Holy shit. Man, I feel busy. Now I feel the life of an author! Anyway...
Hello everyone! Irate here with a brand new chappie, and sadly my longest one up to date. Dunno if that's a yay or nay but oh well. It was a hard working task and I feel... iffy about it.
Again, I listened to your reviews (thank you guys for the reviews, especially Meddler and Akimune, since they give me much motivation 3) and I feel as though you're right. It's mostly about Dyne AND Ichika, instead of just Dyne.
Now about the iffy part. I'm kicking myself in the pants again to see if I added too much to confuse you. Now Dyne has been implanted reports about Chronos from... somebody. We'll know soon, right? :D
Also, I felt iffy about the Emilia Sanchez, another OC, and Houki's discussion with her about why Ichika is here and that jazz. I stink with girl-talk discussion and things that require information and extensive research. It's tough, I know, but hey that's the part of being a writer, touché?
Anyway, Infinite Stratos doesn't belong to me, but Dyne, Chrono and the newcomer Emilia has joined the fray!
Distant Past: 8:29AM, April 7th, 2032, early morning at the front desk:
The usual routine for the Secretary begins in the early morning for the front desk in the secretary's office, along with a cuppa Joe of course. At least that's how she is handling it each morning. Everyday is the same; sit in the office, check on registrations, and then just laze around for the rest of the day. Quite relaxing in the office, but it's sometimes boring. That's what she's always thinking about when she's on shift in the office.
Knock knock "Hello? Anybody in there?" A voice was sounded from behind the door. Somehow the Secretary was expecting this, as she didn't jolt from her seat.
"Come in." She simply called at the knocker at the door. The door slid open to reveal a tanned girl, with messy short green hair and a tall figure to boot. She wore the school's uniform, but was a little uncomfortable in it, as she was squirming around the chest area. "Heh, right on time, I see?"
"Y-Yes, it's been a while." She spoke in a broken Japanese language, as she simply smiled at the secretary. "How are things going on in the office, Ms. Akira?"
"Now now, don't be so formal. Just call me Nancy. And things have been fine, darling." Nancy, being a victim of how tough and boring her job is, is always a good positive outlook for others. The girl simply smiled back and nodded. The Secretary went back to staring at her computer screen. "So how is Mexico City? Wasn't everyday like a resort vacation?"
"Not anymore, it's more bustling, now that this school funds the city." She informed, being a little more cheery, but a little squirmier as se wiggled around in her uniform.
"You comfortable in that uniform? It looks a little tight on you." The Secretary gave a weird look as the green-haired girl kept squirming in her uniform, which obviously is too tight for her.
"N-No I'm fine! It's nothing!" She looked away and blushed a little. The shirt and pants looked like it was an S size, but clearly she fits more on the M size scale. Was she trying to show off her curves?
"Are you trying to impress someone? Is it…?"
"N-N-No! I-It's not h-him! I'm not trying to impress! I swear!" She blushed furiously and waved her arms in front of herself hastily.
"Oh? You're going to impress a guy? That's new!" The Secretary chuckled. The girl just gave a deep sigh as Nancy stopped chuckling. Apparently she knew the green-haired girl from back then, maybe as friends. But who knows?
"Anyway, you must be hungry from the trip. Grab something to eat while you're at it. I'll finish up your registration!" Nancy informed happily. "The mess hall is down the other end of the school. It has a large gate and most of the noise is coming from there. You won't miss it, darling."
"Oh, you don't have to call me 'darling', you know." The girl politely remarked as she went towards the door.
"Just call me Emilia. Emilia Sanchez."
Present: 8:38AM, April 7th, 2032, down in the Mess Hall:
Dyne's POV
"Hey, it's Tempo-san… let's eat somewhere else…" That's Whisper Number Fourteen…
munch
"Stay away from him. He doesn't look like he's in a good mood today…" That's Number Fifteen…
munch munch
"He's evil…" Sixteen…
gulp
Ugh… I was sitting alone at the table near the window, with the sunlight shining on the empty seats. Even the awesome breakfast isn't helping out for the new day's problems up at hand…
"Hey, you alright? Still being your own 'sulky-angry' mood today?" Dyne asked, as I swallowed the last of my breakfast sandwich. I just sighed and said nothing, while I stared at my tray of empty dishes empty-hearted. I thought I felt myself shrug, as Dyne said, "Guess you are…"
"Ugh…"
"Look, Ichika. I said I was sorry. Just-."
"Sorry isn't good enough! Don't talk to me." I snarled.
"Sigh… Alright then…"
"M-Master Ichika…?"
"Nothing from you either."
"Y-yes, Master Ichika…"
It wasn't like me, but… I felt more and more negative as the days went on. I couldn't put my finger on it, but… ugghhh… how can I think straight on why I am so…?
