A/N: Huh? What's this? An update? Could it possibly be!? XD Yes, yes it is. Now I know you all thought I was dead. But I am in fact, very alive. XD Sorry for the late chapter. It just felt good to do nothing but be absolutely useless and lazy to the world. Anyway, I've kept you waiting long enough. Next chapter!

To Lucrecia LeVari:I appreciate your thorough criticism. It makes me feel special. XD And I'm very sorry that I can not spell, but I have no spell check and didn't even know this site had one until a couple of days ago when I was complaining about how bad I spell and someone was like "...You know it has spellcheck, right?" --; So thank you very much for that.

And I guess I have to thank Tuahla too. And you can tell I meant it this time, I actually stopped to spell your name. XD

Now, ass-kissing officially done. On with the fic!

I do not own Xenosaga or its characters, but at least I can spell that much. XDDD

Conflicting Numbers
Chapter 25
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Nigredo ran or perhaps he flew. Yes, flight was a better description. The planet was dark; constantly covered by a thin layer of acrid smoke accompanied by the continuous sound of gunfire. Death.

"They're all infected!" Nigredo whispered awed despair. Everywhere he turned was chaos. U.R.T.V.'s roamed the streets in the strict marching lines taught for battle. They destroyed buildings, set off bombs and murdered everyone in sight. It was Miltia's extermination.

"Rubedo!" he screamed, "Rubedo where are you!?"

Dammit, answer me! Rubedo! Answer me!

He couldn't even remember how the two had been separated. After Albedo's infection, everything was a blur of vision and shouts of "Run, Nigredo!" along with the feel of Rubedo's hand on his arm, screams, insane laughter...And then that song. That damned song! It's haunting sound was driving everyone crazy! The U.R.T.V.'s that had not been contaminated found themselves bent over as they wrapped their hands around their heads at the noise as the disease of U-DO leaked its way into their minds through the song. Nigredo stared in horror at the fall of every one of his brothers and at the momentary fear as sanity slipped away through their screams. The power of this song was terrifying. Everything was falling under its traumatizing melody. Realians covered the streets, laughter like weapons as they ripped apart anything within reach living or not. The infected bio-weapons and artificial humans ignored him as he ran, thinking that he was among their own ranks. Even after he machine-gunned a few of his infected siblings to save a citizen, they ignored him and continued their spree. He counted them off. 001, 002...387...564...633...Every single one of them infected. The realization scared him. If Albedo could be affected did that mean Rubedo could to?

"Rubedo!" he shouted again. "Rubedo! Where are you!?''

He wasn't sure how long he had been searching. It felt like an eternity. He mapped his way through the chaos, mindful of bombs and enemy gunfire. What grim humor. Wasn't everyone an enemy? "Rubedo!" he cried out again, his sore throat protested against the action. Nothing. Rubedo! Answer me!

Nigredo.

Nigredo stopped in his tracks. He had found his way onto a deserted street. No one was here; the space clear of everything but corpses. Who are you looking for Nigredo? I think I know.

Albedo?

My Rubedo. Do you know his whereabouts? It seems he fled with you. Are you running away without me?

Albedo. Where are you?

"Why I'm right here, Nigredo!" Nigredo turned around to see Albedo. The purple-red waves enveloped the older boy, wrapping around him and causing his eyes to flash a violent lighter purple.

"Al-Albedo...you're..."

Albedo laughed at his hesitance. Nigredo took a few steps away from him, holding his weapon loosely at his side. "Left me for dead, Nigredo. You aren't a very good brother."

Albedo walked closer, one hand outstretched to rest on his shoulder. Nigredo flinched, unsure of what exactly he should do. This situation screamed danger, but Nigredo couldn't bring himself to actually harm his brother, not Albedo. The older boy, however, didn't seem to share the same inhibitions. With surprising speed and force, Albedo kicked his legs out from under him. The moment Nigredo landed he stomped down hard on his right leg. Albedo smiled at the scream that ripped from the younger boy. Pain pushed past his inhibition. He grabbed his gun and rammed the butt of the weapon into Albedo's stomach and hit it against his face. The force knocked him down. Nigredo shifted his weight to his side, trying to use the gun as a prop, but Albedo kicked him again and sent him onto the pavement again. Albedo smiled and grabbed the gun.

