Yamato Gun II (A Digimon/Starcraft Crossover Lemon)
By the Reanimated Raynor (Reanimated_Raynor@interactive.rogers.com)
Notes: This is a Lemon. I made these scenes during the writing of this fic, not like Yamato Gun, which had the Lemon scenes written after and then screendumped on. It's a mostly yuri Lemon, and if you don't like the pairings you can go ahead and flame me for it. You've got the email.
Like Yamato Gun, this fic has the plot device in it that all DigiDestined, including the Originals, have D-3s. There is also little mention of the second-generation DigiDestined, like last time. Actually, there's probably less. Speaking of the timeline, this takes place about three weeks after Yamato Gun.
I'd read Yamato Gun, because there are major plot spoilers for it in this fic. Some of the scenes tie in strongly with it.
And this sequel is very different from the first. How different?
As I always say, you'll see.
"A little piece of paper with a picture drawn floats down the street until the wind is gone and the memory now is like the picture was then when the paper's crumpled up it can't be perfect again..."
Linkin Park, Forgotten
Yamato Gun II: SORAD YG2
I'd quit, but I wouldn't know where to send my letter of resignation.
I guess one never really does stop being DigiDestined. Even after the next generation takes over, you're needed. It wouldn't be so bad, if our help wasn't constantly taken for granted. Of course, the new DigiDestined are getting better at taking care of themselves. This is gonna make me feel old, but I think our generation was infinitely better at that. I mean, when we were their age, we were kind of thrown into the DigiWorld, no chance to really find out what happened, just survive. And we couldn't go back and forth at will. Heck, we couldn't go back at will, which was all that everyone was concernced about right after we were dumped onto File island. That, and finding food.
Enough with the history lesson. It's too depressing. On with the story.
Now, you must realize that I, your narrator, am not Yamato Ishida. I'm not in his style. When we decided to catalogue the events of how we defeated Samir Duran, we wrote it from Yamato's point of view because he was there for all the good bits. He was the first to appear on the Hyperion. So it was only fitting that he got the perspective nomination.
This story has a different person at its core, and of course, I am that person. Namely, Sora Takenouchi. I am the Yamato of Yamato gun.
Hold on tight. This is gonna be a bumpy ride.
---
"Direct hit on engine number two! We're losing altitude!"
"Reroute power to the Laser ports! We need to continue our attack!"
"Already at maximum! No available power to add!"
"Damn. Execute Plan Yankee Gamma!"
"Yes sir. All hands, move to deck 2 and 3! Prepare for loss of life support on all other decks in 30 seconds!"
Raynor watches as the chaos erupted around him. Schezar's at his left typing frantically at a terminal, attempting to locate and hit all of the Scourge and Mutalisks that were attacking the Hyperion. They were in a high orbit over the snow world of Braxis, but they have taken heavy damage and are almost at the point where they need to make an emergency landing. Kazansky is trying to keep the ship from tailspinning out of control from the helm.
And then there was me. In the conference room, listening to all this. I was told to stay here after the surprise attack, and I had no intention of getting in the way. Especially since life-and-death decisions could involve a lot of running around, what with terminals randomly overloading and such. Or that's what I get from most of the Star Trek episodes I've watched.
And I'm praying. Wow, am I praying. The only constructive thing I can do at the moment. Suddenly I hear Raynor shout "WE'RE GOING DOWN!"
I can see the inky blackness of space fade into blue sky. Clouds. Mountains. And lots and lots of ice and snow. The comm system, which by some miracle (maybe my praying did help?) stayed active, crackled out "BRACE FOR IMPACT!!!"
Not needing to be told twice, I quickly sit down in one of the chairs and proceed to exert a deathgrip on the table. This is the time where you're not sure when something's going to happen, but you're damned sure it's going to be big. Pure unleaded adrenaline is shooting through me as we speak. If I survive, I'll have finally achieved the ultimate rush. Something to gloat to Tai about.
Of course, that if is looking a bit big right about now.