Past: 7:09AM, April 7th, 2032, in the unknown realm:
"Hiki-wake!" Chrono declared the 3rd time during the sparring kendo match, which meant 'draw'. We were dead tired as we fell down to our bottoms to the brick floor, exasperated. My palms were sweaty, along with the robe that I was wearing. As I took the robe off, I thought to myself and smiled. I was able to keep up with Dyne, who has beaten me in kendo from when we first met a week ago.
"You really are improving, you know?" Chrono flew towards me with a (^_^) face on her, while she held a water bottle wit her pulley. I happily grabbed the water and drank at least half the bottle, and refreshingly gasped for air. I let the water seep into my stomach and savored that moment. Then I watched Dyne over at the over side, chugging down the full bottle, until he exasperated his strength and fell on his back. I gave a small laugh, until Chrono's voice was heard again. "Congrats on your hard work, Master Ichika!" It was nice to feel congratulated
I felt a small pat on the back, as I turned around to see Dyne on his feet and beside me with his arm on my shoulder. "Hey, you're getting a lot better than I thought."
"Yeah…" I said, feeling the smile lower down to the usual chagrin outside of the dream world.
"Hey… what's wrong?" He suddenly puts up a worried face to me, when he looked at me. Dyne looking worried at me wasn't his usual chagrin.
"It's nothing…" I lied to him and looked away at instinct. Of course, a man with no naivety would fall for that.
"Is it about the transfer?" He gave a serious look when he noticed my lie. I only gave a depressing sigh. I knew that being moved away is hard and depressing enough, especially when you were starting to get comfortable in the class.
"Ugh… shut up." I also knew that it wasn't me that started it at all, so I looked at the culprit in front of me who apparently DID started it all. Dyne softened his look to a more uncaring, but passive expression, as he ruffled his long flowing hair.
"Hey, I'm sorry for this, alright?" He apologized, looking away as he scratched his head.
"It's not good enough, Dyne…" I retorted back. "I wanted it to be a peaceful year, but you had to go and blow it into my face…!"
"Well, what else am I supposed to say?! Even if I didn't, they would push you around like a plush toy anyway!" He shot at me, back into his serious expression. But deep down, he was worried.
"I wouldn't bring myself low into hurting and killing people with that type of justification!" For the first time, my anger was swelling up. I actually wanted to fight back in an argument. I shot back his serious expression with my own. "Why didn't you just not act up and stay put?!"
"I can't do that! She harmed my pride! OUR pride!"
"Why do you always try to pick a fight?! Are you always this goddamn violent and maniacal?!"
"Then why do you always hide away and never man up?! Are you always this fucking scared and cowardly?!" I twitched a little when he called me 'cowardly'…
By that time, both of us were steaming with anger and now overheating. We grabbed each other by the necks and squeezed as hard as we could, choking ourselves.
"STOP IT YOU TWO!" After about a minute, Chrono, who was between our stomach areas, broke us apart with a forceful push and sending us to our backsides. We both sat upwards and saw Chrono with a [ :( ] face on her. "I can't bear to see you two fight!"
BRIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIING
I knew it was the cue to wake up. The sky went down from the beautiful orange sunsets to the breath-taking view of nightfall. I didn't hesitate to turn my body and fast-walk to the edge and dive into the dark abyss below, ignoring the voices from what I thought were Dyne and Chrono trying to call me from behind and above.
Sorry… but it made me feel so damn angry inside when he called me cowardly…
Present: 8:42AM, April 7th, 2032, while walking outside the ISA towards to dorms…
Sometimes I do wonder about that statement… I always wondered what made me so cowardly. Was it because of my own faulty weaknesses from the past, or the frights and tortures I got from them as well? I felt so scared of everything, I lost track on why I became so scared. But from what Dyne said, it rang in my brain, reminding me of one of life's problematic lessons.
"Don't sulk and degrade yourself from your weaknesses. Learn from your mistakes and push onwards." I smiled as I now thank and embrace myself on how I learn to become more courageous, even with all the hindrances going on… It's still stressful though…
I still got an hour and fifteen before the class actually starts, and my books needed to be picked up from my dorm as I walked down stone staircases to reach there. Ever since that fight, Houki became scared of me, even going as far as put her wooden kendo sword beside her bed in case of… defensive measure, I guess. But after walking, I felt as though I was being-.
"Excuse me."
Followed… A female voice from behind me made myself turn around, in order to see a group of 5 girls, the one who was at the center looked like a 3rd year student, and the four around her looked like 1st and 2nd year students. For some strange reason, they wore the same, but different uniforms, having black outlining instead of red and yellow ones. Not only that, but they all have two ponytails hanging on their side. That made me very uneasy for some reason.
