Final Hikari: Please fans, don't murder me! I have no excuse for why I haven't updated as my schedule is the anti-existence of time-taxing. No…I haven't updated my Valkyrie Profile fics in a while either, but that's a story for another day…

Anyway, if you have any suggestions for possible names for Shion's previous incarnation from the ancient times of Lost Jerusalem, I am up for assistance! I never do normal names (as you can see) but the only names from way back then in the Xenoverse from back then are Yeshua, Mary, and Wilhelm and I don't think I can go for something Japanesey for Shion. So, if you have any suggestions for a name you think is fitting for Shion or is an old-fashioned name that isn't too boring, please mention it in a review!

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Xenosaga IV

Chapter 11

Bleeding Fourteen

Where am I? The thought pierced though my semiconscious state. I felt as though I was being crush from all sides. I couldn't open my eyes or move my body. I felt like I was falling deeper and deeper into water, but the feeling of the interminable area was much more intimidating than that.

My lungs began to burn for air and despite the growing pressure I managed to suck in a mouthful of…something. It burned my mouth and lungs and felt thicker than air. I started coughing abruptly and attempted struggling against the force that was pulling me down.

"Uzuki, is this what you wanted?" A voice echoed, a jolt of pain spreading though my mind.

Who are you? I wondered, unable to speak.

"Your connection with U-DO has been completed." The voice said firmly, my head filling with pain as his voice continued, "KOS-MOS is going to kill you swiftly if you continue to walk this road."

Stop talking…it's too painful.

"Mary could help you. Bring back Mary. You have opportunity."

Stop…

"She can heal you."

Your lying! I thought coldly, his sorter sentences allowing the pain to fade long enough for me to think. Mary Magdalene is dead.

"You can change that. If you give up on protecting that empty husk you believe has an actual consciousness, you don't have to sacrifice yourself for a futile movement."

Liar… I thought fleetingly. His voice filled my mind once more but the pain stopped be from understanding his words. I hadn't been able to discern who the voice belonged to from the start because of the distraction of the pain.

Your doing this on purpose…

Suddenly the pressure of the atmosphere disappeared and I gasped for breath, clawing the ground below my fingers convulsively as the pain increased. I felt a scream piece the empty air but it was distant. It didn't feel like it was coming from me. The distance disappeared suddenly as I felt a very real hand wrap around mine and pull me forward.

The pain faded abruptly and I sat bolt upright, feeling unable to catch my breath again though the hindrance was gone. I looked up to see where I was, a chill running up my spine with recognition. The appearance of Mary Magdalene's tomb in its early days of existence were certainly familiar to me. My throat felt slightly raw, randomly confirming it had been me screaming. I stared at my hand a moment and tried to control the shaking.

"I'm sorry that had to happen." A soft voice echoed.

I looked up abruptly, my eyes widening at the person standing before me. Her expression was calm though her blue eyes were sad. It was a haunting kind of recognition that filled me upon seeing her. She looked exactly like KOS-MOS. They had the same height and

build, by the look of it.

Mary's skin was much darker than KOS-MOS', one of the clearest direct contrasts. Her hair was black whereas KOS-MOS' was an extremely pale. That opposite was recently created; from old pictures and videos, I knew KOS-MOS' hair had been a brilliant blue earlier in life.

Mary's old-fashioned attire was the final difference between her and KOS-MOS. I was nearly illiterate when it came to knowing the names of old fashioned garments. Her long-sleeved blue dress was nearly the same color as random parts of KOS-MOS' previous attires in different configurations.

I could suddenly understand why seeing KOS-MOS could make anybody who knew Mary forlorn. For me it was the opposite way of how Yeshua must have felt; I was unnerved at seeing a human that could be the reflection of my android.

"Mary?" I asked stupidly, all ready knowing it was her. "What…where are we?"

"A dream, if you will. It's the same as the place you were before. Only Wilhelm created that dream world and pulled you in. I created this one since he was tormenting you so."

"That's it? Surely it's a little more sophisticated than a simple dream."

