Chasing Shadows

Notes: Hehe, sorry about not updating in so long but I got distracted with different fics I was working on; but now that I am out of school for summer I can write as much as I want to, or should I say as much as I NEED to write. You know that I don't own Chobits, I am just borrowing the plotlines and maybe some of the characters in the later chapters, but I don't own them. Well until the end of the chapter goodbye and enjoy muchly!

Chapter Three
Perceptive

'For days I wandered without even taking notice of where I was going. Not that there was much to take notice of since all I could see for miles around, ahead, and behind me were worthless humans. Their stupid blank faces walked by me as if I meant noting to them. A machine. That is how they saw me, just a dumb synthetic machine, which could not function without their guidance. And in my foolishness of my "youth" I believed myself to be higher than humans, not the inferior as I was in their eyes and not an equal as "she" saw me as. Who is this she you ask? A child, a woman, a mother, a monster, she was a mystery that I could solve yet didn't not understand. And it was on one prophetic rainy evening that I met her at, of all things, a playground for children.'

The rain fell like driving needles piercing flesh and cloth, only able to be deflected by an unfurled umbrella. But Rue-sama trotted across the waterlogged streets without such luxurious protection. He had passed by towering skyscrapers that seemed to tickle the sky with the tipped spires; not even glancing at the schools, shopping malls, or even the enormous apartment complexes. In short he didn't care where he was walking so long as it removed him as far from humanity as one could achieve, but having not such luck for they were everywhere. He didn't have to even turn his head to find a human for one always seemed to be shoving passed him or was ignorantly walking by his side until they reached their destination.

But that night he did find one place that was free of human vermin. An abandoned park, long left to rot, for who in this day in age had time to come outside and play in the sunshine or share a romantic stroll in the rain; with technology advancing at a rapid pace and indoor entertainment taking place of such frolics. Upon seeing the silent and deserted world Rue gave a sigh of relief. The old nearly rotted wooden boards of the gazebo creaked underneath his heavy footsteps. A few raindrops escaped through the holes in the roof but otherwise it was the perfect place to rest until dawn.

Now being a "machine" Rue-sama didn't need to sleep but he did "sleep" merely one of the many habits that he had picked up from his education at the LAB. Even though the park seemed to be abandoned, Rue still couldn't help but feel that he wasn't as alone as he would have hoped, so he tried to survey from the relatively safe and dry pavilion. At first he couldn't see anything but a rusted slide, two broken titer-totters, a mangled jungle gym and a dilapidated swing set. Wait a minute.he glanced back at the swing set to see a shadow seated on one of the swings, gently pushing back and froth but never lifting less than an inch off the ground. A deep scowl settled on the "machine's" face, "Great just when I thought that I was free of humans. Some idiot decides to come outside to play in the rain." He started to step out of the gazebo until he came to a revelation.

"Hold on, if it's just a little kid that's out there than maybe I can scare them off." Almost instantly the frown was converted into a wicked smirk as he finished demounting the short flight of stairs. He didn't even blink when he felt the first raindrop reacquaint itself with his skin, he was set on a mission and that was to eradicate a certain brat from HIS park. He tuned southeast so that he could sneak up on the child and hopefully scare him or her so silly that they would think twice before even passing by his park. As he neared the swing set he noticed that the "brat" was a young girl, dressed a jade green skirt that reached the knees of the legs that rocked herself and the swing back and froth.

Her shirt was the same color as the skirt but it had three broad white stripes on the sleeves and the base of the shirt and a bow tie of forest green tied at the collar of her shirt. Her dirty blonde hair was thoroughly drenched and clinging to her face; shielding her eyes and face from the rain. Cautiously Rue snuck up behind the girl as she gave a strong push forward with her feet, and then swung back into Rue. But being made out of metal Rue didn't fall or even take a step backward, instead he grasped the chains of the swing and jerked them so hard that the girl had no choice but to turn her head to see him.

A small gasp was heard, but not from the girl. "Chi?" Rue thought. For staring at him face-to-face was a human female child, but she looked just like Chi. Everything from her dark amber eyes, her tiny nose, her deep dark lashes, to her delicate cheery lips was identical to Chi with the exception of her dirty blonde locks, for Chi had long white hair, but even the length of her hair was the same as his "sister". "Chi?" Rue asked again only this time it was out loud.

The girl gave him a bemused expression before answering softly, "I am sorry sir, but my name isn't Chi." She arose from her swing to face him better. "Are you looking for someone sir?" "No." Rue whispered as he backed away from this girl whom was only a third of his own height and probably a fifth of his own weight. / AN: Well he is made of metal/ "Do you need help finding someone? Because I can help you if you need me too." the girl asked kindly. But Rue keep backing away, frightened by this human girl whom looked almost identical to Chi.

