Megaman Battle Network - New Generation
Book 2 - Black History
By Zelloss
Author's Note: Actually, I'm skipping right ahead to when Zel died, with good reason... ^^ The Cybersuit and the marriage will come into play a bit later... ^^ I just felt like writing this right now.
Chapter 6 - The End? Not by far...
"AAAAAAAAAH"
I landed sharply on the ground, a shooting pain shooting up my spine from the collision.
But that wasn't it... No, that would hardly have hurt me...
I knew what was coming, I had expected it... From the moment I read that prophecy, I knew what it meant...
But not like this, oh, god, not like this!
Every breath shot through my body like needles. My lung was punctured, my rib shattered by the shot. One of my viens...
"Dad!"
I barely heard it, my strength was leaving fast... No, I was stronger then that...
I felt another force, trying to help. Blackfang.
"There's nothing, this time, you can do..." I smirked to the darkness. "You can't stop from losing me..."
"I will try nonetheless..."
I felt just barely enough strength to keep going, even with having already lost a good amount of blood. I felt somebody pulling Shinju's body off of my arm.
"Dad, no..." Hayato crouched down beside me.
"Hayato, I knew... I knew this would happen... That's what the line meant... The Sacrifice of Darkness... That was me..." I gasped out. Blood filled up my mouth, and trickled down the side of my face. I tried to swallow it down.
"Dad, no... You... can't die..." Hayato gulped out, and I knew he was crying.
"I had to, son... you have to fight Kushada..." I tried to smile.
But my inside was screaming. Oh, god, please, just end it! I don't want this to continue... The pain...
And another half of me was crying out something different. Why, this way? Of something so minor... To die by a bullet... A simple bullet... They can't do this to me!
"We'll fight..." I heard a bit of Dynast's words, my hearing was going...
"Go, Hayato..."
My body ached entirely, and I moaned out, fresh blood tricking along my mouth again. Then, it seemed like I was dry... What was keeping me alive?
"I don't intend on losing such a powerfull body!"
"You will!" I tried to fight back. I had to die... Hell, I never thought I'd hear myself saying THAT line!
"Go, Hayato. Defeat Juno. I wish I could have... could have lived long enough to see you finish the last of the prophecy... Hayato Ameriass, na Grausherra Nocortos, nas Shingaies ay Netros... Hasara, Kisato, Lesteo. The last... the last of the prophecy..."
I felt the last of the strength leave me, my head fell to the side, and then there was nothing...
* * * * *
I blinked.
Blink.
Blink again.
Whee, blinking is fun...
What the hell am I saying? No, thinking, that's it...
But aren't I dead?
"You're awfully fast..."
I looked around, and some place came into view.
I was floating in the air, above my own body.
My mouth dropped.
"You should pick that up..."
I grabbed my mouth and fastened it back on. "Eh... What the hell is going on!?"
I saw the others, then, suddenly. The other people that were running off to go fight Kushada...
"Zelloss Grausherra, welcome to the world of the dead, the world you call Himyto..."
I gulped. "Okay, so I'm dead... And this just proves that there is an afterlife..."
"Your way of life has had it right for a millenium, kid!"
"Okay, can you just show yourself?" I called out. "This is getting tiring talking to nothing..."
A young man, wearing a red robe, appeared in front of me. It was in classic Eyodian festival style, tied around the waste with a crimson sash, although it was hard to see anyway. I could see a light, jovial face under flaming red hair.
"Who are you?"
"Search your memory... Think about the way your culture sees death..."
I sighed. I never was perfect on matters of the afterlife, but... I should know enough...
"I should know enough to know that your name is Jaigokwen..."
"Exactly..." Jaigokwen nodded. "The guide to the afterlife..."
"So, where am I going?" I asked. "The light demain or the hell demain?"
"That's the problem..." Jaigokwen sighed. "I hate cases like this!"
"Eh?"
