by Moonstone 04
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Author's Notes: Big, big thanks to Jinx for the feedback while writing this chapter, it was a huge help. X3 I would also like to take this moment to explain that this fic is meant to be an AU (Alternate Universe), so don't expect it to match up with real canon information from the games. With more and more info coming out about Episode III, I felt it was important for people to know that. No Episode III spoilers in the comments, please. That said, I hope you enjoy it!
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Cry of the Rapture
Straight backed, his hands clasped behind his back, Wilhelm stared out from the panoramic observatory window. Below, was the most restricted and secure lab in the facility. People wearing immaculate white radiation suits bustled around workstations and all manner of specialized equipment. The center of attention, levitating on a suitably large pedestal, was the Zohar.
As Yeshua materialized within the otherwise deserted observatory, his eyes remained averted to the floor. His gaze never meeting the golden monolith or the blue jewel that resembled the color of his eyes. He did not like looking at it, if he could avoid it. The sight of the Zohar held far too many powerful memories for him.
"I hope, Yeshua, that you have not come to shout at me again." Wilhelm said in velvet tones, not turning from where he stood.
"I wasn't shouting."
"Truly. Whatever you were doing, it was very unbecoming."
Slowly, Yeshua shook his head back and forth with a look of exhausted disgust. "How can you stand to stare at it like that?"
"I would rather look truth in the face, than look away in fear and ignorance."
"How many must suffer for your sake?"
"Yeshua. My dearest brother. I do this for you. And for all of them. There is no other way. How many times now have we discussed this?"
"There must be another way. She wouldn't want this."
"Is that so? Did she stop as the world was shaken to its foundations? Did she stop as our children drowned beneath the waves? Tell me, Yeshua."
Silently, Yeshua seethed with fury.
Closing his eyes, Wilhelm smiled with satisfaction. "My apologies. I'm not being fair. Let us not dwell on past animosities any longer. Now, more than ever, we must be united. I have told you what is at stake."
"You continue these pretenses of yours...and yet, you are still in league with Mordred."
"As I told you before, I have done what was necessary." Wilhelm opened his eyes again with a musing expression. "Now that the Compass of Order is back in my possession, I once again have the upper hand."
Yeshua could hear in his voice, the royal tones that had once lifted his spirits to believe in a bright future... A future they would build together. It was that voice that had inspired so many, and built a nation unlike any the world had seen before or since. There had once been a time, long ago, when he would have followed Wilhelm anywhere, and done anything for him. Once upon a time... So much had passed since those days, so many hurts and wrongs between them that could never be undone.
"I am genuinely sorry." Yeshua said softly. "But I can no longer trust you. You call me your dearest brother, but you would betray me in an instant to achieve your goals. You have done it before, and you would do it again. You may not be the monster that Mordred is, but your heart is cold and empty."
Wilhelm was quiet, but his hands slowly unclasped from behind his back. He folded his arms around himself and leaned back slightly to stare towards the strange skeletal-like relics circling the lab, suspended in twelve containers of fluorescent red liquid. "I do not need you to trust me. I need you to help me. If we do not do this, then he will. And if that happens, there will no longer be a tomorrow, ever again."
"I can't hurt her... What you're bringing about will be a disaster. Can you not feel it gathering around yourself even now?" Yeshua shivered.
"Love has always made you weak, Yeshua. It robs you of your potential and sensibility. You never learned to put aside your feelings and do what needed to be done. That is why you were a poor knight."
"I am what I am." Yeshua bowed his head, silver hair shrouding his face. "No matter what else this world makes me out to be, that is the one thing that makes me who I am. I exist... to love her."
"Yes," Wilhelm murmured. "That defining quality...is perhaps the only thing I can depend on."
Feeling lost, Yeshua returned to the living quarters. He found Abel sitting at the table, drawing with crayons. The boy had been quieter than usual since the other day when he had been found hiding under his bed. Although Abel had not told anyone what was bothering him, Yeshua knew what had happened. He still felt guilty for having unintentionally fed Abel his thoughts and emotions during an unguarded moment. He had not realized just how closely their wavelengths matched. Even Wilhelm had noticed the synchronization before he had.
"You doing okay?" Yeshua asked, looking down at the half-hearted crayon scribbles on the table.
"I guess so."
"That nightmare isn't still bothering you, is it?"
Abel didn't reply, and picked up a blue crayon.
