Author's Note:
Before this fic starts, I need to make it clear that I do NOT own the song I use. However, I do suggest that when you reach that part, if you aren't familiar with the song, look it up on YouTube or something so you can understand what's going on a bit better - English or Japanese, it doesn't really matter. (I prefer the Japanese myself, even though I don't understand a word of it.)
Additional details are contained in the Author's Note at the end of the fic.
Enjoy!
Ciel wandered down the halls of the Resistance Base, absently sipping on the straw of the artificial lemon drink held in her left hand as she browsed through electronic reports using the small terminal in her right. She'd been working hard in her lab all day on the research for her new energy system and had decided to take a break to relax both her brain and her muscles.
It's kind of pathetic that I take a break by doing more work...she sighed. Well, it's not like these are really work. Most of them are just supply manifests and empty scouting reports. We haven't really had any excitement around here in almost a month now. She chuckled to herself. I bet Zero is bored out of his mind.
Truth be told, as much as Ciel wanted to relax, there was no way she could until her new energy system was complete. Then they'd have a solution for the root of all their problems - the energy crisis plaguing Neo Arcadia. Until then all the members of the Resistance were still at risk, regardless of how quiet their enemy was being these days.
Ciel was so caught up in her own thoughts that as she turned a corner she walked straight into Zero. She gave a startled cry as she bounced off his chest armor and stumbled backward, nearly dropping her drink and work terminal. Unphased, Zero swiftly reached out and grabbed her forearm to keep her from falling.
"Sorry," the crimson reploid said gruffly, letting go as Ciel regained her balance. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
"It's okay," Ciel replied, "I should have been paying more attention myself." But Zero's eyes had left her face and were focused elsewhere, like he'd already dismissed the event and was thinking about something else. It's not like Zero to let his guard down like that. Even when he's inside the Base he usually keeps on his toes. "Zero? Is there something wrong?"
"No, everything's fine. Excuse me," he replied brusquely, then brushed past her as he continued down the hallway.
"You can't expect me to believe that," Ciel admonished, jogging a few steps to catch up with his brisk pace. "Come on Zero, we've been together long enough that I can tell when something is bothering you. What's the problem?"
Zero glanced down at her sideways, his eyes meeting briefly with hers before returning to the front. "It's nothing that needs to be dealt with immediately. You can read all about it in my report later."
"I don't want to read about it in a report, I want to hear it from you." Ciel grabbed him by the arm and spun him around. "Are you forgetting that I'm the one in charge around here now? If there's a problem in my base I need to know so I can deal with it immediately. Now, what's got you so worked up that you can't even pay attention to where you're walking?"
Zero looked at her carefully for a few moments, then sighed and cast his gaze across the hallway. "The level of discipline in the Resistance Base is deteriorating rapidly. Most of our soldiers have become sloppy, showing up late for training and cutting out on exercises. Just this morning I had eight people show up late, and four of them couldn't even remember the drills I taught them yesterday. It's like they aren't even trying anymore. I'm trying to teach them the skills they need to survive in a battle and all they can think about is their next meal or how much sleep they're getting. Continuing any sort of battle training is pointless if nobody is going to take it seriously."
Ciel listened to Zero carefully, nodding her head every so often to indicate she understood. After he was finished she stood silently for a moment, contemplating the situation. "Well," she finally said, "did you ever think that maybe they just need a break? You've been pushing them awfully hard out there lately with your new set of exercises, and with winter setting in I can't see it being any easier to do them in the snow. People do get tired, you know."
"The cold can be just as much of an enemy as a Pantheon, and sometimes it's even more lethal. They need to learn how to deal with any situation that may arise during an operation. There's no such thing as a 'break' in a real battle. You fight until you've defeated your enemy, regardless of the conditions."
"But Zero, that's just it," Ciel said, exasperated. "This isn't a real battle. Most of the people you're dealing with aren't used to all of this fighting and combat training you're exposing them to. They were just regular reploids living out peaceful lives in Neo Arcadia when they were suddenly sentenced to 'retirement' and forced to flee their homes. You can't expect them to just reform their entire lives in a matter of weeks."
"But they might have to," Zero said firmly. "Neo Arcadia could attack at any time. In our current state of affairs we wouldn't stand a chance against them. I can't be everywhere at once. The soldiers of the Resistance need to be able to stand and fight on their own feet. I'm not going to let myself become a handicap."
"You know as well as I do that the chances of a Neo Arcadian raid are slim," Ciel countered. "All intelligence reports from inside the city indicate no sign of any hostile action towards us, now or in the immediate future. The three Generals are likely still reeling from their loss to Elpizo, they're too busy to worry about us. For the time being, as long as we keep our heads low and don't bother them, they're probably happy to leave us be.
"So why don't you give your 'troops' a break? It's not like we get regular holidays around here or anything. Let them relax for a day and I'm sure they'll be refreshed enough that they'll be up for more of your vigorous training exercises than ever. It's not that they don't want to learn, they just need a little breather every once in a while to collect themselves and process what you're teaching them. Overloading them with information is just as bad as not giving them enough."
Zero grunted his disapproval. "Letting our guard down is a bad idea."
Ciel sighed and stared into his eyes with a small smile. "They're not mechaniloids, Zero. Reploids can get stressed out too, you know? Sometimes they just need a break to relax and let out all the tension, then they can get right back into the swing of things. I think it'll do everyone a lot of good." Her grin turned mischievous. "Besides, even you've been known to get distracted and let your guard slip on occasion, right?"
