Chapter Nine
Nightmare

The sun was setting on the third day since they had left Khana when the two robots finally noticed signs that they were getting closer to their destination. The landscape had turned dark, grass changing from golden to grey, trees appearing once more, bereft of leaves, bark the same, sickly grey as the grass. It was almost a wasteland, having burned not too long ago -- perhaps a year past. The more differences in the landscape Rock noticed, the more he also noticed that his suspicion was being confirmed. With each hour they came closer and closer to their destination, Forte's tension grew, his shoulders stiff as wood from the accumulated tension.

Rock glanced at him, then up to the cloud-covered sky as he spoke, "Maybe we should take a short break and rest...what do you think--" He looked back down before him and choked back a surprised scream, stumbling back a few steps to fall back on his backside.

The half-rotted corpse of a large beast stared blindly down at him, its eyes having been pecked out by scavengers long ago. Fur still clung to its maggot-laden body in patches as it hung limp from the tree it had been impaled upon, the fire-blackened branch speared through its ribcage keeping it suspended in the air. The rot had progressed so far that Rock could barely tell what the creature had once been, but flat teeth visible from a broken, dangling jaw suggested that it had been an herbivore -- possibly a deer. Rock clapped a hand over his mouth, gulping dryly to keep from loosing his last meal.

Forte crossed his arms, surveying the display for a moment before speaking for the first time in the past several hours. "It's not much farther," he stated, reaching down to help Rock back to his feet, "That's to mark his territory. We're under his rule as soon as we step past it."

"That...is a territorial marker...?" Rock gulped, resisting the urge to cover his nose at the horrid stench of rot that wafted from the dead animal.

"Yeah," was Forte's simple answer before he pointed first to his left, then to his right. Rock blinked, following his gestures and nearly choking. Every few trees down a line had a dead animal impaled upon it -- sometimes a human -- the corpses forming a perfect line through the trees as a boundary. Rock took a deep breath and slowly let it out, finally satisfied that he was not going to throw up.

"I'm not so sure about this anymore..." he admitted, tightly clutching the strap of the backpack resting on his shoulder.

"I wasn't to begin with," Forte stated, extending Solandri, but not igniting her, keeping her ready just in case, "But like Centaur Man said...he's Blues' only hope." Rock nodded. That was the only reason why Rock had not suggested turning back. "Come on," Forte spoke after a moment, "We're almost there."

* * * * *

"...he lives...there?" Rock muttered. Forte nodded, but did not answer since it was a rhetorical question. The ruins of a large village lay before them, the houses crumbled and burned from the inside out, wood almost as rotted as the humanoid bodies strewn in the debris. The village had burned at the same time as the forest -- a year, maybe two years ago -- and no one had bothered to rebuild it. Aside from the still-rotting bodies of humans who had died in the inferno lying on the ground and in the debris, the sight of the burned village was not too disturbing.

It was the castle which sent a chill down Rock's spine. Backed by scorched trees and charred black from the long-past blaze, the castle almost seemed like a place a demon would call home instead of a Mage. Part of the castle was collapsed, nothing but a mass of charred rubble which ravens and vultures hopped about in search of a meal. Old, long-dried blood caked the large doors leading to the audience hall, the blood dried in the form of handprints. Rotting animals ranging from dogs to goats to cattle formed a semi-circle around the front of the castle, forming a barrier of bodies and stench.

"...I'd heard about this place..." Forte muttered to himself, balancing Solandri on his shoulder as he looked around idly, "Talatha...it was destroyed by Fire Man, Heat Man, and Flame Man about two years ago. The Blood Scylla must have decided that an abandoned, blood-bathed city would suit him...and I have to agree." He stepped forward, starting toward the castle without waiting for Rock's response. Rock hesitated, taking a few deep breaths to keep his last meal in his stomach before reluctantly following.

The blood-coated door was kicked open, and Solandri was ignited to dispel the darkness coating the dusty room. "He might be in the throne room, or that one tower that's still stable," Forte spoke. Rock nodded, following him through the dark, rank corridors.

