Flame Clocks.
Flame
'Clocks'.
Enjoy.
(Colony 9)
(Current Time: 4 AM)
It was one quiet dawn in Colony 9. Not a slight noise of people talking or wandering around wasn't heard. Only the sounds of the gentle winds roamed the entire Colony. And it wasn't an exception for a particular tent, where the Kevesi trio were sleeping. There were two bunk beds inside, one for Noah and Eunie, and one for Lanz and Riku. Well, Riku was absent since he was on some machine duties, but they usually slept in that formation. Inside the tent, only the noises of Eunie and Lanz's snoring filled the tent.
Until…
They got violently woken up by a certain noise.
"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! MANIFEST YOURSELVES! MANIFEST YOURSELVES! BEEP BEEP BEEP!"
"Wha! Uh? Whoa…. Uagh!" Eunie exclaimed as she fell from the surprise caused by the sudden alarm.
"Wha…what the spark…? Is it…time already…?" Lanz groaned, rubbing his eyes. He looked around the tent to see the source of the alarm. Eunie was at the floor, falling face-first to the hard ground, Riku was absent. So… There was only one culprit.
Noah.
"Ah…Uh… Sorry, guys…! I think my alarm…" Noah stuttered, as he quickly tinkered with his iris to stop the alarm. The alarm, which was the Queen's voice, soon stopped, causing the silence to manifest again.
"Noah… What the spark?! Do you know what time is it right now!? It's 4 AM! Yeah, we do have to wake up at 5 AM today because of the special mission, but come on, man. Let us have some sleep! And…Eunie, you alright?" Lanz said as he reached out to help Eunie get up.
"Owowowowowow….. I think I hit my head…." Eunie moaned in pain, clutching her head in pain.
"Sorry… But I swear, I didn't even modify the alarm's settings! Besides, doesn't the Colony sets the alarm for us?" Noah tried to defend himself.
"Ugh… Noah…. What…version is your sparking flame clock?" Eunie said, still clutching her head because of the headache.
"Uh…me? It's brand new! 1.9.10!"
"1 point 9 point… The spark!? The newest version is 1.10.10! And that version of yours is the buggiest version of all! It…doesn't even properly tell time! Plus, you still using the strange alarm!?" Lanz exclaimed.
"I…just put it in random, okay? But…wait…really? I thought I updated it in the right timing…"
"So that's why I told you to put the clock's update settings to automatic, you muppe… Agh!" Eunie shouted, as she felt a bolting pain emerging from her wings.
"Huh? Eunie, you alright?" Lanz said, lowering himself to Eunie.
"I think…my…wings…snapped…." Eunie said with a painful frown.
"Wait, what? Dammit, Noah, why?" Lanz groaned.
"Why me?!"
"Since she fell because of your false alarm…?" Lanz shrugged.
"Hah…okay, sorry… Eunie, can I…take care of that problem…?"
"Just…do something… I think it got snapped to the wrong way…" Eunie choked out.
"Okay… Lanz, do me a favor."
"Oh, that?"
"Yeah, cover her mouth, will you?"
"Hah… Yes sir…." Lanz sighed, as he went behind Eunie. He put his big hand on Eunie's mouth, completely covering it.
"Mmmmph mmmmph mmmmph….." (Please be gentle….)
"I will, Eunie. I will. So… Hah…. Ready?" Noah asked. Eunie slowly nodded.
"Okay, here goes nothing."
"…Hiyap!"
Crack.
"MMMMMPPPHHH!"
"Okay... Guess it's…done…?"
"MMMMPH! MMMMPHH! MMMMM!" (NOAH! YOU MUPPET!)
"Hmmm? Why?"
"MMMMMMMMMMMPPHHH! MMMMMMMPPHPHHHH!" (YOU LITERALLY SNAPPED IT AGAIN! IT'S NOW COMPLETELY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION! AAAAAGH!)
"What, really?"
"Noah, mate, come on! Let Eunie have her sleep!"
"Sorry, I think I'm still not awake yet… Eunie, uh… Sorry, but, here goes nothing again…"
"MMMMPHHH….." (Someone help me….)
"Hiyaah!"
Crackle.
"MMMMMPHHH! MMMMMPHH!" Eunie screamed.
