[AN: I've decided to start this story out on a darker twist. Of course, within the next two chapters you'll get to see exactly how Jr. and MOMO react to being in a relationship, and in chapters that follow the relationship will be a key factor. Thanks to SniperYingFa, Crimson Snow, Sword Master Supremia, Arcia, Gamer5389, PianZoe, Sakura and Lizabeth for reviews, as well as Daye for her e-mail. :D Possible fluff in next chapter.]
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She arranged a date. She'd confided to Shion, her fears and hopes in confronting Juli Mizrahi. Shion had said simply that, in a misty, proud voice, "I hope you find what you're looking for." She would travel to fifth Jerusalem a week from now, confirmed during a UMN conversation with her mother just that morning, the first unmonitored exchange they'd had since that last day in her office. A week from now. In her office again. No attendants. Something important to discuss with her. Personal stuff and the like.
Juli paused and gave her legal daughter a sympathetic look. "I do hope you know what you're after? I'm a busy woman." Without giving MOMO a chance to respond, Juli shook her head and once again became the stoic, beyond-your-reach woman she was; it was the one face she could not hide. The SOCE member and founder of U-TIC, no longer wife of the madman or mother of one, beloved daughter. No, make that two. Remove the 'beloved'.
She'd clutched the bear through the entire conversation, for what little comfort it gave. She'd trembled and quaked against her will, feeling silly that her own mother could make her feel so unnerved. She couldn't focus. She so badly wanted to give up. But that was no longer an option.
Now, an hour later, she found herself in the belly of the Elsa with Shion's UMN connection in hand. She wanted just as badly to escape the tormenting feeling of empty anticipation, and she knew the one way she could do it: through battle. Through the EVS she could escape, and return feeling refreshed. She would go through to the world KOS-MOS' encephalon had shown her, swing on the swing sets, and lose herself in bloodshed. It no longer bothered her to destroy gnosis, armed with the knowledge that it was she or they. Their blood would fade from this realm; human blood would not. She no longer tagged along during expeditions into areas with human soldiers.
"Ziggy?" She wanted someone to accompany her in case she weren't strong enough. She needed a rock to lean on. The room was dark, so he'd either left off the light or gone back to sleep. "Ziggy?"
She could just make out his faint silhouette, the cold reflection of light off of his metal arm, making its way towards her, and the light switch she stood by. Harsh light soon illuminated the room's dark corners, though it cast shadows over Ziggy's weary face. The smile he gave played vaguely through his eyes before fading into a stream of thought. He hoped she wouldn't notice anything different; but she did. She noticed. She felt the sudden fear that he might be angry with her for disturbing him.
No turning back now. There was no reason to doubt that she had Ziggy's unconditional friendship; and she needed it now.
"Could you come with me?" He raised an eyebrow expertly, without disturbing his curious expression. "I'm gonna go into the encephalon and train a bit." If Ziggy found it a strange request from his young companion, he didn't let on. He merely retreated into the room with a brief nod, straightened up a bit and returned to the doorway, weapon in hand. He followed her from the room, out into the hallway, and through the Elsa's inner areas to the nearest UMN access plate. She worked quickly in opening up the EVS area, Encephalon, typing with nimble fingers over a transparent screen. It was almost fascinating in itself. With a flash of sudden light they were gone.
Around them the world unfolded, bursting forth from greyscale to the vibrant, delicate mixture of pastels and shades that made up the park. The monochromatic theme of the swingset and sand dome. The beautiful, pale, violet-kissed sunset overhead, casting light over the surrounding buildings. Red stains starting from the exit to this peaceful area and heading north: human blood. With a start she remembered a recent escapade into the encephalon, Shion, chaos and herself has made. The enemy had struck quickly, leaving Shion's arm a bloody mess. It swelled and dropped and pooled on the ground, leaving a stain.
It's you or I, she thought, spotting the first gnosis.
Its body was small and jagged, a tiny creature with a large snout and two knife-like fingers to each hand. The Kobold. Most dangerous for its multiple attack abilities and swift movement, though not the smartest gnosis she'd ever faced, made up for through group tactics. Sure enough, from where one had emerged came two more, snarling and spitting as they advance: it may have helped her to think of them as rabid dogs, but that meant accepting that their blood would not disappear. Her body began to move with a dancer's ease as it set into the usual pattern; evade, strike, injure. Evade, strike, kill.
Her wand came into contact with the first kobold, sending a shivering wave of pink light into the gnosis' back. It gave a cry of anguish and she stumbled back, circling at a distance. The kobold's screams had managed to unnerve her for a moment, and she wouldn't allow it again. She gave the gnosis a wide birth before moving in for the kill, aiming to strike again at its side.
How she moved, with her feet picking lightly off of the ground in a manner so precise it made him rethink the MOMO he was used to, was astounding. She ran with finesse and focus, absorbed in the task at hand. She put any and all of her stamina into what had now slowed to a slight jog around one of the straying kobold, put her trust in her wand that it would hit and kill off one or two of the gnosis.
Without hesitation, Ziggy set in to pick off the two kobold she'd already injured with a brief punch or two. The one kobold, hit effectively in the stomach, shrieked and faded into a stream of light and blood; a strange combination, he noted, the bright light laced with runny crimson. The second, however, took off down the street with a snicker, encouraging Ziggy to give chase, which he did. He prided himself in being fast, despite the weight of his mechanical enhancements, and soon caught up with it.
There was a bit of shuffling behind him, and he recognized the familiar sound of wings flapping free of their confines. He baited the straying kobold into an area close enough for MOMO to strike and stepped out of range.
