Chapter 12 – Overtures at Reconciliation
"There you are."
The search had been long, but not as long as he had anticipated. In retrospective, it seemed only logical that they would have stopped at this location.
Once, while Neo Arcadia was still under construction, the structure had been a rest stop for travelers, under the protection of X's followers. Despite being long abandoned, the equipment inside was still mostly intact and he and his siblings had eventually inherited the access codes so they could use the facility on extended missions in the outside world.
Sage Harpuia, formerly known as one of the Four Guardians, opened his green eyes as if waking from a bout of daydreaming and stared at his companion.
"Well now… you're definitely looking a little more solid than last time we saw you."
"Another undeserved kindness." Phantom said. "Still, I will need to regain my full strength for the work ahead, so I suppose I should not complain too much about it."
He then noticed the slender form, clad in blue armor, who was slumped in another corner of the chamber, not bothering to acknowledge his presence, looking absolutely dejected.
"What's with Leviathan?"
"Take a wild guess..." another familiar voice chimed in, before letting out a sigh. "Three hints. Tall, blond and a pain in the ass."
By the looks of it, her mood was also beginning to affect Fefnir, though was trying to hide it with his usual snark.
Phantom hesitantly stepped up to her, but she still showed no reaction. He waved a hand in front of her blue eyes, but she still did not move. She just stayed as she was, sitting on the floor with her legs stretched out in front of her, staring at nowhere in particular.
"I did not know what to expect..." Phantom said. "I did not know how you would receive me. But I was definitely not expecting this."
He had not seen the other Guardians since X had helped him escape the confines of the Cyberworld and enlisted his aid in rallying them to assist in the evacuation of Neo Arcadia before its destruction. At the time, once they had ordered the loyalists to stand down and carved a path through some of the more stubborn Pantheon units, Phantom had lingered around for a time and left after the firing of the cannon, unable to do much else in his incorporeal state.
A small part of him had been dreading the reunion as he did not know how they would react – and he had fully expected Fefnir to mock him for the cavalier and useless way in which he had destroyed his original body. Seeing Leviathan in this state instead and finding the others affected by her mood in turn, was somehow more unpleasant than that.
"How long has she been like this?" Phantom asked.
"We stuck around out of sight just long enough to confirm Zero's survival and watch Ciel deliver her little speech." Harpuia said. "After she was done, we buzzed off. We didn't know where exactly to go, so we just kept heading away from Area Zero… and eventually ended up here a week ago. After that… she just stopped trying to hold herself together."
"I'll admit." Fefnir said. "Even I feel pretty shitty about some of the things we did. As much as I like a good tussle, there was a dirty side to our work that I only barely managed to tolerate."
"For her, on the other hand..." Harpuia added. "It's a little more difficult."
"I guess Master X and his companions are not the only ones susceptible to depression in these conditions." Phantom surmised. "But yes, I can somewhat understand her ailment."
"Can you?" Harpuia asked. "I don't think so. You may have squared off against Zero early on, but you weren't there to watch some of the rest."
"In the end, even the dutiful sea dragon has a heart." Phantom mused. "And it appears to be aching."
"Are you making fun of her, you little shit?!" Fefnir snapped.
"Merely stating what I perceive." Phantom said with a frown.
He then knelt down in front of Leviathan and stared into her expressionless eyes.
"I wonder… what hurts the most? The fact that Zero proved you and all of us wrong… or the fact that you cannot have him?"
Phantom moved his head slightly back just in time to avoid a punch from an incensed Fefnir.
"You little shit!" Fefnir growled. "Did you come all the way here just to rub it in her face?!"
"You misunderstand." Phantom said in his usual even tone, bordering on detached. "I am trying to show some sympathy to our sister."
He then frowned, showing a rare hint of emotion.
"Admittedly, I was never very good at it."
Then he glared at Fefnir, showing another rare hint of emotion – this time a flash of anger.
"Do not presume that I am completely uncaring. Duty has always been my primary concern, but you three are the only remaining attachments I have to this world, and don't you dare forget it. I will not repeat myself."
"What about Ciel?" Harpuia asked with an inscrutable expression, though the look in his eyes betrayed a hint of surprise at Phantom's outburst. "Or X?"
"Master X was always the ideal I aspired to." Phantom said somberly. "The one whose example I tried to live up to. Even after we defiled his legacy, he still extended a hand to me and showed me kindness I did not deserve… but I am not close to him, and I still doubt he would truly need the likes of me."
"Then how do you explain the fact that you are the only one among us who has actually been personally taught by him in some extent?" Harpuia pointed out. "Or that he went out of his way to look for you? I'm guessing he also had something to do with that replacement body."
"That last part was Ciel." Phantom clarified. "But yes… you do have a point. I expected their open contempt, but instead… though they were taken aback by my presence… they treated me with kindness and Ciel was already talking about helping me recover once Master X had regained his strength."
"Maybe you don't want to admit it." Fefnir said. "But maybe we're not as expendable as you think. Not to them at least."
"If anything, they are always consistent." Harpuia remarked, showing the barest hint of a smile. "No wonder we fell short. Our leaders tended to see everyone else as an extension of their will – an expendable pawn. But what about Zero? How did he react?"
"He was surprised as well, but once Master X spoke to him he was… surprisingly quick to accept it." Phantom recalled.
"I thought so." Harpuia said with a self-satisfied grin. "I knew I was right to pull his unconscious ass out of the wastelands and drop him at the Resistance's door back when he decided to go wandering alone."
Silent until that point, Leviathan suddenly intervened, staring at Harpuia.
"T-That was you?"
Though she did not elaborate, he could sense her silent gratitude for that.
"We may have had our differences." Harpuia said, crossing his arms. "But I have always had a considerable degree of respect for Zero, even before we clashed in person. To let him waste away like a dog in the middle of nowhere would have been a disgrace."
"Yes..." Leviathan said with a strange look on her face. "He was always special. One of a kind, even. My rival, my opponent, my..."
She then tried to suppress a shiver as she placed a quivering hand over her chest.
Harpuia loudly cleared his throat and looked at her.
"Far from me to tell you how to live your life, but..."
"You've got issues, Sis." Fefnir interrupted with his usual bluntness. "I don't want to kick you while you're down or make fun of you, but the way you've started getting all hot and bothered ever since he kicked your ass for the first time..."
"I… can't really explain it myself..." Leviathan conceded, as her cheeks turned into a shade of red. "He just… makes me feel so alive."
Then she lowered her head, seemingly on the verge of tears.
"Damnit, what the hell is wrong with me?!"
"You do understand that this is not healthy." Phantom remarked. "And yet you kept going back for more."
"I was duty bound to strike down the enemies of Neo Arcadia." Leviathan said defensively. "To enforce the will of our Master. But then..."
"I see..." Phantom mused. "And when we were proven wrong and the weight of it all hit you, you pried yourself away from his sight… much like I tried to hide from my disgrace."
"So what are you going to do about it?" Harpuia asked.
"Keep myself as far away from him as I can." Leviathan said. "Before I lose what's left of my sanity. Maybe… go back to using my abilities to monitor the state of the oceans and deal with the remaining pollution… like our maker intended."
"I see..." Phantom said pensively. "I actually had another purpose in coming for you today other than catching up. Master X and Ciel believe that we could atone for our actions by putting our talents to use in a more constructive fashion. Perhaps-"
"No." Leviathan cut him off. "I can't go back. Just thinking about his eyes on me, the clashing of blades… the thrill of it all… I..."
Feeling a rush of heat on her face again, she stopped herself and sighed.
"Is this what going Maverick feels like? Or am I just..."
"No offense Sis, but..." Fefnir intervened. "You're terrible at this kind of thing. As much as I enjoy a good scrap, there's a good reason to never mix business and pleasure."
"It's not like I chose this!" Leviathan protested indignantly.
"But you can choose what to do about it." Fefnir retorted. "I get it, you're feeling like shit. We all are. But this is no way to live. Either talk it out with him, or grab him and give him a good tumble, but you need to get this out of your system before it drives you completely crazy."
To add to the list of Phantom's surprises for the day, he then saw Fefnir make an uncharacteristic display of affection by hugging her.
"I hate seeing you like this." Fefnir said with a mournful look.
"So do I." Leviathan said somberly. "So do I. What kind of warrior turns into a quivering mess like this?!"
"Perhaps we were never truly meant to be warriors at all." Phantom mused.
"Speak for yourself." Fefnir growled. "In fact, I've got half a mind to go kick Zero's ass for leaving her in this state. The dolt probably doesn't even realize what he did."
That, unexpectedly, made Leviathan snort.
"What's so funny?!" Fefnir asked.
"Considering his track record..." Leviathan remarked, showing the faintest trace of a smile in the corner of her mouth. "You'd sooner end up flat on your ass. Again."
"N-Now wait a minute!" Fefnir stuttered, getting rather agitated.
"Technically, it's true." Harpuia said with a hint of amusement seeping into his tone.
"Yes, he'd hand you your ass on a platter." Leviathan remarked. "Just like always."
"Don't tell me you're getting your jollies from the thought of him beating me up now!" Fefnir protested, giving Leviathan a dirty look. "Leave me out of your fantasies Sis!"