Zero searched valiantly for an argument, then conceded defeat with a sigh of his own. "Fine, you win. No exercises or drills for the rest of today, or tomorrow. But what about you? Are you going to take a break from your research as well? You're looking pretty strained yourself these days."
"I guess I have been pushing a little hard lately," Ciel conceded, nodding to herself. "Yes, I think I'll take the day off too. Maybe if I take a break I can get a fresh perspective on things and solve some of the problems that seem to be cropping up all over the place."
"I wonder...how much good will it do to have a day off if everyone is still stuck in the Resistance Base? It's not like we have a wide variety of entertainment around here, and if we let anyone go too far from the Base we risk being detected."
A thoughtful look crossed Ciel's features, then she grinned. "I have just the thing!" She exclaimed, the mischief in her smile creeping into her eyes.
"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to be as excited about this as you are..." Zero remarked in as close to a groan as Ciel had ever heard come out of him.
Zero stalked quietly up the Neo Arcadian street, peering cautiously around the corners of each building he passed for signs of life, his ragged brown cloak blowing in the wind of the light snowfall that had started several hours ago. Despite the darkness of night descending around him it wasn't enough to obscure his visibility to any noticeable extent, though it had piled up on the ground to the point that it crunched underfoot. He winced as he announced his presence with every step, but there wasn't anything to be done about it. At least the cloak was hiding his bright red armor from plain view - that definitely would have made him stand out against the greyscale background of the city street.
After he cleared each corner Zero motioned to the two figures behind him to proceed forward before moving on to check the next area, methodically working his way toward their destination.
"Honestly Zero," Ciel protested one time when she got close enough to whisper, "don't you think you're going a little overboard with the stealth? Everyone else has already arrived without any problems, why are you making such a big deal about this?"
"Everyone else isn't the leader of the Resistance," Zero pointed out. "If you're going to insist on taking yourself into enemy territory, then I'm going to do my best to make sure you get back out of it again."
"Oh come on, it's not like I'm a Neo Arcadian celebrity or something. If we do come across a patrol they won't even recognize me. I'm just an ordinary citizen out for a stroll with her daughter. Now let's hurry up so we can get out of this cold before Alouette starts to freeze at the joints."
"I'm fine," Alouette replied quietly from her place at Ciel's side, squeezing her hand for reassurance. "We can take our time, if it makes Zero feel better."
Ciel looked down at her little charge, then smiled and quickly caved in. "You're right, as usual." She turned back to Zero. "I know you didn't like this idea, but since I'm making you go through with it anyway I guess we'll do things your way."
Zero nodded. "Wait here," he said, then slipped around the corner.
Ciel sighed. "All that talk about keeping us safe, then he just up and leaves. I don't think I'm never going to understand how his brain is wired." Feeling a light tug on the sleeve of her winter coat, Ciel looked down at her companion. "What is it, dear?" "Where are we going?" Alouette asked. "And why did we bring everyone with us? Is something going to happen to us?" She sounded slightly scared at the last.
"Nothing bad is going to happen to us," Ciel comforted her, placing both hands on Alouette's shoulders as she knelt down to look her in the eye. "We're just going to visit a friend of mine and hopefully relax a little bit. Everyone's been rather tense lately and I thought this would be a nice diversion to get their minds off their troubles for a night."
"Oh...okay." Alouette seemed comforted by Ciel's words. "What about Zero? Is he going to relax too?"
"I hope so," Ciel replied quietly, a sad smile creeping across her face as she stood back up and adjusted her light pink winter coat. Moments later Zero reappeared from around the corner as stealthily as he'd left.
"The streets are clear up to the door. Come quickly." Then he disappeared again.
"Well, you heard the man. Let's not keep him waiting." Alouette nodded sagely in agreement, tightly clutching her ever-present stuffed doll to her chest.
The three figures crept quickly but quietly up the street, the snow crunching beneath their feet as they made their way to the door of the fifth building from the street corner. Zero stayed a few meters ahead of them, scouting to make sure there was nothing hidden in the shadows of the street as they approached their destination. As soon as they arrived he swung the door open, the soft glow of dimmed lights and the faint sound of friendly conversation emanating from within. Ciel and Alouette obeyed as he motioned for them to enter, then began to swing the door shut behind them.
"Wait!" Ciel exclaimed. "Aren't you coming in too?"
"Someone has to keep watch out here in case a patrol comes by."
Ciel let out an exasperated sigh. "Zero, this isn't a mission, you can relax. There aren't going to be any patrols out this late at night, nobody is ever going to know we're here."
"There's no way I could relax in such an indefensible position," was Zero's simple reply. "I would feel much more at ease protecting you from out here than inside, where you have the entire Resistance force to cover you." His gaze shifted uncomfortably. "Besides, I...don't really belong in there."
"That's nonsense! You're one of us, Zero. You've saved us so many times, everyone can't help but feel indebted to you. We're your friends."
"I didn't ask for their friendship or their thanks, nor do I deserve them. What you said before was right; the members of the Resistance are only fighting because they've been forced to. I fight because it's what I was born to do. No, I don't belong in there, with them, no matter how grateful they may be. My place is out here, keeping you all safe."
Seeing she wasn't going to convince him otherwise, Ciel sighed. "Would you at least take my coat, then? It's already cold out and it's only going to get worse." She took the garment off and held it out to him.
"Ciel, I'm a combat reploid. Unless the temperature drops another hundred and twenty degrees, I'll be fine. Now get inside before someone sees you."
"I know, but...look, just take it!" She said angrily, thrusting the coat at him. Startled, Zero grabbed onto it before he realized what he was doing. The young scientist gave Zero one final glare, the angry expression on her face not reflecting the sadness in her eyes, then turned and shooed Alouette inside, the door swinging closed behind her.