In moments MOMO was airborne with the aide of the dragon rod, which had now sprouted wings. She seemed to have some difficulty removing her feet from the ground, for she wavered a bit before finding a comfortable position in the air, and seemed ready to tumble back down. Once steadied, her back arched in a way she'd become used to, this being one of her favorite attacks, and she brought the dragon rod into position above her head, where it gave off several brilliant streams of light. The encephalon echoed with MOMO's resounding voice as she cried out, "Angel arrow". The area was bathed in a golden light, and for a moment everything else ceased to exist. When the light finally crept back and MOMO gracefully returned to the ground, the kobold fell dead, the stronger of the two giving a slight twitch before fading in a fashion identical to that of its predecessors.
She used that attack no matter what the enemy. It allowed her a few seconds of escape into the warmth of a timelessness she could not describe. She would cover herself with light to keep her thoughts at bay. It was what her papa would have described as seeing the splendor of heaven; Mama thought of it as little more than rubbish.
Ziggy approached from her left, looking slightly more fatigued than before. His blade retracted into the sleeve of his left arm with a resonant clang, and she noticed with a small pang of guilt that he looked troubled. Maybe he shouldn't have tagged along, after all.
"Too easy this time. The enemies here are usually very strong."
"Maybe we got stronger?" He snorted and took a seat on a concrete ledge nearby. Considering that they'd done very little training since arriving back from the Proto Merkabah, he doubted so. In fact, this was the first time MOMO had returned to the Encephalon since their first visit, during the federation government's raid of the Kukai foundation, and as far as he knew, was the first time in ages that she'd ventured into the environmental simulator.
She took a seat beside him and kicked her feet against the wall. He found it strange that she was so silent, so composed, and he itched to start conversation with the cheerful, pure MOMO he knew was still there, behind however many barriers he need break to find her. It was as if she were hiding behind a new version of herself, and he hated it with a passion. He recalled a brief exchange with Shion that morning and knew he'd have to talk to her sometime.
He felt the sudden urge to speak to his stepson, who hadn't been quite so pure or innocent as she. However, there were many similarities and differences he could not ignore. For one, he'd never again have the chance to start up such a conversation with his stepson. Chastising himself mentally, he turned to her with a tiny smile.
"Shion recently passed on a bit of gossip to me, and I'd like you to confirm if it's true. Personally, I think I was talking to an impostor. She seemed a bit too bubbly to be Shion." He grinned to himself, remembering the way she'd ploughed into his room late last night, huffing, puffing and grinning like a fool. In fact, she'd been quite caught up in whatever she'd learned, enough so that she ran square into the wall on the room's western side and fell to the floor with a thud. She was moving to get up on her feet again before he could get up to help her.
"Have I ever got news for you!" She shouted, accentuated with a curt laugh as she pulled herself to her hands and knees. Her cheeks were rosey and her eyes slightly dulled, and he could tell she'd obviously been drinking something or other.
"But you're drunk. This information can't be anything reliable."
She shook her head and balanced herself against the wall. "Quite the contrary. And I'm not drunk. But I did have a bottle of something from Tony's stash... By the way, you'd better not mention that last little detail to Matthews-" She laughed nervously and played with her hands, wringing them and occasionally drumming her fingers. "I just felt it an occasion to celebrate, and the alcohol was just... there." She proceeded to tell him that her little MOMO was growing up, and for a moment he was afraid Shion had done something to have influence over her. But as she continued it was evident that she'd had very little to do with this situation.
MOMO was blushing furiously at his side now, nonetheless looking pleased. "You're not upset that I didn't tell you first? Shion kinda... guessed." Though she couldn't see the expression he wore, he watched her with a new sort of fatherly awe and respect. No, not mad. Not upset. A little curious, maybe. He was quite pleased, himself, and felt the urge that Shion described to have a 'celebratory drink'. Needless to say, he'd have to have words with Jr., but those could wait.
"Not at all. I'm proud of you." Just like it had on that day, many weeks ago, when he'd watched her finish her crayon drawing, her face scrunched up like a child's, eyes all lit up like a toddler on their birthday. She now had the cake and candles to make a wish on. "But be careful and don't get carried away, or I might just have to take a more violent step."
"You don't have to worry about us." She smiled and continued to kick her feet idly against the concrete, stopping to look over at Ziggy once or twice. It would have hurt if he'd been anything other than happy about it. She'd expected him to be at least a bit protective of her, as usual, and the fact that he wasn't brought up an odd string of emotions. On one hand she was relieved. On the other it upset her in a deeper way, and she felt the same way she had when she'd discovered the room of her birth in the depths of Proto Merkabah, accepting that papa had been and had created an abomination.
Right now, she felt the sudden need to call him 'papa'. He was more of a father to her now than her own could ever be.
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Ziggy had hinted (albeit obviously) that she'd remained in the Encephalon for the day, with a knowing wink to match. Not only did Ziggy never act in this carefree, teasing manner, but he'd managed to barge into Gaignun's private library to seek out Jr. as well. When he appeared not to be leaving, Jr. threw the book he was currently reading in his general direction and stood. He wanted to get the hell out of here and find her, and end the wild goose chase in which he'd been participating in all day. Ziggy made no move to stop him; however, his presence made Jr. stop at the door anyways.
"Look, old man, I know what you want to hear... You don't have to worry, okay? I swear on my life that I'll be good to her and protect her." He reached for one of his guns, fully loaded and ready to fire, and ran it in a cross-like pattern over his chest in demonstration, then let his arm fall back to his side.
"That's good to know, runt."