"Alright, since I've got another spirit to guide, I'll give you the quick rundown, and you can find out from the others..."
"Okay, shoot..."
"Thosewhodieinanactthatistotallyoppositeoftheirpreviouslivescannotreacheithe rthedarkdomainorthelightparadisesotheyarelefttowalktheearth...especiallythos espiritswithregretstheyreanawfulnuicance...amigoingfastenough?"
"Yes, more then fast enough..." Zel's eyes spun. "But I think I got you..."
"Good, I have to leave..." Jaigokwen sighed. "Bloody hell... Some arse named Koushada just died about 2 seconds ago from a punch from your son..."
My mouth fell again, and I immediatly caught it. "One punch?"
"What, your son has incredible super-human strength! Be proud of him!"
Jaigokwen dissapeared, and I began to notice slight changes in the air around me.
Figures?
Moving people...
No, floating people...
Spirits!
I gasped. There weren't too many, but they were there, no doubt...
A young child walked by his hooded brother, a young woman and man walking beside them.
They look awfully familiar...
"Oh my..." the woman turned. "A new arri..."
"It's you!" the kid shouted.
"It's about time you got here!" the man barked. "Zel, I was wondering when you'd come join us! Bloody hell, I've been waiting a few years to get my revenge..."
"Aruhi... Mizuka... Cameron... Katsuya..." I looked at them. "I... What are you..."
"We were living good lives until Daren convinced us otherwise..." Aruhi spat. "And, you know, the bastard is in hell now... But we died with evil in our hearts, but our past life was an honest one... Quite a shock, really..."
"At least you're all together..." I shrugged.
"You don't know anything!" Aruhi growled. "It took us a couple years, thinking we were all alone in this place before we found each other again! You bastard, leaving us stuck in this place!"
Aruhi swung his fist forward, and Zel didn't think it would hit. There was too much distance...
A strong blast of energy sent Zel flying back. He expected to collide with a cavern wall, but didn't. He flew straight into the rock.
Zel recovered himself, and floated back out. "I'm... I'm sorry..."
"Sorry my ass..." Aruhi growled.
"Dad, stop it!" Cameron cried out. "I want to hurt him too, but, we got what was coming to us!"
"And there must be something good in him!"
Aruhi paused. "Mizuka, why do you think that?"
"Listen, Jaigo already visited him. He left him here. He lived a life of evil, obviously he must have done SOMETHING good recently!"
"I hate it when you're right..." Aruhi gave in. "Oh well, it'll take forever before anyone he needs finds him! I hope nobody does..."
They just floated off, leaving Zel half stunned. He crouched down.
"I can't believe it... Here I am, floating aimlessly..."
Zel felt a sudden burst of anger. "I... I can't stand it! I can't have died... for nothing! One punch from my son, the man who killed me was down... Why didn't I do anything when I had the chance...?"
"And Shinju... Why did I bother with him!?" Zel shouted. "He wasn't the one I was supposed to protect, it was Matson... And him I failed..."
Zel's body began to flare up, his body turning dark. "I...
"Hate...
"This...
Zel suddenly dashed forward, towards the end of the tunnel in the real world, and saw what was going on. He paused at the system.
"Dad, if only you were here..."
I heard Hayato... I heard him? I heard nothing coming from the others...
"I am, son..." I responded. "You can't defeat Juno with normal weapons, you need the Real Power..."
"The Real Power!?" Hayato gulped. "Dynast..."
"Think of your father!" Dynast called out.
And that was all I needed. As Hayato's mind focused, I could see reality merging around him...
Reality, the Cyberworld...
This, the spirit world...
I pulled myself into it, and I was suddenly aware of many presences...
I looked across, and saw my father, who nodded.
And then...
Who? Who was that?
The man with the spiky hair that flew forward over his face, who's rugged, Eyodian-style clothes made me feel so young... Although his appearance was no older then mine...
I didn't bother. "Net..."
"Blade..." Neero added in. Neero, my father...
"Activate!" the third man chimed in.
There it was... A sudden burst of dark energy...
So this... Was this why I died?
"Yes, Zel..." the mysterious man said. "You needed to die, or your son would never be able to use this power..."
I nodded. "Then it was worth it..."
Then it all happened so fast... Such a blast from the use of the Netblade... I felt my spirit collapse.
* * * * *
It would be a few days later I would wake up, my spirit floating just above my gravestone.
I looked down, and saw Hayato.
"Father, thank you for everything" Hayato whispered, bowing. "For helping me and saving everybody. Thank you."
I laughed. "Your welcome. Just do me a favor. Tell Shinju I said hi."
Hayato smiled.
"So, do you still have regrets?"
I turned, and saw the same, mysterious, spiky-haired man.
"Yes... Of course I do..." I sighed, kneeling. "You know... I lived a life that was barely lived..."
The man nodded. "I know..."
"I mean... I wish I had've had the love of my father and mother as a child... I wish I had've grown up normal... I wish I had never known Blackfang... I wish..."
"Let them out..."
"I wish I had've given Hayato the love he deserved..."
"Yes, let them all out..."
"I wish I had've been the real father to Gairyio... Not have left him..."
"I wish I had've been more caring to Mihill..."
"I wish I had never have killed..."
"I wish I had never ruined so many lives..."
I began to cry, for perhaps the one time in my life. "I wish I had've never been hurt by my aunt..."
"I wish I had never left Matson to die..."
"I wish I had've stopped Morpheus..."
"I wish I could just go back and make my life over..."
"Stop it, Zel! You have to stop it!" a voice shouted.
I opened my eyes, and saw black chains wrapping around my body. "Wh... What's ha..."
"I've got you, you're mine!" the spiky haired man laughed. "Just one more regret, and you'll be down on my plane..."
"No!" I realized who this man was. Kaisuto, the Dark One... The human equivilant of other mythology's Satan or Devil...
A man stepped up beside me, and I could barely move my face, but I could see. Neero. Father...
"Think of what you won't take back! What you love!"
"I..."
I gulped. Was there anything...?
"I love my sons..."
"I love my wife..."
"I love my friends..."
"I loved, and I lived because of it..."
It hit me suddenly, just what was going on, as I said those words. I stood full up. "You can't take me... I lived, and my regrets, well, those can't be undone. So just fuck off."
Kaisuto muttered something. "Zel, you... I would have loved to have your spirit to torture for eternity..."
"Well, you can't have it!" I laughed. "Now, begone with you!"
Kaisuto just seemed to fizzle out.
"I thought he almost had you..." Neero released a deep breath.
"I was worried too..."
"Well, don't..." Neero smiled.
"But."
I paused. "How come he helped me and Hayato.?"
"He's dark, but in his bloodline." Neero paused. "How can I tell you this?"
There was an awkward pause, and Neero decided just how.
"He's your ancestor. He's the first Grausherra."
I shut up. Suddenly, I felt a warmth. "Oh, dad, I've missed you so much!"
I ran to him, like a child, and hugged him. "I... I've missed you too..."
"Don't worry about it..." Neero smiled. "It's been hard watching you these last few years and not being able to help you..."
"Even when you tried to...?"
"Just like there is good and evil in everyone, my second came out later in life..." Neero sighed. "It's Grausherra legacy, it's just how it happens..."
"Then all the other ancestors?"
"I'm the first to have found out the secret to surviving Kaisuto... The others are all..."
I nodded. "I know..."
"Is... Is that you? Is that really you?"
I turned, and saw a woman, in an oh-so-familiar white dress...
"M... Mi..."
She jumped onto me. "Oh, it is you!"
"Mihill! Shouldn't you be up a plane or so?"
Mihill laughed, between her sobs. "I came down to see you..."