Mary smiled slightly saying, "Well, it hasn't been immortalized by U-DO like Beach of Nothingness."

"Bright, cheery name that place has." I said, getting to my feet.

"I am glad to know you reawakened KOS-MOS. You will need Anima and Animus to resolve this."

"Wilhelm…he said KOS-MOS has slept the longest, and I think Yeshua has already been reincarnated. Why weren't you?"

"I knowingly sacrificed myself." She replied simply. "I cannot be reincarnated."

"So there was never hope if truly bring you back through KOS-MOS and T-elos?"

"No." She replied, her tone stoic as KOS-MOS' upon first awakening over a hundred years ago. "Wilhelm doesn't believe the will can be separated from the consciousness. He cannot accept the fact I cannot return to Lost Jerusalem."

"Do you…" I paused, "Know why the Beach of Nothingness was immortalized?"

"Didn't Yeshua bring you there?" She asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Yes, but his explanation seemed too simple."

"That field is where I sealed Yeshua's power of Anima. We…also spent much time there together. Wilhelm also murdered Shion's original persona there along with Yeshua."

"What happened to Shion, anyway? Was she reincarnated?"

Mary smirked slightly asking, "You don't know?"

"You mean I know her?"

"You might." Mary said knowingly, looking as though she was enjoying this. She turned around and walked off the small path and around the edges of the upper line of graves. "Want to guess who she is?"

"Please don't say Takyuki."

"Ugh, is that the first thing that came to mind for you?" She asked dryly, stopping at the corner of the room to give me a slightly disturbed but questioning look.

"Well, I don't know much about Shion but they seem to be emotional and…behavioral opposites, so I just wanted to make sure."

"Right." She said, drawing out the word as she continued to strut down the lines of graves side-ways against the far wall.

"Wait a second, how do you even know about Takyuki?

She snorted saying, "That's far too complex for you to understand if you're still confused about the Beach of Nothingness. Now keep guessing."

I scowled slightly and wanted to defend my intelligence, but my curiosity was stronger than the determination to argue.

"Midori?"

"Nope."

"…Airi?"

"No."

"The person is female, right?"

"What, were you going to ask if she was reincarnated as a man?" Mary asked

inquisitively.

"I'm not an expert in reincarnation, give me a break! That is impossible, right?"

"What a lovely illusion! Shion Uzuki of the KOS-MOS project, infamous researcher and 'Flower of the First Division' reincarnated as a fat middle-aged man with STDs." She replied airily, waving her hand in the air for sarcastic emphasis.

"They don't start middle aged and fat." I grumbled, feeling foolish and inwardly reminded myself to type a big capitalized "duh" as my screen name next time I went online. "And isn't that abbreviation a little past your day?"

"Maybe." She replied airily. "Give up?"

"Yes, I give up…" I sighed.

"The reincarnation of Shion Uzuki you know is dead. How's that for a hint?"

"Not very descriptive, seeing as countless people died tonight and are still dying."

"She loved the reading and learning about her heritage and family bloodline."

"When'd she die? Does she have a current reincarnation I don't know about?"

"Well," Mary said thoughtfully, "the reincarnation you knew died many years ago. She loved light and flew too close to the sun."

My frustration melted away slightly and I didn't bother to stop Mary from seeing my expression change from irritation to apprehension.

"Did…she die fourteen years ago?"

Mary stood directly across from me by then looked to the floor for a long moment. She then turned to face me and smiled sadly in reply. I saw whiteness curl around the edges of my vision. I turned around abruptly to see the wall of the tomb was gone. I was half turned around to see if Mary still stood beyond the graves but the whiteness overtook my mind before I got the chance.

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"Hey, I don't think we're on course anymore." A unfamiliar voice rang out through the silence that filled my subconscious.

I blinked sleepily, my vision taking a few moments to clear. I was sitting beside Rukiro, my head resting against his shoulder and his arm around my shoulders. The person who had spoken was the trainee pilot I'd seen before guiding civilians into the shuttles.

"I bet it was that android." He added sourly.

