Some people say that right before someone dies, their entire lives flash before their eyes…
But what does one see immediately after death?
Outcast Legends: And Outlaw Star fanfic
Memories Forgotten
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the original Outlaw Star TV anime. I'll make a list of those characters and concepts I do own at the end of the fic.
This chapter id dedicated to Anime Angel, who has been a faithful devotee of Outcast Legends ever since I posted it. And it's also devoted to angels in general, for good reason.
Chapter 13: All it Takes is Faith
They'd gotten there too late, and they knew it.
Bluestone and Aisha had been the first to arrive, shortly after Cerpa had met his final demise. Firestorm and Vapor came shortly afterwards, followed by Jean, Harry, and Backtrack. All were shocked to see what had occurred.
Siren and Mirage likewise arrived, ready for battle but unprepared for what they were about to see. There was Cerpa, headless, and Archon cut into two and lying flameless on the ground.
"…This is DragonMage's handiwork, alright." Siren observed, looking down at the fallen cyborg. An uneasy truce had been called, and Mirage and Siren were examining the bodies of their fallen comrades. "Only the Dragon's Claw could have caused melting like this."
"And if I didn't know better, I'd say Archon got his from Cerpa." Mirage stated after a moment's examination. The two sisters looked at each other with a 'this is bad, very bad' look.
Meanwhile, Bluestone sat next to Dawn Sword's remains, in mourning. Tears streamed from her eyes as she looked at the dust and ashes that had once been Dawn Sword. In an attempt to console her, Aisha sat down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"… Listen, there's nothing you could've done. We knew when we got into this that it was dangerous-"
"No, that's not in,… not entirely." Bluestone said, barely able to get the words out. Then, in a whisper, she added "I never told him how I felt…"
Harry, on the other hand, was taking the news of his brother's demise quite differently. Rage and hatred filled his mind as he waited impatiently.
"We don't have time for this!" He stated. "While we stand here, DragonMage is headed for the inner leyline, and if we don't stop him we're all dead!"
Everyone, even Bluestone, slowly shook their heads. Taking hold of Dawn Sword's sword, which had somehow survived the inferno intact, Bluestone stood to her feet.
"We'll fight on,… for Collin." She stated, holding the weapon loosely with the blade pointed at the ground.
"Correction;" Siren interjected. "You're fighting for Dawn Sword's sake. We're just in this for survival."
"At any rate, the only chance any of us stand is if we can stop DragonMage before he can tap into the leyline." Jean stated, reloading his Caster. "I say we go for it; it's now or never."
Everyone nodded, then simultaneously the group made their way into the Dragon's Tribute, vanishing with a flash of teleportation.
While the others continued the fight for survival, Suzuka's mind wandered bodilessly somewhere between life and death, neither in heaven nor hell.
In a realm of remembering…
She was suddenly a little girl again, looking out the window of the briefing room of the North Star base. Her mother and father stood behind her, her mother holding her younger brother who was now only one and a half, as the young girl peered out at the stars and ships and grappler pods as they flew around in outer space. Her father was a strong-spirited man, wearing a black jumpsuit with white body armor. His hair and eyes were a deep chestnut brown, and his arms were big and strong just as any little girl's daddy should be. Her mother, wearing beautiful armor with only a slight green tint added to it's mirror-like surface, giggled contentedly as every passing ship caught young Suzuka's eye with renewed fascination and delight. Her long black hair hung loose behind her like a sweeping cape, and her dazzling diamond-blue eyes gave full light to the motherly enthusiasm deep within her personality. Baby Collin, sleeping peacefully in his mother's arms, was content to ignore the wonders of outer space as he wandered about in dreamland.
"Daddy daddy!" Suzuka said, turning around and reaching her hands upwards so her daddy would pick her up. Once in daddy's arms, she asked "Daddy, do all those ships really have a lot of people on them?"
"Most of them do." Her father responded gently.
"Daddy, will I ever get to ride on a spaceship?"
There was a hesitant pause in which both parents exchanged a meaningful glance. Little Suzuka, however, didn't seem to notice, and just kept looking up at daddy, awaiting a reply with a smile on her face. Daddy slowly put Suzuka down, then squatted down to her eye level and spoke softly and purposefully.
