Baby Zero 7
Back at the Havre-de-paix. Ciel saved the recording of the conversation the four guardians and Larily-Lal just had, most specifically, their signing.
Usually, reploid singing was...not soulless, but very basic and lacking passion and emotion. But considering those were all musics catered for humans, the young genius was not surprised.
Of course, there was this one time she heard Andrew croon a sad love song for his deceased wife, it had been a very old classic mostly sung in taverns for sailors. It had been recited with feelings of lose and longing...but it still sounded like an autotuned. And those were advanced Reploid that could easily pass for humans.
Larily-lal was an...ancient reploid by anyone's standard. Meaning their voice had this synthetic quality. And yet...their, lacking better word, duet, was the most soulful singing Ciel had heard since the time of her birth. Even her surrogate mother never sang with so much feeling.
She had never heard something so beautiful in her life...so soulful...soul feeding.
And then their daughter had joined in, and the tree voices became one…
"Hare Krishna... Hare Krishna….Krishna Krishna Hare Hare." She hummed as she worked on Xerox, her...her…
"Mama?" He spoke, his ruby red eyes filled with concern with his creator.
"Y-Yes Zephir?" She replied using his more human nickname.
"M-Maybe you should take re-rest. He spoke quietly.
He had definitely improved from the last time Ciel saw him… "No, I'm alright, I don't feel tired."
"But mooom," His Voice box glitched. "You're si-si-sick!"
"I'm better now...and I still have plenty of work do on your frame." She spoke kindly.
Zephyr pursed his lips, Ciel had managed to remove the bulky armour despite the heavy damage it had sustained and freed her creation's arms, keeping them disconnected for oblivious reason. His legs were somewhere in the desert, and the scientist didn't want to bother The guardians over a trifle.
After some time, Zephyr spoke up again. "Mom...could you...can you..."
"Yes Zephyr?"
"Sit down?"
A caring smile drew itself on Ciel's lips, this...this was not the despot, the childish dictator that had starved the poor to feed the rich, nor was he the one who wanted the drain Reploids battery just to give more energy to greedy and lazy humans wanting to remain in their dull and boring virtual reality.
Human didn't need it...they needed to return to their root, back to the land, back to living in harmony with Gods Creation, not try to enjoy and exploit it like they kept doing.
She sat down, and somehow felt her legs to be less...tingly. 'Oh...so I did need a break.' Trust her first Creation to know when his mother needed a break.
And...he was right! She had been running for two years, only finding a shelter just two years back. But this shelter...was not as secure as expected.
She turned her glance back at Xerox, her Zephyr.
When she had made him... Ciel expected him to become the next ruler, her hundred-year plan had been rock solid, the four guardians eager and willing to teach the new-build about the world and the human they were tasked to protect.
And then...after the task had been done, they had sent her to a villa where she could spend the rest of her life indulging in whatever she wanted. She was treated like a princess, and half 'friends' who would shower her with praises and gift...but, being specifically bred to have an I.Q well above average, it didn't take long for Ciel to become suspicious.
They were all acting too nice with her...they treated her almost like a...an illusion. As if this was all a game. And after fashioning a wireless hacking device, Ciel learned of the truth…
Those so called friends were but mechaniloids...not even reploids. And those who controlled them didn't really like Ciel, the person, they were just paying user of a very shady website.
They like her body...they liked the idea...
She was but a fancy A.I to them...not even a real person.
Well, some did genuinely love her, and really tried to be her friend...but…
They disappeared, after trying to tell Ciel the truth of what was happening outside the dream-like Villa.
And then, knowing that something was off, but still being too naive to expect the worst. The little genius had requested her Jail-... Caretaker to see her Zephyr. She wanted to make sure everything was working fine and that he was not overwhelmed by anxiety.
They had reluctantly accepted, and she personally saw...what had happened to Xerox.
He had changed personality...he was not the kind, sweet, humble and eager to learn new build...he was the new King of Neo-Arcadia.
Or...that was the image he tried to project...but the young genius could catch a few glimpses of some childish...monstrosity hidden in his regal facade.
But...she only had the best in mind for him. He seemed to be ruling Neo-Arcadia fairly, keeping X's dream alive.
Then she made a grave mistake, she had trusted the human council and...did not scan her first child. She only managed to speak a few words with him before he gave the excuse that he had a meeting to attend about the latest rise in maverickism…
A week later, most civilian grade reploids were pushed to one side of the city...in a ghetto. And whatever resources they had had been given to humans in full, those who remained in the human areas...were treated as no better than fancy slaves.
The young girl had tried to contact T]the reploid department, one of her old colleague, about how something was definitely wrong with Xerox, they had even invited her to meet them at the Babel tower. To do some troubleshooting.
…and Ciel survived her fist assassination attempt.
She sighed… "Zephyr...you really don't remember what happened to you, did you?" she addressed her mechanized son.
Zephyr shook his head. "No mama...I...the last thing I remember was... Marco told me you had a new update for me...then..."
"Then nothing." She finished for her creation.
