Disclaimer: I do not own Wild ARMs. I do own the original characters and ideas expressed within. I also own my co-author's free time, but that is neither here nor there.
Chapter 2: ARMs Meister
If one was to approach an average citizen of Filgaia and ask them "What is an ARM?", the average response would be "Why, its that thing you hold your food with." While technically that is a 'hand', the point remains clear that people in the world did not know very much about the weapons of their ancestors. Of course, there are those more than aware of the destructive capability of the machines of their past. If the same question was asked to one of them, they could tell you instantly: "ARM? That's an Ancient Relic Machine."
Indeed, that is what ARM stands for. Centuries ago during the great wars of the world, humans and a race known as the Elw conspired together to create incredible technology and even more incredible weapons. Now, many "experts" believe that all ARMs come in one form: that of the gun model most commonly found in ruins and excavations. This, of course, is simply not true. There were many varieties of ARMs in the ancient times, from the gun model to advanced tracking devices to even weapons of mass destruction. While it is true that the gun models are most commonly found, true ARMs researchers know that finding one is only the tip of an iceberg, and that much grander models existed.
Now, there is a reason that ARMs are not a commonly accepted research area in modern Filgaia. This stems from the stigma on all ancient technology that was put into place almost directly after the great war of centuries past. ARMs were powerful, yes, but it said that it was through ARMs that the Great Blaze, ravager of Filgaia, permanently scorched the world into eternal desert. Only through the use of a weapon known as the Guardian Blade was the Great Blaze finally vanquished. This became the common theology of the people of Filgaia: the most powerful weapons and technology in Filgaia only served to hurt it, while a mere sword struck down the source of all sins. Of course, Guardian Blade was no "mere sword", but that is beside the point. The fact of the matter is, ARMs are viewed by most as the source of all sin. Indeed, they were the physical manifestations of the Great Blaze himself.
What does that say about those who use them? Sure, to study ARMs can be justified as a study of the mistakes of the past, so that they are not to be corrected. While that is almost never the case, it sounds good when explaining oneself to others. But what about those who go beyond the study of ARMs and actually pick one up, loading it and pulling the trigger? For the most part, this notion is considered preposterous. ARMs were made to synchronize with very specific aspects of humans very long ago, and such aspects are long gone from modern society. That is what most of the public believes, anyway. The truth is far from that is believed. In fact, there are those who can pick up an ARM and just instantly synchronize with it, activating its ancient powers in their own hands. These people are viewed as demons. Why shouldn't they be? After all, to be able to use a manifestation of a demon must make those who use them demons themselves.
Not surprisingly, the few people in the world that could use ARMs made very sure to hide that fact from the populace. Most who accidentally discovered the gift, and it is very much a gift, of using ancient relic machines quickly tried to forget it and live their lives normally. There are others, though, that choose to embrace the power given to them. These people are known as the ARMs Meisters. While not all of them particularly study into the details of their gift, they accept that they are indeed special and use it to their full advantage. This type of meister would describe Edward Rodingson. Edward discovered at an early age he could wield ARMs, having found his first in a cave hidden deep under the city in which he lived, Saint Centaur. Not only this, but Edward found that he could push his ARM to an extent that should not be possible. If the ARM was strong, he made it stronger. If it was fast, he made it faster. And if it was destructive, then, it was made more destructive. Edward's gift with ARMs was that he could make an ARM better just by holding it, and many others became jealous of that ability. Thus, he earned his nickname: Envy.
There was a flaw to Edward's prowess, of course. While he could push an ARM beyond its limit, he had a limited synchronization with any ARM he used. A small variety of choices, but all incredibly powerful weapons. This was Edward's expertise. Rayne Montgomery had a very different gift with ARMs. She too could use the mighty relics, and was quite skilled at their wielding. However, she decided to research her gift, and the weapons it allowed her to use. She became a true scholar of ARMs, studying how they were built, what they could do, and all the varieties they had. More so, Rayne found that by just picking up an ARM, she could feel how it worked, and more importantly, how it could be improved. Yes, there were few who could use ARMs. But there were even fewer who could understand and build them herself. Truly, in a different time, Rayne would have been recognized as a real ARMs Meister, a master of her craft. As she learned more about her gift, she learned more and more how to tap into the powers of the ARMs and customize them to her own needs. That was how Desperado came to be.