"Yes?" I replied back, wanting to know what their concern is. They all had serious glares on me, which made me step back a little. It also made my heart ache a little, from the sight of the ponytails.
"Are you Ichika Orimura?" The 3rd year asked me, with a serious and deadly glare on her face.
"No. Why?" I replied back again, this time trying to hide my frightfulness; and thank God it didn't show so much as it wouldn't make them suspicious. But I was wrong. The 1st and 2nd year girls looked at each other in confusion, but the 3rd year wasn't done yet. I didn't like this one bit, so I turned around, but the girl then grabbed my arm.
"Wait! Please let me ask another question." She requested again.
"Y-Yes…?"
"Are you Dyne Tempo?" She asked again, but with half the seriousness and deadliness in her voice.
"Uhh… no! No, you might have gotten the wrong ma-."
"EYYEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!" A high-pitched scream was heard loud in the air. I looked around, and then up at the staircase, to see-.
CRASH
"Huh?" I widened my eyes to the mess in front of me. The five ganged up girls (who were at the base of the stone staircase) were piled below a tanned frilly green haired girl. She also wore… very tight uniform clothes for some reason (don't ask…). She also held a tray of the cafeteria food, still intact with a burrito, a cup of tea and salad, sitting perfectly still, much to my surprise. "What the…" It made me sweatdrop a little…
"Ahhhh~…" The tanned girl groaned as she got up from the pile of now unconscious girl gang, but then slipped and flipped on her back, tossing the tray of food up in the air…
…and landed onto her face.
"A-Are you alright?" I asked, in desperation to see if she needed help.
"Uuuuuu~… Gracias, stranger…" She mumbled in a Mexican accent, through the food, in which she wiped off, and grabbed my hand. But at the instant I pulled her up to her balance, my head started to pulse.
"Ergh…" I grimaced as I placed my palm on my forehead, from the pain that escalated from every heartbeat.
"Eh? Hey… aren't you…?" The green haired female stared at me grimacing, dumbfounded as I started to teeter backwards, then suddenly bursting with happiness all of a sudden. "Oh mi dios… Is that you, Ichika Orimura?!"
"W-Wha…?" My vision started to blur as I unconsciously fell down on my back. The last thing I saw was her coming to my aide as if I needed an ambulance.
The last thing I heard was something that tugged my spine.
"Wake up, Orimura! It's me, Em…ilia…"
Emilia…? It can't be…
Distant Past: 5:33AM, June 7th, 2021, at the slums of town, during the Purge:
"Why, Emilia?! Why are you doing this?!" I exclaimed desperately, trying to get a reason from doing this. "I thought you were our friend! I thought I could trust you! Why?!" I was in tears now, watering and flowing out of my eye sockets. But Emilia… didn't change her demeanor; instead she cried tears while keeping her emotionlessness.
"I don't… expect you to for-…forgive me… Ichika-san…" She blubbered without emotion, and pulled the trigger. I clenched my eyes shut.
BANG!
…
… …
Huh? "There… t-that should… s-stop her… koff koff" And suddenly I knew who that voice was.
I opened my eyes to see Emilia now lying on the floor, shot from behind and blood flowing from her back. I look beyond her to see one of my only friends of the slums.
"Yuki!" I cried out as I ran to him with tears in my eyes. Yuki, the 15-year-old boy who has taken care of the slum kids, lay mortally wounded on the wall from the two shots on his stomach and letting go of the gun from his bloodied hand to fall down into the pool of sanguine blood. His face was red from the fires outside, but it was actually pale from the loss of blood.
He looked at me with sad eyes, but was smiling as well. "Hey… Ichika… 'Squirt'… everyone of us… is dead… 'cept you, of course…"
"Y-Yuki…" I just knelt there with pouring tears as I saw life leaving him. "No… Don't leave me, Yuki-dono...!" His blue eyes were starting to close...
KABOOM!
"GYAAAHH!" I screamed as I covered my head with my arms and closed my eyes, as an explosion nearby shook the whole remains of the 'Slumdog's Clubhouse' we were in. But little did I know that I was more helpless than I thought, after everything that has happened.
CRUMBLE
"Urrrrrrrgh…!" Wh-Wha…?! "W-What are you doing…!? I can't hold this up any more longer!" I took a quick but shattering look behind the dark to see Yuki, struggling with all his might, to hold up a large crumbling piece of the stone rooftops. It was enough for me to dodge out of the way, enough to painfully watch Yuki drop and let the piece of stone crushing him, ending his life without hesitation.
And the result was I being even more devastated from the outcome. But before I cried more, I heard voices and more crumbling from up above.
