CHAPTER 2:
A NEW BOND?
He was on another world. Harry Potter was still trying to wrap his head around such an enormous concept. He was on another world.
It was a somewhat alien landscape. He looked up at the blue sky, crowded by the strange, mushroom-like structures that crowded the landscape. He saw the people walking around, all with shaggy blonde hair, and tails protruding from their backsides. None so much as looked at him when he passed. And while it was good in one way to be free of interest and scrutiny, especially after that shambles of the previous year, with the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the antipathy he got from almost all and sundry at first, he found their lack of attention disturbing. It was like he barely existed to them. When he struck up a conversation with them, their voices were quiet, and their words to the point.
"What's wrong with them?" Harry asked.
"I told you. They lack souls," Mikoto said. While her voice was a quiet monotone, Harry already could pick up small inflections that weren't present in the other Genomes.
"Yeah, but I was told when someone loses their soul, they just…breathe, and that's about it. These guys can talk, and walk, and I guess that makes them…creepy. Sorry if that offends you."
"No offense is taken," Mikoto said. "You speak of something called the Uncanny Valley. The closer something is to looking real, the more unreal it seems. It may seem paradoxical, but it is a fact documented by Terran scientists before the Cataclysm."
Harry nodded as the girl led on. The gentle swaying of her tail was almost hypnotic. He had no doubt that it was real. Occasionally, as she slowed, it had brushed up against him. She was actually quite cute, even if she was a bit lacking when it came to expressing emotions. But unlike the other Genomes, where it was quite creepy, with her, it gave her an oddly endearing quality. Like you just wanted to give her a hug, and hope you could squeeze some emotion out of her.
They made their way to Pandemonium, Garland's castle. Harry found himself more than a little intimidated by the dark lines of the massive castle, but took heart in Mikoto escorting him.
They eventually made their way, courtesy of some transporters (infinitely more pleasant to use than Portkeys or Apparation), to a massive observatory, where Garland was waiting, peering at a massive hologram of a world, presumably Terra. As Mikoto made to leave, Garland said, "Stay, Mikoto. I will need you to escort him back to Bran Bal." He then turned, and descended the stairs from the platform he had been viewing the hologram, and walked up to Harry. "According to the labels on your clothing, your name is Harry Potter, and my earlier analysis showed you to be a mage. Greetings, then, are in order. As I have said before, I am Garland, the ruler of Terra. This is Mikoto, my most trusted assistant. Welcome to my castle, Pandemonium."
"Are you like a king or emperor or something?" Harry asked.
"Not exactly. I am more of an administrator or custodian, brought into being to oversee a truly important task: the rebirth of our world."
"Rebirth?"
"Terra, despite appearances, is a dying world, kept in stasis. Thousands of years ago, an attempt to improve our civilisation actually began a stagnation and decay." Garland gestured around. "Throughout Terra, but especially within this castle, the souls of Terra slumber in special containers. I was created to be their custodian, to watch over them."
"So, you're a robot of some kind?"
"A better term would be something like a cyborg. While artificial, some of me is organic rather than metal or plastic," Garland said. "Though I am the ruler of Terra, I am also its servant."
"If the souls of Terra sleep, why are those Genomes out and about?"
"They are to be the vessels of the souls when the time comes. They are, for the moment, immortal. They also require conditioning in order to be optimal receptacles of souls, so they exercise both body and mind, despite their lack of a soul. As I am the custodian of not only the care of the Genomes, but the souls of Terra, how you came here concerns me. I am well aware that you came from another world, and in all likelihood, by accident. But I wish to know about the circumstances under which you came to be here. I would ask that you tell the truth, and nothing but. I may be an artificial being, but I am well versed in the arts of duplicity."
Harry sighed. Where should he begin…?
After his explanation, Garland stroked his beard thoughtfully. "So, to summarise, you are here because your blood was used in an arcane ritual to resurrect a warlock who has taken it into his head that you are his nemesis. In addition, while trying to flee a confrontation with him, you used this 'Portkey' to try and escape, only for one of the warlock's followers to cast a spell on it."
Harry nodded. "I'm telling the truth."