"No, you idiot." she said, shaking her head. "But you're right about one thing..."
"Just one?" Fefnir asked smugly.
Leviathan sighed and seemed to perk up ever-so-slightly.
"One way or another, I've got to find a way to put this matter to rest so I can get on with my life."
"On that, we can agree." Harpuia said his piece.
"Well then..." Phantom chimed in. "Shall I go back and tell them to expect you all?"
Meanwhile, back at Ciel's home...
"I still can't get it out of my mind..." Ciel pondered as she thought back on the ludicrous animated show whose protagonist reminded her so much of Zero.
Once again, she found her mind drifting to the subject… specifically the mental images of Zero screaming like a madman as he unleashed ridiculous attacks… or the tender scenes between the protagonist and his love interest, with Zero and her taking their places.
"Damnit..." she thought in frustration, unable to focus. "I won't be able to get any work done today at this rate."
With a sigh, she decided to go for a walk in hopes of clearing her head. A few minutes, passed, then an hour, and she found herself thinking of other things. Her mind drifted back to the ancient show, only this time it lingered on another character – an adorable small boy, full of energy and enthusiasm, who would occasionally sprout wings and fly around healing people with an odd green light after the protagonist had beaten the monster of the week.
"No..." she thought as she was suddenly reminded of another boy, this time clad in blue and with a different sort of wings, as he glared hatefully with red eyes and unleashed destruction with a different sort of light. "I'm not doing this to myself again..."
"I'm breaking the pattern here!" she proclaimed to herself, shoving away the memories of the insane doppelganger. "No more! I can do this!"
And with that, she went back inside, but rather than returning to her previous work, she decided to continue a more personal project she'd kept in the back burner for far too long. She headed to her room, pulled a sturdy storage locker out from under her bed and retrieved a set of precision lenses and metal tubes from inside, setting them in order on her desk. She then went back out of the room to get a box of tools and along the way back she dialed up the volume on her computer speakers and set the same song that had moved her so much on a repeating loop.
"Yes..." she thought. "Much, much better. Once I'm done making copies of some of these songs I'll have to talk to Neige about her radio broadcasts. No reason to hog all of this to myself."
The next several hours flew by, as she worked on her side project, spurred on by the song. By the time the sun was setting, she finished tightening the last fixture.
"I should have finished this ages ago!" she squealed in delight as she took the newly completed item in her hands, did a little twirl and held it above her head with both hands.
"Someone is in a good mood." Alouette remarked, peeking in from the living room. She had been a little delayed in returning from classes thanks to Axl's antics, but she didn't mind it one bit apart from the prospect of worrying Ciel.
"Huh? What time is it?" Ciel thought out loud as she looked out the window and then checked her wristwatch. "No way..."
She then turned walked up to Alouette, giving her a big hug.
"Where have you been anyway?"
"Oh..." Alouette said with her usual smile. "Let's just say that we had a little… unplanned field trip."
As the stars began to appear in the night sky, Ciel finished her dinner, made sure that Alouette was tended to and set out to the nearest watchtower, currently vacant as things had been almost too tranquil in the previous weeks. As she finished her ascent of the metal structure, she set her backpack down on the floor a safe distance from the stairs and from inside she withdrew a homemade telescope, assembled with salvaged components from an optics factory and some lenses she had made with Cerveau's help. She then pulled out a folding tripod, which had once likely been used along with a camera, and set the telescope on it, using a fixture she had assembled by hand. She removed the lens covers and pointed it at the night sky, then tested the fruit of her labor. As she adjusted the focus, she was rewarded with an inspiring sight. The stars above were shining brightly, almost invitingly, as if they had been patiently waiting for her to turn her gaze skyward.
From the ground, ever watchful, almost like a faithful hound or a dutiful bodyguard, Zero smiled. To avoid drawing excessive attention, and not anticipating any trouble in the settlement for the foreseeable future, he had left his armor at home, instead wearing a green Resistance uniform, somehow managing to tuck his considerable ponytail under the beret. Slowly, people were beginning to treat him more like a normal person instead of staring in awe… and he found that he enjoyed that.
"Come on!" Axl whispered, seemingly out of nowhere, before coming into view, also in uniform. "She's all alone up there, with a sky like this. What are you waiting for?"
"Not now Axl." Zero hissed in annoyance. "Not yet. Let her have this moment in peace."
"You know, if you don't say anything soon, someone else might come along."
"I'll take my chances." Zero retorted, though something told him that was unlikely. "I… want do do this properly."
"I don't hear a no..." Axl said with an earnest smile. "That's… refreshing, actually."