"Hey, Yuritachi! We just lost signal from one of our agents from one of the room down below! Let's go check it out!"
"Sure thing! If there are any male pests that killed her, we'll exterminate them right on the spot!"
The roof started to crumble more as I looked to see legs of mechanized machines come popping from the holes. If I was some ordinary kid on the happy time, I would be ecstatic to see Gundam come to life. However, that was not the case.
Sure enough, I got up and ran. I went towards the 'Super Secret Getaway Hole' (AKA the sewer manhole), and with all my strength, lifted the lid, and climbed down. By now the destructive Gundam machines finally made their way down to the clubhouse's floor, but I closed the lid before they got a chance to spot me; and at that point, I simply was scared to the point of absolute terror.
Nearly slipping on the ladder, I safety made my way down to the dark waterway caverns and kept running, but at around the second turning corner, my feet would carry me anymore and fell down on the floor. At that point, I didn't care anymore.
Everyone was gone. The friends I once knew, loved and laughed with, either becoming betrayers or dead. I simply knelt down along the murky walls and cried my hardest. The tears were rushing down my face and I can barely breathe from them, as I hugged my own knees to keep me secure from the living nightmare that was happening outside. It didn't secure me though, as I just cried for what felt like hours before I fell asleep… along with the tears from the 'Slumdogs Club'.
"Carry the 'Slumdog's Honor' for us, Ichika… You may be a squirt on the outside, but inside, you're the bravest of us all…" was the last phrase that left my ears before I fell into a dreamless slumber.
The day everything changed. The day I wished my life would return to the way it was. The day where I could continue being happy and with my friends... no, my family!
All ruined… everything… by her… by them.
Present: 9:14AM, April 7th, 2032, in the dormitory halls…
Houki's POV
Ugh… can't believe this…
Walking back to the dorms because I forgot the new booklet that Yamada-sensei gave us to read and review for today's class was a complete bummer for me. I didn't get enough sleep from last night due to what happened yesterday, and maybe I would prefer not to think about it…
"Ehh… His key isn't working… Am I sure it's this room?"
I looked up from my cold depression state to see a green-haired tanned girl, who obviously has dressing issues, because her clothes were tight and stretching. But the more important factor is…
"W-What are you doing in front of my room?! And where did you get that key?!" I immediately shot at her, as I have noticed that she's in front of my dorm room with Ichika. What was a slut like her doing, trying to invade it in the first place?!
"Ehh?! W-Wha?!" She turned around and gasped in surprise at the same time as she jumped out of her standing spot and landed on-.
"Ouchies… mi culata…" She whimpered, but what she landed on was…
"Eh… Eh… EEEHHHHHHHH?!" I simply screeched because of where she landed. Behind her was Dyne; sounding asleep, and sitting on his arm was that slutty tanned girl. "W-W-W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET OFF OF HIM!" I screamed at her.
"Huh…?" She replied dumbfounded, but when she turned around, she jumped from her lovely little seat. "AAAIIIIEEEEEE!" Angered enough, my fists that were clenching tightly, enough to reveal a blood vessel, landed on her head, sending her reeling to the door. She shook it off and immediately looked at me with the 'Don't hurt me, it was all an accident' look, whimpering with green puppy-dog eyes. I hesitated, knowing that wasn't the right thing to do, and lowered my fists. Honest to God though, I would have pummeled her, if I hadn't noticed that Ichika was just… lying there.
"What are you doing here?" I strictly questioned her, as she got up from her seat.
"This is where mi senor Ichika lives, correct?" She said, in half Japanese, half of another foreign language, along with an accent. It didn't matter though; I could make out the words just fine.
"Y-Yes… I'm his roommate. Why?"
"My childhood friend, Ichika Orimura… he…" She turned around to see him sleeping and slouched on the wall. His eyes are barely open and looked limp. My mouth would have been gaping if I didn't see him like this; and the green haired person would have turned into dust by the time I was done with her.
"W-Why is he like this?!" I snapped at her, closing in on her. She jumped backwards in surprise and held her hands up in front of herself.
"No no no! I didn't do this! Ichika helped me up after I fell, but then the senor fell too…" She gave a worried and innocent look that told me that it wasn't her fault
"O-Oh…" I also realized how harsh I was to her, and it wasn't my right to harm her. "S-Sorry about that then…" I apologized and made a short bow to cheer her up…
Wait… did she just say 'childhood friend'?
Twitch twitch
"Well, I have to bring him inside, before it is la tiempo de clase." She knelt down and grabbed him by the chest area and dragged him in, but stopped cold when she looked at me. "Are you alright, mi amiga? It looks like you have seen a ghost…"
"W-W-W-WHAAAT?!" I screeched out of the top of my lungs. "SINCE WHEN WERE YOU HIS CHILDHOOD FRIEND?!" Obviously this bitch has something to say!