"Yes Suzuka,… maybe all too soon." He paused. "You see, your mother and I want to go get a house on earth, away from the station. We're going to be living there soon, just you, me, and mommy."
"What about baby Collin?"
Another long pause. This time little Suzuka had a distinctly concerned expression on her face as her gaze shifted between daddy and her sleeping baby brother.
"Suzuka,…" Her mother began. "… Baby Collin won't be coming with us. We've been praying about it, and we just feel that God wants him to stay here, with the Outcast Legends."
A confused, almost sad look began to come over little Suzuka.
"But,…but,…, will we get to visit him?"
"We don't think so, Suzuka." Daddy replied gently, and tears started to well up in Suzuka's little eyes.
"But,… but why? Why is God being mean, daddy? Why can't we take baby Collin with us, daddy??" She pleaded, a tear trickling down her cheeks. Daddy quickly pulled little Suzuka into a hug and let her cry on his shoulder.
"Listen, princess; we don't understand it fully either, but God knows best. We've just got to trust him on this, that's all."
"Why are we going away, daddy? I don't wanna leave baby Collin." She begged with tears in her eyes.
Her parents exchanged another meaningful glance.
"Listen, honey," Little Suzuka's mother stated. "You know about the bad people we've been fighting, right?"
Suzuka nodded slowly.
"The reason we're going to earth is because we don't want you to ever have to fight like we do." Daddy said. "But Collin needs to stay here."
"He, he's got powers, doesn't he daddy?" Suzuka said, crying all the more as she realized the situation.
"… Yes, Suzuka. He was born with them, and one day he'll learn how to use them like your mother and I. We think that might be why God wants us to let him stay here."
Her parents had talked with her for a long time after that about the move to earth, but Suzuka wanted nothing more than to stay on the station with her little brother and parents and playmates. To prove her point, she made it a habit of having frequent temper tantrums, but her parents were steadfast, if not reluctant, in their decision. After one tantrum in particular, Suzuka's mother sat her down in time-out and gave Suzuka a chance to cry on her shoulder and talk to her.
"Mommy," She pleaded for what might be the last time. "I don't wanna leave. Please mommy, I don't wanna go!"
"I understand, Suzuka, really I do. But we need to, and unfortunately we need to leave baby Collin here when we go. I'm sorry honey, really." She paused. "Listen, Suzuka. If you ever feel sad, I want you to just remember this song, OK?"
When the stars don't shine
And you're scared and afraid
Just pray a small prayer
And God will be there
When things don't make sense
And you don't know what to do
Just believe, and see
The truth will set you free
The family had indeed left baby Collin there in the end, and Suzuka missed him dearly. Her parents soon had two new additions to the family, Suzuka's little twin brothers, and things were indeed peaceful for a long time, even though Suzuka was still lonely without Collin. Then, one day, out of nowhere, a strange person broke into the house and mercilessly killed her unprepared parents and brothers. At that moment, Suzuka's young life had changed forever. Somehow spared by the murderer, Suzuka became an orphan and, when someone finally adopted her for a time, she ran away from home after only a few short years, learned to use the powers she'd been born with that her true parents had overlooked, and became quickly known as Twilight Suzuka, the most feared assassin to ever exist. Somewhere between when her parents died and when she was adopted, she lost all memory of almost anything previous the murder of her parents. Then, one day,…
"Hey, you. You're Twilight Suzuka, right?" He said, voice shaky and hoarse with age. She looked at him with a gaze of inquiry, then walked over and addressed him.
"Perhaps. Why do you ask?"
"Ah, I thought I recognized you!" The old man exclaimed. "I've heard through the grapevine about your search for Dawn Sword. Maybe I can help you."
"How did you hear about that?" She inquired, surprised that her search had become known, and also surprised by this old geyser's offer. "And what exactly do you mean that you can help me?"
"Young lady, this might surprise you, but I'm one of the few people who actually know him." His voice hinted at long-distant memories. "As rumor has it, he caught you with some form of practical joke, am I right?"
"Yes; and he's the first and only person who has." She stated, almost seeming to defend herself despite the fact that she had nothing to prove to this aging pedestrian. "How exactly do you know him? Can you arrange with him for us to meet in combat?"