Not sure what to do with Ciel's pink coat, he shrugged and threw it around his shoulders, then settled his brown cloak on top of it to make it less noticeable. He then took up a guard position at the side of the door, trying to look inconspicuous while still keeping one eye on each side of the street.
As she turned away from the door Ciel took a quick glance over the crowd gathered in the bar. Over the past two hours, most of the Resistance members had been sneaking into the city in groups of two or three and coming here - Ciel and Alouette were the last to arrive. Although nobody was wearing their Resistance uniform Ciel managed to recognize them all by either name or face as they looked up and greeted her with a friendly wave or raised mug. Ciel returned the gesture as she led Alouette by the hand over to the bar, where a portly figure was happily mixing up drinks for his unusual patrons.
"Ah, Miss Ciel, great to see ya!" The man exclaimed as he saw her approach, sliding his bulk down the length of the wooden bartop to greet her with a big, friendly smile. "Hadn't heard from you in so long, thought maybe they'd managed to catch ya! Never heard anythin' about it in the news though, so I figgered you were still kickin' it out there somewhere."
"It's good to see you too Jerome," Ciel said with a laugh as she helped Alouette climb up onto a barstool that was taller than she was before taking the adjacent seat for herself. "It's not easy to get messages into Neo Arcadia anymore, especially after all that's happened lately. I hope we aren't causing any trouble for you by being here."
"Course not! It's been a while since I've had such a lively bunch o'lads in here, feels good to know I'm still needed for somethin' these days. Not many people spend their time in old-fashioned bars like this one anymore, starts to make an old guy like me think about retirin'! 'Sides, not like any patrollers come by here anymore, nothin' ever happens way out in J block. Think we had a cat stuck in a tree last week, that's about it. Now, enough worryin' about me, I've got somethin' here I fished up just for you after you gave me a ring that I'm thinkin' you'll fancy." The man abruptly slid back down the length of the bar and vanished into a door in the wall, which Ciel presumed led to a storage cellar.
"I like him," Alouette said to Ciel after the man had disappeared. "He talks happy."
"The world would be a much happier place if more of the people in it were like Jerome," Ciel sadly agreed. She turned and glanced at the door, sparing a thought for Zero as he stood out in the cold, then scolded herself and spun back around. If he's going to sit out there and be stubborn, that's fine with me. I'm not going to ruin my evening worrying about him.
Alouette noticed the gesture, but said nothing.
Jerome emerged from the storage room moments later, waving away a few drink requests as he made his way swiftly back down the length of the bar. He was carrying a strangely-shaped bottle, which he sat down in front of Ciel with a thump. "Here we go! Dug this up out of storage just for you."
Ciel read the label on the bottle and gasped. "Lemonade! With real lemons!"
Jerome nodded and beamed proudly. "Damn right! None of that fake crap they sell in stores these days. Hard to find, not really any room to grow luxury foods like lemons anymore. I swear, those Generals would be better off gettin' back to what they were built for than chasin' you buggers around. Then we'd have more room for the pleasantries in life 'stead of havin' to worry about the necessities."
"I can't believe it!" Ciel said, barely hearing what Jerome was saying in her excitement. She quickly unscrewed the top, removed the freshness seal, and poured some into a mug produced by Jerome. She took a quick sip to test it out and squealed with glee. "This is wonderful! I can't remember the last time I had real lemonade. Jerome, you've made my evening! Thank you so much!"
Jerome chuckled. "Making people happy's my job, little missy. You can take whatever's left over with you when you leave, I'm not likely to be needing it around here anytime soon."
"But this must have cost you a fortune! I have to pay you back..." Ciel started rummaging in the pockets of her jacket, but Jerome waved her away with a chuckle.
"Nonsense, everythin's on the house tonight. I'll just file a report with the police that the Resistance came in and robbed me blind during the night and they'll compensate me for the 'damages'." He finished with a wink. "Though if one of you could leave a rifle or a uniform or somethin' behind, that would help make my story a mite more convincin'."
"I'm sure we can find something," Ciel assured him, then took another drink of her precious lemonade. Seeing Alouette watching her with a curious look on her face, she asked, "Do you want to try some too, Alouette?" The little girl nodded.
"Adventurous little whelp! I like that!" Jerome produced a smaller cup from under the bar and filled it with lemonade all in one smooth, practiced motion, setting it down carefully in front of the little reploid girl. "Drink up!"
Alouette gently lifted the glass in both hands and took a long sip. As she lowered the cup again Ciel and Jerome looked on anxiously while Alouette considered the taste. "Mostly water, lemon juice, and sugar. Little nutritional value, slightly sour, lingering aftertaste." She looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "I like it."
"That's the spirit!" Jerome said, thumping a fist on the countertop. "Where'd you pick this cutie up, Ciel? No way in hell you're old enough to be totin' a kid of your own around, let alone one her age."
"She's a reploid, actually,"
Jerome raised an inquisitive eyebrow, then stared hard at Alouette, who stared back just as hard, just to prove she could. "Coulda fooled me," he finally said. "What kinda person makes a six-year old reploid? Seems kinda silly don't it?"
Ciel shrugged. "I don't know. I found her alone and crying on the street the night I fled Neo Arcadia. I mistook her for a human at first glance as well, so I asked where her parents were and she said she didn't have any. She wouldn't tell me anything but her name. I don't know if she was abandoned as soon as she was activated, or if she had a memory failure, or what. But you know how I am; I couldn't just leave her there, so I brought her with me. Now there's some days when I'm not sure what I'd do without her." She looked fondly down at Alouette, who smiled back happily.