"Shaddup." They exchanged a brief glance, in which Jr. eyed Ziggy warily and the latter simply stared. For a moment the notion of shooting him in the arm for the element of surprise, and running like hell crossed Jr.'s mind. Too bad that his arm was a metallic substitute. It would mean too much to MOMO if Jr. hauled off and shot her bodyguard for little reason, anyways. They'd just have to get along for now, even if that meant putting himself into these awkward situations in the first place.
Ziggy slowly grinned and motioned for him to hurry up, taking a seat in the chair Jr. had previously occupied and picking out another book. He didn't need further encouragement, and bolted out the door, past Mary and Gaignun (the latter who gave a knowing chuckle and simply returned to work), through the hallways of the Durandal and into the casino area, which he knew certainly contained an EVS plate. Within minutes he was able to connect to the UMN and access the Encephalon simulation, as well. As soon as the world had materialized, he looked around wildly for her pink hair.
The girl who greeted him was not MOMO. She had waist-length orange hair and would have stood a bit shorter than MOMO (it was hard to tell, seeing as she was sitting on the swingset), with hollow blue eyes and thin lips. Her white dress was tattered around the hem and swayed back and forth as she did, with a ghostly ease that he found disturbing. Her pretty little face was contorted into a cross between a grimace and a smile; the look he'd seen Albedo give him when he experienced a particularly strong wave of bloodlust. Shadows danced over her cheeks only to add to the foreboding look. He heard the soft creak of metal on metal as she swung back and forth.
Her smile seemed shaky and almost automatic as she slowed and stood, letting her hair fall around her. Her body jerked unnaturally as she walked toward where he now stood, frozen. Had not another figure bounded into the area, he might have feared what she would have done to him upon moving any closer. Thankfully, as MOMO appeared behind the swing set, Nephilim gave a soft cry as her body rapidly faded into bits and pieces of code, trailing off into the surrounding air before disappearing. He suspected she was still there, watching, but she didn't like the second presence.
"Hello, Jr.!" She looked quite happy this morning, rushing toward him as fast as she could. A few feet from him she stopped and gave him a quizzical look that made him realize he'd been staring at one of the buildings. He reached up to scratch the back of his head, embarrassed. She turned sharply and stared off towards the neurosis hospital with an expression that clearly explained her confusion; they both looked just in time to see the last tendrils of orange hair disappearing over the roof. MOMO looked unnerved.
"She followed Ziggy and I. It scared me, but I ignored her, and I guess Ziggy didn't see her or he would have made me leave." She was biting her bottom lip and staring apprehensively at the roof. "She looks... angry. She kept trying to approach me as if she were going to hurt me, especially so once Ziggy left. She was just there, all of a sudden, and she started to walk toward me. So I ran away."
"What do you mean?"
"She just came out of nowhere. Her face was downcast and it was really screwed up... She'd appear on top of a building or even a couple of paces away and just walk toward me, smiling. She looked so unnatural. I hope Ziggy didn't notice anything or he'll tell Shion, and it'll ruin today-" They caught another flash of orange and white to their left before it faded away. "But we shouldn't worry, I guess, huh? Let's go."
For a while they walked, neither speaking, unconsciously eyeing the world around them in search of anything abnormal. There was nothing more than the occasional flash of orange and white, a glimpse of her tiny cross necklace. Jr. decided that the only way he'd give up on his watching would be if these brief appearances stopped completely, and so he pulled MOMO protectively to his side. She blushed.
"I told Ziggy," she said in a low whisper. "I'm so glad. He seemed really happy!" Understanding dawned on Jr., and for once he was glad that Ziggy had gone to MOMO first. Maybe he wasn't as bad as Jr. had first thought; the idea made him smile. MOMO seemed quite pleased with his reaction and continued, "Shion was happy, too. She kept following me around and giving me all kinds of funny advice, like-"
She stopped in mid-sentence, completely frozen at his side, and the sudden change caused Jr. to jump back out of surprise. MOMO was staring wide-eyed into the bushes adjacent to them, her skin turning a funny shade of ashen gray as the seconds passed. He mouthed the word 'run' to her before grabbing her arm and dragging her away. When she looked back she was met with the familiar sight of a large, blue eye peeking out of the brush, moving upwards and materializing as Nephilim emerged and regarded them tentatively, swaying eerily. She smiled and MOMO suppressed the urge to cry out.
"Mizrahi....?"
A sick feeling settled in MOMO's stomach at the mention of that name.
"Mizrahi."
"It's MOMO. I'm not Doctor Mizrahi. I'm his... I'm his Realian daughter." She found Jr.'s hand and gave it a squeeze, squinting her eyes. "What do you--"
She didn't get the chance to finish. The girl smiled and moved from the bushes with relative ease, and now stood with her arms held alert, as if ready for battle. Her face was angled toward the ground, and the shadows only deepened as her hair whipped in a torrent around her face, despite the lack of wind. She started forward and continued to repeat the name in broken syllables, stumbling as she went. "Mi..... zra......... hi!"
MOMO did the only thing she found herself able to do: She tightened her grip on Jr.'s hand and took off on a run, deeper into the encephalon, blindly passing Miltian landmarks in her haste. She was well aware that, at some point, they had entered a wooded area, though she couldn't distinguish exactly when. She wouldn't stop running, despite Jr.'s pleas that Nephilim had already disappeared. She could feel tears stinging her eyes.