"Trickery, trickery. It was always something you were good at, Nigredo." He tapped the barrel against the boy's cheek. "Rubedo, Rubedo, where for art thou, Rubedo?" The boy laughed insanely. "Is that the call of Juliet I hear, wandering around in the dark? Toying with madness, Nigredo, is never a good thing."

"Albedo, what are you talking about? What are you doing?"

Albedo dug a heel into the boy's broken leg. "And now who plays the part of Paris? Why not me? If he'd been smart, if he'd realized that woman as the true executioner, maybe they could've lived."

"Albedo, you're not making any sense." Nigredo cried out. He started a small link, but Albedo felt the telekinesis behind it and fired a round into Nigredo's left arm and leg. The link shut down as fast as it had started, lost in the realm of pain. "The executioner! The woman. If not for her self induced death, Romeo would not have committed suicide, would not have killed Paris. That's what you wish of me, isn't it Nigredo?"

Nigredo tried to think through his haze but Albedo interrupted him. "Yes! It is! Death for Rubedo! You've fallen, Executioner! Broken your promise! To save his Juliet, the Dragon will kill me. Then what? You him, Nigredo? The way it was meant, wasn't it? Shakespeare! The great foreseer!"

"I haven't done anything, Albedo! Stop this please!" Albedo responded by stomping again on his broken leg. Nigredo whimpered in pain. He felt the barrel against his head.

"Albedo!!!"

The demon's head snapped up. "Ah, there art Romeo. With such purpose doth he walk. Romeo, your Juliet is dying. Where doth thy poison lie?"

"Get off of him!" Nigredo could hear his feet hitting the pavement. Albedo cocked his head to the side and raised the gun to point at the running variant. "Stop!"

Albedo's arms exploded, the gun landing on the ground behind him. He hissed in surprise. Nigredo was surprised too, he'd simply reacted, instinct without thinking of the consequence. Albedo's limbs reformed themselves and he again grabbed the gun. He pressed the barrel roughly against Nigredo's stomach.

"Albedo!"

"Rubedo! You left me! You promised you wouldn't leave me! You promised! But you took Nigredo to save him, didn't you!? What about me!? What about me!?"

"Albedo, don't do it! Don't do it!"

Albedo grinned, "Shall I believe that unsubstantial Death is amorous?" The barrel dug into Nigredo's suit. "And that the lean abhorred monster keeps thee here in the dark to be his paramour?"

"Albedo, please..." Rubedo begged.

"Goodnight Nigredo."

Gaignun shot up in bed, screaming. His breathing was heavy as he scanned the dark room.

"What is it?" Jr. yelled beside him. He leaned over Gaignun, a gun in his hand.

"It's...It's nothing." He said, shaking his head. "Just a nightmare."

A sigh, "Jeez, Gaignun. You gave me a fucking heart attack." He heard the boy fall back onto their bed. Gaignun didn't join him. He bent over, holding his head in his palms and resting his elbows on knees. He took a deep breath.

"Gaignun?"

"I'm fine..."

He felt a hand on his back. "Hey."

"Yeah?"

He felt a shift in the bed and then arms around his shoulders. "Come on, let's go back to bed."

"Jr..." he sighed, placing a hand over one of Jr.'s smaller ones. "That dream felt so real. Like it was happening again."

"Well hey, it's over right? Besides, I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Gaignun smiled. "Right. My little gunslinger."

"Gaignun, if you wanted me to kick your ass, all you had to do was ask me."

"Didn't you just say you'd protect me?"

"I meant from other people. When it comes to me, you're on your own."

Gaignun nodded an of course and ran his hand up Jr.'s arm. Was it strange for him to actually feel safe in arms so small? His hand traveled up to the boy's shoulder and back down, stopping on the tattoo he knew was there. "Jr., when was the first time you told me you loved me?"

Jr. sighed. "When the Feds came to take me away."

Gaignun kissed the arm he held. "Yeah. That's right."

"Damn right it's right."

Gaignun chuckled. "Yeah, but you know what's wrong?"