"Well, can't say I approve of leavin' little girl reploids out in the street. But no matter where she came from, I don't think she could have found a better place to end up." He gave Alouette a gentle pat on the head with one of his massive hands. "Now you listen to me, little lady. You ever need a place to hide out, you come on over here and Uncle Jerome will take care of you, y'hear?"
Alouette was silent a moment, then replied, "Okay." She cocked her head sideways. "But you're not my uncle."
Jerome stared at the little reploid girl in stunned silence for a moment before erupting into a jolly bout of laughter. "I like this one! Can't remember the last time I met someone so young with so much character! Now if you two ladies will excuse me, it looks like I've got some work to do." Then he bowed politely before sliding smoothly down the bar to serve drinks to some patiently waiting Resistance members.
As the evening wore on Ciel was content to remain in her seat at the bar, sharing her cherished lemonade with Alouette as they watched the Resistance members around them talking and laughing quietly amongst themselves, free from the tensions that were always present in the atmosphere of the Resistance Base. Ciel had told them that they were to spend the evening and next day relaxing, and they were all taking full advantage of the opportunity to slack off. Regular duties would resume the day after next, but for now they were acting as though they didn't have a care in the world, which was exactly how Ciel wanted it.
She herself stayed apart from the conversations that floated through the bar, afraid that the presence of their commanding officer might inject some tension into the atmosphere. Several times throughout the night some of the newer members came up to her and introduced themselves, though she'd already memorized their names from their background reports. Still, Ciel liked to pride herself on the fact that there wasn't a single person in the Resistance that she'd hadn't met personally at least once - nobody in her organization was merely a face with a name. They were all real people, with real feelings and real histories, and they had come to her for protection. She never wanted to forget that.
As Alouette sat silently beside her guardian, she noticed Ciel's gaze drift over to the bar door on several occasions, though judging by the way it immediately snapped back around as soon as she realized what she was doing, she likely never would have admitted it. Alouette could also hear a slight undertone in Ciel's voice as she spoke to the other Resistance members that even the young scientist likely didn't notice herself, one which didn't reflect the way she was carrying herself. Though the young reploid girl knew what the problem was, there was nothing she could do about it now. So Alouette was content to simply watch and observe for the time being, enjoying her new fascination with the wonderful drink known as lemonade.
It was some time later when Ciel noticed Jerome walking onto the small stage off to the side of the bar, dragging a strange looking piece of electronic equipment along behind him in a wheeled cart. She recognized it almost immediately.
"Oh, he's not going to..." Ciel groaned.
"May I have your attention, please!" The portly barkeep bellowed over the murmur of conversation at the tables. It only took a few moments for the attention of the entire establishment to be concentrated on him - it was obvious to Ciel that he had experience doing this sort of thing. "Now that you've all had a chance to get settled in, I'm thinkin' now's a good time to be showin' you folks why your good Miss Ciel decided to drag you lot into my bar instead of someone else's!"
"Liar! You just want to show off your favorite toy!" Ciel's friendly jibe earned her a few laughs from the crowd.
"You hush up there missy, it's my bar and I'll do what I want!" Jerome replied indignantly. "Now, anyone in here been around long enough to know what this thingamajig I'm luggin' around behind me is?" He motioned at the contraption in the cart.
"Damn skipper I do!" Old Andrew yelled proudly. "That thing there's a karaoke machine!"
"Right you are, my good man!" Jerome bellowed, slapping his round stomach happily. "My old man died in the Elf Wars, but I'll be damned if there's anything alive that can destroy this old beastie! Been in my family for ages! It's got songs on it from any century you can think of, ranging from restored classics of the twentieth century to any of the newfangled crap the kids are listening to these days."
"What's a karaoke machine?" A voice from the crowd piped up.
"What's a karaoke machine?! What the hell are they teaching in school these days!" Jerome bellowed again. "Listen up! Y'pick one of these songs here on the display, and the words'll show up on this monitor here. All y'gotta do is pick up this microphone and sing'em as loud'n'proud as y'can! It's all about makin' a fine ass of yourself in front of yer buddies so you's can all laugh about it later. C'mon, I bet at least a few of you louts out there know how to carry a tune! Who wants to go first?"
A murmur spread through the crowd as everyone tried to convince the person beside them to go try it out first. Finally it was Andrew who volunteered. "You bunch of weak-legged ninnies! Leave it to the old man to show you how it's done!" The white-haired reploid yelled as he got up from his table and stepped onto the stage.
"All right, we've got ourselves a gutsy one here! Shame on all you young fellers, makin' this fine gentleman show you how it's done!" He turned to Andrew. "All right, which one of these would you like to try singin'? Recognize anythin'?"
Andrew browsed through the list of possibilities on the monitor of the karaoke machine with a series of exaggerated 'hmmm's and 'haaah's, before finally jabbing a finger at the screen. "This one!" He exclaimed. "I know this one! Used to sing it to my wife when she was still with me. She loved that old song so much, every time I sang it we'd head upstairs afterward and-"
"Alrighty then!" Jerome bellowed once again, quickly cutting Andrew off before he could get any further. "Let's put those hands together for this brave fellow! One, two, three, you're on!" He jabbed in the play button and scurried offstage as the music began.
Andrew's choice was a classic love song. Several of the others in the room knew the tune and tapped their feet to the beat, or some even hummed along with the melody. Andrew turned out to have a decent singing voice, though there were a few places where he forgot the words and couldn't read the prompter, cursing that he'd left his glasses at the table, to the amusement of everyone else. He couldn't hit several of the higher passages as the song was originally sung by a female, but he made a valiant effort nonetheless, eliciting more laughs from the crowd.