The tree cover diminished gradually, and through them she could see the church at the center of a wide meadow. With a sharp cry of "Febronia!", the two ran inside and let the door slam closed behind them, the wooden thud resounding through the empty church hall. There was no one there, despite the fact that they could clearly hear footsteps in one of the other rooms. Jr. wondered if it was worth remaining here, with Nephilim's presence a constant threat.
"I'm scared--" She was trembling and crying all at once, gripping his hand a little too tight. She'd never felt such an intense wave of dread; not when confronting the reactor core of Proto merkabah, nor when dealing with Albedo himself. As relief and fear mingled, more poignant than ever, she let the tears fall. "Why did she keep saying 'mizrahi'...!?" MOMO hiccoughed and lowered her head. He ran his thumb along the side of her hand and stared, unsure of what to say next.
They may just as well have stayed there for hours. After settling themselves on the floor at the back of the church, Jr. stared off toward the statue of a holy woman at the front, while MOMO studied him apprehensively. Light poured softly through the stain-glass windows peppering either side of the church, and she was able to retain the warm, gentle feeling of timelessness once again. She closed her eyes, traces of the tears and old pains gently, slowly fading into infinity.
"You look like you've calmed down a bit... Is it this place? Do you like it here?" She opened her eyes to meet his and smiled softly, nodding. She would not explain it, yet. It was her own personal escape, and now wasn't the time to tell him. He smiled back. "It's nice here. Comforting. Peaceful. And the church itself is a work of art, huh?" She nodded her consent and let her gaze wander over the polished wood of the walls, the colored glass panels of the windows, and the cushioned seats of the pews. Febronia kept the entire thing dusted, which MOMO imagined to be quite the feat. The older realian often 'prayed' at the altar, folding her hands in front of her and closing her eyes before beginning a silent vigil.
"We can go now. There's an exit somewhere in the church--" he was cut off as the doors opened, and they both held their breath until it was clear that it was only Febronia who had entered. She did not notice them at first, and they watched as she bustled with the lock before turning in their direction and smiling peacefully.
"This is unexpected. I suppose you've seen Nephilim?" Her smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a look of worry. She set down a basket of clothing she'd been carrying and swept over in their direction, her skirt swaying softly, and kneeled in front of MOMO. "She didn't hurt you? I must admit, she's been acting most odd, since--"
Jr. grunted and stood, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at her. "Since what?" She looked up as if she hadn't noticed him stand, and gave him a look that he'd come to hate quite thoroughly: That blank, vacant stare often seen on realians. The same look MOMO had given him when he'd snapped at her in the encephalon the first time around. A look that told him that, however much he might hurt her, there was nothing she could do about it. It spoke volumes for itself, telling anyone who saw it that she no longer cared. Whenever he thought about it, he felt sick.
She smiled and walked away, not bothering to answer his question, but giving them the benefit of pointing out that there was an exit point in one of the back rooms should they decide to leave. She disappeared into what he guessed was the confessions chamber before they could argue the point, so it was dropped.
"We should get out of here," MOMO said weakly at his side. She'd never seen Febronia look this upset before, second to the time she'd watched her sisters playing in the empty field and begged Shion to save them. But where Febronia had her faith in religion to carry her through it, MOMO wasn't so sure. Shion had explained that, during a previous visit to the encephalon, Febronia had told them that they were safe in the church as long as they believed. What if they didn't believe? She hadn't given them an answer. She realized she'd been drifting off when she felt a light touch on her shoulder, and looked over to see Jr. studying her.
"Let's go, then. I think she wants to be alone." As she trailed behind Jr. to the exit, she cast a quick glance at the door Febronia had left through, and placed a hand on her chest. Though she didn't realize it, her thoughts drifted down the same path Jr.'s had earlier: In her fellow realian's eyes, she saw a look of utter defeat and pain. A look of submission.
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Febronia was walking, padding softly over tendrils of grass and tiny flowers. She took care to stick to the path, in case she should ruin a delicate blossom or step on anything living. Occasionally she would stop, just to stare into the horizon, setting as it did with vibrant mixtures of blue, orange and pink. Behind her stood a backdrop of endless hills, forests and natural rivers, or so it should seem. Far away, further than she'd ever be able to walk, stood a meadow surrounded by the turquoise of the ocean and the cerulean of the sky. At its very center danced two little girls, similar to herself in appearance, around the base of the largest elm tree most people would ever see.
Or, at least, they used to. That place was now long abandoned, and the girls were trapped somewhere horrible with no way to escape. Every day she chastised herself for allowing it to happen. Every day she was haunted by the expressions displayed on their hollow faces, the way their flesh hung from their bones, their hungry, fatigued cries as they continued to run. God knows what would happen if they stopped.
She always felt so helpless when she saw it. She knew that she'd given up hope long ago, and wondered why she remained here. Lately, she felt the smallest glimmer of something whenever she saw Shion or MOMO: Febronia knew for a fact that Shion dreamed of the happier place, of saving her sisters. As for MOMO, she saw a pure heart that reminded her of Cecily and Cathe themselves, and felt buoyed by her happiness and sympathy.
Today she'd seen a MOMO she did not recognize. She felt no warmth from the realian child, and doubted she had much of it to offer, anyways. She saw the same fear and loneliness in the girl's eyes as she did in Cecily's, the hunger and longing in Cathe's. She also realized that Shion no longer dreamed of the purity of the green meadow and, with deep sorrow, admitted that everyone around her was losing faith. Why, even Jr. had looked downcast and weary, something she'd hoped she'd never have to see. Though they were sitting beside each other, hands intertwined, both seemed tired and reluctant to accept any of life's latest twists. This sudden revelation brought her to many conclusions of her own, which she accepted readily as she would anything else, be it good or bad.
