Italics indicate thinking
Bold is for attacks
Steamer's POV
With hazy memories in my mind I wanted to know more, eventually finding my way to the archives of the church.
"Nothing here really seems to be jogging my memories anymore." I looked at various documents
Why did that strange woman tell me to search here if I can't find any information that will help me?
I knew the general story of the Church's founding, the prophet Raffles the First had found the power of Amaterasu and used it to bring light to the world.
"What am I supposed to find here?" I wondered "Hmm?"
For a moment I felt like someone whispered something to me, but when I searched around the room no one was there.
"I'm still missing too many memories to fully understand." I sighed "Where are my memories, who really am I? That woman called me Shino, maybe that's my real name?"
Deciding there was nothing more for me I slipped back out of the archives, they were secure but it wasn't a huge challenge to get in and out, strangely the usual annoying security force seemed preoccupied with something else.
When I returned to the Nether, I found Inca speaking with Yona about something.
"Wait you were really Raffles the First?" She asked "And you founded the Church of the Holy Sol."
That's right I seem to remember this story coming up before, Haumea mentioned it.
"It wasn't easy but it was all to guide the people according to the Evangelist desire." He said.
"Amaterasu." I leaned out "You created it; you found the Adolla burst?"
"Something like that." He nodded.
"Just stay here for a bit Ama I'll be back in an hour or two."
"Right, don't be long Shino."
"HNGH!" I groaned.
Another memory…?
"Something wrong?" Inca asked.
"I'm fine." I mumbled "I'm gonna go take a nap, don't bother me."
I went to my quarters to relax and lay down, my head still hurt, the more my memories were trying to surface the worse the pain became. I didn't want to hurt like this, but I also wanted to know the truth.
"You look like crap." Haumea laughed a bit.
"Not really in the mood." I rolled over.
"Hmm, that's not very fun." She pouted "You're way hotter when you're mysterious and serious not all whiny and cranky."
"Haumea leave me alone." I mumbled.
She got a bit silent which was unusual for her.
"Hmph, fine be that way, Charon said you'd been weird since that Recovery Mission." She stood up "I need you at your best so if your being bothered by something say so."
"My memories are recovering." I said flatly.
She stopped walking out of the room "Well…isn't that interesting."
Then she just left, I closed my eyes and slowly fell asleep.
Elsewhere
"Shino…Shin you listening?"
I opened my eyes, suddenly I was standing in a world of muted colors, looking around all I saw was that strange girl from my visions.
"You made it back sooner than I thought." She laughed a bit "You look…good."
"You're that girl." I paused "You're much nicer this time."
"I've vented a lot of my frustrations, having years to stew on the bad stuff tends to make any girl get pissed off." She smirked "You still can't remember shit, can you?"
"I'm sorry it's all spotty and disjointed." I lowered my head "I…feel like I know you but I just can't place it."
"Amnesia tends to do that." She floated over "Shall I reveal it to you then, our past?"
A Long Time Ago
NO POV
When the Great Cataclysm happened, the world was in ruins, there was no longer a formal society, simply pockets of human life here and there among the wastes. In the wilds outside of the few remaining settlements two people met and became friends.
"Hey Shin!" A girl ran up "You manage to find any food? Or did you drop the ball again your moron? I'm gonna go crazy if I have to go without food again tonight."
A tall boy with greasy and slicked back hair smiled down at her.
"For such a cute girl you have naughty mouth, anyway I found a little, not much though." He shrugged "Come on Ama let's make camp."
Amaterasu, or Ama, and Shino, or simply Shin, were two strangers who found themselves becoming friends and traveling partners in this world, neither had any final destination in mind, they simply wanted to travel together, yet it seemed like no matter what they were always accosted by thugs, thieves or worse.
"Hey Shin you think we'll ever find a nice place to stay?" The girl asked "Somewhere that's not just this ruined hell."
"Hmm, I don't know, but we'll get there together I'm sure of it." He smiled back "You can always count on me, I'm gonna save your world that's a promise."
"My hero." The girl giggled a bit "Still as shitty as this world is it's kinda fun how crazy and wild stuff is, people have so much freedom, they do what they want, take what they want, survive how they want, it may be hell but damn if it ain't at least kinda fun how crazy it is."
"That's an optimistic outlook." The boy laughed with her "Freedom, not much more you can ask for in this world I suppose."
LATER
The two journeyed together for quite some time, stopping when they needed to, things were hard but the two were happy until one day when things suddenly changed. Shino had gone out to gather more food, telling Ama to stay hidden and wait, but when he returned, he found a strange created standing over her sleeping body.
"Hey, who the hell are you?!" he yelled.
"Hmm?" the demonic humanoid looked his way "Human trash."
He reached out for Amaterasu.
"Stay away from her!" The boy ran forward.
"Huh?!" the girl suddenly awoke "What's happening-AH!"
She was grabbed by the devilish person as Shino ran in and punched it, his hand stinging against eh hot and rough skin of the devil.
"You're worthless." The beast blasted him back and held Amaterasu up.
"Shino!" The girl coughed "Save me!"
"AH!" The boy groaned as he was stomped on by the demon.
"I'll save you; I promise!" the boy yelled as the demon lifted his leg up "Don't leave me Ama! GAAH!"
With one stomp life faded from the body.
"Am…a…"
"Shin…SHINO!"
There was a rippling burst of hot air and flames as the memory faded away. This were quiet for a bit before the body of the boy suddenly stood up.
"Where am I?" he blinked and looked around, steam pouring off his body "…Who am I?"
Dreamscape
"I don't remember much of anything after that either." Amaterasu explained "it's all hazy for me as well, you were killed but yet you're here now, I don't know if my powers somehow acted up from my anger, punishing you for what happened. I believe that is why you reacted to the other Adolla Bursts; some small fragment of my power must have been sparked with you and started reigniting your memories."
"I'm sorry." I frowned "I know that's me but it also feels like a different person."
"You were…you are my hero." The girl said.
"Hero, I'm no hero." I told her "I couldn't save you, all I did was make your last moment all that more painful."
"I was upset, I wanted you to keep your promise and protect me." She said "But even if you failed that doesn't mean you can't be my hero now, we can still make a difference together."
"Hmm?"
"This world, it's a lie and illusion perpetrated by the Evangelist." Ama's face suddenly grew very sinister "So, how about the two of us just burn in all down!"
"What do you mean?"
"The Holy Sol, The White Clads, The Fire Forces, they all have these grand visions for the world." She said "They all want to control it, bullshit I say we burn it all down back to zero! The wastes we lived in may have been hell, people may have struggled but dammit if they weren't free and in control of their own lives! All these organizations want is to control this world in their own twisted ways, I say we create a hellish world of total freedom humanity ruined the old world and now they're going to ruin this one too!"
"Amaterasu…" I paused a bit.
"I don't give a crap about the White Clads destroying the world, I'm nothing but some battery these days, so let's just run wild, wreck what we want, who we want, when we want." The girl's flames burned hotter "My flames are the fuel for your boiling hot steam, so what do you say Shin, wanna be my hero again?"
"Ama…" I paused as she hugged me from behind, wrapping her arms across my chest "I think I remember something you used to say."
"Oh, what's that?" she smirked a bit.
"Hmm, Let's get crazy." I smiled back.
"You're back for sure baby!" she cheered "Our split power and soul keeps us connected, and now with your memories restored I should be able to come out whenever I want, this is getting excited, it's gonna be a blast!"
AN
Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.
Pick Up- Chapter 131
Till Next Time!