[AUTHOR'S NOTE]
Hi guys! Enjoy this brief interlude. I'm sure I can write something better next time, though. Sorry. After this one, there's Chapters 11 and 12. I need more time to write the stories, that's why I'm posting these two in advance.
Interlude 1
"Hey, reader!" Iris is waving at … whoever it is reading this line. "How are you? It's a pleasure to be able to interact with you, somehow! Hehe!"
The background is that of Axl's mind – the ever-present black void of space with invisible floors and data swirling around everywhere.
"How do you think I could talk with you?" Iris gestures. "Simple. It's an interlude to the main story! Just something that happens for fun!"
Iris smiles at you. "As you would've no doubt seen … in the last chapter, our human creator suddenly collapses from his disease. It's … sad. Well, from what I can gather, this story will get darker and darker as it goes on. But as the reader, I hope you're entertained by what we are going through in this alternate timeline of the Megaman X series! It's a fanfic after all! We are here to keep you happy and emotionally invested in a good story after all!"
"Iris, are you trying to talk to the real world again?" Axl asks. "Whoa! You're kidding me!? Are you saying it's possible? But … we're the figments of many real world people's imagination!"
"Well, look! It's the reader!" Iris points at you. "Say hi to my little brother, Axl, everyone!"
"Uh … hi?" Axl waves weakly, unsure of what to do. "This is weird …"
"Well, we have limited time here!" Iris clasps her hands. "We have to do something to entertain the reader before this Interlude ends! Let's see, what'd you want to do?"
"M – me!?" Axl stirs. "You're the one who wanted to do something! You propose something! Not me! I just came here and here you are trying to reach the real world! You – you're not trying to literally get out of the fanfic, are you!? That would break the system! Hey, wait! You'd probably break me too! We're still in my mind, you know!"
"No, I'm not trying to break out of this world. I just want –" Iris protests.
"Ow … what's going on?" Lumine comes up to the two. "Why are you two being so noisy? Isn't it time for Axl to wake up from his sleep? He's sleeping heads on his desk again."
"Iris is saying how she's now able to interact with the reader." Axl says.
"The reader?" Lumine blinks his eyes several times. "What reader?"
"Look, look!" Iris drags Lumine after grabbing his right hand. "There's the reader!"
"Urgh!" Lumine stares at you, wide-eyed. "Are you sure we're not dreaming?"
"Maybe it is! Maybe it isn't! But I can clearly see them as they are reading our words!" Iris gestures sweetly at you. "Do you think we should pull the reader into Axl's mind?"
"H – hey! Don't do that! My head will explode!" Axl protests. "You're being unusually active today! That's freaking me out!"
"Is that how you talk to your older sister?" Iris pouts. "Have at you!"
"Ow! Hey!" Axl and Iris childishly fight among themselves, and the cartoon smoke pops up. Iris pulls Axl's cheek, Axl slightly twists Iris' arm in defense.
Only Lumine stares at you. "Uh … well, I wasn't really expecting this to be real, but … thank you so much for reading our uncanny story until this point. There's more to come, actually I don't know what will happen after this. And … please wish us well. Hopefully, next time we will have a better Interlude than us siblings fighting like this. So … goodbye, reader!"
"Wait!" Iris hits realization. "Don't let it end like this!"
The camera fades to total black. No sound of the two Reploids fighting in Axl's mind.
"Maybe next time we can have something planned properly …" Axl sighs.