"The fact that you're a girl? See, I've always known this and it's taken me a while, but I've finally come to terms with it."

"You're wrong."

He felt the arms around him stiffen. "You're not my Jr. You're not real. This isn't real."

Gaignun tilted his head to rest on the boy behind him. "And it's pathetic that I want you to be real. And it's even more pathetic that I'm not going to give in to this even though you're right here." Gaignun closed his eyes and ran his hand over Jr.'s skin again. "This is his arm, this is his voice, his breath on my skin. It's him. I can feel him."

Gaignun opened his eyes again to the surrounding darkness. "And I'm almost willing to believe you. But I can't."

His imaginary Jr. moved his arms from around his shoulders and crawled around him to sit in front of him. "Gaignun. Where is Jr. right now?"

"He's with Albedo." Gaignun answered, trying to ignore how strange it was that Jr. was talking about Jr.

"With Albedo and you're not worried?"

"Of course I'm worried! There's no telling what's happening! The last time Albedo took him away from me he came back broken and bleeding. It was terrifying."

"So you're worried about pain."

"What else is there to worry about? Albedo's not going to kill him..."

The imitation shook his head. "What does Albedo want from him? Truly want from him?"

Gaignun didn't know what the replica was getting at, so he thought about it for a moment before answering. "He wants Jr. to kill him."

"Is that all?"

Gaignun frowned. "No..."

The copy smiled sadly. "If Jr. had to choose, if he really had a choice who would he pick, Gaignun?"

Gaignun didn't answer. He kept his eyes down on the thick comforter covering his legs.

"Do you know the answer or are you unsure?"

"Albedo...Albedo is a part of Jr. A literal part. I don't know...I don't know what..."

Gaignun's heart tightened. He'd never really thought about it, never really had to. He'd never thought he'd be with Jr. to begin with so that had thrown everything he'd known into a new sort of pattern. Anything seemed possible now and depending on the things Albedo said or did...

"If Albedo could even fake sanity, Jr. would drop you like a rock."

"That's not...that's not true, Jr. loves me."

"But are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?"

Gaignun was silent again as he tried to convince his heart that there was no reason to break. He was sure Jr. loved him. He'd said it in his own words, said it in his touch, in his eyes, in everything about him...hadn't he?

He was battling now, fighting with himself for the answer when the impostor placed a hand against his cheek.

"But I wouldn't. I love you, Gaignun. Take me instead. Here, I'm everything you want me to be. Here, this world is perfect and here there exists no Albedo."

Gaignun shook his head. "No. No. This isn't real. Even if the real Jr. chose Albedo over me it's reality. Without reality, without structure nothing tangible exists. Just a world full of delusion. Albedo."

"Why do you always have to be so self destructive? Why can't you just be happy? Do something for yourself for once. Think about you, Gaignun. What's best for you?"

Jr.'s hand moved from Gaignun's cheek to his neck as he pulled himself to sit inbetween Gaignun's legs.

"Dmitri's so good at this." Gaignun sighed, depressed. "He knows just what to make you say."

"He doesn't want you to suffer he wants you to be happy." The replica reasoned. "That's why he constructed this world for you. A gift to his favorite son."

"Favorite son?"

Jr. nodded enthusiastically. "His absolute favorite son. His greatest achievement. He even views Albedo as a failure."

Gaignun couldn't hide the perverse sense of satisfaction that gave him. No matter what Albedo did or how horrible it would the action was, Jr. would forgive him, but no matter how hard Gaignun tried he would never amount to what Albedo actually meant to Jr, would he? Doomed to exist always in shadow.

"I love you Gaignun. Our father loves you." The imitation was closer now, their lips inches apart. "Don't you want to make him proud?"

Gaignun fell against the feeling. Sanity slowly slipping away from its carefully structured confines. For once in his life he didn't care. Maybe he should do something for himself. Maybe he did deserve to be happy and maybe submitting to this reality wasn't so bad. He'd made his decision. As Jr. pulled away to fix him in crudely colored eyes Gaignun whispered, "I do."

A/N: Yayy! CX Hope this was decent considering the super long wait. ^^; Reviews are my muse so inspire it up people. C: