Chapter 37
Metal against metal sounded clearly in the empty hallway, though it wasn't the kind of metal you might think. It were just Grobyc's feet as they constantly hit the metal floors as he walked. Also, while he walked, Grobyc kept fidgeting with some kind of gun he had 'borrowed' from the Porre army. He slammed the cartridge in the gun with the palm of his hand, and checked if it wasn't plugged by shooting a test bullet down the empty hallway, which also resulted into scaring the living daylights out of Goku, who had been trying to ignore the sound of his tinkering with the gun.
"GROBYC!!!" Goku screamed.
The cyborg looked at him with partially lidded eyes, which he seemed to have whenever he was relaxed or calm.
"What the Hell was that for!?!"
Grobyc didn't answer at first, then said calmly: "Just-checking-if-it-wasn't-plugged. If-it-had-been-during-battle, it-would-be-too-late-to-do-anything-about-it. Don't-you-think?"
Goku growled in annoyance, rubbing his ears.
"Well next time, give a warning or something!"
Grobyc shrugged his metallic shoulders and said: "Fine."
If Goku didn't hate Grobyc so much, he might have noticed how much Grobyc acted like a human.
Grobyc however, wasn't really feeling well at all. He knew what Porre had done, but all this time, he had thought Porre had been the good guys, and that everyone who resisted Porre was bad. It was that easy. In the beginning it had been. Now however, he felt so… odd. He was around people that actually cared if someone died, or if that person was killed. Porre couldn't care about the soldiers, how many lives were lost, as long as they won. Grobyc had once asked why they were doing it the way they did, and only received a cold shoulder in return.
They had acted like he was a nobody. Like he was nothing but a…… machine. Grobyc sadly looked over at his left robotic arm, and placed his gun away. He was a machine, but he knew he hadn't always been that way. He knew he had been human also, though he found it hard to believe. Not to mention that he couldn't remember anything about ever being human. He figured he'd belonged with Porre before this, but he couldn't remember.
And here he was now. Helping a bunch of fugitives from Termina. It was like he was betraying Porre, but hey, what did they care? It's not like they'd miss him or anything. However, Grobyc had been bothered by something else too. What was it that Porre wanted?? Although he had worked for Porre, he couldn't recall why Porre had decided to attack El Nido. All he could remember was fighting and killing innocent people, who were just defending their homes, and also…
The Record.
Almost as if that held all the answers, his circuitry began to work overtime. Constantly when he saw a person use one of the Records they always carried along, it was like they were selling their soul. But to whom? Grobyc, being a cyborg, had had no use for the Record, so he never understood why he was forced to kill people who were just trying to defend what was rightfully theirs. He had first thought that that had been the only way of living.
How very wrong he had been. These humans battled to survive, and only killed if they had no other choice. Actually, they had been trying hard not to kill anybody. Also, he found it strange that people actually listened to what the other had to say, and thought of a plan together. There was a leader amongst them, that much was clear, but it wasn't like he fully controlled them. Grobyc was becoming confused, and that's hard to do for a cyborg.
Goku didn't even bother with Grobyc anymore, as long as he kept up. Goku didn't like the cyborg, not at all. Porre and Terminan soldiers wouldn't be able to get along anyway, but Porre's cyborg-assassin was even worse! He couldn't believe that he was actually stuck with this guy until they found the spirits. He'd rather gone with somebody else, but he didn't have any other choice. Well, at least he could keep an eye on it.
There was silence for awhile, until Grobyc asked a question Goku hadn't expected.
"Why-is-Porre-killing-so-many-people?"
Goku turned to him in shock.
"You mean…" he started. "That you don't know?"
"No. My-memory-bank-from-before-I-became-what-I-am-now-is-a-blank-page. I-have-no-recollection-of-my-past-whatsoever."
That changed Goku's entire point of view.
"Then why did you help them?"
"I-thought-they-were-the-good-guys-and-that-the-others…" Grobyc started, but Goku understood.
"Well, Porre's done nothing to be called good. All they did was murder and plunder."
Grobyc didn't respond, but Goku didn't really bother with it. But when it dawned to Goku that Grobyc was no longer walking, he stopped to look back. Grobyc was looking down at the ground, in something like shame.
"Hey," Goku finally said after a few minutes of silence. "You coming?"
Grobyc nodded slowly, and continued his walk.
They continued to walk, when another sound came. It was rhythmic, and went in time with Goku's steps. Like someone was rapping on a strange kind of leather. It was strange. When Goku stopped to look around, the sound stopped. When he resumed walking, there it was again!! Grobyc had already started locating where the sound was coming from, but the echo in the hall made it harder for him. Finally, Goku had enough and drew his blade.