"It certainly matches up with what we have seen, and I shall give you the benefit of the doubt for now," Garland said. "I will analyse the trophy, and see if I can replicate the results, and send you back whence you came, though I cannot guarantee any success. Your coming to Terra was an accident of prodigious proportions. However, should I find a means of sending you back, then I shall do so. Until that time comes, I shall allow you to stay on Terra as our guest." He turned to Mikoto. "Mikoto, please take Harry back to Bran Bal."
Mikoto nodded, before gesturing for Harry to follow her. He did so, before saying, "Thanks," to Garland. Garland nodded in acknowledgement back, then strode back up to the platform.
To be honest, he still felt uneasy about this place, especially as Garland had the whole dark armour and cape thing you seemed to see in fantasy fiction villains. But it didn't necessarily mean Garland was a villain, right?
As Mikoto led Harry away, Garland contemplated the newcomer. He seemed harmless enough, in theory. But he was a mage, and despite his youth had, according to his abridged account of his life (assuming of course it was truthful), faced many dangers and overcame them. And he seemed to have scruples that meant that Garland's decision to keep the true nature of Terra hidden from him was a wise one, for the time being. Of course, he wouldn't be surprised if the young mage did learn the truth sooner or later.
But even if he could repair the Portkey (which Garland would only do as an intellectual exercise), he didn't want to risk sending Harry back, especially if Harry learned of Terra's mission. He could warn the people of Earth, have them erect some kind of countermeasure. And while it would be centuries if not millennia before Terra fused with Gaia, and even more time before they would need to do so with Earth, it was enough time to erect countermeasures.
Even so…Harry Potter could be of use. Once Garland had determined his magical potential, he could empty out Harry's body, and re-ensoul it with a Terran soul to act as another Angel of Death. Otherwise, he would merely preserve the body as an interesting biological sample of a mage from another world.
However, there were other more pressing issues to consider. Kuja's activity in Gaia was becoming erratic. Not quite deviating from the plan, at least not until just under a week ago, Gaian time (for Terra was virtually timeless). But it seemed that Kuja had recently summoned the Invincible. And while he had erased the records of what he had done, Garland was capable of recovering them. Already, what he had seen so far was cause enough for him to board the Invincible and monitor what Kuja did. It seemed that Kuja had decided to start controlling Eidolons, and Kuja's interest in them before seemed to indicate that he wanted to use Eidolons against Garland. Even now, the Eidolon Bahamut was under the sway of Kuja, in the aftermath of the Invincible's last expedition, to the Iifa Tree.
In addition, the Iifa Tree itself had been disrupted, with the Soulcage killed. The Soulcage's last messages suggested that it was none other than Zidane, the Angel of Death who was meant to be Kuja's successor, who did so. The Soulcage's messages suggested that Zidane was opposed to Kuja…but he had also gone native. Garland had been resigned to that possibility long ago. If Zidane hadn't been killed when Kuja stranded him in Gaia, then he had probably gone native.
Suddenly, he received a signal from the Invincible. Kuja was summoning it yet again. It would delay until he made his way to the ship. He went to his own personal teleporter, and took it to the Invincible. Soon, he was on his way to Gaia. And to Alexandria, if the autopilot readout was any indication.
Now he understood. Or at least could guess. Five centuries ago, an almighty Eidolon had been summoned there. Alexander, the Holy Citadel. But the Eidolon rampaged, and had to be sealed away. He would wait to confirm Kuja's treachery, and then annihilate him, along with Alexandria, and all who stood in the way of Terra's rebirth…
As they walked along the winding roads of Bran Bal, Harry was startled when he heard a loud noise, almost like an aircraft revving up. He watched as something, like a magnificent whale in blue, rose into the air from nearby, marred by a red portal in the underside that seemed to glow like a malevolent eye.
"What is that?" Harry breathed in awe. Whatever it was, it was massive. It looked like some kind of spaceship.
"The flagship of the Terran airforce, though in truth, it is the only one of its kind. The ultimate airship, the Invincible," Mikoto said. "Garland must have an errand on Gaia."
"Gaia?"