Regardless of the quality of the performance, everyone cheered as the song drew to a close.
"That one was for you, Barbara!" Andrew declared as he set the microphone down, then looked accusingly over the tops of the tables. "So, who's coming up here next? Don't be too proud to make an idiot of yourselves, I'm sure as hell not!"
The mood was cheerful as another pair of men came onto the stage, cheered on by their friends. After taking a few moments to find a song they both knew they started to sing, their horribly off-key voices sounding even worse than Andrew as their failed attempts at singing in harmony defined a new meaning for the word 'dissonance'.
Ciel looked on happily as the performances ended and a variety of people took a turn on the machine, some more painful to listen to than others. There were whistles and hoots from the crowd, as well as the occasional jeer, but after each song everyone applauded nonetheless, with good-natured slaps on the back awaiting some of the performers when they returned to their tables.
It's good to see everyone is so relaxed and at ease. Yes, this was definitely a good idea. Everyone's been so tense after everything that happened with Elpizo, including myself. I can practically feel the tension melting out of the room. Then she sighed heavily. I just wish Zero didn't have to be so...so...
"Ciel?" Came Alouette's voice, snapping Ciel away from her train of thought. It was only then that she realized her gaze had once again drifted to the door leading outside. "Is something the matter?"
"No, nothing's wrong," Ciel replied, turning her head to smile down at Alouette. "Nothing at all."
Alouette didn't believe her, but she smiled and nodded back anyway.
Seeing and hearing the exchange between the two, Jerome decided Ciel needed to do something other than sit and think for a change. As the current performers stepped down from the stage he took advantage of the opportunity to holler above the din of the crowd and get everyone's attention once again.
"You're all doing great up there, it's been a real riot! But guess what? I've got a little secret for you, a little something about your commander here that I bet none of you knew about!"
Ciel cringed and tried to disappear into her stool. "Jerome, please, don't embarrass me like this..."
"Oh come on, what's the secret?!" Someone yelled from one of the tables. He was quickly supported by a chorus of shouting from all over the room. "Tell us, tell us!"
"Oh-ho, so she hasn't told you after all!" Jerome grinned. "Well, I happen to know that our little Miss Ciel has one of the most amazing voices you've ever heard! I think it's prime time she got up there and showed us what a real singer can do, don't you?"
Ciel blushed furiously as everyone began to cheer and encourage her to take the stage. She shot a deadly glare at Jerome. "Why did you have to go and tell them that? You know I stopping singing years ago."
"You wanted your guys to loosen up, right? What better way than to see their own commander join in on the fun? Who cares if you're out of practice, none of these guys had any to begin with! Now get up there and knock'em dead!"
"Please?" Alouette asked. "I want to hear something pretty." She smiled up at Ciel with her best impression of cute puppy dog eyes. It was the same look she always gave Ciel when she wanted something, because she knew the poor scientist could never say no to it.
Seeing that there was no way out of it, Ciel sighed and made her way onto the stage. She was accompanied by a wave of applause and cheers, which she acknowledged with an embarrassed wave of her hands. She went up to the karaoke machine and browsed through the selections briefly, wondering what was on there that she could actually sing. It had been so long since she'd taken an interest in music and her tastes were so obscure that she wasn't sure there was anything appropriate on there.
Wait a minute, I wonder if..."Hey Jerome, is...you know...that song...still on here?"
Jerome nearly spilled the drink he was pouring. "You mean, the one you sang that time..." Ciel nodded. "Yeah, it's still on there. You might have to go digging for it though, nobody but you has ever done it."
"All right...yes, here it is." She clicked a few buttons to get the song ready, then stood and gazed out over the crowd. Dozens of eager faces looked back at her, waiting to see what sort of performance their commander would put on.
"Well, it's true that I used to take singing lessons, but it's been a long time since then. Hopefully I don't embarrass myself too badly up here. This song is pretty old, dating from back before even the Maverick Wars, so I don't think any of you will recognize it. It's always been one of my favorites.
"So, um...enjoy the show, I guess. 'Fields of Hope'."
She reached over and pushed the start button on the machine then took center stage, her hands clasped around the microphone like a deathgrip - she hated performing in front of crowds. As the opening piano chords crackled over the speaker, she thought back to the first and last thing her voice teacher had told her years ago.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and sing from the heart. No matter how hard you try someone will always criticize your technique, but don't ever let them criticize your heart. Sing what you feel, and the rest will come on its own.
So as the opening lyrics scrolled across the monitor, Ciel closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sang with all the heart she could muster.
Beneath the veil of starry sky, I sing the prayer's I watched you as you so peacefully dreamed, One day on a green and shiny morn', On the day we were born we were embraced One day, to that green morning, Now, within my own heart, So dear, and yet so far -
As cold as winter's darkest night.
It's there you sleep, silent and deep,
You're all alone.
Soft melody
Across the lonely silent fields
A little light began to shine,
It shines on and on
You laughed like a child,
Happy and carefree
It's all familiar and yet so far,
That's the future's promise for you and me.
One day we will finally make it through
Cause in this sky
So dark with winter,
We still have to believe it's true
Fields of Hope.
And now we search for those gentle hands again
The melody of prayer; one vanishes,
And all begins again; a powerless, painful continuation
We'll cross through all these nights
Because that is the place each one of us searches for
I want to keep you warm
So dear, and yet so far -
In the name of peace
Fields of Hope
The fields of promise
Fields of Hope
Fields of Hope
As the final chords of the song died away, Ciel let the microphone slowly drop to her chest as she took a final long breath to steady herself. She opened her eyes and was greeted by a sea of silent, wide-eyed stares. An awkward silence filled the air as the song ended.