By all intents, Desperado would appear to be a less impressive example of the technology of old. By the standards of other meisters, it was quite simple: a six bullet clip with a single barrel and trigger firing mechanism. All common gun type ARMs possessed this, at least. But Desperado was truly extraordinary in that it was not an ancient piece of technology that was found in a ruin. Rayne had build Desperado from the ground up. She had spent years in her childhood collecting the pieces with her parents, who were themselves archaeologists. The more pieces she found, the more Rayne grew to understand them. And soon, she had fashioned Desperado from the remnants of old technology long since rendered useless. This was not the only reason this weapon was amazing, however.
Desperado was also limitlessly customizable. Unlike Edward, who improved of the power of the few ARMs he could wield, Rayne had found there was no limit to the types of ARMs she could use. Indeed, she found all the ancient technology was at her disposal. And as she found more pieces, she realized that as good as Desperado was, she could make it better. So she created Desperado to be able to integrate many different attachments into itself, offering new attack modes and abilities that a single ARM could never keep up with. The first of these was gatling raid. By building an extra thick, wider barrel on top of the main barrel, she could link the bullet clip to it and allow the entire clip to be fired at once, instead of in six successive shots. Why would one large blast be better than six separate ones? Because in addition to unloading the entire clip, the gatling raid drew upon the personal strength of the wielder, adding an extra 'oomph' to the shot that usually resulted in a demolished wall, or blade bear as it were. While it was true all ARMs drew on a little bit of the personal energy of the wielder, it was usually insignificant. This allowed lot of energy to be put into one shot that released up to six equally powerful bullets. Without question, it was her crowning achievement.
Her second achievement was the attachment known as the shotgun. She added a short pump action trigger to the bottom of an ARM that, upon firing, shattered the bullet used into shrapnel, allowing a wide arc of powerful shots. As before, this drew more firmly upon the user's personal strength, but the result was well worth it. Rayne was very surprised, as well, when she discovered Edward was able to use the attachment, even though he was unable to use Desperado, or any ARM it would seem, except his own. So Rayne had spent a great deal of time, and eventually integrated the shotgun permanently into Edward's ARM so that he could make use of it. This made his betrayal on the train all the more painful, as Rayne and her team were stabbed in the back by a device that she herself had built.
Why Rayne had been thinking about all this that night, she would never know. She awoke, as she usually did, to the nonexistent sound of the shotgun going off, tearing through her flesh and changing her life in the time it took to fall from the train to the tracks. She pushed her hat off her face and looked to her side. In the slowly dimming firelight, she was Luceid sleeping soundly by her side, tail twitching in whatever dream he was having. As it always did when she awoke, her hand slid down to the holster at her side, feeling the all too familiar curves and trigger of Desperado. This gave her comfort, because just as Luceid had become entwined with her feelings and thoughts, Desperado had become an extension of her will, and indeed, her entire being. Desperado was as much a part of her as her heart or brain.
Somehow sensing that his mistress was awake and disturbed, Luceid nudged her lightly and crawled closer, pressing his fur and warmth to her and then settling down comfortably again. Rayne smiled tiredly, stroking her constant companion's back before looking up at the sky. She was special, and she knew this. Edward was special as well. By all means, they should have been two peas in a pod, accepting one another for what they were, and supporting one another through thick and thin. Then why had he betrayed her in this manner? What could she have possibly done to deserve it?
Morning came surprisingly quickly to one who could not sleep, and what little possessions were used to make camp was quickly packed up. Rayne spent a little time with her toolkit, adjusting a screw or setting on Desperado as she always did. After all, even the most powerful weapons in Filgaia needed basic maintenance or risk falling into disrepair. As she made the final adjustments, Luceid whined. Looking to him, she could tell he had been ready to move for quite some time. Not denying the wolf his desires eve, she holstered Desperado and stood, pulling her cloak on and her hat upon her head. Placing a firm hand upon his back, as always, Sin and Desire started their day as they did every other day: wandering to a new destination, not sure what they would find.
Author's Notes: This little tidbit is mostly to give an idea of how I am presenting ARMs in the story, and a look into the unique characteristics of Rayne and Edward (Envy). Though not real plot advancement, it's a glimpse at a typical 'night in-between' for Rayne and Luceid.