"Whoever you are, you better show yourself now!!" he shouted, having it bounce around the wall.
"I-don't-think-that-whoever's-out-there-will-listen-if-you-shout-like-that," Grobyc said.
A strange tinkling sound was heard behind them.
"Hither," a feminine voice said, but when they whirled around, no one was there.
Just a badge of sparkles.
"O'er hither," the same voice said, and they whirled around again.
This time, they were face to face with a spirit. She looked to be in her teenage years, and had long, spiked red hair, yet it wasn't blood red like Elvor had it. The color just reached the border between red and orange. Her eyes were lime green, and looked at them with a strange look. All she wore were some shorts, and a tank top with the word 'BEAUTY' on it in strange glittery letters. She wore some easy sneakers on her feet.
"Who are you?" Goku asked, still a tad angry.
The woman smiled, and tapped her foot in a steady rhythm, beating something against her thigh that caused had that odd sound to ring through the hall earlier.
"I canst seem to remember," she said, padding the strange drum against her leg, just above her knee. "'Tis been a while since I hath been called by mine name," she continued.
"Who wouldst thou be?" she then asked.
"None of your business!" Goku stated harshly.
The spirit shrugged, but didn't stop padding the drum against her thigh. It was a steady beat, much like clapping, only with a different air.
"Suit thyself, 'tis not as if I can force thee."
Grobyc watched her for a moment, then asked: "What-are-you-doing-here-anyway?"
The spirit simply smiled, and didn't stop padding the drum against her leg as she said: "I canst remember. 'Tis been a long while since I hath seen another person, or spirit. Mine friends seemed to hath been… misplaced, if thee will pardon my words."
Goku hmphed, and sheathed his blade.
"Maybe if you go to the entry-hall, you'll meet up with them."
The spirit blinked.
"The entry-hall? Why would they beith there?" she asked.
"Because-a-friend-of-ours-is-dying-and-it-is-said-that-a-certain-song-can-heal-her," Grobyc answered before Goku could.
The spirit nodded.
"Then I guess I shalt go there," she said. "I shalt see thee there."
With that, she left.
The two staid there for awhile, until Grobyc said: "We-should-go-too."
Goku looked down the hall they had come from, and then down the other.
"No, I want to explore this place a little bit. You can go back if you want to."
With that said, Goku proceeded further down the hallway, leaving the cyborg alone for awhile, until he followed. Grobyc didn't feel like being left behind.
"Why-do-you-want-to-move-on-anyway?" Grobyc asked.
Goku shrugged.
"Maybe we'll find another spirit, or we'll find something interesting. Who knows?"
Grobyc had nothing to say to that. Goku didn't know why, but the more they headed toward the center, the more he felt a strange presence. He couldn't pinpoint what it was, but he didn't like it.
Grobyc didn't seem to notice however. Maybe because he was a cyborg, he wasn't too sure. Or he was just pretending not to feel it. The cyborg's feet banged softly against the ground, though it didn't seem to bother anyone. Not even Goku bothered with it anymore. The hallway was deserted, but they kept walking down it, searching for anything out of the ordinary.
After some time, they came to a door, but neither of them noticed the small red laser near their feet. They stepped through the door, and noticed they were in a lab of some kind. Grobyc blinked, and looked around the machinery. Goku was also amazed by the amounts of equipment, even though he didn't know that much about machines. The duo continued walking through the room, when their eyes landed on a strange metallic object.
"It-can't-be!" Grobyc exclaimed, and immediately raced over to it, letting Goku run after him.
When Grobyc lifted the object, Goku noticed it was some sort of robotic left arm.
"Porre's-been-working-on-this-for-years-and-it-never-worked. This-one-looks-complete-though."
Grobyc frowned and placed the arm back down. Then, with a clean rip, he tore his left robotic arm from his shoulder. Goku winced inwardly, and watched as Grobyc picked up the arm and managed to maneuver it into his shoulder with ease. He flexed the fingers, and rotated it a few times at the wrist.
Suddenly, something in Grobyc's eyes bleeped and he whirled around as a lid opened on his arm. A small laser came out, and instantly fried a strange robot that had been planning on shooting them.
Goku watched in horror, then he said: "Wow! Nice!"
Goku couldn't see it, but Grobyc was smiling.
"My-thoughts-exactly!"
"Hey guys!!" the redheaded spirit said as she came strolling into the entry-hall.
The other spirits greeted her warmly, safe for the golden haired male. Again, the structure had shifted. This time, it was the demi-human whom had moved, seeming to grasp something.