"No...Not nothing. I just remember this weird...dream state. You were there...and you kept telling me how hungry you were." Zephyr explained, his ruby eyes closed as he tried to remember the rest.
"Wait...I was telling you I was hungry? And no, I didn't have an update for you...I've made you with the variable system Mk.2, you grow and adapt to the world naturally." Ciel explained as she took note of this fact...once again, a mystery was being solved.
"Oh... Well, I guess those humans hacked me that time then." It was clear Zephyr was trying to not let this whole ordeal affect him more.
"My thought exactly." Ciel spoke bitterly.
Humans...he own kinds...was it any wonder she had taken the side of the synthetic? That she had been ready and willing to sacrifice her happiness, health and life for them?
After the second attempt, the first and only time they had let her out, Ciel had planned her escape. Faking a gruesome lab accident had been a sinch, and hacking the ambulance had been even easier.
She had hid among the reploids in the slums, using her amazing mental faculties to save more, to fix those who were broken...and very soon, she became a sort of saint. And even when her human heritage showed itself in the first day of her womanhood...a trace, really, they had accepted it, saying that they already knew, but didn't want to make Ciel feel like she was treated differently from the rest.
When she fell sick, they would nurse her, when she was hungry...or her body showed sings of lack of nutrients, they would steal food, clothing...whatever she may need to survive, even if it put them at risk.
It was at that time that she realized that she had a family among the synthetic, they never expected her to be perfect, never wanted her to wear frilly dress if she didn't like it...they never made her do things that would be dangerous for her or inappropriate, and never forced some fake friend…
Of course, there were the bad apples...but Ciel's friend had taught her how to recognize the treats and deal with them accordingly.
Then the life in the Slum became routine, it was not so bad as the humans made it out to be…
That was until the raids started.
The reploids were being hunted...killed like animals by pantheons and...and Master X's guardians.
That night...among the chaos of this wholesale slaughter, the reploids left Neo-Arcadia, taking to the city's sewage system to escape their so-called protector. Ciel, who had prepared the escape route in consequence was at the front of the survivor, leading them to a promise land that didn't exist, a city that was too far.
A false hope that let many sheep to the slaughter.
Ciel Got very sick...but managed to survive thank to Cerveau and Nanite technology. And at that point, she completely rejected her human heritage.
She modded her current body so that she was more synth than organic...and she didn't regret her decision.
"Mama..." Once again, Xerox broke his creator out of her reminiscence.
"Yes Zephyr?" She asked her mechanized son, the blue angel was till on the table, his eyes sorrowful.
"I'm sorry..."
"For what?" Ciel asked as she tiled her head.
"I...I was tricked... The other Mama... She kept telling to..."
"It's alright...it was beyond your power." she assured her first creation...she felt tired, her body melting in the comfortable office chair.
"NO!" Xerox shouted, waking Ciel up, his ruby eyes were desperate, and tears flowed from them. "No I... I should've been stronger, I should've known something was wrong!" He sobbed. "But I...I didn't! I played along like a complete Idiot!"
Ciel jumped off from her chair and ran to the side of Zephyr, her poor creation's vent's were overworking, and if he didn't calm down, he would crash.
She held him in her arm, her mind warning her that it could very well be a trap, a ploy to get her close enough to kill… But Ciel knew he could not move and…
She felt in her heart that this...this was the right thing to do.
And thus she held her creation...her son in her arms. Her returned son, in more ways than one.
After what seemed like decades, Xerox calmed down.
"M-Mama?" He meekly addressed Ciel.
"Yes Zephyr?"
"Is it...is it true?" he asked. "Is it true that...hat if I surrender to Krishna, All my sins will be removed."
This took Ciel by complete surprise, and the teen genius could only try and desperately scrambled for what to tell him.
Yes, she had read the Bhagavad-gītā, and yes, she had found those teachings very enlivening and enlightening but…
Would she be ready to believe is something so unscientific as God?
But then...she just had a very high fever removed by an old Hare Krishna Devotee...and Technically, Krishna's devotees had taken over the whole show.
Ciel once had a very solid plan...find Zero, convince him to help the resistance and gently explain to him that his best friend was dead, and he's been replaced by a copy that had turned insane...he had to kill the copy.
Or…better, yet...not tell him anything and try to sick the Red Ripper to her son and run as far away as possible, waiting for the dust to settle. Trying not to think too much about the fact that she was...killing what amounted to a very smart four-year-old...her baby.
Obliviously, this plan was not in effect anymore…
"Mom..." Xerox broke Ciel out of her...whatever she was in at the moment.
"Oh... Sorry, Zephyr...I...I don't know..." Ciel spoke, revealing how unsure about her everything.
She had been captured, interrogated by her insane creation, and bullied to commit suicide, only to be saved by a holy book, of all thing.
And now...she had been saved by a Devotee of Krishna, the guardians' were now protecting her and a pair of mavericks...a gestalt, were revealing the sordid past and what happened to the real zero...the one that was a baby... really was just a new build.
Suddenly, she heard a knock…. "Umm...excuse me...can I, may I come in?" A young girl about Ciel's age spoke from the other side of the sliding door.
" Who...who is it?" it was another person...a reploid, if her internal com. Could be trusted.
"It's Nandini-Radhika, I'm Larily-Lala's daughter." she spoke. "Mom and dad told me you...ah...may want a friend?"
Ciel stared… "their...daughter?"
"I'm adopted… but They raised me since I was a baby."
"a baby?" Xerox whispered, his eyes widening. Mirroring Ciel's action.
"... Listen, can I come in, please? I don't like speaking through a door."
Ciel glanced back at Xerox, who had been miraculously resurrected, and the door were the mysterious daughter of a two in one maverick was probably standing awkwardly.
"All right..I'll open the door..." She carefully said as he quickly unlocked Xerox's mobility chip.
[M-Mom? Why did you-] Zephyr's stared at her with fear.
[It could be an assassin...I never heard of a maverick adopting a human...not even normal reploids can.] she communicated to her creation. [And...I can feel she's a reploid.] how many times did the com. Trick saved her life?
To many to count.
"Oh, before I let you in, I just want to warn you that I'm not alone. X is offline but-"
"But master X died a hundred years ago..." Nandini piped up, her voice now on edge.
"Anyway, the door's open...you may come in!" She quickly spoke.
The door slid open...revealing a dark skinned reploid girl in a pink and green sari, her black hair was perfectly braided, and she held the Nanoid in her arm. Both took a pause to glance at the heavily damaged Xerox, The Nanoid hiding his face in the young girls' chest.
Ciel Took note that he was not...dressed as Zero anymore, he wore a blue cotton shirt and his golden hair were tied in a top knot, freeing his limbs from their cumbersome load.
'Right...that's not the real zero ,but a copy.' She realized...and something hit her.
As she had worked on Xerox, Leviathan had briefed her on what had happened so far…and the crazy, amazing history of Axl, Lumine and...Z-T.
'I was cursed with an interesting life.' and if she were to trust the Gita...'Oh Lord, what have I done to deserve all of this...' She was back at the Neo-arcadia tower, brought there as a prisoner...now hailed a hero, the truth now revealed.
More Shady dealing had been brought to light, more revelation, the Guardians had (rightfully) killed her son and now…
He was back...he was alive... and a pair of Hare Krishna devotee Maverick...maverick devotee...who were sharing a single body... And one of them just so happened to be the legendary K.I.A himself, Axl...and the other one was Lumine…
"You look like you need to talk." Nandini stated as she glided in the room's proper, her gait quiet and elegant.
Ciel looked at the girl...and pitifully nodded…
What did she have to lose anyway?
"We apologize... Sri-Hari Kirtana has this effect on us." Larily apologized.
"We didn't expect this memory to hit us so hard...especially of Bhakti-Lata Prabhu." Axl... Alalanath followed suit.
For their parts, the guardians would've loved to keep listening to the duo- the sound of the mantra had been sweet, soothing ad the most pleasing thing they had sung in a while.
Yes...the four had spontaneously begun to follow Larily-lal in the ancient and most noble art of Harinama-Sankirtana, and they felt no shame about it.
"It's quite fine." Phantom intoned. "So... I take this was the first time you got in contact with the Hare Krishnas" He stated, the gestalt smiled sadly.
"Yes...It was our first time...But not Z-T's." Alalanath spoke. "By the time we were there, he was a regular, ."
"I see...what happened after that." Harpuia asked. "It's oblivious that Omega managed to get in Neo-arcadia, and was then sent to space after X and Z… Z-T defeated him but..."
"It's common 'knowledge." Phantom darkly that common knowledge meant very little at the moment. "You were there...what happened and...how did you become a K.I.A sir?"
"Ah..." Alalanath...or was it Larily, sighed. "So...were at this part, aren't we?"
"Dear Guardians of master X." Larily began "Z-T kept returning to the temple practically every night, and we kept his nightly outing a secret."
"It made him happy...and the cult seemed harmless enough, so we let him." Alalanath picked up.
"And consequently, X began to heal from his many years of wars and betrayal. Soon, Z-T and him became very close friend."
"As in, Their friendship were almost as the same level as he and the original."
"Two years passed with close to no treat to master X's project, Neo-arcadia was...well, not exactly thriving, but there was some good progress done and the human population were starting to recover."
"Everything seemed better, there was a light at the end of a very long, very gloomy tunnel." Alalanath intoned.
"Until?" Fefnir wearily asked.
Larily-lal raised their bicolored eyes, a haunted veil covering their natural glow.
"Until Omega came in."
Flames, fire...the acrid smell of death and burning flesh permeated the air. The fifth district was now but a mere memory of its former glories, the street covered in blood, oil and Nanites.
It had taken five minute for Omega to breach the Neo-arcadia's protective dome...and thirty minute to lay waste to eight district out of ten.
The Legendary 'trio' were...trying the last two form falling prey to Zero's rampage, but their hopes were nil.
Most of the Hunter's force had fallen, Only X, Axl (Plus Lumine) and Z-T were left standing, and even then, this was being generous. Palette had managed to survive and escape the viral corruption by playing dead...
It had worked...she was the only Navigator left...
Right now, the last three standings were trying to lure Omega away from the last shelter. X was in his Ultimate Armour, shooting the beast his best friend had become as he did his best to get his attention while Luminax
"... You really call yourself that?" Fefnir asked, breaking the tense narrative. His nose was scrunched...like the other guardians.
Alalanath looked a bit offended. "What? Not good? Common! Luminax an awesome name."
"No it's not." Lumine... Larily flatly informed her husband. "It sounds like 'lorax'"
"Lo-"
"Listen...can we please return to what was happening." Leviathan asked as she wrung her hands.
"Right...where were we?"
Axl and his lover were half pushing, half carrying Z-T away from the maddened colossus. Lumine's side was moving stiffly as fear robbed them of their usual crisp control.
The new-build's eyes were wild, his venting stilted, and his whole frame was uncontrollably shaking.
'Poor dear' Lumine cooed. Their voice not sounding any better than the copy at the moment. 'Axl...If...If we survive this...'
'Lulu please, Don't say if.' Axl spoke as he managed to find some sound covering to let Z-T catch whatever bearing he could, same as Lumine. It was clear the unfolding disaster was too much for him.
Simulations could play different scenarios convincingly, especially for reploids...but it would never replace the utter terror that would dance on the field.
Axl proped Z-T onto a somewhat sound wall. Zero's copy curled up onto himself, his lips moving in a mantra for protection.
"Urgam Viram Maha-Vishnu, jwalantam sarvato mukham."
"Nrishimham Vishanam bhadram, Mrtyur-mrtyum namamya'ham." The fused couple recited before resuming their narration.
Axl crouched in front of the traumatized new build, it was clear…
It was clear the humans clever plan was spectacularly failing at the worst possible time.
'Shit...were dead.' Axl thought, and he could feel the fear Lumine suffered from.
'I knew it would fail...I knew it...Zero's a beast...I don't want to die! I don't want to die again! Run! Let's run away, let's just grab Z-T and escape this Hell-hole!' Lumine's panicked tone echoed from their side.
"Lumine! We can't!"
'Right! Because nothing's left! Omega destroyed everything, and he's about to destroy us!' An explosion validated the hysterical statement.
He hated to admit it...but…
Lumine was right…
They would not get out of it alive…
Ever since Axl had forcibly joined the hunters, he had always wondered why X was so adamant about building the Neo-Arcadia conglomeration and looking for a solution that didn't involve fighting...and why Zero was practically dead inside, reduced to a mere A.I following orders without emotions or life.
Now he knew…
Axl had seen wars...he had seen death, he had seen his best friend and mentor turned into a puppet while the other had to watch with his hand tied. He had seen a new-build getting tortured, denied his individuality..and trusted to face a monster he could not defeat…
Humans made mistakes...terrible mistake, world altering mistakes...and took the synth kind as the perfect scapegoat.
Axl and Lumine heard a terrible crash and the sound of scraping metal, X had been swatted from the sky, his downward trajectory ending in a pile of rubble…
He didn't get up.
Omega Zero bellowed victoriously as their old colleagues followed suit, their roar synchronized with the beast call.
They clenched their jaw, Axl's mounting fury drowning out Lumine's fear...and filing his entire frame with burning, righteous anger.
'Lumine...'
'I know Axl...' His left side quivered. 'But...I'm scared...This...is my worst nightmare.'
'We can't run from this...' He spoke to his lover. 'Lulu, listen...I let you take over my body completely and you 'Paradise lost' Zero either until he come back to his sense, go into emergency mode or keel over." Axl stalked towards the hulking cage that held his mentor. "After that, when your still an angel, we grab Z-T, X and whatever's left of Zero, and we leave to the human this motherfucking wasteland and make our own life on the moon...just like you wanted." He stalked forward.
At this point...this was a dream he doubted would happen, but Axl had to try, he had to give his best! He had to give his all.
Zero and X wouldn't expect anything less from him.
Omega turned his attention to the Copy-droid, as were all of his thralls…
Signas, what was left of the Life-savers…
And whatever hunters, reploids and whatever cyber-elf had been zombified by Omega…
Axl knew most of them...some had been friends, other rivals and there was also one who was a friend to his Lulu…
None of them could be salvaged. "Alright Lulu, the stage is yours!"
'Understood!' The fear-
"Hey wait a minute!" Fefnir exclaimed. "I thought Lumine was a maverick! You know, fearless, dominating, world conquering glitches." He gestured from his place on the couch. "No offence ma'am."
Alalanath looked at The fire fighter...and then gave a smiling sigh "Yeah...that's what the historian's wants you to believe." He helplessly shrugged. "But trust me Fafnir, not all Mavericks are demon-like, and only Sigma really had this mentality, most either followed him out of fear of him, fear of humans...or fear of the Hunters.