"... Well, I guess so. You might be surprised to know that he's actually staying temporarily here on Helios-2 right now. As for how I know him, I'd rather not say because he prefers to remain anonymous for the most part, as I'm sure you know." He paused for a minute. "Tell you what,... I'll go talk to him for you, OK? I think I remember where he's staying at, but it's probably under an alias."
"If you can talk to him for me, ask him to meet me..." She searched her mind for a nearby landmark that had caught her attention, but came up empty. So she improvised. "...at the highest place in the city, tomorrow at dusk."
"Dusk?" The old man seemed to laugh a little. "Young lady, you have your style and he has his, He prefers to battle only at dawn's first light, thus how he got his nickname. If you really want to meet him, it will have to be at dawn."
Suzuka was willing to be flexible.
"Alright. At dawn then."
"OK. Good luck." The old man said, walking away. For a moment under the light of a street lamp, Suzuka got a good look at whom she'd been speaking to: he wore a dark brown trench coat, wide-brimmed dark brown hat, and had a well-trimmed white beard and moustache. His eyes were hidden under the shadow of his hat.
"Hold on a minute." Suzuka suddenly stated, causing the man to turn around. "Just who are you? What's your name?"
"Like Dawn Sword, I prefer to be anonymous." The old man stated. "But if you want,... call me Kai."
"It's sunrise, Suzuka." Stated a strong, confident masculine voice from behind her.
She spun to identify the person who had spoken. Long waves of brown hair that reached to his shoulder were an interesting contrast to his sapphire-blue eyes. In one hand he held a long, sharp, double-edged sword, it's hand guard a strange metallic blue metal in the form of a large, muscular humanoid without a face, a pair of long elegant wings arched out from behind the figure's back and the strange humanoid figure holding it's arms out at perfect horizontal 90 degree angles and it's feet together. 'Similar to an angel,' Suzuka thought to herself. 'The sword handle, anyway.' Dawn sword himself seemed to, in some way, resemble the figure crafted onto his sword handle, wearing from the neck down smooth, well-crafted body armor of the same blue metal as the sword's hand guard, the armor almost seeming as if it contoured to the form of his muscular body. His strong jaw showed confidence and his eyes were disciplined not to give away his thoughts, Suzuka could tell.
"So, we meet at last, face to face." Suzuka said, drawing her sword into a battle position. "I couldn't help but admire your sword, for all the good it'll do you. No one has ever seen more than two of my secret techniques, and I never lose my fights."
"As I have heard." He stated, drawing his sword into a ready position. "But enough talk; let us begin."
That bizarre confrontation, which Suzuka assumed at the time to have ended the mysterious warrior's life, had taken far-reaching effects on her own life. Little had she known, looking back on her memories from this void of nothingness in which her mind, thoughts, and soul now floated aimlessly, that that single battle would bring her back to that long-forgotten defense base in the middle of a war invisible to the rest of the universe.
"Maybe. Like I said, there's some mysteries not even I have the answers to." He was silent for a second. "The universe is just so filled with mysteries. I think that's why the leyline exists."
"What do you mean?"
"Suzuka, did you ever think about the fact that every atom in the universe vibrates at a pitch and frequency unique to it's element?" He inquired, not taking his eyes off the stars. "It's like one giant symphony, only we can't hear it. Can you imagine it? If all of our universe was a song, what would it sound like? The void of space is like pauses in the music, giving it rhythm and flow." He paused for a minute. "From what the Remnant has learned about the leyline, I personally think it's possible that whoever created the leyline and sub-leylines was trying to understand that music, perhaps, in some way, figure out the meaning of life. The leyline's primary function seems to be the acquiring of knowledge; why else would someone create a massive supercomputer capable of both a degree of intelligent thought and of creating and altering matter in any way it wished?"
Suzuka had actually given that question a good deal of thought then. For just a fraction of a second, she imagined the universe singing, each planet and star and speck of matter a member of a cosmic chorus, raising their voices to create the most masterful song that would ever be.
Then the question had come into her mind, and it struck her as odd for a moment, but she shrugged it off and didn't give it much thought.
'If the universe is singing,… who is it singing to?'