"Ehh?! S-Senorita, w-why are you so angry all of a sudden?" She cowered to the door, with a terrified face. "I knew Ichika as mi amigo since long ago! Don't hurt mee!"
Rrgghhh…
…Calm down…
…Compose yourself…
"Really…?" I asked calmly, but still trying to force out the information. "… and how would you have known Ichika-san as a childhood friend? I've known him since kindergarten." She may be one of his childhood friends, but I'm still the first childhood friend of Ichika… even if he still is a monster.
"Ehhh?" She reacted to my statements like that. "Then you… aren't you that senorita Shinononono?"
Huh? "Err… it's Shinonono. Just three, not four times. But how do you know me?"
"Ah yes! I remember Ichika telling me about you since I've known him!" She smiled bubbly as the innocent and terrified demeanor disappeared like that. She then bowed her head and said, "It's an honor to meet another friend of Ichika. I am Emilia Sanchez, from Mexico. It's nice to meet you, Shinonono."
"Right… but…" I then switch my glances to Ichika… I should really be calling him that at this point… "How do you know it's him?"
"Hm?" She then turned Ichi- err… Dyne and took a long look at him. Then suddenly-.
"Eh? Since when was senor Ichika blonde?"
"You didn't notice that all this time?" I sweatdropped a little when I heard that statement. It's obvious that she is very spacey and absent-minded.
"Oh, mi tan estúpido… but that is still Ichika there. I know it." She was glancing at Ichika, but mainly the head. Why?
"Eh? How?" She then knelt down and tilted his head to his right and unbuttoned the first button off of his uniform, revealing his shoulder and a portion of his upper back. Upon analyzing the area though, I've noticed that the upper back portion was covered in scars and wrecked skin. I gasped a little as it was revealed. "Sigh…Yes. It is he." Wait… Ichika got those? When?
"What is it with those scars and burns on his back?" I asked, curious and worried about what happened when I didn't see him. If this were what triggered Ichika to become… what he has become now… then that would explain yesterday (I think…).
The girl said nothing and showed no emotion, until she stood up straight and back on her feet. "Those are his scars…"
"Scars from…?"
"Scars from his past…"
"Mind elaborating then?"
"You might not like to hear it…"
"Tell me! I have to know!"
"It's…" She hesitated a little. "… It's his scars from his family… he said they labeled him a heretic…"
"His family? Heretic?" T-That's… so grim… Ichika…? What happened during those 10 years while I was gone? What changed with you and your family? I always had an idea that they didn't like you… but would they actually go this far…?
Past: 10:03AM, December 27th, 2022, at the Orimura household…
"So this is your little sister, Tabane?" Ms. Orimura looked at the doof of my sister, who was still wearing the stupid bunny hood she got when she was a baby.
"Yep yep, Rei-sama!" She cheered like how she always cheered; like a bunny… "Heehee, isn't she just adorable~~?" Stop embarrassing me, sis…
"Oh hello there~." The older woman greeted in a cute (but more mature) way as she bent down and pinched my cheeks, as if I was her niece or something. "You must be Houki-san~. I hope you have a wonderful time at our home~."
"H-Hai…" I replied, though I was still having my cheeks pulled. She then let go and stood up to turn back her attention to Tabane.
"Now then, you're just in time for the dinner party, so come along…"
I couldn't care less on what they were talking about. None of the stuff they called about could I understand… well, except for the 'What did you do at Christmas?' questions and answers. I took a look around their home and it looked like a very standard, but large Japanese traditional mansion. They had tatami mats, robes, slippers, an outdoor garden (though it was snowing outside), everything a mansion is needed for. I let my own curiosity guide me as I left my sister to wander the halls as she went with Mrs. Orimura.
During my wander I saw what looked like a busy preparation for… something. Maids in robes were readying dishes and bringing utensils for what looks like a dinner party. Again, I was young, so I didn't know what was going on at that time. I kept stumbling around, seeing rooms that all look the same, and hallways that all look the same…
"Sniff sniff…"
A timid boy's sniffling called to me. Knowing now that I was looking down since I was being bored from the same rooms over and over again, I looked up to see myself on the edge of the patio, where the outdoor garden was residing, except it was covered in a white blanket of snow. The one who was sitting on the edge was none other than Ichika himself, with what looked like a tear streaming down his eye.
"Ichika-san?" I said in surprise as I walked towards him. I didn't expect him to be so far from helping out with his family dinner. When I saw him, I initially wanted to ignore him, but seeing tears on his face changed that. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh uhh…" He turned his head away nervously and covered his face, something that he does every time he gets nervous. I knelt down to see his face close up and it turned out to change into a beet-red. "Nothing…"
"You sure?" Obviously something is up. I grabbed his cheeks and forcefully turned his face around. Sure enough, his eyes, along with the skin on his face, were red and puffy.