A maverick really means someone who doesn't act like the humans want's to. It can be either because of a glitch, a malfunction...but most of them were actually running away from slavery..." Axl... Alalanath paused. And Larily took over.
"I...My reason for turning maverick was the last one." she revealed. "I was...my body was made with only one single purpose in mind; to engineer and design the impossible elevator, or the Jacob Projection elevator. After I would have fulfilled my purpose-" the lavender reploid ran a finger across her neck in a very meaningful fashion. "I would have been shorted, my frame gutted and ghatering dust in a museum...and I...I don't know what would have happened to me ultimately..."
"Lulu...you would've taken birth again." Alalanath spoke up.
"But in what situation?" she asked. "Can reploids make Karma, and if they did...then what I did...would I be a ghost stuck of the fake moon? Would they keep me in a USB key in a storage box forgotten to time?" She scoffed. "No… Downloading myself into your CPU was the best out-come for all of us..."
Alalanath let out a chuckle. "Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Before you resume." Phantom politely interrupted. "I have a question."
Larily-Lal turned their glance to the Shinobi. "Let me guess...it's about the moon?"
"Yes ah..."
"Madam, or Mother."
"Madam then."
Larily inclined their head. "To make it short...no one went to the moon due to the Val-hallen radiation belt. The whole moon landing was a hoax and how could someone in their right mind even consider building an elevator from the earth to the moon?!" Larily began to gesture. "The earth simply will not give all the necessary alloy to reach that far! And please don't let me start about the impossible logistics about tying a fragile twig between a pair of spinning objects going trough a circular pattern around one another!" She rented. "It's simply undoable! Not even Ravana managed this feat! And he had mystic powers! What do I have?"
" Thousand of Reploid CNA and love of God." Alalanath Managed to get a word in before his better half could get a second wind to her vent. Their bodies slumped a bit, it was clear this had caught her off guard.
"Yes Prabhu...I only have the CNA of thousand of reploids who have long passed away..." She sadly scoffed. "A new-gen reploid...the most advance version of the most easily controlled slave..." she cycled in and released her breath. "I'm...sorry. My past is...still a sore subject for me." Larily let out a sad laugh. "I'm still not over this after a hundred years."
"It's alright Lulu, You'll get there eventually...no one is expecting you to be perfect... Your perfect enough for me." the amount of love and affection that poured from those few words almost caused the core of the Guardians to melt...the warning of this particular ecological disaster drowned out whatever awnser Larily had spoken.
"Never the less...our tale is far from over."
"Right...you were...killed by Omega Zero, right?"
Alalanath chuckled.
"No...wait...but how?" Phantom owlishly stared at the miraculous duo.
"Just listen Phantom, were getting at the good part."
Dispatching what were once friends and Colleagues was disturbingly easy once he let Lumine the full control of their shared body... The ex-director of the Jacob project had plenty of pent-up anger aimed toward them...and they now could unleash hell on those inferior build.
The slaughter happened under the eyes of X and Z-T...and it was clear Axl's mentor and commander had realized the truth about Axl and Lumine.
[X... It's fine...just Protect Z-T while Lumine and I take care of... Him.] He sent via private com.
[How long?] X asked.
[Four years now, we began dating a month and a half after they transferred themselves in my frame... My natural dorkiness and good look took their hearts away.] Axl tried to joke, but really, between X's disproving glance and Omega, the Copy-bot truly felt in between a rock and a hard place.
'Axl...please talk to X After I've annihilated the beast...would you?' Lumine conveyed, their fear gone. 'Omega's...definitely more powerful then the three of you...' They admitted.
And it was true, Axl's body had taken plenty of damage, his white armour scorched and scratched on many different places. And yet, despite how ragged and mangled they felt, the six wing like appendages still remained poised, the paradise lost on the cusp of activation.
But Omega was not spared himself, his pink and yellow shell was cracked and-
"Wait...Omega's armour was..." A very aghast Fefnir sputtered.
"The same colour as Fluttershy...from the pony show."
And leaking oil and fluid.
'Axelu...It's time...I'm...my charge's almost emptied.' Lumine reveal, they had fought beautifully, conquering their fear and destroying all that threatened their Axl, Z-T and X...but it was clear they were not used to fighting for so long and with so many enemies.
'It's alright Lulu, use mine...' Axl addressed his lover with all the love and support he could. He had been raised as a bounty hunter, Red had made sure his favourite charge would not falter when...offing a problem guest. And he had lived trough two wars…
But not Lumine…
"You...You have one last chance, Demon...Zero. Lay down your weapon or face my wr-"
Omega roared as he lunged at…
Larily sighed. "Alright...Luminax won't cut it...do we have other names for our combined form?"
"Xlumina?"
"Lux?"
"Can we just get to the good part?" Leviathan grumbled, seated at the end of her seat. "Also, I call for Sun! Because it is the supreme source of all light in our Galaxy and the Axel of the universe."
Larily-Lala stared at her… "LuminAX it is then."