"That's all," Ciel said meekly. "I'm done."
There was another brief moment of silence before the air was filled by a thunderous wave of cheers and applause as everyone in the room shot to their feet. Praise and compliments were shouted above the din, causing Ciel to blush madly. "Um, thanks everyone, thank you, it was nothing, really..." she said into the microphone, but she was drowned out by the jubilant crowd.
As she glanced meekly at the faces smiling back at her from around the room, Ciel noticed a brief flash of red from the far corner as the door to the street silently slid shut. Zero...? Before she could think about it any further, Ciel was forced to quickly vacate the stage before she found herself roped into another song, which she really didn't want to do. She politely made her way back to the stool she'd occupied earlier, waving her appreciation the entire time, before finally sitting down heavily beside Alouette.
Did he just happen to come in just then? Or did he come in...just to hear me sing? She furtively turned her head to the doorway again. I wonder how long he was there...?
"He heard the whole thing," came Alouette's voice. Ciel turned to look down at the little girl, both arms wrapped around her stuffed doll as she held it up over her mouth. "Came in right after you started. Didn't say anything, then went back outside just after you finished. He looked a little funny."
After a few brief moments of thought, Ciel nodded. She glanced around to see if anyone was still watching her - they weren't. "I'll be back," she mumbled to Alouette, then headed for the door.
Some time later, Jerome wandered over and noticed Alouette sitting by herself. "Any reason why you're left sitting here all by your lonesome, little missy? Where's Ciel gone off to?" He glanced around the bar. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her since that wonderful performance she put on earlier."
"She went where she belongs," Alouette replied quietly, then poured herself another glass of lemonade. "Mum's been sad all night because she doesn't really want to be here."
"Oh?" Jerome raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "She gets to be a mum, but I don't get to be an uncle? That doesn't sound very fair."
"A mum is someone who looks after you and cares about you. They do things like read you stories and make you feel better when you get scared. Ciel does all those things for me, so she can be my mum. I just met you and don't know anything about you. If you're supposed to be an uncle, you're a very bad one."
Jerome chuckled at the girl's matter-of-fact tone. "Well, might be all that's true, especially the bits about me being an uncle. But I'd be inclined to say those other things sound like stuff a sister would do too. Why isn't Ciel your sister?"
Alouette opened to her mouth to argue, then stopped. A thoughtful look spread across her face as she considered Jerome's words. The large barkeep smiled. "Ah, so you don't know everything there is to know, after all. Then let me ask you this, too. If Ciel's place is out there with your red friend, then where's yours?"
Alouette gave him a cursory look as he shot her a knowing wink, then turned away to serve a drink. After pondering his words a few moments longer she hopped down from her stool without a word and also headed for the door.
Ciel quietly opened the door and slipped outside, trying her hardest to not let anyone see her leaving - she really wasn't in the mood to explain herself. She shivered slightly as her exposed skin met with the cold night air, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle...for a few moments, anyway.
She turned to see Zero sitting on the topmost of the two small steps leading into the bar, his eyes cast down in thought. "I thought you were keeping an eye out for patrols. How can you do that if you're looking at the ground?" Ciel said with a teasing smile.
Zero's head shot up when she spoke, and it was only then that she realized he hadn't heard her coming. "Oh, Ciel," he said, startled - Ciel didn't think she'd ever managed to startle Zero before. "What are you doing out here? It's too cold for you to be out without your jacket. You should be inside."
"I don't belong inside either," Ciel replied quietly, then walked over and brushed away the snow from a spot on Zero's left and sat down. She looked up at him with a curious smile on her face. "I belong right here, beside you."
For a moment they silently stared into each other's eyes, Ciel content to finally be where she felt most comfortable, and Zero at a loss for words. Then the silence was abruptly broken when Ciel shivered, pulling her eyes away. "So are you going to give me back my coat or not?"
"Oh, right," Zero replied; he'd forgotten he was wearing it. He quickly took the jacket off from underneath his cloak and draped it over Ciel's shoulders, holding it up for her while she stuck her arms through the sleeves. As she settled the hood around her shoulders and flipped her hair out from underneath the collar he pulled his arms back, only to find that Ciel had gripped his left hand with hers.
"Leave it there," she said, placing the arm firmly around her shoulders, then leaning into him. "You're nice and warm," she murmured as she rested her head against his side and closed her eyes.
"Ciel, what are you-".
"Zero, just...stop right there." Zero could feel her take a shaky breath against his side. "Tonight is supposed to be a night for everyone to relax and let themselves go. So just for a few moments, let me pretend like the world's a safe place, and that we aren't in the middle of a war against the place I used to call home.
"All day long, day after day, I have to put on a strong face so that nobody loses hope, so they can find the strength to keep fighting. But inside, I'm just as scared as the rest of them. I mean, I'm only thirteen years old, but everyone looks up to me for guidance and expects me to deliver them from the hell our world has become. What kind of responsibility is that to give to someone so young? Why does everyone expect so much of me?"
"Because it's something only you can do," Zero said gently. "You were born with a gift that nobody else in the world has, a gift that makes you special. There's not another person in the entire world like you, who can do the things you do. The Resistance needs you, Ciel."
"But it's not fair!" The girl cried, glistening tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Why does it have to be me?! Nobody asked me if I wanted to be special, why does it have to be me? Why can't I...why can't I just be a normal girl, like everyone else? Why do I have to be this great person who does all these amazing things and saves the world? I don't want to do any of those things. I hate being me!"