Her laugh was soft and sorrowful as she admitted to herself that, although she may retain a bit of her faith, the only reason Nephilim hadn't killed her by now was because she remembered the unhappy side of the story.
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She arranged a date. She'd confided to Shion, her fears and hopes in confronting Juli Mizrahi. Shion had said simply that, in a misty, proud voice, "I hope you find what you're looking for." She would travel to fifth Jerusalem a week from now, confirmed during a UMN conversation with her mother just that morning, the first unmonitored exchange they'd had since that last day in her office. A week from now. In her office again. No attendants. Something important to discuss with her. Personal stuff and the like.
Juli paused and gave her legal daughter a sympathetic look. "I do hope you know what you're after? I'm a busy woman." Without giving MOMO a chance to respond, Juli shook her head and once again became the stoic, beyond-your-reach woman she was; it was the one face she could not hide. The SOCE member and founder of U-TIC, no longer wife of the madman or mother of one, beloved daughter. No, make that two. Remove the 'beloved'.
She'd clutched the bear through the entire conversation, for what little comfort it gave. She'd trembled and quaked against her will, feeling silly that her own mother could make her feel so unnerved. She couldn't focus. She so badly wanted to give up. But that was no longer an option.
Now, an hour later, she found herself in the belly of the Elsa with Shion's UMN connection in hand. She wanted just as badly to escape the tormenting feeling of empty anticipation, and she knew the one way she could do it: through battle. Through the EVS she could escape, and return feeling refreshed. She would go through to the world KOS-MOS' encephalon had shown her, swing on the swing sets, and lose herself in bloodshed. It no longer bothered her to destroy gnosis, armed with the knowledge that it was she or they. Their blood would fade from this realm; human blood would not. She no longer tagged along during expeditions into areas with human soldiers.
"Ziggy?" She wanted someone to accompany her in case she weren't strong enough. She needed a rock to lean on. The room was dark, so he'd either left off the light or gone back to sleep. "Ziggy?"
She could just make out his faint silhouette, the cold reflection of light off of his metal arm, making its way towards her, and the light switch she stood by. Harsh light soon illuminated the room's dark corners, though it cast shadows over Ziggy's weary face. The smile he gave played vaguely through his eyes before fading into a stream of thought. He hoped she wouldn't notice anything different; but she did. She noticed. She felt the sudden fear that he might be angry with her for disturbing him.
No turning back now. There was no reason to doubt that she had Ziggy's unconditional friendship; and she needed it now.
"Could you come with me?" He raised an eyebrow expertly, without disturbing his curious expression. "I'm gonna go into the encephalon and train a bit." If Ziggy found it a strange request from his young companion, he didn't let on. He merely retreated into the room with a brief nod, straightened up a bit and returned to the doorway, weapon in hand. He followed her from the room, out into the hallway, and through the Elsa's inner areas to the nearest UMN access plate. She worked quickly in opening up the EVS area, Encephalon, typing with nimble fingers over a transparent screen. It was almost fascinating in itself. With a flash of sudden light they were gone.
Around them the world unfolded, bursting forth from greyscale to the vibrant, delicate mixture of pastels and shades that made up the park. The monochromatic theme of the swingset and sand dome. The beautiful, pale, violet-kissed sunset overhead, casting light over the surrounding buildings. Red stains starting from the exit to this peaceful area and heading north: human blood. With a start she remembered a recent escapade into the encephalon, Shion, chaos and herself has made. The enemy had struck quickly, leaving Shion's arm a bloody mess. It swelled and dropped and pooled on the ground, leaving a stain.
It's you or I, she thought, spotting the first gnosis.
Its body was small and jagged, a tiny creature with a large snout and two knife-like fingers to each hand. The Kobold. Most dangerous for its multiple attack abilities and swift movement, though not the smartest gnosis she'd ever faced, made up for through group tactics. Sure enough, from where one had emerged came two more, snarling and spitting as they advance: it may have helped her to think of them as rabid dogs, but that meant accepting that their blood would not disappear. Her body began to move with a dancer's ease as it set into the usual pattern; evade, strike, injure. Evade, strike, kill.
Her wand came into contact with the first kobold, sending a shivering wave of pink light into the gnosis' back. It gave a cry of anguish and she stumbled back, circling at a distance. The kobold's screams had managed to unnerve her for a moment, and she wouldn't allow it again. She gave the gnosis a wide birth before moving in for the kill, aiming to strike again at its side.
How she moved, with her feet picking lightly off of the ground in a manner so precise it made him rethink the MOMO he was used to, was astounding. She ran with finesse and focus, absorbed in the task at hand. She put any and all of her stamina into what had now slowed to a slight jog around one of the straying kobold, put her trust in her wand that it would hit and kill off one or two of the gnosis.
Without hesitation, Ziggy set in to pick off the two kobold she'd already injured with a brief punch or two. The one kobold, hit effectively in the stomach, shrieked and faded into a stream of light and blood; a strange combination, he noted, the bright light laced with runny crimson. The second, however, took off down the street with a snicker, encouraging Ziggy to give chase, which he did. He prided himself in being fast, despite the weight of his mechanical enhancements, and soon caught up with it.
There was a bit of shuffling behind him, and he recognized the familiar sound of wings flapping free of their confines. He baited the straying kobold into an area close enough for MOMO to strike and stepped out of range.