"Leave KOS-MOS out of it, she wouldn't do anything to put Hikaru in danger." Rukiro said irritably.

"Where are we?" I muttered, lifting my head from Rukiro's shoulder.

"Ah, you're awake!" Rukiro said, brightening slightly.

The trainee pilot scoffed saying, "Took you long enough. Any idea where that android sent us?"

"Shut up with that." Rukiro growled, glaring at the pilot briefly.

We were in one of the escape pods, the area inside simple. There were two benches on the sides and a computer console in the front. There were rectangular windows above the benches that allowed us to see out. In this case, a sea of endless stars stretched past the windows.

Across from us three people sat. One was the irritable pilot and two other civilians. The trainee pilot had black hair ending not far past his years and piercing amber. He looked to be older than both me and Rukiro but no older than twenty-five. He wore the plain black and white Ormus trainee uniform.

The two people sitting beside him on the opposite edge of the bench closer to the entrance hatch were both female. One had long brown hair and wore a school uniform, the other with a poor blond dye job. It looked like she was trying to let it grow out because the roots were brown and there were numerous brown streaks throughout the mess.

The girl with a poor dye job maintained the appearance of a school slut through her attire. She wore a pink mini-skirt and black high-healed shoes that consisted of straps around her feet and ankles. Her shirt was white and sleeveless, but probably revealed a fair portion of her midriff in the most positions. She sat with her arms folded in front of her chest and stomach, staring at the floor dismally.

The girl in the school uniform was close to being the identical twin to the scantly dressed girl beside her. They even had the same dark green eyes. The one in the school uniform had glasses with thin triangular lenses and dark metal rims around them to distract from their identical eyes. Her uniform consisted of a black pleated skirt, white knee socks, and a white and black long-sleeved jacket. Their attires stood out to be because they contracted each other with such force for their faces to be identical.

"Are you really Hikaru Uzuki?" The black haired girl asked, no fear or apprehension showing her eyes as they connected with mine.

"Yes." I replied, "Daughter of Arku Uzuki of Ormus and great granddaughter of Shion Uzuki of T.C."

She nodded asking, "Does that mean you know what's happening to Earth?"

"I don't know the details, but I do know we're being attacked by the U-TIC Organization." I said, deciding the information wouldn't stay classified for long.

"I am-" The girl in the school uniform started and stood up, her hand extended.

"Don't talk to her." Her sister said shrilly.

She looked down at her sister, her expression flat, then turned back to me saying. "Nanami Zorion. This is my sister, Sayuri Zorion. It's an honor to meet you."

"No it isn't." Sayuri said, her voice cracking. She looked up at me, tears streaking down her face as she added, "You're a freak! It's all your fault Earth is being attacked! If it weren't for Ormus we'd never of been attacked!"

"Sayuri." Nanami said firmly. "Quiet yourself, you're being rude and talking in circles."

She sniffed and buried her face in her hands, continuing to sob quietly.

"You're the reason everything was destroyed…"

Nanami sat down beside her sister once more saying, "Sorry about her. We were decorating the gym at our school for a dance when we were attacked. The building was destroyed and many of our classmates killed."

"Don't make it like it's nothing!" Sayuri howled.

"For the love of crap, shut up all ready…" The trainee pilot sighed. "I'm not going to put up with some sobbing schoolgirl for however many hours we're stuck in here."

She yelled some sort of obscenity at him and my negative thoughts on his bad attitude were distracted by Sayuri. I almost agreed with him.

"You never introduced yourself." I said, my words directed at the pilot. To some degree I was suffering from culture shock. It was amazing how a rude pilot, stoic geek, and sobbing slut could completely divert one's thoughts from battle androids and reincarnated gods.

He glanced up saying, "Kain Lansent. I'm in training to pilot A.M.W.S."

"How'd you get on evacuation crew, then?" Rukiro asked dryly. "Were you that useless as an actual pilot?"

Kain glared at Rukiro plaintively saying, "None of yer damn business."

"Miss Uzuki," Nanami began, "Do you know of the name Magdalene?"