More charred, barely recognizable bodies lined the hallways, flies buzzing around them and rats chewing on them. The rotted bodies of dogs and cats also decorated the barren, empty structure, dried blood coating the floor and walls from the massacre. Bloody prints covered the floor, making boot patterns on the stone and leading to the remaining tower. As the two robots followed the bath of boot prints down a hall and up a spiraling staircase to the top of the large tower, they reached a blood-covered door. Upon the door were words written in long-dried blood.

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here"

Rock gulped slightly, trying to push his heart back down into his chest from where it had settled in his throat. He looked to Forte who had wiped away all emotion from his face, expression completely blank and unreadable. "What is a Blood Scylla?" Rock asked as Forte reached for the doorknob.

Forte glanced at him and responded, "I told you. It's--"

"You told me that it's the second most powerful Mage Class and that there are only two known, but you didn't tell me what it is," Rock countered. Forte just looked at him for a long moment, as if wondering whether he should tell him or not.

Finally, he answered, "Look around, Rock. This is a Blood Scylla's paradise. Death, blood, and decomposition. Their source of power is the power of death itself. But their primary source of strength is, as their name suggests, blood and the organs." Rock hesitated, unsure how to respond for a moment before speaking again as Forte turned the doorknob.

"You said I knew him," Rock stated, iridescent eyes narrowing, "Who is he?"

Forte almost growled, but answered calmly, pushing open the door, "You'll find out soon enough." He looked away from Rock's glare, golden eyes set on the room now before them.

Rock jumped in front of him, his back to the dark room beyond the door as he demanded, "Forte, what is wrong with you? You haven't given me a direct answer to anything since we left Khana, and I want a real answer now. Who is he?"

"Rock..." Forte hissed.

"And by the pricking of your thumbs / Realize that their poison numbs--" a voice suddenly spoke from the darkness. Rock yelped sharply and spun around where he was swept behind Forte, the striped robot igniting Solandri fully and taking up a defensive posture. "--From frightful blooms, rank odors seep / Bats and beasties fly and creep."

Forte's eyes narrowed as he spoke in response, "'Cross this evil land, ill winds blow / Despite the darkness, mushrooms glow / All will rot and decompose / For something wicked this way grows..." He straightened, lowering Solandri a little as a humorless grin spread across his face. "It suits you."

Torches flared to life all around the room, tearing through the choking darkness and revealing the interior. Blood-covered tapestries lined the walls, the pictures ruined and barely recognizable. Stone blocks were arranged in the back of the room to form an abstract staircase on the left and right walls and a large platform against the back wall, the peak of the platform hidden in shadows which were untouched by the torchlight. The center of the room held a well lined with candles, a thick, dark liquid swirling inside it. Shelves lined the walls holding various jars and bottles.

Two fire red eyes pierced the darkness on top of the wall of stone blocks, the owner's silhouette just barely visible as he crouched on the edge of the wall like a cougar ready to pounce on its prey. Though it was not visible, Rock could feel the Blood Scylla's grin as it spoke, "And what brings the two of you to me? I know it must be important, otherwise you would have avoided me like the plague, Forte..." Forte resisted growling. Rock tensed. That voice was so familiar...

...it can't be...

The shadow leapt down, landing as light as a cat on the stone floor and taking three steps forward into the light. Yellow boots -- as well as the sawblades around the ankles -- were permanently stained with old blood, dark stains also covering the skin tight, black jumpsuit he wore. His bladed chestplate was gone, the material of the jumpsuit clinging to his lithe chest and hips and thin arms. Red gauntlets protected his forearms from the elbows down and red gloves protected his hands, the sawblades around his wrists newly sharpened and also stained with blood. Along with his chestplate, his helmet had been discarded over the years, revealing alabaster skin and hair the color of the blood staining the tapestries. Fire red eyes watched the newcomers with eternal amusement, something darker lurking just behind it.

It is...