"Nehhh~…!" He whined as he struggled to turn his head away from me. "Why did you do that…?" He asked innocently.
"Why can't I? I'm worried!" I told him bluntly as I lashed and grabbed his shoulder. But after saying the last word of those phrases, I immediately blushed too and let go.
"You… you're worried about me…?" Ichika said, slightly turning his head back towards me, with an innocent and tearful look. Seeing that look made me sigh a little, but also made me give in to my feelings.
"Yes… I was. Now tell me what's wrong…" I requested, as I sat down along the patio side with him. As soon as I started to stare at him, he turned his head.
"I'm serious, nothing is wrong…"
"Ichika, stop lying…"
"Fine…" From before, I knew that he was good at hiding his own problems through his silence and perseverance to not talk, which made him unsociable. When he's with me however, he opens up and talks (he still can hide from me, but he opens up more frequently only towards me). Most of the time though, they were just tragic beat-em-ups though, but his face showed more mental hurt than physical hurt today.
"My family…" He blubberingly said, as tears started to well up again. "My family… kicked me out of their dinner party…"
"Eh?! But why?!" Sure, I was stunned, because of how nice his mother was to my sis and me. Who would disregard their own son out of a measly dinner?
"'No one wants an unwanted child to join another's dinner party', Mom said…. 'Who cares about this waste of space anyway?' Nee-san said… 'You're getting in my way. Now move and get out of here!' Onee-san said… They're all so mean and hurtful…" He was shaking and I knew he couldn't bear it any longer, as his tears started to leak and using all his facial muscles to hold it in wasn't enough. And it wasn't just his mother, it was also his two sisters (I never knew he had sisters) who they disregard and think they have a right to kick around their little brother… That's rotten…
Feeling sorry for him, I wrapped my arms around Ichika as he continued to let his feelings go. He cried on my shoulder, staining my shoulder with tears. But it didn't matter, as I kept rubbing his back and saying 'It's okay…' and 'There there…' over and over to sooth him. I knew we were missing the dinner party we were supposedly invited to, as I turned my head and heard the voices coming from the rooms beyond the seemingly endless corridors.
"Sniff sniff… Shi-Shinonono-san…"
"Hm?"
"Please… stay…"
"I will, Ichika-san. Don't worry…"
From then on, when he started to regain courage outside of his home. He started to become a little more friendly and outgoing (a little, I said) and became more attached to me. Of course, I didn't let go of him no matter what, which is why my feelings are already so strong towards him; but now…
…he shuts out everyone, including me. He became so aggressive, merciless and sinister, especially from yesterday… What made you into this, Ichika…? How did he get those burns and scars…? Was it really… your family? I should have looked after you better…
Present: 9:21AM, April 7th, 2032, back in the halls of the dormitories…
"Hey, you!"
Huh? I turned at the hall to see an unlikely sight. It was a pack of five girls, oddly enough having each with two pigtails. They also had uniforms that had black outlining, which made them a little threatening, especially the tallest brunette in the middle. What did they want?
"W-Who are you?" I asked.
"Us? What's it to ya?!" The middle girl shot back in a threatening tone. I stepped back a little. She looked like the leader of the pack, since she was the tallest of the group, but they all looked just as fierce. "We're here for that man there," she pointed to Ichika, "and it's none of your business about what we do."
"Ehh…" I thought to myself quick for a delusion. Do those girls have some kind of vendetta against him? "He's not Ichi-."
"Why do you want him?" Huh? The green haired girl, I think her name is Sanchez-san, stepped forward with a serious face, defiantly in between Ichika and those pack of girls. "If you're here to hurt him-."
"Hmph, so what if we were to hurt him?" The middle girl shot back, aggressively. "What can you do, except trip and fall down?"
"Yeah!" The other four girls agreed in unison. It was a little creepy to hear them like that, but Sanchez was unfazed. Don't tell me…
"Oh yeh? I can do much more than that, amigas!"
"Hmph, so the klutz thinks she can take on the [Doragon]?" Doragon? What…?
"K-K-Klutz…? W-What's that?" Sanchez dumbfounded asked.
Silence engulfed the hallways. Is she… for real?
"Err… uhh… never mind. Shows how much of a doofus she is…" She mumbled, before she got herself back on track.
"Ehh… I don't know what you're calling me…" She shook herself out of her loss of words. "But you won't get to Ichika!"
"Oh really?"
The air suddenly got tense and the aura on those girls sinister. I stepped back, knowing that it'll be a rough fight. Then suddenly the middle girl of the group materialized herself a katana from an [Uchigane], and rushed towards Sanchez, enough to feel the wind rushing towards me. She raised her arms and-.
CLANG
"Eh?"
Meanwhile, in the unknown realm…
Normal POV
"AAAUUUGGGHHHH!" Ichika kept screaming at the edge of the rooftop, with his eyes bulging with red cracks and his hands gripping his head, from the agony he felt when he remembered. That one little scene from his heart that included Emilia made him cringe and agonize as the pain, whether it was mental or physical, came back with twice as much force than before. Around him, the (what used to be) beautiful scenery of the clock tower roof and the clear sky suddenly turned into a ferocious stormy weather, with black clouds, windstorms and thunderclaps that were louder than explosions. At the other side of the roof stood Dyne and Chrono.
"…" Dyne was silent as he watched Ichika howling with pain. What made him go silent and just plain watch Ichika?
"Wow…" Chrono watched the thundering storm on her 360-degree neck, as she struggled to fly due to the stormy weather. She then rushed to Dyne, using his back as a shelter. "Was the memory of Ichika… that painful?"
"Memories can be much more painful than this." Dyne calmly replied as he just stood there with his arms crossed. "But you know that this is all part of the process. He'll need to reach down and release the rage being held within him if we are to reach THAT level of negativity."
"Err… right…" Chrono unsurely understood.
"You don't remember… do you…?"
"No…"
"I thought so…" He then turned around, facing Chrono at eye level. He then got out his hand from his crossed position, now covered in black pulsing energy. "Alright let me refresh you memory."
"Ehh…?" Before Chrono had any idea on what Dyne was about to do, he grabbed her by the head with his pulsing energized hand and-.
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP!
"AAAAAAAA…AUUUUUUUUUUGGG…GGGG…GGGHHHH!" Chrono screamed, her voice chopped and buzzed, as the energy flowed from Dyne's hand to Chrono's mechanical head violently flowed into her. Suddenly, she knew what Dyne's knowledge was.
[Ancient Will of the Gods], The Chronos Prophecy Decipher and Study; Spectra of Time:
Report #1:
The beginning… where all life was void… and where nothingness was the only colorful splatter in the void… where everything began down to zero… and where that zero became One… and that One was time.
To anything and everything was created with time, and along by the Gods and Goddesses. Time flowed as the natural laws were born from the void, to salvage what was there to create Yin and Yang, then matter, then universes, then galaxies and stars, then planets, and then finally came life.
Chronos, a God with many complexities when it came to personality: he can be filled with anger and rage, and then a second later smile and spread his joy around. He can be crying tears from lamentation, or be deceitful, yet guilty and regretful for what he has done. If you can compare him to something… or someone we know… let's try a human. Humans over the long millennia have evolved to what we have become now: curious, naïve, dutiful, prideful, malicious, and even anger, joyful, guilty or grief. Noting these human subjects that I have been watching over for the last 50 years gave me the answer that everything came from Chronos, and that he was here before the zero.
Report #2:
What we see in nature… in our six senses is what we determine as an answer. What answer is the answer answering? Only the question can explain, and yet, where does the questions come from?
Questions come from all around us come in many different parts of the world…no, of the galaxy. It has come from the simple ones of 'Where have you put my reading glasses?' to the very complex and unknown ones like 'What is the meaning of life?' The meaning of life… That is a very complex question indeed, as many of these questions produce many different answers, according to our beliefs and evidence. Thankfully, I got my own belief right here.
When I first encountered and came into contact with the Ancient Readings, I felt as though knowledge has come to me and gave me a motivation. Wandering for 50 years in my life, as coming into contact with humans made me always wonder about what life was about. Chosen to aid the two New Chosens also made me think if my life was meaningless, only filling with one destiny before life ends. But knowing that I have been building for the greater good, it eased me a little.
But enough about that, what the Readings have said to me was that everything and all things (including our most precious lives) were a part of Chronos and indirectly tasked to balance, but not directly linked to him, so he can't just strike us down and destroy the Earth like that. Now the question on this… balance… is: what is it and what can we do to it (if you are somebody like me)? It is simple as to become one with everybody and balancing the Yin from the Yang. That is Chronos's ultimate goal, and vessels and disciples of him yearn to fulfill harmony. If one wishes to fulfill complete harmony, he must know [Complete Karmic Equilibrium] with his negative/positive half of his soul.
But the sad news is… we're a long ways off from it. From my own account of 50 years of travel, people have been submerged into their own greed and wealth. Hurt and destruction was imminent as people screamed for their lives. Everywhere was negative energy flowing out of the souls of many, and it breaks my heart just to see the unjust dead. If only the New Chosens can lead this world out of its spiraling doom…
"Huff… huff… huff…" Chrono breathed heavily as she nearly stumbled to the ground from the mindful of words she has learned and listened into. What… or who… were those words coming from? "[Complete Karmic Equilibrium]…?"
