The Essence of PARANOiA
By
Darkness Shade
A/N: The story is based on my observations of the characters in the 'PARANOiA Survivor Max' video from Beatmania IIDX. The one in the cape is 'Maxx Unlimited' and the one he is chasing, the one in the beret, is 'The Legend of Max' or just 'Legend' for short. (You should also recognize 'Legend' as the main character in The Legend of Max's background.)
This is written as the thoughts of 'Legend' in regards to this video.
(A/N: You can find this video on www.bemanistyle.com Click on media shop and look under IIDX 9th style. You may have to register to dload it, but its easy and free to do such. So now you can see the video that inspired this fic.)
(A/N 3/27/04: Okay, two stupid reviewers force me to say it here. All the songs used here were made by NAOKI! Okay, artists make songs that sound different all the time. US bands, Euro bands, all of them. Naoki's one in-house group is split into many different groups. 180, 190, 190', 200, 270, 290, Omega, Z, and ZZ are all other names Naoki goes by when he makes something different. He only uses his actual name for the Eurobeat and techno-ish stuff like 'B4U' and whatnot. So stop leaving reviews saying my story sucks because it's wrong. It's not…if anything, you're the problem for not knowing it; especially since one reviewer even backed me up on this…as does most of the informed DDR community.)
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It almost seems like this has been going on forever.
Do we have what it takes to survive?
Sometimes I wonder about that.
It seems like we've always been like this, an eternal chase that has no end in sight.
This long world of ours, nothing but shades of black and white, but I suppose that's how our lord NAOKI felt things should be.
I wonder if he knew how things would be when he created us.
'300', 'Unlimited', 'Legend.'
We are the three Max Brothers.
We were the replacement of lord NAOKI's other creations, the PARANOiAs.
Unfortunately, lord NAOKI had to eliminate them when they proved too uncontrollable.
So we three now exist, alone in this world our lord created for us.
'300' is a caring brother, being the eldest and all.
Me as the youngest…I really just try to follow his example and try to be how I feel.
'Unlimited' though, he seemed to be hiding something…a hidden objective if you will.
'300' had heard of my thoughts, but didn't think he could be doing anything that horrible.
If only he knew…
It was only…a few months ago, when lord NAOKI decided to revive the PARANOiA's.
However, to put a control on them, lest they repeat the mistakes of the past PARANOiA's, he hid a special part of them…their essence if you will.
Hiding it in the one place none of us would ever find it…at least, that was what lord NAOKI thought.
Sadly, 'Unlimited's ambitions were worse than we thought.
He wanted to use the essence of PARANOiA to control everyone.
'300' paid the price when he tried to interfere…and the only thing that pisses me off was that I couldn't stop him.
I miss '300'…he was a good brother, and I'll never forgive 'Unlimited' for killing him!
Unfortunately, 'Unlimited' somehow found out the location of the PARANOiA's essence.
I knew I couldn't let him do that, so, against odds, I asked the new PARANOiA's for help.
They agreed to give me the essence, since '300' was once a good friend of theirs as well.
'PARANOiA Survivor' and 'PARANOiA Survivor Max' divulged the location of the essence to me.
Though they did tell me that they had no idea how to use it, so that is why they never took it.
Of all places, it was in the shrine of PARANOiA lord NAOKI created a few years ago.
So now I'm running, trying to beat 'Unlimited' to it.
The world is a blur of black and white as I run along, looking over my shoulder I see 'Unlimited' behind me.
I know he won't stop till it is his, but that is something I can't let happen.
I quickly duck behind a building and watch 'Unlimited' run by.
For now, I've lost him; so I continue onward.
After running a few miles, I'm suddenly stopped by a wall made up of squares.
What is this place? Have I found the shrine?
More of them appear…I think this is it!
Suddenly, pictures of the old PARANOiA's from before show up.
'Evolution', 'Rebirth', the black sheep 'Eternal'…he was the sole cause for the loss of all the other PARANOiA's.
A more recent photo emerges, that of a friend. 'Survivor'.
I run down the corridor, more images of past PARANOiA's aligning the walls, their holographic appearance added to the tension and eerieness of the moment.
More images; the original 'PARANOiA', his brother 'PARANOiA MAX ~Dirty Mix~', and their younger brother 'PARANOiA KCET ~Clean Mix~'.
At the end of the tunnel, my goal is within view, 'PARANOiA Survivor Max's photo is what I've been searching for.
Upon touching it, the shrine goes crazy…all the PARANOiA's photos flash by.
The walls break down, but that's okay. I have the essence.
I turn around to go, but 'Unlimited' jumps down.
Damn! He's found me.
He tries to tackle me, but I dodge out of the way.
I start running away, he can't be allowed to obtain the essence.
He tries to tackle me, but I dodge out of the way.
Running on through the same darkness as before, I wonder, "Has this essence still survived?"
Secretly, I hope that it has not…because without it's power, 'Unlimited' could do nothing.
Things slow down, it seems like it's always like this when he is after me.
In the corner of my eye, I spot what looks like one of the shrines built for lord NAOKI's work…but its in pieces, as if assembling in accordance to our chase.
I can't up this pace…but I can't let 'Unlimited' get the essence.
I can feel him getting closer, almost breathing down my neck.
Suddenly, I see his hand coming, but its too late…he smacks me down and the essence falls from my shirt.
I watch him pick it up, but there's nothing I can do.
'300', 'PARANOiA Survivor', 'PARANOiA Survivor Max'…and most of all, lord NAOKI.
I've let them all down.
I see 'Unlimited' stare at the essence intently and begin to focus on it.
Wait, what's going on?
The essence seems to have come to life, electrifying 'Unlimited'.
'Unlimited' lets go and the essence flies off into the air, exploding in a bright white flash, which expands throughout the darkness of our world.
What the hell happened and what's going on?
As the white flash begins to engulf us, I can almost hear a voice saying, "Bring it on down…down…down…down…down…down…down...down."
What does that mean?
I watch as the white flash engulfs 'Unlimited' and I, and can't believe what happened.
I look at my hands and shake my head; we're in color!
I see 'Unlimited' look at his hand and share the same puzzled expression.
As the screen inverts and I again see another vision of lord NAOKI's shrine coming together, I catch 'Unlimited' staring at me.
Quickly getting up, I start running again, 'Unlimited' in pursuit.
This is PARANOiA Survivor Max!