A few choked sobs managed to escape from Ciel's lips before she got herself back under control, sniffing away the last few tears. "Sometimes...sometimes I just want to drop everything and run, away from it all. Then I could live a peaceful life without worrying about things like war, the Resistance, the Dark Elf, and all the rest of it. It would be a normal life in a normal world, where the only thing I'd have to worry about would be what color shoes I should wear to match my dress." She chuckled nervously, absently wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. "Although I guess I've already solved that problem, since I only own one pair of shoes, and I don't even have a dress. Instead, I'm supposed to make a scientific breakthrough and save the reploid race from its own creators.
"But...I know that if I did run away I'd never forgive myself for abandoning everyone who was depending on me. I'm the only hope some of these people have for a better life. The faces of all those people I left to die would haunt me until the day I died. So instead, when I wake up every morning I steel myself for another day of wondering which one of the faces around me will be the next to go out on a mission and never come back while I toil away tirelessly in my lab, desperately trying my hardest to solve all of the problems the world has thrust onto my shoulders. Because if I don't do it, who will?
"So please Zero, let me escape from all of that and, just for a few minutes...let me pretend."
Unable to find anything appropriate to say, Zero simply held Ciel tighter against him. "All right, then. Take as long as you want. I'm not going anywhere."
"Thank you," she said, her voice practically a whisper, pressing against him even further.
The two figures sat in the dark stillness of night for quite some time, flakes of pure white snow blowing around them in the gentle night breeze. Ciel could feel Zero's chest rise and fall with his steady breathing against her face, matching hers to it as she relaxed against him, allowing his body heat to seep into her and keep her warm beneath the weight of her coat. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could picture the diagrams and models depicting his internal generator and the circuits being used to disperse the heat throughout his body, but she pushed those thoughts away for the time being. For now all that mattered was that it was coming from somewhere within him, like a slow and steady heartbeat, and it was comforting.
Finally she broke the tranquil silence that hung between them in the night air. "You came to hear me sing," she said.
Zero nodded. "I could hear you from out here. It sounded...familiar, somehow, so I went in."
"Did you get part of your memory back?" Ciel asked as she turned her head to look up into his eyes.
Zero shook his head. "No, nothing like that. I just heard that song and...it felt like I'd heard it before, somewhere. I have no idea where - I'll be the first to admit that it wasn't something I'd picture myself listening to." He frowned slightly, frustrated at his inability to express himself. "It's hard to explain in words. It was just...a feeling."
"Maybe you heard it during the Maverick Wars, when you and X were still Maverick Hunters," Ciel suggested, resting her head back against his shoulder.
"You think so?"
She nodded. "The first and only time I ever sang that song in public was for X, back before...before he disappeared. I'd heard him listening to it every so often and thought I would surprise him by learning the words and singing it for him. When I told my vocal teacher she thought it was a wonderful idea - I could already sing at a professional level, thanks to my genetically enhanced abilities, so it didn't take me long to get it ready."
Ciel chuckled to herself as she reminisced. "I can remember the day I decided to sing it for him. I dragged him down to Jerome's bar because the only other recording of it I could find was on that karaoke machine. I was seven years old at the time, and I was so scared that I'd mess it up and and upset him that I sang the whole thing with my eyes closed. When I opened them again I thought for sure I'd done something wrong because X was sitting there with tears in his eyes. I started apologizing and nearly began crying myself when he stood up, the biggest smile I'd ever seen stretching across his face as he came over and gave me a great big hug. 'Thank you so much, my little Ciel,' he said. 'That was the greatest thing anyone has ever given me.' Then made me sing it again so he could record it. I argued that wasn't necessary since I wasn't anywhere near as good as the original, but he just waved my argument aside and said, 'I like yours better, because it was for me.'"
She was silent for a moment before continuing. "Two years later, Copy X heard me singing that song to myself. He said it was a pretty little song about a silly fantasy and I shouldn't waste time dreaming about things that would never happen.
"I never sang that song again, and shortly afterward stopped singing completely...until tonight."
"Why'd you decide to sing that one, of all things?" Zero asked gently after a short pause. "It seems like it was very special to both you and X. Are you sure he won't mind?"
"Oh, I have a feeling he's okay with it," Ciel said with a smile. "After all, he has been helping us out along the way. I'm sure he wouldn't mind me sharing such a beautiful song with the people fighting for the cause he himself believes in." Then her smile disappeared. "That was the first indication I had that something was...wrong with Copy X. He was like X in so many ways and everyone seemed so happy to have him around that I didn't let it bother me, but...he was different in a lot of ways, too. If only I'd stopped and taken a closer look, done something about it before things got out of hand, then maybe..." Her voice became ragged as she let the thought trail off into the night air.
"Don't start regretting the choices that have already been made," Zero said calmly, squeezing her shoulder for reassurance. "Everyone has regrets about the mistakes they've made. Don't dwell on them too much or they'll start to control you. Learn from them and move on."
"But so many people have died because of what I did! If I hadn't created Copy X, if I'd spent more time refining the technique and done more research, then maybe-"
"It doesn't matter. What's done is done. All we should worry about is how we're going to deal with the problems we've got now, not whether or not we made the proper decisions years ago. Wishful thinking won't get you anywhere.
"Everyone makes their fair share of mistakes, some worse than others. That includes X and I as well. Even though I may not remember any of them, my body does. Every so often my hands will tremble in remembrance of some distant memory, as though I've done this before, and all I can do is wonder if this time I'm making the right choice. Who knows, maybe even saving you and joining the Resistance was a mistake, and I'm still paying for it now."