In moments MOMO was airborne with the aide of the dragon rod, which had now sprouted wings. She seemed to have some difficulty removing her feet from the ground, for she wavered a bit before finding a comfortable position in the air, and seemed ready to tumble back down. Once steadied, her back arched in a way she'd become used to, this being one of her favorite attacks, and she brought the dragon rod into position above her head, where it gave off several brilliant streams of light. The encephalon echoed with MOMO's resounding voice as she cried out, "Angel arrow". The area was bathed in a golden light, and for a moment everything else ceased to exist. When the light finally crept back and MOMO gracefully returned to the ground, the kobold fell dead, the stronger of the two giving a slight twitch before fading in a fashion identical to that of its predecessors.
She used that attack no matter what the enemy. It allowed her a few seconds of escape into the warmth of a timelessness she could not describe. She would cover herself with light to keep her thoughts at bay. It was what her papa would have described as seeing the splendor of heaven; Mama thought of it as little more than rubbish.
Ziggy approached from her left, looking slightly more fatigued than before. His blade retracted into the sleeve of his left arm with a resonant clang, and she noticed with a small pang of guilt that he looked troubled. Maybe he shouldn't have tagged along, after all.
"Too easy this time. The enemies here are usually very strong."
"Maybe we got stronger?" He snorted and took a seat on a concrete ledge nearby. Considering that they'd done very little training since arriving back from the Proto Merkabah, he doubted so. In fact, this was the first time MOMO had returned to the Encephalon since their first visit, during the federation government's raid of the Kukai foundation, and as far as he knew, was the first time in ages that she'd ventured into the environmental simulator.
She took a seat beside him and kicked her feet against the wall. He found it strange that she was so silent, so composed, and he itched to start conversation with the cheerful, pure MOMO he knew was still there, behind however many barriers he need break to find her. It was as if she were hiding behind a new version of herself, and he hated it with a passion. He recalled a brief exchange with Shion that morning and knew he'd have to talk to her sometime.
He felt the sudden urge to speak to his stepson, who hadn't been quite so pure or innocent as she. However, there were many similarities and differences he could not ignore. For one, he'd never again have the chance to start up such a conversation with his stepson. Chastising himself mentally, he turned to her with a tiny smile.
"Shion recently passed on a bit of gossip to me, and I'd like you to confirm if it's true. Personally, I think I was talking to an impostor. She seemed a bit too bubbly to be Shion." He grinned to himself, remembering the way she'd ploughed into his room late last night, huffing, puffing and grinning like a fool. In fact, she'd been quite caught up in whatever she'd learned, enough so that she ran square into the wall on the room's western side and fell to the floor with a thud. She was moving to get up on her feet again before he could get up to help her.
"Have I ever got news for you!" She shouted, accentuated with a curt laugh as she pulled herself to her hands and knees. Her cheeks were rosey and her eyes slightly dulled, and he could tell she'd obviously been drinking something or other.
"But you're drunk. This information can't be anything reliable."
She shook her head and balanced herself against the wall. "Quite the contrary. And I'm not drunk. But I did have a bottle of something from Tony's stash... By the way, you'd better not mention that last little detail to Matthews-" She laughed nervously and played with her hands, wringing them and occasionally drumming her fingers. "I just felt it an occasion to celebrate, and the alcohol was just... there." She proceeded to tell him that her little MOMO was growing up, and for a moment he was afraid Shion had done something to have influence over her. But as she continued it was evident that she'd had very little to do with this situation.
MOMO was blushing furiously at his side now, nonetheless looking pleased. "You're not upset that I didn't tell you first? Shion kinda... guessed." Though she couldn't see the expression he wore, he watched her with a new sort of fatherly awe and respect. No, not mad. Not upset. A little curious, maybe. He was quite pleased, himself, and felt the urge that Shion described to have a 'celebratory drink'. Needless to say, he'd have to have words with Jr., but those could wait.
"Not at all. I'm proud of you." Just like it had on that day, many weeks ago, when he'd watched her finish her crayon drawing, her face scrunched up like a child's, eyes all lit up like a toddler on their birthday. She now had the cake and candles to make a wish on. "But be careful and don't get carried away, or I might just have to take a more violent step."
"You don't have to worry about us." She smiled and continued to kick her feet idly against the concrete, stopping to look over at Ziggy once or twice. It would have hurt if he'd been anything other than happy about it. She'd expected him to be at least a bit protective of her, as usual, and the fact that he wasn't brought up an odd string of emotions. On one hand she was relieved. On the other it upset her in a deeper way, and she felt the same way she had when she'd discovered the room of her birth in the depths of Proto Merkabah, accepting that papa had been and had created an abomination.
Right now, she felt the sudden need to call him 'papa'. He was more of a father to her now than her own could ever be.
]---------------------------------------------[
Ziggy had hinted (albeit obviously) that she'd remained in the Encephalon for the day, with a knowing wink to match. Not only did Ziggy never act in this carefree, teasing manner, but he'd managed to barge into Gaignun's private library to seek out Jr. as well. When he appeared not to be leaving, Jr. threw the book he was currently reading in his general direction and stood. He wanted to get the hell out of here and find her, and end the wild goose chase in which he'd been participating in all day. Ziggy made no move to stop him; however, his presence made Jr. stop at the door anyways.
"Look, old man, I know what you want to hear... You don't have to worry, okay? I swear on my life that I'll be good to her and protect her." He reached for one of his guns, fully loaded and ready to fire, and ran it in a cross-like pattern over his chest in demonstration, then let his arm fall back to his side.
"That's good to know, runt."
"Shaddup." They exchanged a brief glance, in which Jr. eyed Ziggy warily and the latter simply stared. For a moment the notion of shooting him in the arm for the element of surprise, and running like hell crossed Jr.'s mind. Too bad that his arm was a metallic substitute. It would mean too much to MOMO if Jr. hauled off and shot her bodyguard for little reason, anyways. They'd just have to get along for now, even if that meant putting himself into these awkward situations in the first place.
