them here so Mommy could see them when she got better," she sobbed. "Feb gave me seeds, and I watered them every day and got them to grow. But those Realians hurt Feb, and now she can't give me any more seeds." She buried her face in his uniform, her tears soaking through the material. He didn't know what to say to that, so he only stood there and hugged her for a time. Finally, she was able to stop crying, and she pulled away from him. "I'm sorry for making you all wet," she apologized.
He waved a hand at her with a short laugh. "Don't even worry about it. Now let's head in, but we still have to be careful. We don't know what's in there." They entered the building, and as they passed the information desk, Rubedo heard Nigredo's voice mentally calling to him. Nigredo sounded as if he was in pain, and Rubedo knew he couldn't just ignore his brother. Intending on taking Shion with him, he realized she had moved ahead of him. "Shion, wait! My brother's calling to me, and I think he's hurt. I don't want you going alone, so you've got to come with me!"
"No, I've got to get to Mommy!" she said defiantly. "She needs me!"
Before he could stop her, she rushed away from him, leaving him contemplating what he should do. Nigredo's voice was fading, and Rubedo came to a final decision. As much as he wanted to continue protecting Shion, he needed to protect his family, too. Maybe if he returned to Nigredo's side, he could somehow make right what he'd done wrong. "I've got to go take care of my brother," he whispered. "Just remember to be careful and don't let anyone or anything see you. I hope your mom's okay." With that, he turned and hurried away.
--- Fourteen years later, aboard the Durandal ---
Rubedo, now known as Gaignun Kukai, Jr., was lounging on his bed, his hands resting behind his head. The memory of that time during the Miltian Conflict had returned to him due to the meeting that had taken place earlier on the bridge. "She really doesn't remember me," he mused. "I thought telling her I had a real name, but we'd just leave it at Gaignun Kukai, Jr. for now might jog her memory. That didn't work. Not like I've changed any since then, so I don't get it." He shrugged and heaved a sigh. "Guess I'll have to act like I don't know her, either, since I don't want to make her feel all weird. Funny how she hasn't changed much, though…" He shifted his position so he could get comfortable enough to fall asleep, praying the nightmares wouldn't come that night.
Author's note 2 – So I hope that made sense in the timeline. From what I could gather, Rubedo takes off after breaking the link, so I thought it'd be interesting to have him meet up with Shion. As always, reviews will be much appreciated!