LuminAX closed their eyes. 'I'm sorry, my love...I doubt he will survive his fall.'
'It's alright...I had four years to prepare.' Axl conveyed with resignation.
Then their combined form took to the sky, their wings flaring like the sun'd Corona!
A dark curtain fell onto the battlefield, shielding X and Z-T from the hellish inferno.
The Father of all reploids held on to the new build, his tears mixing with the nanite rich oil that stained his cheeks.
And then...LuminAX ended the blaze...the concrete had melted and the intruding sand turned into glass...and were Omega once stood, a half-melted husk remained…
Luminax, it's gruesome deed done, landed on the scorched ground and stood there, staring at what remained of Zero.
'Requiescat in Pace' Lumine intoned, praying for the fallen before turning to the two survivor of the Calamity.
X stared at them with fear, his tears had cleared a path down his to his quivering chin through the grime of the fateful battle. And Z-T clutched the elder hunter's arm, his eyes still dull from the trauma he had endured.
Axl, now back in control -at least of his half -, sighed.
He had a lot to explain to his superior...and plenty of damage control too. "Alright...X." He began. "Lulu and I-"
X and Z-T dodged out of a green beam of curved light...and Axl realized…
Zero was out…
He had survived…
...His blade was still sharp…
….Lumine was screaming...as was X and Z-T…
...His knees gave out….and he felt his left side slide away from his right.
...He couldn't feel Lumine's presence...and he couldn't feel his left side anymore…
….trough his darkening vision...He could see X get to his feet…
…..He never saw his so andgry before...his eyes were glowing…
...Z-T got up...determination burnted bright…
Axl closed his eyes...and whole system went trough shut down.
Back at the present, Alalanath das and Larily Devi dasi stood parted from one another, clearly showing how, indeed, they had been bisected by Zero… only their linked hand prevented them from falling over.
The four Guardians of Master X gaped at the sight. "No rusting way..." Fefnir whispered at the sight. "How...how did you survive that? Are you...like...legit reploid Zombies?"
Alalanath...chuckled. He had returned to his own look, as was Larily. "No, remember, we are not In a human body. So, we have a bit more lee way about what can and can't kill us."
"Never the less," Larily started. "It would have indeed killed us were it not for the Lords Causeless mercy on us."
"Before the fateful fight, I got the inspiration to have a second battery installed since, with both our OS running at the same time, my energy consumption was through the roof and to the moon." Alalanath grinned.
"The two batteries are in our chest...at the left and right."
"And remember, I gave Larily my left side..."
"When I started to communicate with Alalanath, he had no reasons to trust me...and yet he did."
"I had the guts feeling I had too..."
"Little did we knew that this gut's feeling, as humans would call it, is nothing less than Paramatma, or God in the heart setting up our escape route." Larily declared with a bright smile.
"Obliviously, X saw us die that fateful day, cut in half by the original Zero, His best friend and mentor."
"But in reality, a reality only Z-T was privy too...we survived the ordeal..."
"But X...was not informed of that." Alalanath spoked a bit sadly.
[Axl...Lulu...It's me, Z-T...] They heard...it was a simple audio-mail. [X think you've died...everyone thinks you did but...Krishna, he knows better.]
Krishna...
Axl slowly returned to what a human would call half-conciousness. He could not feel his left side anymore...and Lumine was completely silent.
The message continued. [I...I know you both wanted to get free from the hunters and live your own life. so...I think this could be a great way to start anew. Krishna think so too.]
[I buried you under some rubbles...and X...I managed to convice X to not drag your corps back to HQ…]
[I called my friends from the temple, they know a bit about reploid morphology and repair...maybe they'll be able to stick you back togheter or something.]
[I know, it's a cult, they pray to Krishna and you'r not interested...but outside of X and you, they are my family and...and That's what Krishna wants...he told me it would be the best for you.]
[Actually...to take Krishna Shelter fully is what the entire world need right now...the worlds...those humans we protect are just stubborn you know? They would rather be protected by failable machines and science than by the infallible supreme personality of Godhead.]
[a-any way...if you...if you can read this...hear this...whatever you can pull off at the moment. Then Bhakti-Lata Prabhu and Anubhava Prabhu managed to find you. I don't know if Lumine made it but...ah...just...remain hidden, I'll regroup with you and my friends in five days. If not…]
[I love you.]
[No...not like that...I love you like family. I love you...and I want you and Lumine to be happy...and real Happiness start by chanting Hare Krishna and surrendering to him.]
[but...you know...It's up to you.]
[I hope I'll get to see you again soon…]
[Your...son I guess…]
[Bhakta Z-T, Zero-Two.]
The recording ended...and Axl opened his eyes…
Scratch that...Axl opened his one eye. The other one, as well as his left side was...gone.
He could still feel Lumine presence being...cut off.
'Lumine... Lumine?...' Axl tried to raise, sending out his lover with as many pings as he could as he took stock of his environment.
He was in a room...there was a light source he could not pinpoint and the curtains were drawn. Under him, he could hear and feel...this Mantra the Hare-Krishna Cultist were so known for.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna krishna, Hare Hare.