His expression then turned serious.
"Hey, Zero… You know… If I give you so much shit about this, it's because..."
"Yeah, I know." Zero said with a nod. "No need to explain it to me. I can appreciate what you're trying to do. Just… keep it on the down low for now."
"Noted."
Axl then paused and leered at Zero.
"You know… You look surprisingly good in green." he said with a cheeky grin. "Just don't go around smashing pots and chasing chickens."
"That sounds more like the kind of stuff you'd get up to." Zero pointed out.
"In my misspent youth, maybe." Axl retorted with a shrug.
"You're sounding like an old geezer now." Zero remarked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Technically, we're all geezers." Axl said, slapping his back. "But we can't let the young ones have all the work… and all the fun."
On the roof of the watchtower, where he had managed to climb a few hours prior, X smirked in amusement, overhearing the entire exchange with his synthetic ears, far sharper than those of most humans. As he lay there, with his back resting on the metal, he gazed at the night sky as well, before turning his attention to his right hand.
"What does this all mean?" he pondered, as he summoned the faintest flicker of the strange white light onto his open palm, not wanting to interfere with Ciel's stargazing. "Where does this truly come from… and what will it bring?"
For the longest time, he had relied on his willpower and Buster, as well as assorted weapons, suits of armor and the occasional Ride Armor. The strange power might have been lingering there from the start, but he had only truly become aware of it after losing the use of his body.
"Love and courage, she said… Something to protect." he mused. "I suppose I've had plenty of those… and my fair share of sorrows."
Then he paused for a moment, reflecting on the words… and found his concentration broken as he was confronted with the mental image of himself in a black body glove like Zero's, with his glowing hand raised, shouting about love, anger and sorrow.
"Damnit Axl!" he thought, suppressing the urge to laugh. "You just had to remind me of that thing."
Those pieces of entertainment from the old world had proven a most welcome distraction from more serious thoughts, but on the other hand, having them so fresh in his memory made it a little difficult to examine those strange events. Still, he was reunited with his old friends, who were like family to him, was surrounded by new faces he was becoming increasingly fond of, and the future was looking hopeful… though he still longed to see Alia again. For the time being, he found himself relatively soothed.
"I guess these mysteries can wait another day. For now… I guess I'll just enjoy the view."
Elsewhere, far far away…
"They've left quite an impression on you, haven't they?" the woman asked with a knowing smile as she and her companion stood in a strange room seemingly constructed of a silvery metallic substance.
"They're facing a monumental task…" the masked man conceded as he looked outside through a massive transparent window. "I can tell they have their own burdens to bear, but they still press on."
"You like them." she said with absolute certainty.
"And?"
"Why not check up on them later to see how they're doing? We have the means… and all the time we need."
"You know it has always been… difficult for me to connect to others."
"Then change that. I know you can."
"Can I? Truly?" he asked, sounding rather doubtful.
"If you really try." she said, patting an area of the helmet under which his cheek should be. "But you should stop pulling the mysterious stranger act. How do you expect to connect to people if you run off again before they get to know you?"
"The abilities I've unlocked are both a blessing and a curse." he lamented, looking at his armored hand. "This… compulsion to go everywhere, see everything… Sometimes I do wonder… why exactly you put up with this."
"Why indeed..." she said, completely deadpan. "You'll have to figure that one out yourself."
The masked figure sighed and kept looking outside the window where a field of stars was in prominent view. He then reached for the compact console on his left wrist and pushed a button.
"Raziel." he said in a manner of greeting.
"Ah." a male voice replied. "It has been a while. I was wondering if you had changed your mind."
"I always finish what I set out to do." the masked figure said. "Even with some delays. But while I did sense a faint trace of your missing pages here, they are long gone."
"Yes… I already retrieved that particular page some time ago." the voice said. "Still, I hope the journey there was worthwhile."
"You knew." the masked figure said with a hint of annoyance.
"If I had told you that beforehand, you would have simply skipped to the next potential area." the voice said calmly. "Did you or did you not gain something in your time there?"
"I suppose I did." the masked figure conceded. "It is not every day that I get to meet others like us. That said, you could have simply spoken plainly instead of using these silly subt-"
He was interrupted by his surroundings sudden shaking and looked outside the window to find what looked like some sort of white metal construct in a shape resembling some sort of metal bird. He exchanged a confused glance with his companion and, spotting what looked like a cockpit, sent out a transmission.
"Where did you learn to fly?!" he grumbled.
"Sorry, sorry." a goofy voice sounding like a teenage boy replied. "Didn't see you there. Anyway, this is a little embarrassing, but I'm a bit lost. Do you know how to get to La Gias from here?"