"Meh meh? What friend Noah doing? Why friend Eunie screaming till her lungs pop?" Riku jumped, as he entered the tent.
"Uh… Eunie's wings snapped." Lanz shrugged.
"Why?"
"Because this Noah right here didn't update his damn clock."
"Sorry…." Noah scratched his head.
"Mmmmmph….." (I think my wings broke…) Eunie teared up.
"Friend Noah hopeless."
"Riku? Aren't you being too harsh!?"
(At the battlefield)
The Keves trio, also known as the special forces, were having their battle of their life on the battlefield. Their enemy was also a trio, members of the Agnian special forces. The squad had an off-seer, one small girl with a giant hammer, and a tactician with a strange weapon called Mondo. After having their small clashing of weapons, the two forces backed up to get a little breathing time.
"These guys are tough…" Noah said, panting from the battle with the Agnian off-seer.
"I hate to say it, but I think you're right." Eunie gritted her teeth.
"These are no grunts. That gear… They must be the special forces." Lanz said.
"Yeah, deffo. That'll be why they've got an off-seer with 'em…" Eunie added.
"Well, so are we! Even-stevens, right?" Lanz shouted as he engaged in machine gun mode. Using the gunshot noises as the signal, their battle restarted. The off-seers engaged in close combat, the heavy-duty soldiers exchanged blows with each other, and the healers engaged in ranged combat. As their battle continued, Noah started to feel some fatigue. She was so fast and strong. He heard that Agnian special forces had terrific combat skills, but he did not expect it to be this strong.
'Can't seem to…hit her!' Noah grunted as he missed another swing. The off-seer avoided the attack with ease and backed up to regain her composure. But she suddenly covered her little cat ears on her head.
'What's…that noise…?'
'Noise…? Well, spark it. If she's flinched, it's my opportunity to strike!' Noah grabbed his sword tight and charged toward the Agnian off-seer. Their fight restarted, but now, Noah had some theories in him.
'She's so fast… And yet…her moves are really simple… It's almost…like they have a rhythm… Wait…'
'The Agnian off-seeing tune? I know how that goes…' Noah almost gasped at his sudden epiphany, but he focused to see the girl's footwork.
'One, two, three, four… One, two, three…!' Noah counted, and after that, he slightly swung his sword to intimidate her. Feeling the dread, the girl backflipped to avoid his attack. After backing up, she charged again.
But…
Noah wasn't even looking at her.
'He's not even looking at me?'
'One…two…three… Yes, got the rhythm… Thank god I have the 'Metronome for off-seers' app installed… Okay… Now…one…two…three…four…!' Noah turned his body towards the off-seer…
But they banged their head on each other.
As they heard… A certain tune.
"Along the mist I see a stretching path~"
"What? Ah…dah!" The off-seers, exclaimed, as their footwork got completely ruined by the interruption. But the one who got the most damage was the Agnian, who used acrobatic footwork. She lost her balance and fell down. Noah didn't miss this opportunity and put his blade to her neck.
"Hah…hah…hah… Checkmate…"
"Wha….what the spark was that?! Isn't that…our…national anthem…?" The Agnian said, mid-panting.
"Sorry, Mimi! My fault!" The small girl said, as she blocked Lanz's attack.
"Sena? Was…was it you? Isn't that your morning alarm!? Why did it…"
"Uh…I don't…gah!" Sena gasped, as Lanz landed a clean hit on her.
"Sena!"
"I'm…okay…."
"Queen's nape, you guys have alarm troubles too?" Eunie said, as she deflected the tactician's Mondo.
"That…happens like every time when we have Sena around. She always forgets to adjust the settings….!"
"Heh, same with our guy! He broke my wing just by not updating his damn clock!" Eunie said, as she shot some bullets at the Tactician.
"Oh, yeah? That's why you have the little cast on your wings?" The tactician laughed, as he blocked the attack.
"Gah…shut up! Four-eyes!"
"Dgh… Sena, I'm gonna present a theory. Just…say yes or no."
"Uh…okay!" Sena choked out, clutching her aching stomach.
"Last Tuesday… We had a mission at night, didn't we?"
"Yeah!"
"And we had a departing signal, didn't we?"
"Yeah!"
"And we used your flame clock for that purpose, right?"
"Yeah!"