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
'It...It sounds sad...' Axl had a feeling he knew why… 'Is this...this feeling...is this what Zero felt when he...when he offed His girlfriend?...and X? Oh, God! How did they manage to survive this... Lumine... Lumine!' He tried to keep his emotion under control... Losing Red had been pain full...but not unexpected, his leader and father figure had been quick to teach him that life as a reploid bounty hunter was a glorious, if quick life. And he himself was not immortal.
But Lumine... His beautiful Lumine who had managed to cheat death by turning his Nanite as his main hardware and had who had then showed to be more than just another maverick.
Lumine...Lumine had turned to be more than just this weird phantasm, a parasite. This Lumine... the loving, skilful, smart, funny, bright and a cocky Lumine...were gone...
It was just Axl now...X...Zero... Maybe Z-T would be there? Was he there?
Z-T... How would he react at this lost?
He would feel the same thing as Axl...it was a pain like none other. Not a mere electrical signal signifying damage...but something deeper...something Axl could not reach...could not block.
He tried to scream...but no sound came to his voice box...he tried to move, only his arm and leg were immobil.
He tried to trash about, to let it out...but he didn't have the strength to move...only to tremble in sheer emotional pain.
Lumine was gone...X thought he was dead...Zero was...probably decommissioned at best.
His life was over...he had nothing now...he could only wait for Z-T and…
And then what?
The...his audio picked up something...something was rhythmically hitting a hallow metallic bar…
This sound somehow managed to ground the grieving reploid. And it was not just some noise...it was something more meaningful…
It was Morse code...and it was calling to Axl…
It took some time to Axl to decode but when he did.
-. Axl...It's me, Lumine...I love you...Your alive...Your alive...your alive...-.
Axl could have sobbed, but instead, he settled for tapping the same message as his lover. Telling them he loved them more than life itself and that he would rather stay a hunter if it meant he could stay with them…
it went back and fort for while, before finally managing to locate his left side. And after some manoeuvring and the two sides were reunited...more or less.
Lumine had awoken a little before Axl, so they had no idea why the usually cheerful mantra was chanted as a dirge. And yes, they had received Z-T's message.
[I wondered what time is it.] Lumine conveid via come link. [Oh Axelu...I hope our little Z-T's safe. I have a terrible premoniton.]
[Yeah...I don't like it...] Axl frowned, Holding His Lumine's hand in his. [Say...Lulu, do you think we could try and move around.]
[...No...not yet. My side has more damage. Besides, I think it would be more polite to wait until someone go and check up on us.] Lumine conveyed. [I do not think they would apreciate the two of us lumbering in the coridor like one of those Zombies you seemed to like.]
[Lulu...I'm not into Zombies, I just have a thing for ridiculously determined and resilient humans...and gore.]
[Yes...indeed.] He could hear the smile in Lumine's voice...it made his feel better, somewhat.
[Now, how do we make those Hare-Krishna aware that's were online?] Axl Asked his better side. But before Lumine could give their good idea, the door opened, admitting…
Bhakti-Lata Prabhu...and Anubhava Prabhu. One was black, the other one a Caucasian...both looked drowned and sorrowful.
Anubhava sighed, he seemed to be in his fifty… he rubbed his red eyes, a five o'clock shadow marred his face. He heavily sat down on a chair, followed by Bhakti-Lata.
"What a mess." He spoke with a very heavy French accent.
Bhakti-lata chuckled. "Well, they've made the mess first...i'm just glad Omega didn't destroy our temple much.
"I think I never chanted so loudly in my life... Lord Narashima deva really saved us this time." Anubhava gave a tired smile.
"As always" Bhakti-Lata answered in kind before the mood turned sombre. "I can't believe they killed Z-T…" Lumine and Axl's eyes flew wide open at the news.
"Those demons...'he willingly sealed himself...' That's not what Palette said.' Anubhava spat. "Calise...they killed a devotee of Krishna... He won't let the place stand." the Caucasian man buried his face in his hands. "Bhakti...what are we supposed to do? We have no idea if his friends are still alive."
"They are." Bhakti informed the temple president, his ringed pupil never leaving the grieving couple. "Sorry you had to learn of Z-T's fate like this."
Anubhava let out a blazing curse as Lumine and Axl screamed in anguish, their split voice box silent as they cried for their child.
Their saviour.
Time passed, and life went on for the fused couple. Over the course of the century, they had received their first and second initiation, a simple Vedic wedding,then a gift from X, now called Little-Vrindavana.
Then X committed suicide.
After that, they adopted five children over a span of ninety years.
The lord and his sweet and ever so beloved consort had manifested in thenewly christened Little-Vrindhavan, and in the passing years, both Vaishnavas had assisted in the blessed departure of more pure devotee's than what Alalanath and Larily cared to count and the rebirth of many more.
On this morning, everything was calm and normal...as normal as Copy-X would let it be for them. The fused couple sat down to chant the last of their Japa, thinking back at how drastically their lives had change.