Rock could not resist shivering. He had known him. He had been one of the very few Robot Masters Rock had truly known well enough to call a friend -- in fact, Rock had once had feelings toward him. The darkness in the smaller robot's red eyes sent a chill through Rock's body. That darkness -- that look of insanity had not been there when Rock had known him almost five years past. Forte was right...if I'd known who he was, I wouldn't have come...

Metal Man merely grinned.

* * * * *

Forte and Metal Man were at the well in the center of the room discussing...something. Rock was not listening, content where he sat upon the stone block formation in the back of the room, his legs dangling lazily off the edge. He was being flooded with thoughts and emotions he had no idea what to make of. Never had he imagined that Metal Man would have been the Blood Scylla. Metal Man. His former "crush", so to speak.

I thought he was a Necromancer...

Rock propped one of his elbows on his knee, resting his chin in his hand as he stared up at the ceiling, remembering the way the small Robot Master had once been. He could still remember Metal Man's day-brightening smile and how soft his laugh had been -- how soft his voice had been, period. Rock often had to strain to hear him even if they were standing next to each other. Metal Man had been so quiet and caring, even for a Robot Master. Nothing like...

Rock looked back down at the figure sitting on the edge of the well. The air around him was confident and malicious, and his eyes were not the soft, caring eyes that Rock had known, but instead they were brightly burning, red optics that seemed to pierce through even skin and stare straight into the soul; nothing but tools to intimidate and disturb. Those eyes radiated insanity and bloodlust, not kindness and empathy like they had long before. Even the way he lay upon the edge of the well was different, sprawled upon it like a predatory cat basking in the sun. The Metal Man Rock had known would have been sitting with his back straight and his legs crossed, his hands resting on either side of his hips to keep his balance.

Rock looked back up to the ceiling, his memories trailing further back to when he had met the smaller robot. He had been sent by Dr. Light to find the "murderous robot" who had overtaken the underground mines of T'luka -- known as Myrai now that it was under the rule of a new mayor -- and destroy him. When Rock had found him, he had not found a murderous robot. Instead he had found a rebellious one -- one who had directly disobeyed the orders of his creator to kill any human he saw.

Metal Man had given the humans safety in the largest cavern of the mines, protecting from the bloodthirsty, more insignificant robots who had a tendency to ignore his commands. He had refused to fight Rock and had given him a copy of his weapon without argument or provocation. When Rock had demanded an explanation as to why he was behaving the way he was, Metal Man had merely grinned and said "that was a story for their next meeting".

Rock pulled his legs up, wrapping his arms around them and tucking his knees under his chin as he rocked slightly. He remembered meeting Metal Man various times after their first meeting in the mines. Rock had learned that the red-eyed robot openly opposed Dr. Wily's reign, blatantly ignoring orders and often helping the humans instead of killing them. Rock sighed and released his legs, letting them dangle over the edge of the loft again.

What happened to him...?

Lithe arms snaked around his shoulders from behind and something warm and moist swiped across his cheek. "Do you want us to leave you alone, or are you ready to rejoin the world of the coherent?" Metal Man whispered in Rock's ear, nuzzling slightly. Rock yelped, jumping slightly and muttering a quiet apology for not listening as he squirmed out of Metal Man's arms. Metal Man grinned after him as Rock dropped back down to the floor.

"He agreed to help us on one condition," Forte stated simply, crossing his arms and half-glaring up at Metal Man's smiling face. Rock blinked, then looked up at Metal Man who had sprawled out on the edge of the loft like a cat once again, the smug grin never leaving his face.

"What condition?" Rock asked.

"Oh, it's nothing much," Metal Man purred, "And I'd need it in order to bind Blues' soul back to his body, anyway." He stretched on his side and folded his hands under his head before continuing. "I need the blood of a fyrlyzard. It has magical properties for healing. I could restore Blues' soul without the blood, but there would probably be some really nasty complications." Rock cringed at the thought. "They're numerous just to the northeast about half a day away. Small and very easy to kill." Forte nodded.

"If they are numerous, it shouldn't be too hard..." Forte muttered in response, "We'll head out tomorrow morning."