"…Perhaps they hoped that eventually someone would come along and make the right wish, and then it would all make sense." Suzuka proposed.
And now, in this vast void of nothingness in which Suzuka's soul hovered, the question came to her again. And for a long moment, she listened.
It was the strangest, most indescribable feeling of cold and emptiness and despair, but she could somehow sense that wherever she now was, the song, the song that her brother had described to her not that many days ago, was not present in this place. Not only was there no sound, but it seemed as if time itself had become one-dimensional, and that only she existed in this strange place of emptiness. Everything was thought. There was nothing to see. There was nothing to hear. Even though she was surrounded by void, she knew somehow that it was also void of all color, even the black of outer space didn't exist. Smell, taste, and touch had ceased to exist.
She was alone in an empty universe. She had never felt such chilling, nightmarish, absolute and cold a feeling in her worst nightmares. She existed,… and yet she herself knew that she wasn't alive.
And then, maybe from nothing except sheer desperation, she 'projected' her thoughts out as loud as she could and asked…
"Are you there?!! Can you hear me?!! Answer me if you exist!!"
And almost instantly, invisible light tore open the unending darkness.
As Suzuka slowly opened her eyes, the blinding light was still there,… but she could discern a silhouetted figure descending through it. At first she couldn't take her eyes off the figure, then she suddenly… breathed! She was alive again! Yes, she could feel that the endless void was gone. The emotions she experienced at that instant due to these combined revelations were indescribable.
As the light faded, the figure slowly came into view. Suzuka gasped in surprise. His long chestnut brown hair seemed almost unaffected by gravity as he slowly floated to the ground, his eyes pupil-less and blazing with powerful white energy. His body was covered in armor and armor-like fabric from the neck down, the fabric a slightly deeper shade of blue than the armor he wore primarily on his chest, shoulders, and waist. His chin was only slightly squared, showing strength, and even at a distance it wasn't hard to discern that the heavenly warrior was muscular and strong. He touched down on the ground gently and noiselessly, much like as if he almost didn't exist.
But Suzuka knew that he did exist. It was the same figure as had battled her over four years ago on Dead Man's Sheer, the ever-mysterious warrior who had called himself Dawn Sword for Suzuka and Cameron to Collin. As he stood there, the energy slowly faded from his eyes, revealing the sparkling sapphire-blue spheres that were the eye color the energy had hid. Suzuka could feel herself tremble as his gaze met hers.
His first words stole away Suzuka's breath.
"Yes, Suzuka, He exists." He paused for a minute, then added. "Do not be afraid, you who are watched over by the Lord. I come in the name of my Father, to help you."
"… W… who… who are you…? …What are you?" Suzuka managed to find the strength to say, awestruck and trembling. The figure smiled.
"Have you forgotten so quickly? No, I know that you haven't, Suzuka. When we last met, I went by the alias of Dawn Sword, to help steer your future back to your brother. However, my true identity was withheld from you until now. I am the Archangel Cameron."
As Suzuka let those words sink in, she suddenly remembered her brother Collin. She quickly diverted her gaze to where he lay, and found him to be alive and unharmed, looking at the warrior angel with the same awestruck astonishment as her.
"It was not yet your time to die, either of you. So I was given the authority to restore you to life, and to go with you to fight Balerra's scheme. Here, Collin, you will need a new sword." Cameron stated.
The angel held his hands open facing each other at a few inches apart. As living electricity surged in to fill the gap, it began to quickly take on the shape and appearance of a sword. With a small flash of light, Cameron soon held in his hands a sword identical to the one Collin had had before. He motioned for Collin to stand up and take the sword.
"It's you, it's really you, isn't it?" Collin exclaimed as Cameron handed him the sword. "You were the one who saved me back on Tassadar 3, after DragonMage had run me through and left me to die."
"Yes, that was also my doing. God has orchestrated both of your destinies in preparation for this battle, begun so long ago." He paused. "There is no time to loose. This war waits for no one, not even an Archangel. We must defeat DragonMage and destroy the Armor of the Dragon before Balerra can use it again."
Both brother and sister quickly nodded. Suzuka picked up her sword off the ground, gave Collin a meaningful glance, then the three warriors rushed forward into the oncoming battle.