"Get.get away from me!" Rue yelled as found himself backed against the brick wall that outlined the park boundaries. "What in the seven hells is gong on?! Why does this stupid human look like Chi?" Suddenly the girl leaned against one of the steel supporting poles of the swing set. Beads of sweat forming on her forehead, the world spinning before her eyes, her amber eyes gazing at him with a glazed expression. Then she slumped over in a dead faint, for a moment Rue started at the young girl, completely bewildered and at a loss for what to do. 'What do you think stupid?! Get out of here! If some human finds you around her they will think that you did something to her and its' back to the LAB for you.'

Rue started to turn away, only to pause, his eyes falling on the unconscious girl. She looked so fragile and helpless as the rain pounded on her face and the white sand around her, "Like Chi when we were first brought to training." He bent down allowing his right hand to stroke a few stray strands of damp hair away from her face, and then caress her cheek. Suddenly he withdrew his hand as if the girl had bitten him, "What in the world am I doing? She's a human. Once she wakes up." Before he even finished that thought Rue gently picked the girl up in his arms, dusting the sand off her face and clothes before taking her to the gazebo.

Less than an hour later the girl slowly opened her eyes with a moan. The first thing she saw was a wooden roof above her head and she could still hear the pitter-patter of the rain. Then she turned her head to see Rue sitting across from her on one of the small benches inside the gazebo; he stared back at her with frigid blue eyes, but not with distain or hatred as with most humans but with concern and wonderment.

"What are you?" he asked.

The girl sat up before answering him, "I am Kari Soya."

A low growl came from the "computer", "I didn't ask you name! I asked what are you?"

"A person." Kari said simply.

"Ah a human. That's what I thought." Rue said.

Kari gave him a very puzzled look, tilting her head to the side, a very Chi like response.

"I am afraid that I don't understand. I only told you that I am a person, yet you call me human."

"Because you are!" Rue said.

"One can not be a "person" unless they are human." Rue said as he turned his gaze to the side watching the raindrops falling. He hardly even noticed when Kari arose and crossed over to his bench until she spoke.

"Who says?"

Rue turned his head to face her, "Who says what?"

A small smile curved on the girl's face, "Who says that you have to be human to be a person."

"I.uh.I don't know, no one I guess. But it is true, you can't be somebody unless you are a human." Rue replied stubbornly.

Kari bent over so that she was eye to eye with Rue; her amber, almost golden eyes captured his full attention almost immediately. Carefully she lifted her hand, pushing back his white hair to reveal pointed ears. Gently she brushed her fingers against it, "So if you are not a person than what are you?"

"I am a machine." Rue said simply, still mesmerized by the child.

"What am I?" Kari asked as she slowly withdrew her hand from his ear to rest on the side of his face.

"A.human?" Rue said this time questioning his own logic.

Another smile appeared on her lips only instead of sweet it was indulgent and almost motherly, "I am just that, I, Kari Soya. Just like Rue-sama is just Rue-sama, not a machine, or a human, but a person." With those words she fully withdrew from Rue, her eyes holding secrets underneath their hypnotizing golden veils, her lips curled in a soft smile as she gradually turned and then walked away out into the little drizzle. Rue lifted his hand and placed it in the exact spot where her delicate hand had rested only a moment ago, her words still echoing in his mind.

' A person. This girl saw me as flesh and blood, a soul bearing being. But wasn't I a machine? Only a tool to be used by man, until I could rise above them; didn't I have to prove that I wasn't something like a toaster or a TV? Or was I already something more? Was I still less?

Needless to say I was confused by some human, person.a little girl! But even through my clouded thoughts I knew that this child was on to something. Maybe she held the key, the key to my existence, the answers that I wanted to know but was never taught. So without warning I bolted from my shelter to find her, to ask, to beg, to be taught more. I wanted to know more of what she had to say. But once I exited the park I found her gone. Less than a second after she parted from my side she was gone, vanished into thin air so to speak.

Maybe, maybe she was just a dream. I thought. Just a dream, a fruitless hope that I didn't have to fight and search for my place in a world run by mortals and machines. What made it worse was that now I knew that I was neither the creator nor his creation. I was I; I was Rue, a person. Or so I have been told.'

Notes: Sorry for making it so short but I felt that this was a nice place to stop. Thanks for reading and until next time, Peace ^_-