Concerned, Yeshua looked from Abel to the drawing. It was more stylized than what Abel usually drew. There was a familiarity to the picture that made him uneasy, but such symbols were often universal in human consciousness. "Is that a fish?"
"No," Abel replied. "It's an eye."
Just then, Masuda came in. "Hello, boys. The tutor isn't here yet?"
"Ah, no." Yeshua looked away reluctantly from what Abel was doing. "And you're here earlier than usual. What's up?"
"Well, I'm not really off-duty yet." Masuda smiled, but there was an anxiety hidden in his eyes that Yeshua knew well. "One of the new research crews wants to see you...nothing to worry about, I'll be going with you."
Something caused Yeshua to turn and look at Abel. The boy had stopped drawing, and was listening. There was little doubt at that moment that Abel could feel the shifting tides of eternity as well as he could. Yeshua looked back at Masuda with a questioning frown.
"No more tests, remember? Hasn't anyone informed them?"
"Well, yes..." Masuda said, rubbing his arm uneasily. "But Master Wilhelm gave them the green light. They believe the newly designed equipment will-"
"No." Yeshua said.
"I'm sorry Joshua, but we don't have any choi-"
"I'm staying here." Yeshua said more firmly. "Tell Wilhelm he can come and drag me out to the lab himself. I won't do it."
Abel seemed to relax, gently filling in his drawing with blue.
"Please, Joshua, this isn't about him. This is about the work we're doing here...you know it's important to me, too." Masuda sighed. "And the sooner we have a breakthrough, the sooner we can all go home. They just want to monitor you, nothing more. I promise, no more than an hour. Please, Joshua?"
Abel had stopped drawing again.
"I don't like this..." Yeshua felt painfully uneasy. He could feel reality shifting and rearranging around him, as it often did no matter how much he tried to subdue his power. The presence of the Zohar only made it worse. He felt like they were sitting on a bomb that was just waiting to go off... "I don't want to be in the same room as that thing."
"Everything is set up in one of the smaller lab rooms." Masuda smiled reassuringly. "You won't have to go near the main lab at all."
"Abel shouldn't be left alone."
"The tutor will be here any minute, he'll be fine." Masuda looked to Abel with a small laugh. "Tell your overprotective brother that you're old enough to take care of yourself for a little while, hmm?"
Abel looked up and gave a guilty little nod. "I'm okay here."
"Alright..." Yeshua reluctantly gave in. He did not want Abel to suffer any more involvement than was necessary. "If it's that important to you."
"Thank you, Joshua. It won't be bad, I promise." Masuda turned to Abel and gave him an affectionate pat on the head. "Don't worry, I'll bring him back in one piece." He said with a wink.
So it was done. Fate was pulling him in all directions, and Yeshua did not know which way was safe to turn. All he knew was that he was headed out the door with Masuda. Before the door closed behind them, he looked back to see Abel was drawing again. Just a normal small boy at a normal small table, coloring with crayons. The door swished shut, and the scene was gone.
As Yeshua and Masuda walked down the cold, white corridor, they passed the tutor. She was accompanied by a man in a labcoat that Yeshua had never seen before. Judging from the top security clearance tag he wore at his breast pocket, he was coming from the same place they were headed to. Yeshua turned away from the man's intensely curious gaze as they approached. His unusual appearance always gave him away. Masuda greeted them briefly before they passed each other.
Soon they were completely alone again. The endless, blinding white corridors made Yeshua long for the outdoors. Just to hear the wind again instead of the constant electric hum would be enough. Unexpectedly, they were suddenly still, and the silver-haired youth turned questioning eyes towards his 'father.'
"Ahah, I was just thinking, we don't get too many moments like this anymore, do we?" Masuda laughed awkwardly. "I hadn't intended for you boys to get so wrapped up in all of this."
"It's alright. It isn't your fault."
From the look on his face, Masuda had not been convinced of that. "You're braver than I am, the both of you. I want you to know just how proud of you I am."
Yeshua smiled with understanding, but that smile faded, as he watched Masuda pull a small pendant out of his shirt, unclasping it at the back of his neck. A tiny, teardrop crystal shimmered at the end of a delicate chain.
Instantly, he was no longer in that cold corridor. In his mind, he was standing at the top of a great pyramid, the steps of a golden temple towering before him. Below him, multitudes of men in armor, shining brightly in the hot sun, were gathering and preparing. Yet, his eyes were for none of that.