I can gauge sort of when we're going to hit from the visible scenery. Little hills are starting to appear on the ground. More clear details-- trees, little patches of grass through the snow, small structures in the distance--are becoming visible. I figure I've got about 30 seconds before--
My thoughts are interrupted by an ear-splitting crash at the same time as the feeling that I'm about to be hit with a sledgehammer. Or the table rushing up to greet my face that will make a reasonable facsimile of.
- - -
Right now, my life's kinda cloudy. I don't know who I am, where I come from. Who I'm supposed to know, who're my enemies--nothing. A complete blank. I've been talking with this guy named Raynor, who seems to know a little bit about me. How I'm not from this time, or dimension, or something to that extent, and I've got a pet monster--all that.
"So you're supposed to be these group of Chosen Ones, and you're like the guardians of the Digital world...nothing familiar, is it?"
"Not at all."
"Greeeat. I'll explain as much as I can, but I don't know as much as you did. You use a special device to transport to and from the Digital world. And we had to shoot it to put it out of its misery. It was completely destroyed in the crash. So we wait for another one of the DigiDestined--the Chosen Ones--to come looking for you, and then you can return home. Assuming we can find them."
"What do you mean, 'assuming we can find them'?"
"Well, you all appeared only on the bridge of my now-trashed ship, so now that that's pretty much FUBAR I don't know where your friends are going to end up."
"So what happens now? We try to set up camp?"
"Yeah. We've got enough food and were able to recover a lot of emergency supplies from the wreckage so we'll be OK for a couple of weeks at least. Thankfully, we won't have to worry about running out of supplies so much as Kerrigan and the Zerg coming back to finish us off."
He's lost me. "...Kerrigan?"
"--Right. You don't remember. Kerrigan was the one who coordinated the attack on my ship and crashed it. And gave you your case of amnesia."
"Why is she attacking you? Some...random thing?"
"Not exactly. She's in control of this race called the Zerg, and is trying to take over this sector, among other things. And has declared war on us and this other race, the Protoss."
"You mean aliens?"
"Yeah. Psychic beings. Look, it's a very very long story. I'll fill you in later. Right now I need to help set things up."
"Alright. Sorry I kept you."
"No problem."
Raynor sends me to a tent that has already been set up. It's an MSH, or Mobile Surgical Hospital, and is busy tending to patients that took a lot more than I did. Plasma burns, major artery lacerations, broken bones, the whole range of the spectrum. A live body count conducted after the crash had at first revealed that only a quarter of the 924-pasenger crew were alive and accounted for. Of the healthy survivors, half are looking for people trapped in the wreckage and half are setting up tents, buildings, et cetera. We crashed near a mineral patch, and are in the process of building a Command Center, a Barracks, and Supply Depots. "Sir!" I hear someone shout. "2 Zerg bases spotted on scan, one Northwest, one southeast!"
"Shit." Raynor says, a little to loud to count as under his breath. "Alright, let's get another Barracks going. We'll need some major support soon."
A second Space Construction Vehicle, or SCV, moves in to build another Barracks. I feel like I should be helping, but I can't right now.
The SCV that was working on the Command Center finishes it and then goes to gather minerals. Raynor pushes a couple of buttons on the ouside of the Command Center and a flickering light can be seen coming from the chute. Production of a unit, I suppose. The first Barracks is finished and more flickering is seen. People all around are working frantically in a controlled panic, trying to get things done as fast as possible. Bunkers are being built outside ramps to the upper level around the crashed Hyperion and the makeshift base, which is fortunate, because it'd take longer to get here from the ground. I'm told all Zerg bases start out with ground attacks, so we should have another 3 minutes or so. Firebats and Marines are being loaded into the bunker as we speak. "Status of the Zerg bases!" Raynor shouts.
"NW base at Lair, counting few Zerglings, Hydralisks. SE Base at same, no Lair."
"Thanks. I needed to hear that."
Guess the Zerg are taking their time in building up. So we've got a little time before--
Wait. Assuming we survive an attack, how the hell are we going to be able to keep alive? We're stranded!
I ask one of the Medics sitting beside me that question. "Raynor sent out an emergency transmission to Zeratul of the Protoss. They should be here in approximately an hour, so all we have to do is keep here and we'll be fine."
Not according to the look on Raynor's face.
---
The SCVs are mining or building, Marines are patrolling the perimeter, keeping watch for any impending attack, or are in Bunkers, and Medics are tending to the injured. Everyone seems to be busy except me. And the people lying in hospital beds with large holes where their stomach should be.
So I'm the only one healthy who's not busy.
Maybe I should help. But then again, I haven't the slightest clue about anything here. Or anywhere, for that matter. If only I remembered something...
And speaking of reasons why I shouldn't go anywhere at the moment, those...whatevers...are looking kind of menacing attacking that bunker.
There are these big snake things, and small almost dog-like things. Only the snakes are shooting some green acid stuff, and the little guys are hacking apart the metal.
Suddenly, doing nothing doesn't seem so bad.
The Marines and Firebats in the Bunker are not faring too well, so more Marines rush in and shoot the big guys. Then Firebats come in and burn up the little ones. SCVs are already at work repairing the Bunker, which looks almost completely totalled. then the other base's guys attack. Same thing, but the Bunker, some of the Marines, and the SCV repairing the Bunker were destroyed. "Get two more Bunkers going!" Raynor says. "There's more where that came from! Status of Zerg bases!"
"Lair, Queen's Nest, Evolution Chamber, Spire. Both have mutas."
"Turrets! And get more Marines in here!"
The efforts of everyone in the base is redoubled. Three SCVs move from their mining to get Missle Turrets ready. The Barracks are working like mad getting Marines ready. "Start on a Factory and Armory! We need Goliaths!" Raynor orders. Guess we've got to match the Zerg guys on the Tech tree to survive.
As the third Missle Turret finishes, Mutalisks attack from both ends simultaneously. "Not wasting any time, are we?" I say to thin air.
Two Missle Turrets destroyed. One bunker. Two Marines. The casualties are really starting to pile up. "Go right up the tech tree! Starport and Science Facility, now!" Raynor orders.
As work begins on those, the Goliaths finish. They almost look like the SCVs, I guess. Only bigger. Wonder how much more they'd be able to carry...
...carry...carry...why do I seem to remember that in conjunction with a Goliath?
Wait...it's not carry...I remember...something...
...Kari...
---
Next thing I know, I'm lying nude on someone's bed, locked in a passionate kiss with another girl. She's considerably shorter than I am, and younger, too. She's got short light brown hair.
Anyway, she seems to know what she's doing, rubbing one of my nipples with one hand while thrusting inside me with another. I feel so alive now, not like about 5 minutes ago, morbidly afraid of dying to a Zerg attack.
I absentmindedly wonder what transported me here. Maybe the Protoss? I think, attempting to keep my wits about me. I have no idea where I am. I have no idea who this girl is. But still, here I am. I could have known her before I got this amnesia. Maybe this is a flashback, some memory that's been triggered by some chain of events. Whatever it is, I don't really mind it. I can feel an intense love for this girl, as well as a fierce sense of loyalty. Since I would be used to these feelings, but aren't becuase I don't remember anything, I'm completely overwhelmed by all this.
I moan aloud. I-I'm so close...I...
---
...I awake. Right at the best part. Always happens, doesn't it?
I'm now lying in one of the beds in the MSU, and feel...well, drugged, to say the least. A medic is standing beside me. "Oh, good. You're awake."
"I am, I think. I feel really lightheaded, though."
"Yes, we had to sedate you. One minute, you were sitting down on one of the chairs spectating the construction of the base and such, the next you were on the ground in convulsions. We hit you with a MedPack supplement and laid you here."
"Oh...I remember everything up to the watching everything happen. How long was I out?"
"Not long. About a half an hour. The Protoss are going to arrive any minute."
"Any chance of me seeing the fireworks? Am I gonna make it, doc?" I add dramatically.