"It's what Ichika is going through now." Dyne replied coolly as he turned back to Ichika, who has stopped howling with despair and just knelt down in loss of his strength and stamina. His heaving was definitely heavy, and what spelt on his face was enough to scare a zombie.
"Wait…" Chrono looked up and back to Dyne with a question, still looking at Ichika's shaking body on its knees. "Did you do the same thing to Ichika? And what about you? Did you do your equilibrium?"
"Not exactly, and… y-yes." Dyne replied, but with hesitation in his voice. "Ichika instead got part of my negativity. I house all his troubles, and the most of his agony and pain…" Dyne's eyes darkened in his long waving gold hair flying towards the winds, now slowly dying down. The clapping thunder ceased and the stormy flood now just became a drizzle. Many of the dark clouds disappeared and the wind seemed to lessen a lot. "Sigh… but his positivity in his soul is another thing. It's very… VERY painful to let it invade in my heart, especially when there is nothing but the Yang."
"Ohh…" Chrono didn't have any words to help with Dyne, as he wasn't in the brightest of moods today. As she looked at him, she now noticed that the drizzle stopped and the wind changed into a light breeze. Sadly, the clouds didn't move out of the way to reveal the moon (it's morning in reality and night in here).
"Looks like he's done, but…"
"But what?" Chrono asked. Dyne didn't answer as he continued walking towards Ichika's kneeling body. His arms lay widespread on his side. Dyne then knelt down to grip on Ichika's shoulder to comfort him, but-.
BZAP!
"Argh!" Dyne, becoming suddenly startled, lashed away his hand and stepped back as soon as black sparks started to emerge from Ichika's body. Seeing him startled meant something was really something to get startled about. "N-No way…!"
"W-What is it?!" Chrono desperately asked Dyne as she flew over to him. He didn't have time to answer as a menacing voice came out of nowhere and more sparks engulfed Ichika.
"I MUST DESTROY THE OPPRESSORS!"
With that line said, the air cackled with loud lightning, and a violent tremor shook the clock tower. Dyne barely kept his balance as he saw Ichika float up in the air, with his arms outstretched and pulsing with black energy. Then he made half of a back flip and dove down into the abyss, where reality was waiting.
"No! Ichika!" Dyne called, but it was no use. He then went to the edge to dive down as well, but a black barrier pulsed, preventing any exit.
"I WILL DESTROY THE OPPRESSORS! I MUST!" The sky chanted out over and over in a distorted booming voice. Thunder cracked alongside, accompanying the chant. It was getting nowhere for Dyne and Chrono.
"Master Dyne!" Chrono called out, over the chant and thunder, as she flew over to him, trying to break the barrier with his fists. "What has happened to Master Ichika?!"
"His negativity…!" He can only muster up to say. "I-It rose to drastic levels! He has failed equilibrium… because of that memory of her…"
Present: 9:25AM, April 7th, 2032, back in the halls of the dormitories…
CLANG!
"Eh?"
When I moved my hands out of the way, I didn't see Sanchez guarding with her… whatever she had. Instead, I saw a different sight.
"I must… destroy…" Ichika?
"Oh, so the man finally awakes, eh?" The tall girl cockily noticed as she was still locking her katana with Ichika's sudden one-handed Blade Grasp. But something was different about Ichika… WAY different than last time…
"Ah! Ichika, you're awake!" Sanchez suddenly noticed as she looked at him, defending the girl from the katana.
"Oppressors…"
"Hm? You said something, you son of a bit-?"
That was what I heard from the tall girl of the pack, then suddenly…
KABOOM!
"Weak…"
I covered my eyes from the explosion that occurred, and what I saw in the clearing of the smoke was Ichika raising his hand and showing his palm to the direction of the pack. I don't know what happened, but a tunnel of the wrecked hallway was left, only with a hole in the wall at the end of the hallway to accompany it. I stood there petrified. Has he gone back to the deep end again, like yesterday?
"U-Umm… Senor Ichika…?" Sanchez muttered in her breath.
Swerve
In just a mere second, he swerved around to his right hand. His eyes were a deep purple, but the menacing part was that it had no pupils or white in his eyes. It was if he was possessed. But that wasn't menacing enough with what he was holding on his hand, aimed directly towards Sanchez… and me.
"Die."
Close to 7500 words. Holy crap XD
Don't expect another chapter so soon. I got exams and I'm still in high school ya know .
Anyway, hope you enjoy and remember the 3 R's! Read, rate and review! oh and also favourite and like and follow and criticize and stuff.