"We are linked to another world known as Gaia. One of our kind, Kuja, has gone rogue on Gaia. He was one of the few of us given a soul, but he has betrayed us. He revels in destruction, and disobeys Garland's orders. I believe Garland is going to deal with him."
"Huh." Harry wasn't sure what to make of that. Then again, he wasn't sure what to make of anything on Terra. He didn't really have any frame of reference. In addition, Moody's regular bellowing of "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" had stuck in Harry's mind.
It was that that made Harry feel some yearning for home. Everything had gone by so fast, he hadn't really had time to think about it. And then, as he thought about his friends, and how much they would be worrying about him, he realised with a chill that they were at Voldemort's mercy. He had come back to life, and only he, and the Death Eaters, knew. His only hope of his friends even learning about this was if Snape told Dumbledore about the Dark Mark. And while Snape was a git of the highest order, he also knew that this was probably the only thing he could rely upon the Potions Master to do.
Even so, his friends wouldn't know if he was alive or dead. They'd probably think him dead, unless someone had a means of finding out otherwise.
He sagged down onto a nearby bench, carved weirdly out of blue rock. As he wept, Mikoto stood in front of him, her head tilting ever so slightly in a quizzical manner. "Why are you crying?" she asked.
"My friends…they'll be worried sick about me. They'll think I'm dead," Harry sobbed.
The Genome sat down next to him. "You have bonds with these people?" she asked.
"Well, yeah. Don't you have any friends?"
"No. None of the other Genomes present on this world have souls or emotions. Garland is my superior. I have few opportunities for friendship."
"…Haven't you ever desired friendship of any kind?" Harry asked incredulously.
"…No."
"…You must be lonely."
"…Lonely. Yes. Perhaps I am."
Harry looked up at the vivid blue sky of Terra, bluer than he had seen in any sky, even on Earth, even in pictures. It was a strange blue that seemed to fill the very air itself. Eventually, he said, "I know what it's like to be lonely. I didn't say it to Garland, but I spent ten of the first eleven years of my life without any friends. The relatives looking after me were appalling excuses for human beings. It was only when I went to Hogwarts that I actually had friends. It's better to be with friends than without them, really."
Mikoto scrutinised Harry. He had bared his heart. And he had made her realise, without realising it himself, that she was lonely. That there was a void within her soul. A void that was from a lack of connection to others. And when he said that it is better to be with friends than without them, her course of action seemed clear. Normally, when she made decisions, it was based on cold and hard calculation.
But now, she made one on an impulse.
"Then…may I be your friend, Harry?" Mikoto asked.
The young mage whipped his head around to stare at her in astonishment. Then, he said, "Well, maybe, but, well, we barely know each other."
"It may be some time before Garland can restore your Portkey," Mikoto said. "There are many tasks that require his attention. I think we will have some time to become acquainted."
Harry seemed to be stunned by such a thing, before he seemed to shrug resignedly. "Yeah, why not? I'm gonna be stuck here anyway, and you're the only decent company."
Mikoto smiled, despite herself. Even so, she was troubled at her impulsive request. Given Terra's mission, she was almost certain Harry would oppose it. And it meant that he might view her keeping it a secret as a betrayal. Time would tell…
CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:
Well, there you have it. The start of the Harry and Mikoto shipping, as well as the events of the game happening. This is just before Kuja lays waste to Alexandria with Bahamut, and Garland uses the Invincible to destroy Alexander and much of Alexandria.
While Mikoto in the game is somewhat emotionless, I think that, like Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion (as mentioned above), it's not because she IS emotionless, but she lacks the ability to express it. Having someone like Harry, who is fresh and new, and who isn't either from Gaia (and thus automatically her enemy) or Zidane (being the prodigal son), makes her more vulnerable to the emotions he is stirring, a desire for a connection. Harry, just by being there, made her a little impulsive.
Now, after a certain point, this story will head back to the Harry Potter world. I dunno whether I'm going to do any bashing in this work (though it will probably be of Dumbledore and Snape, if at all: I don't really do much in the way of Ron-bashing, save for in passing).
No numbered annotations this time.