Ziggy slowly grinned and motioned for him to hurry up, taking a seat in the chair Jr. had previously occupied and picking out another book. He didn't need further encouragement, and bolted out the door, past Mary and Gaignun (the latter who gave a knowing chuckle and simply returned to work), through the hallways of the Durandal and into the casino area, which he knew certainly contained an EVS plate. Within minutes he was able to connect to the UMN and access the Encephalon simulation, as well. As soon as the world had materialized, he looked around wildly for her pink hair.
The girl who greeted him was not MOMO. She had waist-length orange hair and would have stood a bit shorter than MOMO (it was hard to tell, seeing as she was sitting on the swingset), with hollow blue eyes and thin lips. Her white dress was tattered around the hem and swayed back and forth as she did, with a ghostly ease that he found disturbing. Her pretty little face was contorted into a cross between a grimace and a smile; the look he'd seen Albedo give him when he experienced a particularly strong wave of bloodlust. Shadows danced over her cheeks only to add to the foreboding look. He heard the soft creak of metal on metal as she swung back and forth.
Her smile seemed shaky and almost automatic as she slowed and stood, letting her hair fall around her. Her body jerked unnaturally as she walked toward where he now stood, frozen. Had not another figure bounded into the area, he might have feared what she would have done to him upon moving any closer. Thankfully, as MOMO appeared behind the swing set, Nephilim gave a soft cry as her body rapidly faded into bits and pieces of code, trailing off into the surrounding air before disappearing. He suspected she was still there, watching, but she didn't like the second presence.
"Hello, Jr.!" She looked quite happy this morning, rushing toward him as fast as she could. A few feet from him she stopped and gave him a quizzical look that made him realize he'd been staring at one of the buildings. He reached up to scratch the back of his head, embarrassed. She turned sharply and stared off towards the neurosis hospital with an expression that clearly explained her confusion; they both looked just in time to see the last tendrils of orange hair disappearing over the roof. MOMO looked unnerved.
"She followed Ziggy and I. It scared me, but I ignored her, and I guess Ziggy didn't see her or he would have made me leave." She was biting her bottom lip and staring apprehensively at the roof. "She looks... angry. She kept trying to approach me as if she were going to hurt me, especially so once Ziggy left. She was just there, all of a sudden, and she started to walk toward me. So I ran away."
"What do you mean?"
"She just came out of nowhere. Her face was downcast and it was really screwed up... She'd appear on top of a building or even a couple of paces away and just walk toward me, smiling. She looked so unnatural. I hope Ziggy didn't notice anything or he'll tell Shion, and it'll ruin today-" They caught another flash of orange and white to their left before it faded away. "But we shouldn't worry, I guess, huh? Let's go."
For a while they walked, neither speaking, unconsciously eyeing the world around them in search of anything abnormal. There was nothing more than the occasional flash of orange and white, a glimpse of her tiny cross necklace. Jr. decided that the only way he'd give up on his watching would be if these brief appearances stopped completely, and so he pulled MOMO protectively to his side. She blushed.
"I told Ziggy," she said in a low whisper. "I'm so glad. He seemed really happy!" Understanding dawned on Jr., and for once he was glad that Ziggy had gone to MOMO first. Maybe he wasn't as bad as Jr. had first thought; the idea made him smile. MOMO seemed quite pleased with his reaction and continued, "Shion was happy, too. She kept following me around and giving me all kinds of funny advice, like-"
She stopped in mid-sentence, completely frozen at his side, and the sudden change caused Jr. to jump back out of surprise. MOMO was staring wide-eyed into the bushes adjacent to them, her skin turning a funny shade of ashen gray as the seconds passed. He mouthed the word 'run' to her before grabbing her arm and dragging her away. When she looked back she was met with the familiar sight of a large, blue eye peeking out of the brush, moving upwards and materializing as Nephilim emerged and regarded them tentatively, swaying eerily. She smiled and MOMO suppressed the urge to cry out.
"Mizrahi....?"
A sick feeling settled in MOMO's stomach at the mention of that name.
"Mizrahi."
"It's MOMO. I'm not Doctor Mizrahi. I'm his... I'm his Realian daughter." She found Jr.'s hand and gave it a squeeze, squinting her eyes. "What do you--"
She didn't get the chance to finish. The girl smiled and moved from the bushes with relative ease, and now stood with her arms held alert, as if ready for battle. Her face was angled toward the ground, and the shadows only deepened as her hair whipped in a torrent around her face, despite the lack of wind. She started forward and continued to repeat the name in broken syllables, stumbling as she went. "Mi..... zra......... hi!"
MOMO did the only thing she found herself able to do: She tightened her grip on Jr.'s hand and took off on a run, deeper into the encephalon, blindly passing Miltian landmarks in her haste. She was well aware that, at some point, they had entered a wooded area, though she couldn't distinguish exactly when. She wouldn't stop running, despite Jr.'s pleas that Nephilim had already disappeared. She could feel tears stinging her eyes.
The tree cover diminished gradually, and through them she could see the church at the center of a wide meadow. With a sharp cry of "Febronia!", the two ran inside and let the door slam closed behind them, the wooden thud resounding through the empty church hall. There was no one there, despite the fact that they could clearly hear footsteps in one of the other rooms. Jr. wondered if it was worth remaining here, with Nephilim's presence a constant threat.