Moving up the golden steps, he entered the arching doorway, passing instantly from daylight to gloom. Although the doors were open, very little from the outside, not even sunlight, was permitted within the solemn walls. Through those translucent, crystalline walls, waves of light and water flowed endlessly. The dark center from which all waves flowed, was the Sacred Lake at the Heart of the temple. This was a holy place, which few human eyes ever beheld.
A woman in white robes was coming towards him. She moved with the grace and formality expected of a living goddess. There was an ever serene smile on her lips, but her luminous blue eyes were full of sadness.
As much as he wanted to stay, looking into those eyes, he knew it was best to leave. Deep down, he knew time would change nothing, but still...
"You are not suited for this work, Yeshua."
"Miriam, I'm the only one who can do this." He said soothingly. "Mordred can not be trusted with the Ein Sof. His power is too wild. And Samael can not take leave of the Kingdom for as long as we must be gone."
Her eyes fell away from him. "So this is goodbye."
"No..." To see her with such a sad face was making his heart break into tiny pieces. He shook his head and stepped closer to take her hands. They were close...too close. It would not be proper for them to be seen like this, but at that moment, he did not care. In truth, it still was never close enough...
"Yeshua... What is this...?" Miriam looked down at their clasped hands. A delicate, glittering chain had appeared between her fingers. On that chain was a tiny crystal, like a teardrop of light against the surrounding gloom.
"That's my promise to you." Yeshua spoke so softly, only Miriam could have heard him. "A promise to keep close to your heart while I'm away."
"A promise?" Miriam smiled, lifting her eyes to his.
"That's right." Warmed to see her smile again, he gave her clasped hands a tender squeeze. "To remind you that no matter where you are, no matter how much time comes between us, I'll always come back to you."
Her eyes were shining with the feelings they were forbidden to ever express... "If that is so...I shall always wait for you. Even if it takes an eternity. My Yeshua."
"Come now, I'm not that slow." Yeshua laughed softly.
Ancient light danced and sang within the tiny crystal pendant, remembering that distant promise. Still, not even then, had Yeshua realized how cruelly fate would put their vows to the test.
Looking up from the crystal, he gave a start, as he was once again facing Masuda. He blinked as the memories fled away, leaving him in the cold, white hallway of the present time. He must have had a dazed look on his face, because Masuda wore a worried expression.
"Joshua, are you alright?"
Not trusting his voice, he simply nodded with a forced smile.
"I guess you recognize this, don't you? It belonged to your mother." Masuda was holding the pendant in his palm. "It doesn't look it, but this is a very old heirloom that came down through her father's side." He got a faraway look in his own eyes as he looked down at him. "She was never without it. When you were old enough, she wanted you to have it."
Feeling numb, Yeshua stared down at the cold pendant that Masuda had placed in his hand. This did not belong to him. In no sense, did he deserve this. His fingers closed around it so he would not have to look at it.
"I... I'll take care of it."
Masuda smiled. "I thought I lost the chance to honor her wishes... Guess we all got a second chance, didn't we?"
"...second chance?" Yeshua lifted his head. One look in the man's face, and Yeshua felt sick. How long could he live this horrible lie? He looked away, down the corridor. "Yeah, I guess we did."
"I promise," Masuda clapped Yeshua's shoulder. "I'm going to get you boys out of here soon. Very soon. There's been so much progress, surely Master Wilhelm will agree to it."
Yeshua somehow managed a smile. There was a troubling electrical crackling sound as Masuda removed his hand, but he forgot about it very soon afterward...
Thankfully, it was less invasive than before. This time, no one attempted to poke him with needles. Instead, he was asked to sit back in a chair, while strange sensors were taped onto various places of his body. Then nothing more was asked of him, as the scientists busied themselves with their machines, along with his "father." Closing his eyes and trying to relax in the hard chair, Yeshua comforted himself by squeezing the cold pendant that still lay in his clenched hand. The babble around him slowly faded away.
"...looking good, no problems so far..."
"...flux, but it's holding up fine..."
"...other variable is go, give them the go ahead..."
Yeshua felt like he was floating away, somewhere quiet and cold. None of it mattered, none of it was real... As relaxed as he was, however, he could still feel the delicate crystal in his palm.
"...perfect synchronization! What the..."
"...anima output has been initiated..."
"...another blip..."