"The hell…?" the masked figure muttered.
The next day, at noon, on a dusty trail in the middle of nowhere…
Tired from the trek and sweating from the blistering heat, Thaddeus pressed on regardless, singlemindedly focused on the mission at hand. His search had led him to an abandoned watch post in an area where few people traveled. The single floor concrete building with a metal tower attached had once been used for monitoring a wildlife preserve before the Einherjar's campaign of destruction against the wilderness. The forests would recover in time, but he was focused on another purpose.
He stopped his refurbished hoverbike, which he had personally rebuilt after uncovering an old underground depot once likely used by the Maverick Hunters of old, and got off. He paused for a moment, hesitant, not knowing what to find inside, but then pushed on.
Inside the building, he found a large backpack, set on the floor next to a sleeping bag. In said sleeping bag, he found a familiar adult-sized but still petite form, seemingly asleep, with her golden hair all over the place. He stepped closer and realized that something was wrong.
"Looks like I got here just in time." he muttered to himself as he placed a hand on her forehead and quickly withdrew it.
"Damnit..." he hissed. "Perfect place to run a fever. What the hell are you doing out here all by yourself anyway?"
Knowing she was in no state to reply, he went back outside and retrieved a pack of supplies from a compartment in the back of the vehicle. He set it down inside and fished around until he found a red pouch. From the pouch he pulled out a small plastic tube and a water bottle. He carefully uncorked the bottle, then pulled a small capsule from the tube, eased it into her mouth and pressed the mouth of the bottle to her lips as he eased her into a sitting position with his free hand.
"I'm getting too old for this shit." he grumbled. "For that matter, so are you. Come on… Your little girl is waiting."
That seemed to elicit a reaction from her, as she weakly opened her eyes and swallowed some of the water, taking the capsule down with it. She looked at him for a moment, still a little dazed, and he started feeling his eyes getting moist.
"You idiot..." he scolded. "We've lost enough friends and colleagues since this whole mess started. What were you thinking?"
"Have you forgotten..." she muttered weakly as she reached for the round framed glasses lying next to her and put them back on her face. "That there are two of them?"
Thaddeus looked at her, dumbstruck.
"Is that why you set out on your own? After all this time..."
She silently nodded.
"You could have said something damnit!" he scolded. "If not to me, then to Ciel."
"I wanted to." she said, looking at him with bloodshot eyes. "But I was afraid that if I wasted any time... she might move again."
He sighed and searched the pockets of his increasingly tattered labcoat, only to find the right side pocket empty, with a hole in the bottom.
"The radio..." he hissed.
He then looked at her.
"I guess we're both idiots." he conceded, feeling more than a little embarrassed.
With another sigh, this time of resignation, he stood up.
"I know how important this is to you... as it should be. So once you're well enough to travel, I'll take you there myself."
"Thanks." she said, still short on breath. "And sorry."
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." he said before his restraint cracked and his concern and relief became apparent on his expression. "Just… promise you won't do anything this dumb again."
The next morning, she got up to find him standing guard outside like an old hound.
"Better?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.
"Better." she said with a smile, as she placed the glasses back on her face. In the morning light, tiny golden flickers became noticeable in her pupils, the product of an extremely rare genetic quirk.
"You really should eat something, you know." he cautioned.
"Just did." she replied. "I did pack some trail rations. I am not entirely reckless."
"You could have fooled me." he retorted rather dryly, though the smile on his face told a different story. "Well then, where are we going?"
Hours later, he stopped the hoverbike outside a cave in a dry, mountainous region.
"I'll wait here." Thaddeus said as she hopped off. "This is a family matter after all, and I don't want to make things more awkward than necessary."
"Thank you once again." she said with a nod.
"Don't mention it. Now run along Lune."
She stepped into the cave and after less than a minute found the first signs of human presence in the form of the remains of a recently used campfire. Pressing on, she eventually came upon a pair of metal sheets, laid out as improvised walls. Straining her ears, she could hear the sound of a pen scraping against sheets of paper. Feeling her heart speed up momentarily, she quickened her step.
In a deeper section of the cave, she found the object of her search. Next to a green synthetic fiber tent, a petite figure in a dark blue dress was sitting on a folding chair, using the top of a portable generator in lieu of a table as she continued her scribbles. Hearing the footsteps, the girl looked over her shoulder, bringing into view a familiar face, nearly identical to Ciel if not for the shorter haircut and the dour look on her face.
The girl froze in place, at a loss for words.
"Hello Cial." the woman said with a smile before dashing to hug the girl. "Are you ready to come home?"