Rock looked down to the floor for a long moment before looking back up and asking, "I just don't understand...what does Wily want with him? Why Blues?"

Metal Man's fire red eyes almost lit up as he lifted his head, the never-fading grin widening a little as he responded, "What does he want with Blues?" The grin widened further and the bright red eyes narrowed. "You really don't know what Wily's true goal is, do you?"

"World domination," Forte answered, tilting his head. The reaction he received was...unexpected, to say the least.

Metal Man looked down, shoulders shaking slightly as if he was almost crying just before he threw back his head and laughed. His light tenor voice rang through the room, echoed off the walls and amplified. It was a harsh laugh, nothing like the quiet, almost...bubbly laugh Rock had once known.

Metal Man looked back down to the two robots below him, eyes shining with amusement. "Of course not!" he corrected, holding back more laughter, "A man like Wily won't stop at just world domination..."

Forte blinked and asked, "...then what is his goal...?" Metal Man grinned.

"Universal domination." Forte and Rock blinked, then exchanged a glance. "He wants to be the master of all. The ultimate ruler. The supreme emperor." Metal Man brushed back his blood red bangs, dropping down to the floor. "And to do that, he needs power. Lots of power."

Forte looked back to Metal Man and countered, eyes narrowed with both suspicion and confusion, "Don't be ridiculous...in order to control the entire universe, he'd need more power than even a Scion's granted with. He'd practically need to be a--" Metal Man silenced him by placing a long, gloved finger on his lips. The small robot grinned.

"A god," Rock whispered.

"Exactly," Metal Man answered, stepping back a few paces and hopping onto the edge of his well, crouching down upon it like a vulture in a tree. "He wants to become a god."

"But...that's not possible..." Rock muttered, "...is it...?"

"There is a legend," was the reply as Metal Man slowly stirred the dark liquid in the well with a finger, creating thick ripples which grew as they ventured to the other side of the well, "It's been around since as far as the first written history records." He looked up, the grin having disappeared, but his eyes still shining with slight amusement. "'The tainted body of the chosen favorite shall be sacrificed at the center of Evil's power, sacrificed by a warrior of darkness with its blade of shadow. The sacrifice shall begin a chain reaction which will bring forth the gods in a challenge. Whoever is to defeat the gods shall become a god himself.'" The grin returned. "The power of nature is at the chosen's call, brought forth by the power of his voice. Nature, and all the blessings that surround it, bend to the chosen's will. Wily already has one piece of the riddle, Blues -- the warrior of darkness. He just needs the second piece -- the 'chosen favorite'."

A small shiver trailed down Rock's spine at the Blood Scylla's words. It seemed so unreal, like something out of a book. However, here there were no knights in shining armor killing dragons and rescuing princesses. Just death and destruction with a few lost souls trying to stop it. Rock did not want to believe it, but he knew there had to be at least some truth to it. Dr. Wily had Blues already, but who was this 'chosen favorite' and how could they stop Dr. Wily from taking him?

"That's enough for tonight," Metal Man suddenly spoke again, tearing through Rock's thoughts. The smaller robot stretched on his perch on the well. "You two go to bed; you'll need your rest. There are spare blankets in the corner." The ever-present grin widened slightly. "The tower's a little drafty, but I'm sure you two can huddle up enough to keep warm."

Forte hesitated, confused by the sudden change in subject, but nodded, backing away and turning to walk to the corner Metal Man had indicated so he could arrange an area for Rock and himself to sleep on. Rock stayed where he was for a moment, watching Metal Man dip his finger back into the liquid in the well and lick it off before hopping down and crawling his way back up to the loft. Confused at the action, Rock leaned over the side of the well and surveyed its contents. After a moment, the realization nearly made him throw up. He stumbled back a few steps before quickly making his way over to Forte, trying to forget what he had just seen, what he had just seen in the well.

The well filled with blood.

What did we get ourselves into...?

"Nightmare" -- Oogata Magumi
"Yuu Yuu Hakusho"