I smiled. "Perhaps death isn't so bad after all..."
Author's Note: Actually, I'm skipping right ahead to when Zel died, with good reason... ^^ The Cybersuit and the marriage will come into play a bit later... ^^ I just felt like writing this right now.
Chapter 6 - The End? Not by far...
"AAAAAAAAAH"
I landed sharply on the ground, a shooting pain shooting up my spine from the collision.
But that wasn't it... No, that would hardly have hurt me...
I knew what was coming, I had expected it... From the moment I read that prophecy, I knew what it meant...
But not like this, oh, god, not like this!
Every breath shot through my body like needles. My lung was punctured, my rib shattered by the shot. One of my viens...
"Dad!"
I barely heard it, my strength was leaving fast... No, I was stronger then that...
I felt another force, trying to help. Blackfang.
"There's nothing, this time, you can do..." I smirked to the darkness. "You can't stop from losing me..."
"I will try nonetheless..."
I felt just barely enough strength to keep going, even with having already lost a good amount of blood. I felt somebody pulling Shinju's body off of my arm.
"Dad, no..." Hayato crouched down beside me.
"Hayato, I knew... I knew this would happen... That's what the line meant... The Sacrifice of Darkness... That was me..." I gasped out. Blood filled up my mouth, and trickled down the side of my face. I tried to swallow it down.
"Dad, no... You... can't die..." Hayato gulped out, and I knew he was crying.
"I had to, son... you have to fight Kushada..." I tried to smile.
But my inside was screaming. Oh, god, please, just end it! I don't want this to continue... The pain...
And another half of me was crying out something different. Why, this way? Of something so minor... To die by a bullet... A simple bullet... They can't do this to me!
"We'll fight..." I heard a bit of Dynast's words, my hearing was going...
"Go, Hayato..."
My body ached entirely, and I moaned out, fresh blood tricking along my mouth again. Then, it seemed like I was dry... What was keeping me alive?
"I don't intend on losing such a powerfull body!"
"You will!" I tried to fight back. I had to die... Hell, I never thought I'd hear myself saying THAT line!
"Go, Hayato. Defeat Juno. I wish I could have... could have lived long enough to see you finish the last of the prophecy... Hayato Ameriass, na Grausherra Nocortos, nas Shingaies ay Netros... Hasara, Kisato, Lesteo. The last... the last of the prophecy..."
I felt the last of the strength leave me, my head fell to the side, and then there was nothing...
* * * * *
I blinked.
Blink.
Blink again.
Whee, blinking is fun...
What the hell am I saying? No, thinking, that's it...
But aren't I dead?
"You're awfully fast..."
I looked around, and some place came into view.
I was floating in the air, above my own body.
My mouth dropped.
"You should pick that up..."
I grabbed my mouth and fastened it back on. "Eh... What the hell is going on!?"
I saw the others, then, suddenly. The other people that were running off to go fight Kushada...
"Zelloss Grausherra, welcome to the world of the dead, the world you call Himyto..."
I gulped. "Okay, so I'm dead... And this just proves that there is an afterlife..."
"Your way of life has had it right for a millenium, kid!"
"Okay, can you just show yourself?" I called out. "This is getting tiring talking to nothing..."
A young man, wearing a red robe, appeared in front of me. It was in classic Eyodian festival style, tied around the waste with a crimson sash, although it was hard to see anyway. I could see a light, jovial face under flaming red hair.
"Who are you?"
"Search your memory... Think about the way your culture sees death..."
I sighed. I never was perfect on matters of the afterlife, but... I should know enough...
"I should know enough to know that your name is Jaigokwen..."
"Exactly..." Jaigokwen nodded. "The guide to the afterlife..."
"So, where am I going?" I asked. "The light demain or the hell demain?"
"That's the problem..." Jaigokwen sighed. "I hate cases like this!"
"Eh?"
"Alright, since I've got another spirit to guide, I'll give you the quick rundown, and you can find out from the others..."
"Okay, shoot..."
"Thosewhodieinanactthatistotallyoppositeoftheirpreviouslivescannotreacheithe rthedarkdomainorthelightparadisesotheyarelefttowalktheearth...especiallythos espiritswithregretstheyreanawfulnuicance...amigoingfastenough?"
"Yes, more then fast enough..." Zel's eyes spun. "But I think I got you..."
"Good, I have to leave..." Jaigokwen sighed. "Bloody hell... Some arse named Koushada just died about 2 seconds ago from a punch from your son..."
My mouth fell again, and I immediatly caught it. "One punch?"
"What, your son has incredible super-human strength! Be proud of him!"
Jaigokwen dissapeared, and I began to notice slight changes in the air around me.
Figures?
Moving people...
No, floating people...
Spirits!
I gasped. There weren't too many, but they were there, no doubt...
A young child walked by his hooded brother, a young woman and man walking beside them.
They look awfully familiar...
"Oh my..." the woman turned. "A new arri..."
"It's you!" the kid shouted.
"It's about time you got here!" the man barked. "Zel, I was wondering when you'd come join us! Bloody hell, I've been waiting a few years to get my revenge..."
"Aruhi... Mizuka... Cameron... Katsuya..." I looked at them. "I... What are you..."
"We were living good lives until Daren convinced us otherwise..." Aruhi spat. "And, you know, the bastard is in hell now... But we died with evil in our hearts, but our past life was an honest one... Quite a shock, really..."
"At least you're all together..." I shrugged.
"You don't know anything!" Aruhi growled. "It took us a couple years, thinking we were all alone in this place before we found each other again! You bastard, leaving us stuck in this place!"
Aruhi swung his fist forward, and Zel didn't think it would hit. There was too much distance...
A strong blast of energy sent Zel flying back. He expected to collide with a cavern wall, but didn't. He flew straight into the rock.
Zel recovered himself, and floated back out. "I'm... I'm sorry..."
"Sorry my ass..." Aruhi growled.
"Dad, stop it!" Cameron cried out. "I want to hurt him too, but, we got what was coming to us!"
"And there must be something good in him!"
Aruhi paused. "Mizuka, why do you think that?"
"Listen, Jaigo already visited him. He left him here. He lived a life of evil, obviously he must have done SOMETHING good recently!"
"I hate it when you're right..." Aruhi gave in. "Oh well, it'll take forever before anyone he needs finds him! I hope nobody does..."
They just floated off, leaving Zel half stunned. He crouched down.
"I can't believe it... Here I am, floating aimlessly..."
Zel felt a sudden burst of anger. "I... I can't stand it! I can't have died... for nothing! One punch from my son, the man who killed me was down... Why didn't I do anything when I had the chance...?"
"And Shinju... Why did I bother with him!?" Zel shouted. "He wasn't the one I was supposed to protect, it was Matson... And him I failed..."
Zel's body began to flare up, his body turning dark. "I...
"Hate...
"This...
Zel suddenly dashed forward, towards the end of the tunnel in the real world, and saw what was going on. He paused at the system.
"Dad, if only you were here..."
I heard Hayato... I heard him? I heard nothing coming from the others...
"I am, son..." I responded. "You can't defeat Juno with normal weapons, you need the Real Power..."
"The Real Power!?" Hayato gulped. "Dynast..."
"Think of your father!" Dynast called out.
And that was all I needed. As Hayato's mind focused, I could see reality merging around him...
Reality, the Cyberworld...
This, the spirit world...
I pulled myself into it, and I was suddenly aware of many presences...
I looked across, and saw my father, who nodded.
And then...
Who? Who was that?
The man with the spiky hair that flew forward over his face, who's rugged, Eyodian-style clothes made me feel so young... Although his appearance was no older then mine...
I didn't bother. "Net..."