"They're goin' pretty fast, eh?" the female asked.
"I guess," the male mumbled, one leg pulled up and leaning on his arms.
"I neva thought they'd makit this far. They're pretty tough," the woman said, whipping a loose strand of hair from her eyes.
"I noticed. They were able to shatter my necklace! At least, that cavegirl managed, but that's beside the point!"
"Speakin' o' tha' girl," the woman interrupted, looking at him. "Didn't she remind ya o' someone?"
The man looked at her, blinking.
"Remember?? Ioka? With Milaya?"
He seemed to remember, and he smirked.
"Now that you mention it, I can see the resemblance, safe for their hair and eyes I mean."
She smirked back, and turned to the pedestal.
"They did have some good sayin's in the prehistoric era though."
"You mean like; 'Win and live, lose and die'?"
"Tha's one o' them. Though I like tha one o' Mag…… er!! I mean, Janus! More!"
"Oh, you mean 'The past is dead, it was all just a dream'?"
"Yep."
"Belthasar had one too."
"'Only Time Will See Where It Will All End'," the two said in chorus.
They laughed for a moment, but their entire conversation had gone unnoticed by the spirits in the room. The woman sighed, and the man looked at her.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, I think."
"'You think'."
"I dunno. I jus'… sometimes I feel like I wanna go…"
"Home?"
"………………"
"Hey."
"Hay is fer horses."
No matter how much they tried not to, they still burst out laughing.
At the center of Chronopolis, sat the object of Porre's desire, something that was so far out of reach, that it was unbelievable it was actually so close. He hung there in the air, surrounded by all those machines, guarded from anyone who dared touch him without permission. He admitted, the pins scared him at first, but if They thought it was going to be all right somewhere in the near future, he knew he had to live with it.
He knew a lot of people wanted him, but he didn't desire those people. Only the Arbiter could use his strength. There had been one exception. That girl, or woman, how old had she been? He didn't know anymore, but it wasn't important. She had been dying, and he restored her. With his creator gone, he refused to do what he had been created for.
Had he had a mouth, he would've smiled in contentment, but he didn't, so he settled with his thoughts. That girl had been so weak, and he kept her alive. Then she came here, and the Arbiter was born.
It had taken quite some years, but the Arbiter had finally returned. Soon, he would be out of his prison, and he would die. He knew. He might be the one to bring people Life Eternal, but that wasn't what made people happy. He had realized a little too late. The Arbiter would finish him off easily. And once She was killed, things would probably change for the better. He wasn't needed. His strength was worthless now.
Alright. Fourth spirit. Three more to go.
Reviews:
Kitten: Damn. Bummer. Too bad you don't live near me or I could've helped out.
SaiyanGal: Thank you.
trunks babe: No sweat.
samicat: I won't spoil it. But yes, there is a sequel. It's not focussed on Bulma and Vegeta, though it's almost identical. There're also a few prequels. One of them is Fighters Of The Universe, but the chapters are rather long. Why?? I just felt like it! And I need to have something to do in my free time!
Ciria: You'll find out soon enough. Do you think I'll tell? Yes, Pyro, Douse, Terra and Flora are all females. The only males are Sky, Mura and [beep!].
veggie-chan: Well, EXCUSE ME!!! But I've never heard of any of those animes because we don't have them here. And, no, Elvor and Ancha don't have anything to do with each other. But they would also make a cute couple, don't you think?
cat421: That's alright. Bugger about that virus though.
Bulma BriefsYue Lover: You obviously haven't been playing enough Chrono Trigger. Magus doesn't belong with the Terrible Trio. The correct answer, is: "Oz…… Ozzie's in a jam!!! Outta here!!" "That's SLASH, you dumpling dolt! Still playing the comedian, eh, Glenn?" "Male, female, what's the difference? Beauty is power, and I have the power."
Dragon battle schedule:
1. Earth Dragon Isle - Terra, the Earth Dragon
2. Water Dragon Isle - Douse, the Water Dragon
3. Mt. Pyre - Pyro, the Fire Dragon
4. Gaea's Navel - Flora, the Green Dragon
5. Marbule - Mura, Eldest Black Dragon
6. Marbule - Same, Youngest Black Dragon
7. Sky Dragon Isle - Sky, the Sky Dragon
8. Sea Of Eden - Chronopolis - Z-Vor, the Eighth Dragon
I already told this, but if people desire for me to write a side-story about all couples [lemon style] please tell and I'll see what I can do. I'm not that good at lemons, but that's my own opinion. Also, if you know another couple you'd like to read a lemon about from this story, do tell. [Dragons are allowed as well.]