Suddenly a searing pain flared through Yeshua's mid-section. Rudely brought back from his quiet place, he opened his eyes with a gentle groan. No one seemed to notice, as there seemed to be a great deal of excitement surrounding a certain monitor.
"...field spiked, is it safe?"
He tried to relax again, but his entire form was tense and humming uncomfortably. With one hand, he touched the wires trailing away from his forehead, but there was nothing emitting from them. What was this feeling?
"...don't let it overload, keep that feedback under control..."
"...wait, something's wrong..."
"Dr. Masuda, stay back, or I'll have you removed."
"...message, the object is syncing with the variable..."
"...just keep it stable, that's all you have to do, damn it..."
Somewhere deep inside, there was a sharp tugging. The sensation that if he did not keep a firm hold of his seat, that he might be pulled out of reality like a dwindling singularity. It felt like a painful twisting in his gut, and he gritted his teeth as he gripped both the chair and the air. Yeshua's heart beat wildly in terror as he recognized the feeling. Although he knew he was still there, the world around him was fading in and out, between the real and the brilliant light of the other side.
"...not responding, should we..."
"...commander, what is..."
"...get him out of here, he has no authority here..."
There was screaming everywhere. The familiar voices...and his voice... The blinding, hungry light... Clawing at them...
"...ander Yeshua...!"
"...no one hold him down, he's just a boy...!"
"...chaos... Are we all...going to end up like him...?"
"...make no mistake, you are no different than I am..."
"...received order to abort..."
"...Abel... Live...!"
At last, the screaming and the voices faded, and even the light gave way to darkness as Yeshua closed his eyes. The danger had passed for the moment. Feeling weak as he had not felt in a very long time, he let his consciousness fly away for a little while.
When he came back, he was lying on his back in the dark. Someone had brought him back to his bedroom. He felt that he had been gone for several hours. Blanket rustling, he sat up and looked around. Across the room, Abel was also asleep in his own bed, his back towards Yeshua.
Without making a further sound, Yeshua lightly placed his bare feet on the floor, and got up. He padded across the room, towards the door. With the flicker of thought, he teleported into the next room.
The bright sterile light that usually lit the area was replaced with the dim evening lights, casting everything in shadow. At the table where Yeshua had last spoken to Abel was still covered with crayons and half finished drawings. Beyond the table was a bookcase and an armchair. An arm hung limply from the chair, barely holding onto an empty shotglass. Hesitantly, Yeshua circled around it to face the person sitting there. In that chair, sat Dr. Masuda. He was silent, and appeared to be asleep.
Then after a long silence, he spoke.
"I'm sorry, Joshua. I'm so sorry."
Yeshua felt numb, and only stared back for several moments. He did not fully understand what had occurred. He only knew what he had felt, and that it had been very dangerous. At last, he found his voice.
"It's not your fault. I should have known they would try something like that. They won't be able to get me back into the lab again. So don't worry about it."
Masuda shook his head wearily, pressing his fingertips to his brow. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm alright. Just thought I'd go out and get some air."
Between his fingers, Masuda looked at him uncertainly. "You should take it easy, after what happened. For a little while, I thought..."
Yeshua smiled kindly. "I'm perfectly fine now, really."
Nothing could be further from the truth. That was why he needed to get away. Even if only for a few hours. After gaining reluctant permission from Masuda, he pulled on his socks and boots, and went out for a walk.
He did not watch where he went, there was no need to see anything around him. All paths opened before him, as they always did. The corridors were empty and peaceful, leaving him to his own thoughts. His eyes strayed to his closed fist, where he had never let go of the pendant that still lay in the palm of his hand.
"Miriam..." He clutched his closed fist to his chest. "I don't know what to do..."
Never in his life, had he felt so alone. He had no one to confide in anymore, no one who would understand his feelings. The weight of the world was crushing down on him. So he did the only thing he knew how to do. He ran away.
Cold air suddenly hit him in the face, sweeping his bangs away from his face. He had reached the outer grounds of the castle. The night sky twinkled with light, inviting him away from the horrors beneath the earth. At that moment, he wished nothing more than to spread his wings and disappear into that starry sky...
A cold shadow finally brought him to a halt.
There was someone walking towards him. A lanky figure in a dark scarlet robe. Yeshua was surprised to see anyone else out there in the dead of night. A shameful rage silently filled his heart as he sensed the familiar presence. Crystal cut into his palm as his fist tightened about it. It was the last person he wanted to see...
"Oh Yeshua," the scarlet man stopped several feet away. "Are you still pretending to be a little boy?"
"Mordred." He intoned with all the deep-seated loathing he felt at the other's presence. "At least I'm not a filthy parasite manifesting within unwilling human hosts."
The lanky figure shifted its posture in amusement. "Please, you know as well as I do that they're little more than shattered pieces of glass. As they are, they're worthless for anything other than serving us. This dirtied plane of existence must be swept up, brother. You, of all people, should appreciate the necessity of that. And get with the times. I haven't used that name in ages. It makes me sound like a character from a cheesy fantasy novel. Call me Heinlein."
"Heinlein... Wilhelm... You both have so many names... What does it matter what I call you." Yeshua muttered.
"Ever the hypocrite, I see." Heinlein chuckled humorlessly. "I hear you call yourself Joshua these days."
"No." Yeshua shook his head. "That's just another name people have given me." People had given him countless names over the ages... But only one had ever meant anything to him...the name she had given him... Her savior...
Even if he no longer deserved the name.
Although Yeshua could not see his face, he could hear the sneer in Heinlein's voice. "You may be the eldest of us, but you're still as a child. An ancient child, who still allows these pitiful creatures to mold you to their whims. It is time to take your own name, brother, and make your own destiny. The world belongs to us, not to them."
"I refuse... I'll have no part in this. Each one of them...is a fragment of her light... A piece of her soul. Even for my own desires, I can not."
"Always ever suffering, aren't you, little Yeshua. I'm beginning to think you actually enjoy it." He turned his back to him. "No matter, I think I like it better this way. When I consume them all, I'll overwhelm you both."
"You'll never succeed." Yeshua said quietly. "You are nothing more than a shadow...one that should have never existed. You can never be anything more than a neurosis."
Silently, Heinlein turned around again. He stalked towards Yeshua, until they were face to face, or rather, face to chest. His features were shockingly similar to Yeshua's own, and even now, he felt uncomfortable looking straight at him. Yeshua's eyes automatically averted to the side. If Yeshua appeared about five years older with gleaming emerald eyes, he might have looked exactly like Heinlein.
"Figuratively speaking, I may have been ripped out of your heart," Heinlein hissed, "but you will never be rid of me. I am in charge. You are weak and cowardly. All your love...and what has it gotten you?"
Heinlein violently seized the front of Yeshua's jumpsuit, pulling him close enough to see the hellish green glow in his eyes. That is, if their eyes had met. "What has it gotten you, Yeshua? Constant fear, anxiety, anger, and frustration... Oh yes," he laughed cruelly, "that sexual frustration has gotten you into so much trouble, hasn't it little Yeshua?"
Angrily, Yeshua struggled, but not hard enough to break his brother's grip.
"In other words," Heinlein stopped laughing, "every bit of your mental baggage that you threw away, which created me. Well...yours and his. But yours is just so delicious, it makes me want to scream. Someone has to do something about it, because a coward like you surely won't. You've made that perfectly clear."
With that, he shoved Yeshua down to the ground.
"Go on," he sneered. "Prove me wrong."
Swinging his head back and forth, Yeshua refused to look at him. His rage would not control him. He would not listen... "I'm not like you..."
"Psh. I am you." Placing the flat of one foot against his forehead, Heinlein kicked his brother over. He watched as Yeshua sprawled back against the dark grass. Rolling onto his hands and knees, he did not rise. "Unfortunately."
Taking deep breaths, Yeshua let his anger seep away. Only to be replaced with the pain in his head. Before he could recover, he received a brutal kick to the side, sending him sliding across the grass, before he stopped, face to the ground. Wheezing, this time, he did not get up.
"This is pathetic." In disgust, Heinlein flicked a lock of hair away from his face. "Such a waste of power... Even a human could put up a better fight. Come on, Yeshua." He knelt down beside him. "I know you remember what I did to her. What I had my men do to her. You'll never have a better chance for revenge. I promise you that."
Pain. He forced the memories away. Trembling, his fingers dug into the earth. "Why are you doing this?" A flash of light...the horror... Yeshua squeezed his eyes shut.
"You know why." Heinlein's voice was filled with hatred. "I will take back everything you took from me... And then I will succeed where you failed."
"Mordred..." Opening his pain-filled eyes, Yeshua finally looked up at his brother.
"Enough. I see nothing has changed." Heinlein stood and turned away. "You're still good for a laugh, Yeshua. Enjoy the show...I'll see you again when the curtain falls."
Yeshua watched as his brother walked away into the darkness. A faint hint of scarlet light trailed behind him like strands of gossamer, resembling six red angel wings. Then he disappeared within a flaring red glow. Insects which had been silent before, began to chirp and click.
Pushing himself to his feet, Yeshua limped over to a small thicket. Leaning against a small tree, he slid to the ground beneath it, and sat there for the rest of the night.
Two more weeks passed. Life in the facility had quickly descended into a hellish existence within the relatively short span since the first test. As promised, Yeshua never again allowed the scientists to include him in their experiments. He always managed to be somewhere else whenever they tried to come for him. However, the nightmarish spells that he had first experienced during the testing were continuing. And he knew now what was causing them. On that day, the experimentation on Abel had begun... Every day, Abel was tied into a seat and was placed into a virtual interface with the Zohar's wavelength. ...It was slowly destroying the boy's mind.
Softly singing in the dark, Yeshua sat on the floor beside Abel's bed. It was the only way he could comfort him, to soothe his ravaged mind. The boy's weary eyes were open, but empty. Abel resembled a lifeless ragdoll on the bed, only the shallow rise and fall of his chest revealing what still lay within. Yeshua could feel his consciousness struggling to reach what he had always accepted as reality. He would either surface, or be swallowed.
Biting down the ache of pain and guilt, Yeshua's gentle melody continued, his voice ethereal and full of sorrow. He sang of the open sky, of clouds, and stars. Of windy fields and endless forests. Of crystal waters and burning sands. And he sang of struggling dreams, eternal loneliness... and eternal love, ever enduring. Although it was a painful song, Yeshua did not stop, hoping it could guide Abel out from wherever he had lost himself.
If he still had tears left to shed, he would have.
Only when he heard the front door open, did he stop singing. Leaving Abel with a reassuring squeeze of the hand, he went into the next room. As he expected, it was Masuda, unshaven and angry as he dropped a cardboard box onto the table. Several objects inside cracked loudly. More junk from a forgotten era.
"He can't take much more." Yeshua said.
"Much more...what?" Masuda mumbled, loudly opening the box.
"The tests. They're killing him." Yeshua frowned. "He hasn't spoken a word in weeks. Since the last time, he hasn't even been able to move on his own. He's your son..." A desperate plea escaped him. "...you have to..."
Yeshua stopped as Masuda whirled around and stared at him as if he did not recognize who he was looking at. He was squinting, dark circles under his eyes. "Joshua? Can't you see I'm busy?" He snapped. "You know how important my work here is. I don't know what's gotten into you, but I won't tolerate these stories!"
"It wasn't your fault."
He saw it coming, but did not move away as Masuda slapped him. For a moment, he saw stars, and his cheek stung. Touching fingertips to his face, and turned back to face Masuda. He could not help but to feel deep sympathy at the frightened look emerging in the man's eyes.
As Masuda became increasingly helpless and paranoid, he was growing more suspicious of him. Did he finally look into 'Joshua's' eyes, and realize that it was not his own son looking back at him? Trapped in this horrible place, did he face the truth that he might have already lost two of his children to it?
"You used to always lose your temper... Such a bratty child. Always causing trouble." Masuda turned away, his shoulders hunching over. "I... I want that brat back. Instead of these lies..."
"I..."
"Leave me alone."
Bowing his head, Yeshua turned around and returned to Abel's room.
The next day, Abel was removed from the room, and Masuda went with him. Yeshua was forced along as well, however the scientists somehow lost track of him halfway to the lab. They would send people to search through the corridors, of course, but they would not find him. Yeshua had hidden himself among a small grove of trees, far above the facility. Sitting cross-legged in the tall grass, he was dappled with shadow and sunlight that filtered down through the treetops. Eyes closed and meditating, he prepared himself for the now routine experience of madness and pain.
There was a good chance this would be the last time. Yeshua himself was growing weak from the repeated barrage of attempted contacts between Abel and the Zohar. This much raw interfacing with the Zohar itself was unheard of. That Abel had held out this long was truly amazing. Yet, the very thing that made him strong would also destroy him... In his weakened state, surely it was only a matter of time.
He was taking long, calming breaths, when the first blast hit him between the eyes. Searing pain accompanied by black and white flashes. It knocked him onto his back, and he put his hands to his eyes, uselessly trying to block out the lights. More and more lights flashed through his vision, patterns of color that ebbed in and out of existence. Voices were careening past him too quickly to discern any single phrase. Abel's fears and anxieties as well as his own welled up, attacking relentlessly. All sense of self was lost in the madness and screaming. Somewhere, he was clawing at whatever he could...grass, cold metal, sand... All fading as the unstoppable force within himself wailed and clawed to possess the light.
Suddenly, from far away, someone was singing.
The image of a girl flashed into his mind.
...Miriam?
Mother.
In his confused mind, the two images came together within a single axis in a flash of brilliant light and sound... A faint form of shimmering light appeared...
Everything else subsided as the singing voice rose to the surface. He knew this song...and this voice. It was Abel... With incredible effort, the noise and lights slowly faded away. As his senses returned, Yeshua's first thoughts were that the experiment had abruptly ended, or that he was feeling Abel's last moments. Instead, he opened his eyes to see the sky had not returned, although his head was now clear. Instead, there were two shimmering violet eyes staring back at him.
Then, almost as suddenly, the eyes were gone, and he was staring at the inside of a large laboratory. In front of him was a golden monolith, the Zohar itself. He seized up in fear, but he was strapped into a chair. Within moments, Yeshua realized he couldn't struggle, because he was not actually there. He was seeing through Abel's eyes. Faintly, he could hear a girl singing the same song that Abel had been singing before, but there was no girl to be seen.
"I don't believe this, Lemegeton is rewriting its own functions... How is this even possible? Should I attempt to override it?" The scientist bent over the computer looked up. Beside him was a man in dark, ornate robes; a strange sight among the many white radiation suits.
"No. As long as the data remains intact, do not interfere. Keep recording, and watch the boy." The robed man ordered. "Dr. Uzuki, the Vector CEO has requested your presence, I believe you are no longer needed here. Dr. Masuda, please come with me."
Sound faded, and the world went dark as Abel finally fell into unconsciousness, pulling Yeshua down with him. Exhausted, he did not resist.
When he finally awoke again, it was nighttime. There was no light, as dark clouds were obscuring the moon and stars. Closing his eyes again, Yeshua was surprised to find he could easily switch back into Abel's perspective. He was still strapped to the chair, and probably had not moved all day. Activity in the laboratory had quieted down for the night. There was only one scientist left, examining the information being processed by the computer.
After a few minutes, he stopped and stepped over to peer down at Abel. It was Dr. Masuda. He looked more tired than Yeshua had ever seen him, his spirit crushed. "I'm sorry, Abel. If you can still hear me, I hope you'll be able to forgive me someday. If only I hadn't..." His listless voice trailed off. "There's nothing that can be done about it now. Now they own us all. I don't know if your sister and aunt even know we're still alive. I never meant for this to happen... I didn't think..."
Abel remained silent, although his eyes trailed his father.
Staring up at the giant golden monolith, Masuda's head fell back. "This was supposed to bring us new hope... Grant all our wishes, like a genie in a bottle." Climbing the steps of the great pedestal, his voice broke with despair. "Maybe that was my mistake. Can I take it all back like in the stories, or is it too late?" He paused before it for a long moment, as if seeking a path to redemption in the gleaming golden surface. Finally, his seeking, trembling hand reached out towards the Zohar.
"Stop."
The word was on Yeshua's lips, but Abel was silent. In an instant, it was all over. Dr. Masuda had touched what mortals were forbidden to touch. In a flash of light, all the knowledge he had ever sought was granted to him, transforming his very existence. The being who had been known as Dr. Masuda, vanished.
With the passage of that transformed existence, the door was opened. There was nothing... no one... who could stop the massive shift which had been triggered by Masuda's will. Back arched and fingers dug into the earth, Yeshua struggled uselessly to control the power that reached out towards the brilliant points of light it most desired. That he most desired... What began as a low moan in Yeshua's throat, echoed by Abel, rose into a howling cry of rapture and despair.
Over the following weeks, the castle was slowly swallowed by a terrible silence. Insects no longer chirped and birds no longer sang. Not a single creature moved through the grasses or between the stones of the ancient building. If one were to walk through the countryside, they would find that the eerie silence was slowly spreading out from the castle, leaving strangely deserted homes and fields in its wake...
Deep below ground, solitary footsteps echoed through the foreboding labyrinth. Once blinding in their stark white light, the hallways were now as dark as the caverns beyond their walls. Yeshua made his way towards the small room where Abel lay sleeping.
The boy's dark hair, fallen in messy locks about his face, accentuated how pale he had become during his long confinement. Thin and weak, he lay prone, breathing with shallow breaths. Abused and neglected, and having endured more than most mortals ever had, and yet he still lived. Like a star which refused to burn out, Abel's will continued to burn brilliantly.
Kneeling by his bedside, Yeshua reached out and tenderly brushed his hair away from his face. "Abel... Abel, wake up. We're leaving now."
"I'm impressed."
At the sudden voice, Yeshua stood and turned around. In the thick of shadows, Wilhelm stood a few feet away, his hands tucked into his pockets. Ruby eyes glowed softly against the velvety blackness of his surroundings.
"Do you still believe this is the right way?" Yeshua asked with surprising roughness. "Do you understand now why the Zohar can never be used again?"
Wilhelm gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "It was an extremely unfortunate accident. Heinlein's men stepped over their boundaries."
"Accident... Surely you understand... This planet...this planet is dying!"
"You would know, wouldn't you?" Wilhelm said dryly. He folded his arms around himself. "Luckily, Heinlein's people now have the Zohar contained and under control. However, the damage has been done, and there's no use bemoaning it. The deep sanctuary has been taken, but I never leave myself without a contingency plan. The facility in New Mexico is still secure, and I've already taken all necessary measures."
Yeshua's heart sank, knowing what Wilhelm was speaking of. Sadly, he looked down at Abel. "Without her, this can never be undone." Gently, he lifted the frail boy into his arms. "And unless this is undone, she can never awaken." Turning away like a sleep walker, he slowly wandered towards the door. To speak those words aloud had been like striking himself in the gut. These were things he knew, but had dreaded to admit to himself. The nightmare was real.
"That's the bard talking. Enough melodrama, you know as well as I do that there is still hope. Your riddle will require time to solve, but I swear it will be done. All I ask, is that you join me once more. Surely you see now, more than ever, what we are faced with."
Pausing for a long moment, Yeshua stood before the door. "No. I told you before, and I'll tell you one last time. I'll have nothing more to do with this. Our meddling has nearly destroyed them. The more we interfere, the more damage is done. I am finished." With that, he moved to leave, and the door swished open before him. In the doorway, he was halted once more by Wilhelm's voice.
"...Am I seeing this again?" Wilhelm's tone took on a subtly dark edge. "Running away again, while civilization sinks into hell? ...Remember who you are. For once in your life, Yeshua, take responsibility..."
"Stop calling me that!" Yeshua snapped back hotly. He quickly regained his composure, but his words still sounded bitter. "I'm not that person anymore. Call me for my true name, what I really am. All I have ever brought to this world is chaos, and that is the only name I deserve."
"You're the only one who can change that. Help me. Stay with me."
Closing his eyes as his chest clenched with pain, he shook his head gently. "You don't need me, we both know that. You were always the clever one. You'll find a way without me... I'll bet you have a plan already, don't you?"
Wilhelm was silent a moment before replying. "That's not true."
"Anyone else would find that convincing. We've tried this before, and it failed. It can never be the way it was before, ever again. Let me go."
"No." Wilhelm said forcefully. "Do you think it was easy for me? I didn't want to do it. It has never been about what I want. I do not have the luxury of forgetting who I am. One of us had to be responsible...to do what is necessary."
Bowing his head sorrowfully, he opened his eyes. "I can never forget who I am. That's why-"
"If that's true, then remember your duty as an immortal." Wilhelm's voice took on an edge of desperation. Unseen power churned about him, grasping and clawing, but to no avail. "Remember your duty to me!"
Wince. "Good bye... Wilhelm." Clutching Abel to him, he walked out the door. Catching only one last glimpse behind him, he quickened his pace, going as fast as he could without running.
Behind him, he could feel Wilhelm's aura simmering violently with emotions he could not clearly identify. "Again?" His silken voice rang out in disbelief through the hallways, and cracked within the mind. "Are you abandoning me again? Yeshua?"
As much as he tried, he could never erase from his memory, the brief glimpse of Wilhelm's stricken face as he had turned away. Such an expression, even when he had long known this would be his choice... Truly, it was difficult to accept for one such as Wilhelm, who was accustomed to playing fate like a fiddle. Wilhelm had known this, and still... Still...
"Yeshuaaaaa!"