"Do you really think that?" Ciel asked, looking up at Zero in surprise.
"Maybe," Zero said with a shrug. "If I'd taken you back to Neo Arcadia and joined forces with Four Generals, the Resistance would have been crushed right then and there. Copy X would still be alive and ruling over Neo Arcadia, and Elpizo wouldn't have gone searching for the Baby Elves and freed the Dark Elf.
"Or maybe it all would have happened anyway. Who knows? What I'm getting at is it's pointless to wonder if you did the right thing or not. Learn from your past decisions and use them to make better judgments in the future. It's how we all learn to survive in the world, one step at a time."
Ciel stared off into the night, watching the snowflakes drift past her vision as she considered Zero's words. "Do you...do you really think it might have been a mistake for you to join the Resistance?" She asked nervously. She met his gaze as he glanced down at her briefly, then looked out into the night as he spoke.
"For a little while I was beginning to think so. I don't belong here with these people. I come from an entirely different world, a world with different rules and expectations, a world where the lives they're used to living are only a pipe dream. I thought that maybe my being here was a mistake, that maybe the Resistance was causing more problems than it was solving, and I was only making things worse.
"But when I heard you singing that song tonight...I made up my mind. What we're doing here, what we're fighting for...it's not wrong. Something in my body is telling me that we're doing the right thing, and we just have to hold our heads high and keeping pushing forward until the day we can get ourselves out of this mess. And my place is right here, protecting you, until that day finally comes."
"'So dear, and yet so far, the fields of promise'..." Ciel sang lightly, quoting the final lines of the song. "I don't think this was a mistake, Zero. Forming the Resistance, waking you up, destroying Copy X...none of it was wrong. I'm glad you're here with me, right now, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
The two looked at each other once more, their eyes locking as they shared a tender smile between them that spoke louder than words ever could.
A rustling noise behind them caused them both to look over their shoulders just in time to see the door inch open barely wide enough to allow Alouette to emerge from inside. She closed the door behind her and then, without saying a word, walked over and stood in front of the two sitting figures.
"Alouette? Is something wrong?" Ciel asked.
Alouette looked back and forth between their faces a few times, then smiled. "Not anymore." She lifted a finger and pointed at Zero. "You belong there," she said, then pointed the finger at Ciel. "You belong there." Then she climbed over Zero's crossed legs and sat down unceremoniously in his lap. "I belong here," she said with an authoritative nod of her head. She then curled up in a ball and closed her eyes, clutching her stuffed animal to her chest as she turned Zero's leg into an impromptu pillow, and promptly fell asleep.
Ciel and Zero simply stared at her for a moment, astonished. "Is she actually...?" Ciel asked in disbelief.
"It would appear so," Zero confirmed. "I guess she was really tired after everything we've done today. It is getting pretty late."
"You're right," Ciel agreed as she rose from her place under Zero's arm. "I should go in and start getting everyone ready to head back." She thought for a moment, then slipped her coat off again and draped it over Alouette like a blanket. She stood back up and smiled as she looked down on the unfortunate Zero. "You two look so cute right now. I wish I had a picture."
Zero responded with a grunt of disapproval. Ciel laughed lightly as she headed back into the bar, but paused for a moment in the doorway. She turned back to Zero with a solemn look on her face. "You know, Alouette will only fall asleep in places she feels safe," she said quietly. "You might want to think about that." Then she was gone.
With both a head full of thoughts and a lap full of Alouette, neither of which he particularly wanted to have just then, Zero couldn't help but heave a heavy sigh. I wonder if I was ever good with kids, he wondered to himself, but he had a feeling he already knew the answer.
Author's Note:
Just to state this one more time, for clarity's sake: I do not own the song Ciel sang in this story. It really is called "Fields of Hope", it's sung by Rie Tanaka (Tanaka Rie, whatever...) for the series Gundam Seed Destiny, and I highly recommend you go listen to it (preferably in both English and Japanese, but if you're only going to listen to one, pick the Japanese one so you can at least hear the right voice). Now, with that out of the way...
About the song...the original spark of an idea for this story was when I was listening to the Japanese version of "Fields of Hope" and thought, "You know, it wouldn't be out of place for Ciel to sing this song." In case you aren't aware, Rie Tanaka is also Ciel's voice actor in the Megaman Zero audio dramas. Ciel's character is actually very similar in a lot of ways to Lacus Clyne (the girl who sings the song during Gundam Seed Destiny), and the song's lyrics are rather fitting for the world Ciel finds herself in as well. It just seemed natural to try and find a way to fit the two together somehow. The rest of the story just...grew from there. The song actually ended up playing more of a backseat roll in the overall plot than I'd originally intended, but I think that's actually for the better.
About the lyrics...since the original song is in Japanese, I obviously used a translated version of the lyrics for my story, since it wouldn't make any sense for Ciel to start spouting Japanese. (Although, considering that the Megaman series is originally in Japanese, it would sort of make sense...) I obtained the translation for the first half of the song straight out of the official dub of the show. Since the second half is never sung during the show it doesn't have an official dub that I'm aware of, so I simply took the translated lyrics from animelyrics dot com. Being a direct translation, the second half naturally doesn't flow as well as the first, but that's life. There's actually a really beautiful fandub on YouTube that I'd have liked to use, but I wasn't going to do so without permission, which I don't feel like going to the trouble of asking for. If you're going to listen to an English version, I actually recommend that one over the official one.
As for the rest of the story...I'll just let it speak for itself. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Writing it was definitely a worthy learning experience for me, and regardless of what anyone else thinks, I'm proud of how it came out. And that's what matters.
...Alouette is just too darn cute...