"Blade..." Neero added in. Neero, my father...
"Activate!" the third man chimed in.
There it was... A sudden burst of dark energy...
So this... Was this why I died?
"Yes, Zel..." the mysterious man said. "You needed to die, or your son would never be able to use this power..."
I nodded. "Then it was worth it..."
Then it all happened so fast... Such a blast from the use of the Netblade... I felt my spirit collapse.
* * * * *
It would be a few days later I would wake up, my spirit floating just above my gravestone.
I looked down, and saw Hayato.
"Father, thank you for everything" Hayato whispered, bowing. "For helping me and saving everybody. Thank you."
I laughed. "Your welcome. Just do me a favor. Tell Shinju I said hi."
Hayato smiled.
"So, do you still have regrets?"
I turned, and saw the same, mysterious, spiky-haired man.
"Yes... Of course I do..." I sighed, kneeling. "You know... I lived a life that was barely lived..."
The man nodded. "I know..."
"I mean... I wish I had've had the love of my father and mother as a child... I wish I had've grown up normal... I wish I had never known Blackfang... I wish..."
"Let them out..."
"I wish I had've given Hayato the love he deserved..."
"Yes, let them all out..."
"I wish I had've been the real father to Gairyio... Not have left him..."
"I wish I had've been more caring to Mihill..."
"I wish I had never have killed..."
"I wish I had never ruined so many lives..."
I began to cry, for perhaps the one time in my life. "I wish I had've never been hurt by my aunt..."
"I wish I had never left Matson to die..."
"I wish I had've stopped Morpheus..."
"I wish I could just go back and make my life over..."
"Stop it, Zel! You have to stop it!" a voice shouted.
I opened my eyes, and saw black chains wrapping around my body. "Wh... What's ha..."
"I've got you, you're mine!" the spiky haired man laughed. "Just one more regret, and you'll be down on my plane..."
"No!" I realized who this man was. Kaisuto, the Dark One... The human equivilant of other mythology's Satan or Devil...
A man stepped up beside me, and I could barely move my face, but I could see. Neero. Father...
"Think of what you won't take back! What you love!"
"I..."
I gulped. Was there anything...?
"I love my sons..."
"I love my wife..."
"I love my friends..."
"I loved, and I lived because of it..."
It hit me suddenly, just what was going on, as I said those words. I stood full up. "You can't take me... I lived, and my regrets, well, those can't be undone. So just fuck off."
Kaisuto muttered something. "Zel, you... I would have loved to have your spirit to torture for eternity..."
"Well, you can't have it!" I laughed. "Now, begone with you!"
Kaisuto just seemed to fizzle out.
"I thought he almost had you..." Neero released a deep breath.
"I was worried too..."
"Well, don't..." Neero smiled.
"But."
I paused. "How come he helped me and Hayato.?"
"He's dark, but in his bloodline." Neero paused. "How can I tell you this?"
There was an awkward pause, and Neero decided just how.
"He's your ancestor. He's the first Grausherra."
I shut up. Suddenly, I felt a warmth. "Oh, dad, I've missed you so much!"
I ran to him, like a child, and hugged him. "I... I've missed you too..."
"Don't worry about it..." Neero smiled. "It's been hard watching you these last few years and not being able to help you..."
"Even when you tried to...?"
"Just like there is good and evil in everyone, my second came out later in life..." Neero sighed. "It's Grausherra legacy, it's just how it happens..."
"Then all the other ancestors?"
"I'm the first to have found out the secret to surviving Kaisuto... The others are all..."
I nodded. "I know..."
"Is... Is that you? Is that really you?"
I turned, and saw a woman, in an oh-so-familiar white dress...
"M... Mi..."
She jumped onto me. "Oh, it is you!"
"Mihill! Shouldn't you be up a plane or so?"
Mihill laughed, between her sobs. "I came down to see you..."
I smiled. "Perhaps death isn't so bad after all..."