"I'm scared--" She was trembling and crying all at once, gripping his hand a little too tight. She'd never felt such an intense wave of dread; not when confronting the reactor core of Proto merkabah, nor when dealing with Albedo himself. As relief and fear mingled, more poignant than ever, she let the tears fall. "Why did she keep saying 'mizrahi'...!?" MOMO hiccoughed and lowered her head. He ran his thumb along the side of her hand and stared, unsure of what to say next.
They may just as well have stayed there for hours. After settling themselves on the floor at the back of the church, Jr. stared off toward the statue of a holy woman at the front, while MOMO studied him apprehensively. Light poured softly through the stain-glass windows peppering either side of the church, and she was able to retain the warm, gentle feeling of timelessness once again. She closed her eyes, traces of the tears and old pains gently, slowly fading into infinity.
"You look like you've calmed down a bit... Is it this place? Do you like it here?" She opened her eyes to meet his and smiled softly, nodding. She would not explain it, yet. It was her own personal escape, and now wasn't the time to tell him. He smiled back. "It's nice here. Comforting. Peaceful. And the church itself is a work of art, huh?" She nodded her consent and let her gaze wander over the polished wood of the walls, the colored glass panels of the windows, and the cushioned seats of the pews. Febronia kept the entire thing dusted, which MOMO imagined to be quite the feat. The older realian often 'prayed' at the altar, folding her hands in front of her and closing her eyes before beginning a silent vigil.
"We can go now. There's an exit somewhere in the church--" he was cut off as the doors opened, and they both held their breath until it was clear that it was only Febronia who had entered. She did not notice them at first, and they watched as she bustled with the lock before turning in their direction and smiling peacefully.
"This is unexpected. I suppose you've seen Nephilim?" Her smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a look of worry. She set down a basket of clothing she'd been carrying and swept over in their direction, her skirt swaying softly, and kneeled in front of MOMO. "She didn't hurt you? I must admit, she's been acting most odd, since--"
Jr. grunted and stood, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at her. "Since what?" She looked up as if she hadn't noticed him stand, and gave him a look that he'd come to hate quite thoroughly: That blank, vacant stare often seen on realians. The same look MOMO had given him when he'd snapped at her in the encephalon the first time around. A look that told him that, however much he might hurt her, there was nothing she could do about it. It spoke volumes for itself, telling anyone who saw it that she no longer cared. Whenever he thought about it, he felt sick.
She smiled and walked away, not bothering to answer his question, but giving them the benefit of pointing out that there was an exit point in one of the back rooms should they decide to leave. She disappeared into what he guessed was the confessions chamber before they could argue the point, so it was dropped.
"We should get out of here," MOMO said weakly at his side. She'd never seen Febronia look this upset before, second to the time she'd watched her sisters playing in the empty field and begged Shion to save them. But where Febronia had her faith in religion to carry her through it, MOMO wasn't so sure. Shion had explained that, during a previous visit to the encephalon, Febronia had told them that they were safe in the church as long as they believed. What if they didn't believe? She hadn't given them an answer. She realized she'd been drifting off when she felt a light touch on her shoulder, and looked over to see Jr. studying her.
"Let's go, then. I think she wants to be alone." As she trailed behind Jr. to the exit, she cast a quick glance at the door Febronia had left through, and placed a hand on her chest. Though she didn't realize it, her thoughts drifted down the same path Jr.'s had earlier: In her fellow realian's eyes, she saw a look of utter defeat and pain. A look of submission.
]---------------------------------------------[
Febronia was walking, padding softly over tendrils of grass and tiny flowers. She took care to stick to the path, in case she should ruin a delicate blossom or step on anything living. Occasionally she would stop, just to stare into the horizon, setting as it did with vibrant mixtures of blue, orange and pink. Behind her stood a backdrop of endless hills, forests and natural rivers, or so it should seem. Far away, further than she'd ever be able to walk, stood a meadow surrounded by the turquoise of the ocean and the cerulean of the sky. At its very center danced two little girls, similar to herself in appearance, around the base of the largest elm tree most people would ever see.
Or, at least, they used to. That place was now long abandoned, and the girls were trapped somewhere horrible with no way to escape. Every day she chastised herself for allowing it to happen. Every day she was haunted by the expressions displayed on their hollow faces, the way their flesh hung from their bones, their hungry, fatigued cries as they continued to run. God knows what would happen if they stopped.
She always felt so helpless when she saw it. She knew that she'd given up hope long ago, and wondered why she remained here. Lately, she felt the smallest glimmer of something whenever she saw Shion or MOMO: Febronia knew for a fact that Shion dreamed of the happier place, of saving her sisters. As for MOMO, she saw a pure heart that reminded her of Cecily and Cathe themselves, and felt buoyed by her happiness and sympathy.
Today she'd seen a MOMO she did not recognize. She felt no warmth from the realian child, and doubted she had much of it to offer, anyways. She saw the same fear and loneliness in the girl's eyes as she did in Cecily's, the hunger and longing in Cathe's. She also realized that Shion no longer dreamed of the purity of the green meadow and, with deep sorrow, admitted that everyone around her was losing faith. Why, even Jr. had looked downcast and weary, something she'd hoped she'd never have to see. Though they were sitting beside each other, hands intertwined, both seemed tired and reluctant to accept any of life's latest twists. This sudden revelation brought her to many conclusions of her own, which she accepted readily as she would anything else, be it good or bad.
Her laugh was soft and sorrowful as she admitted to herself that, although she may retain a bit of her faith, the only reason Nephilim hadn't killed her by now was because she remembered the unhappy side of the story.
.
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