They moved perfectly against each other, with grace and power, neither wasting an instant of their energy, neither making a mistake. Harpuia, the great Sage of the Air, Guardian of Neo Arcadia felt his spirit sing with a strange dark joy as his opponent, the ancient blond-haired Zero, champion of the resistance movement, came at him again, and again, and again. Silent and perfect in every way.
But not perfect enough to completely defeat his opponent. Whether through lack of grace, a mis-step, even something as simple as the desert dust that swirled around him entering his eyes... for one moment, Zero was imperfect, and Harpuia seized that moment, and crushed his enemy with a single swift blow. Zero went down, and Harpuia pounced, put his sword to Zero's throat, his foot on the old Reploid's chest to keep him still.
Zero... simply laughed and closed his eyes, head falling back to bare his throat. He let his saber hand fall as well, the weapon crashing to the dust and disturbing a storm of small particles. "... The funny thing is... I think I'm jealous of you... and I don't even really know why."
It was strange that he should say it so casually, like they'd been talking rather than fighting, carrying on a secret conversation with weapons rather than words.
The stranger thing was that Harpuia thought he understood. Harpuia did not relax, but he looked on Zero curiously as the red Reploid continued to speak.
"I remember... that X was important to me," Zero began, breathing strained against the weight of Harpuia's boot. "... I've seen him as an elf a few times now and it hurts... but I don't know why it should..."
"You are lost," Harpuia said softly. "A lost legend, with a soul that's forgotten its truth." He held his chartreuse blade's tip at the base of Zero's chin. "I can't allow someone like you to be around Master X."
"Heh. That's the thing, Harpuia... I don't remember clearly, but I know it... I was there first. I was serving X long before you were."
"And then you -sealed- yourself and left Master X to grieve," Harpuia abruptly spoke. His voice was still as surface-calm as ever, but there was a pain beneath too strong to be anything but genuine. "I stood by his side and I heard him grieve for you, for this 'legendary Hunter'. The legend that was supposed to be by his side for all time, that instead left him alone to bear a hundred years of darkness until we were finally created, his daughter and sons, to relieve his grief. For that alone... for making Master X suffer, you deserve a hundred kinds of death." He pressed the blade in, sharper, drawing blood.
Zero was utterly still. Harpuia's words cut deep, deeper than the blade against his skin. His eyes opened.
Harpuia pressed the blade just a little deeper, feeling a heated rage quite unlike himself, rejoicing in the sight of Zero's blood trickling down his neck. But he never loved us as much as he loved you.
And when he thought that, he froze, because he suddenly feared it was true.
Harpuia abruptly pulled back his sword and his feet and took to the air, his mind a whirl of unfamiliar emotions caused by the blonde Reploid he'd defeated.
Master X... Why? He has no reason to live, but your heart would shatter if I destroyed him, wouldn't it...? The one that you love... I could never do that to you. I guess I have to let him go this time...
Zero continued to lay still, watching Harpuia retreat. He'd been defeated, but only temporarily, and as the tiny green figure streaked across the sky and disappeared beyond the horizon, Zero sat up and touched the wound at his throat.
He was now more certain than anything that Harpuia had been created from X's memory of him; it was evident in everything- the way he held his swords, the unerring serenity of his fighting positions.
"At least you can go back to him," Zero murmured, and slowly rose to his feet.
AN: In answer to a challenge on livejournal, where the prompts were Zero, Harpuia, and jealousy.