Were I not for Z-T...they would be dead...or worst.
No...Z-T...by his sacrifice had given life to two reploids...two souls who were practicly dead and yet moving.
Larily sighed. Her chanting less then ideal.
'Lulu...what's wrong?' Axl asked, pausing his twentieth extra japa round. 'Listen, if it's because of the fraud on top, I'll take care of him, just give me the words.'
'No, this would be a terrible idea. Can you just imagine the disater it would bring to Little-Vrindhavan?' Larily reminded her husband of over ninety years.
'Death, destruction, and it would give those demons of the human council a legit reseon to buldoze the place over and murder out mother cows.' And with how bad things were in Neo-arcadia,cow slauthering would pushe to lord to rename the place to 'Neo-Sodom.' 'So...if this is not the reason for you bad mood, then what is? You can talk, I'll do my best to listen.'
'Thank you Ala...I could never ask for a better husband.' Larily sighed again .'Today is the 104 anyversary of Z-T...'
'You still miss him?'
'Yes...and so do you...' A melacholy Alalanath thought he had gotten over flodded him. 'without our son...where would we be right now. Oh, I feel so terrbile about what happened to him...I...I still don't understand why Bhagavan let such a pure soul suffer so much, only to be killed by the hands of so called humans.'
'Ladli-chan...Krishna had another plan for him, same as with Jesus, our Prabhupada and countless others. Beside, I'm sure he already took birht again, hopefully in Vrindavan or Mayapur.' Alalanath spoke resonably.
'Ala...DO you think...do you think we could go in pilgrimimage there again?' Larily asked after some time. 'After the traveling ban is lifted of course.'
A smile streched Alalanath's side of his face. 'Of course Devi, I will even arrange a group from our village. we'll travle as a group...oh I can't wait to show the Holy Places to Samuel Prabhu and Daniel...'
'That's...nice but.'
'You want something more intimate, don't you? And you plan to look for Z-T's new incarnation, don't you?' Alalanath mildly scolded. 'Larily, Bhagavan may have given us all yogic Siddhi's, but I doubt we should use it to stalk this one particular soul. Let them live away from this whole reploid/human/Cyber-elf unneding war crap.'
Larly let out a small gasp. 'Ala!'
'Sorry devi, I'm just sick of those wars...and I'm not even activly-' Then he heard it… baby screaming if grief.
After years of living with humans and rasing a few Himslef, the centenial temple president knew how to decode whatever sound those most vulnerable would do.
But what was most shoking was the fact that...it sounded digital in Nature, it was a baby's cry alright, but it was not born or fleshy vocal cordes.
Alalanath rose up from his floor cushion, removing his both hands from his and his wife japa bags.
'Alright...what's going on here?' He could hear Kamala and their dear daughter trying to calm whomever was making this rackted down with little to no success. In the expansive temple room, the meditating Devotee's were also starting to get antsy.
Hearing a baby crying like that never bode well.
'Say, Ladly, I think it your day today.' Alalanath conveyed to his wife as he made his side take on her apearence.
Thankfully, for him to wear a saree was now considered common place. For the last thing he wanted was for his dear Larily to either be naked, or waisting time by changing.
She had better things to do then redresing so early.
The centenial reploid then gestured to a few devotee's not to worry, he would handle it.
'I wonder who would make a Baby replod.' He heard Larily wonder. 'Five year old models are already heavily frowned upon, and much younger...I just can't see any reason why save for the inability to move on.'
'Ladly...we've also lost children.'
'I know, but we never forced a soul in a doll. It's like cloning a deceaced pet.'
'yes...He bhagavan, what will we face.'
As he wondered out what they would face, the mental image of what Z-T would look like as a baby popped in their mind.
When they turned the corner and…
both gasped as they tried to compute what in the seven hellish planetary system they were seeing and wether It was Really Z-T returned from the dead, now baby shaped and crying for them.
Oh, and Kamala...Kamala was trying not to let him fall, for Z-T...No, the blonde Baby reploid model was desperatly trying to reach Larily-Lala with his little hands. Sending out distress signal to Alalanath's private com. Line.
He had Z-T's designation...and his scream were easily translated as the butchered form of their name.
"Z...Zee-tee" The centenial reploid tried to speak...but their Vo-coder glitch, their knee's grew week as they somehow managed to reach the miraculous child.
"Larily..." Kamala, their grandaugter stuttered as Larily-Lala took the Baby Z-T in their arms, holding his little quaking form to their cores as they fell to their knee's.
Both fused reploid weeped loudly as they held their child, That day, they planed a grand feast with gift for everyone, for Radha-Krishna had performed a miracle again.
Back at the present, Larily-lala reopnened their bicolored eyes, would they have tear ductc, they woul be working over-time.
"I hope our story helped iluminate the event a centirury past." Larily spoke with a small smile, glad the truth finaly got out.
For their part, the huardiens knew they would have a very long night updating the hystorical records, hunting down unscrupulous politicien. and cuddling Z-T as if the fate of the world depended on it.