"So… Did you disable the alarm after that? If you don't do that, the clock does that thing every Tues…day!" The tactician gasped, as Eunie attempted melee attacks.
"…..Really?"
"My god, you're hopeless!" Lanz exclaimed, swinging his giant sword.
"E..excuse me, that's rude! Mister Keves!"
"Mister… Wha…?"
"…You guys do have your own problems, do you?" Noah said, his blade still close to her neck.
She nodded.
(On the first night after being Ouroboros)
"Hey, Noah… Do you have the time…? I'm getting drowsy right now…" Eunie mumbled, her eyes drooping down.
"Yeah….thanks to mister you-know-who…." Lanz joked.
"It's…2 AM. It's indeed pretty late." Noah said.
"Wait, really? Oh no! Then we have only 4 hours of sleep left!" Sena exclaimed.
"Ugh…another sleep-deprived day…?" Taion sighed.
"Well, if that's the case, I'm gonna go to sleep right now. Night, Noah, Lanz, And…Night, Agnus." Eunie said, laying down.
"Hey, Eunie, stop with that. We're not enemies right now."
"Okay, okay… Just joking… I'm still not used to it… Anyway…good nig… Gah!" Eunie exclaimed, as she felt pressure on her cast.
"Hah… Guess we're sleeping late today… Uh… Good night… M…Mio…?" Noah said, facing the Agnian off-seer.
"Thanks. You're…pretty kind…" Mio replied, faintly nodding.
"Just… I thought we had to get used to this from now on… ….Goodnight." Noah said as he laid down after untying his ponytail.
"Goodnight…." Mio mumbled out, closing her diary.
(Next morning)
(9 AM)
"*Yawn* Huaaah…. Had a good sleep…" Noah stretched his limbs, feeling strength returning to him. He gazed at the sky.
Which was…
Sparking bright.
"Wait, the Sun's up there? Then what's the…"
9 AM.
3 hours later than their usual wakey time.
"9….9 AM? Wait, what happened to our alarms?!" Noah panicked, turning his iris on. And in his view…
He saw something strange.
"'Flame Alarm: Disconnected from server'…..? Does that mean…."
"Holy sparks," Noah called Eureka and ran towards the sleeping party.
"Guys! Wake up! Wake up! I discovered something important!"
"Wha…what…? Noah…what time is… Huh!? Why is the Sun…" Eunie exclaimed, bolting up from the ground.
"That's the discovery. Let's talk about it when everybody gets up."
(After some minutes)
"So…you're saying… Since we're freed from the flame clocks… We're freed from the sparking alarm?!" Lanz said.
"Yes, and… Is it the same for you too?" Noah said, facing the Agnian team.
"Yeah… My alarm functions… Just…died…" Answered Sena.
"Me too…." Mio added.
"Queen's wings… Then… No more waking up early after overworking till like 2 AM?!" Eunie gasped.
"Wait, you guys do that too? I thought only us did that!" Sena said.
"Hell nah! Working till past midnight and waking up at like 5 or 6 AM…. It was our routine! And…what time was it, Noah?"
"Currently 9:10."
"We slept for 7 hours!?"
"Yeah,"
"Man…this feels like a dream… 7 hours of sleep…? Hey, can you believe this? 7, hours, of sleep!" Eunie shouted.
"Okay, okay, Eunie, chill." Lanz calmed the winged girl with a cast down.
"But…she's…true…! I feel like I'm born again right now…. Feels….so fresh…!" Sena said.
"Agreed. I'm in my peak condition right now." Taion nodded.
"So…then…it comes to this conclusion," Mio said.
"Of what?"
"Ouroboros frees us from flame clocks, and it frees us from the stupid alarms." Noah stole her comment.
"Yeah, totally. I…never expected that when the big guy made us into Ouroboros…" Mio added.
"But it rocks! Now we're truly free! Woohoo!" Eunie cheered.
"Yippee!" Sena followed.
"Well…yay…?" Taion awkwardly added.
"Ha…haha… How do you feel, Mio?"
"Me? Uh…actually… Similar to them! I…lived almost 10 years under that torture of an alarm. I want to do whatever I want at least during the three months I have right now!" Mio raged.
"Oh…I…see…? Hahaha…." Noah chuckled.
"Well, since we slept a lot… How about a good morning exercise?" Lanz said, getting up.
"Wait really? That's…actually a good idea! Let's do it together!" Sena chirped.
"Looks like someone knows how to rock!" Lanz smiled.
(After the battle of Colony 4)
"Ethel… You alright…?" Noah said, as he lifted Ethel from the ground.
"Ugh… N…Noah…? W…what did I just…" Ethel mumbled, her eyes almost bursting in tears.
"Shh… Ethel… You did nothing wrong… How do you feel right now?"
"How….do I feel…? Uh…exh…austed…? And…everything hurts…." Ethel frowned.
"I see… Uh…how much did you sleep, Ethel?"
"Sleep…? I…think I…hadn't slept for three days straight…"
"Wait, really? Why?"
"Being a commander in a dirt rank colony is indeed hard, Noah…."
"So that was why your eyes were red…."
"Wait, what? No, that's not the reason of…."
"I feel you, Ethel. But you're now free now. Please rest. You guys deserve it."
"Wait, Noah, I…." Ethel tried to speak something, but she soon got interrupted by Noah, who slightly hit her neck to make her faint.
"Gah…"
"Noah! Is…Ethel okay?" Lanz asked as he ran towards his mate.
"Yeah, she's just…sleep-deprived, that's all."
"Oh…yeah… Her eyes were red and all…"
"Let's…take her to the Colony."
"Got it."
(Next morning)
Colony 4 was a Colony located in the middle of the desert, and they usually constantly worked with Levnises, so the sound of metal hitting metal filled the Colony at usual times.
But today…
It was different.
People were slowly wandering around the Colony, stretching their limbs, searching for breakfast, and tidying their clothes. They had some composure placed inside their minds, with a faint smile on their faces.
Watching the new scenery, Noah's party trod towards the commander's office to meet Ethel. Her lieutenant, Bolearis, did call them to come to the office this morning. They entered the office and greeted her.
Only to meet the empty commander's chair.
"Hmmm….? Strange…why is Ethel not…here…?" Eunie tilted her head.
"Wait, what time is it right now?" Lanz asked.
"8:30."
"Oh, then…. I think I know the answer…."
"Morningg…" A drowsy woman's voice came from behind. It was Ethel. Her beautiful, silver hair was all messy, and her eyes weren't even half-open.
"Ethel? Are you…alright…?" Mio asked.
"Yeah…. Huaaaah…. Just…woke up….uagh?" Ethel yawned, rubbing her eyes. But she soon tripped, as her steps entangled with each other. She fell forward, landing on Noah's chest.
"Dah! Uh…pillow…?" Ethel mumbled, feeling Noah's chest.
"Um…Ethel…? You alright…?" Noah stuttered.
"Wait, what…? Wha! Sorry, Noah… Didn't mean to…."
"It's…okay… Just…get some water on your face, it'll help you wake up."
"Uh…ah… Okay…." Ethel nodded, with a slight blush on her face.
(After some time)
"So, uh, Noah. Can I ask you a question?" Ethel, now sober, opened her mouth.
"Yeah?"
"Why… Why did I do that a minute ago….?"
"Because… You weren't sober back then…?"
"Then why? I usually get up after I get shocked by the alarm at 5 AM… But…I didn't get the alarm today… Why….?"
"Wait, shocked?"
"Yeah… That's our alarm… You don't do that? Or…is this dirt rank exclusive…?" Ethel tilted her head.
"Dang, so that was the reason why they looked all refreshed in the morning… It must've been the first time to wake up without getting shocked…" Eunie mumbled.
"Uh…anyway, Ethel. I have something to tell you."
"Hmmm?"
"Remember that we broke the big flame clock…? Yeah, I think that frees you from the flame alarms… Hehe…."
"….?" Ethel's mouth held agape.
"Ethel…?"
"Noah…. If that's true…."
"Yeah…..?"
"Thank yoooouuu! You're our hero, Noah!" Ethel cried out, as she hugged Noah tight.
"Ah….?"
"Oh my god, do you even have a single idea of what we went through after we became a dirt-rank colony? Our beds got replaced with rock-hard planks, pillows became like cubes, the alarm got replaced with electric shocks and the wake-up time got one hour earlier!" Ethel exclaimed.
"Wait, what? Really?"
"Considering we was once a silver rank colony… Yeah…it was harsh…"
"Uh… That would be harsh even for us….?"
"Oh no…." Sena gasped.
"Anyway, thank you, Noah. You, and your friends, are a lifesaver." Ethel said, holding Noah in her hands. Her eyes looked healthy as ever.
"M…my pleasure….?"
So like that….
The Ouroboros freed Colony 4 from the torture of flame clocks.
And it was merely the beginning.
Countless flame clocks were waiting for Noah's Lucky Seven to slash them.
To their expectation, Noah and the Ouroboros perfectly fulfilled them, freeing colony after colony.
And legends say that they're still slashing flame clocks to free more and more colonies.
To give the people of the colony the freedom of sleep.
The heroes' journey…
Will never end until they freed everyone from the dread alarm clocks.
Hurray Ouroboros!
(Omake)
(At the Agnus prison)
"Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm~" A hum of a young girl echoed across the jail corridors. It was….
"Shania…" Sena mumbled, gazing at Shania across the cells.
"What are you doing here?" Lanz glared.
"Got a little update for you. The day your friend departs this world… What did you call it? Homecoming….? That's the day… I've decided to have myself killed too." Shania said, pointing at her right eye. A blue circle was formed there.
Yes,
She had a flame clock implanted in her eye.
"Shania… Your iris…!" Sena said, getting up from the floor.
"Yep. This right here is proof that I've joined their ranks." Shania crossed her arms as if she was boasting.
"Your friend will be gone from this world forever… But I! will be born again!" She exclaimed, putting her face close to the cells.
An awkward silence flowed.
"…. Hey, isn't this…the moment where…you….rage…? Come on, show some reaction."
"….Spark off," Taion said.
"Heh, we don't need any reactions. You just completely joked on yourself." Lanz snorted.
"Huh….?"
"You said you joined their ranks? Heh, jokes on you, you start from dirt when you first join colony ranks." Eunie said, glaring at Shania.
"What's the matter with that? I can always climb the ladder to the top!" Shania tried to laugh.
"Heh, you know what?"
"Huh?"
"You'll find it out next morning," Lanz said, crossing his arms.
"Wha….?"
"Anyway, piss off. Noah's not in the mood to meet your sorry arse right now." Eunie demanded, putting Noah's head on her thighs to give him some rest. He was asleep after beating the metal bars for hours.
"Grr… You know what? Fine! Meet you at the homecoming, bitches!" Shania pouted and started to walk away. As she walked away, she met Mio's cell.
"Pffft….."
"What?"
"Nothing… Goodnight…!"
"Huh…? It's…still morning, you know…?"
"You'll get to know it next morning…"
"Guh… Fine! Spark off!"
Shania was now walking away in fury. They could feel her fury, as she made big stomping noises.
"Heh, stupid bitch…" Eunie grit her teeth.
"Karma….will teach her a lesson…." Taion muttered.
(Next morning)
(4:30 AM)
"….GAAH! What the spark!?" Shania bolted up, as she felt an electrical shock all over her body.
"What the… 4:30 AM? Why am I… GAAAH!" She screamed, feeling the shock again.
"How do I… Stop th… Aaaah!"
"Do I do this…? Or I… Ngaaaah!"
"Come on… What the hell's going… Daaaah!"
(Meanwhile)
"….Heh,"
"Eunie….?"
"Taion, check the time."
"The time…? 4:30 AM… We're indeed up pretty late…."
"But to a certain girl…"
"It would be the time to wake up."
"Oh, wait, do you mean by…."
"Pffft… Yeah…and…it's time for us to take some rest… Man, why are we even awake now…?"
"Yeah…"
"So, Taion, care to sleep next to me?"
"….Why….?"
"For…you know…for unexpected nightmares…?"
"….."
"No…?"
"Why would I reject?" Taion shrugged.
"I knew it, yaaay…" Eunie said, as she leaned toward Taion, making Taion lie down on the ground.
It was one quiet night in the cells.
Eunie and Taion closed their eyes to give themselves some rest. Even if they were sleeping very late.
And…
The Moon shined on them before it set.
It was a Half Moon.
Remember, Teens, a good amount of sleep is always important for your health.