"Yeah. Actually, we were waiting for you to wake up so we could use the bed. We're kind of backed up on patients."
I get up, and my feeling of lightheadedness doubles. "Whoa, steady there. The MedPack's still under effect. I'm going to give you a CryoStim. It should help you feel more normal."
She injects me with a very small needle. I can't even feel it. I can feel the fog around my brain dissapate, though, and walk over to where I was. Why did I black out? And what was that dream, memory, whatever it was, about?
My thoughts are interrupted by what appears to be a bright ball of lightning forming in the sky. Even though there aren't any clouds around. The ball slowly takes shape, and it is a weird shape at that. It materializes into some big ship. This must be the Protoss, I guess.
More balls appear on the ground and in the air. Very curvy, flowing fighter jet-like things appear. Large almost spider-like things appear. Even humanoid guys appear, and all of them go to the Zerg bases with whatever Raynor could send with them. Raynor's taking a transmission from who I think is the captain of the big ship up there. "En Taro Adun." The person on the screen says.
"En Taro Adun, Zeratul. Thanks for the cavalry on such short notice."
"An ally that needs help is always welcome. I assume the units we have sent are adequate?"
"Very. Preliminary scans show that the Zerg bases will be a pile of biomass in a matter of minutes."
"Good. You do need transportation, correct?"
"Yes. Me and another...oh, 200 people or so. That's all that survived."
"Did...Sora..."
"She's alive, but she took a whack on her head when we crashed. She's got amnesia."
"Amnesia?" Zeratul looks completely confused. I laugh. Guess the Protoss aren't so prone to memory loss.
"It's when you get hit on the head so hard you forget most of your life. It should be temporary. But she did go into convulsions about half an hour ago."
"Ah. Thank you."
"Any time."
Raynor severs the connection, then walks over to me. "You alright?"
"I think so." I reply. "Hey, Raynor, tell me--did I know anyone by the name of Kari?"
"Yeah. You did."
"Shorter than me, a little younger, short brown hair?"
"Dead on. You're starting to remember?"
"Only her. When I went into convulsions I had a flashback."
"Oh. So that might be how you're going to react to the rest of your memories."
"I hope not. Having to deal with that every time I remember something will be a huge shock to the system." Especially if they're anything like the first one. I think.
As we are all loaded onto shuttles, I realize that I can remember a lot more than that one memory. I remember every memory with Kari in it. Only if there's someone else there, they're not. At times, Kari is talking to air. Or I am. I guess it's all going to be filled in later, when I remember everyone else I knew.
---
We are now on the planet of Shakuras, somewhere else in the galaxy. Zeratul has set up a meeting for me with one of his High Templar. He thinks maybe a very mild Psionic Storm might help. I'm open to suggestions, but when I saw the look on Raynor's face I wasn't so sure. "Why did you look so worried there?" I ask him.
"Well, I've seen full Psionic Storms in action. They literally rip apart the mind of their target. So if this is even a little more powerful than strictly necessary, you could be facing the rest of your life as a vegetable."
"Oh. Oh." I say, the full effect of the words finally registering. "I guess it'd be too late to back out."
"Yeah. You'd be risking an interplanetary diplomatic incident."
"I never did like politics."
"How do you know? You can't remember what you like."
"Oh yeah. Well, if I liked it then, I don't now."
Raynor and I walk to a room with a kind of weird-looking alien in it. It's got blue skin, dressed in this really elaborate yellow robe with blue trim. Zeratul then walks in behind us. "This High Templar happens to be a specialist in psychic diseases. He has practiced extensively with low- energy Psionic Storms."
"If you're sure this is completely safe..."
"It is. The late Matriarch of the Dark Templar, Raszagal, has undergone several of these procrdures herself."
"Alright. Any special preperations I'll need?"
"None."
Raynor, still a little apprehensive, shifts a few feet away. Just in case the Templar misses or something, I assume. "Ready?" Zeratul asks.
"Ready." I answer.
Zeratul glances at the Templar. "Go."
The Templar seems to shoot a small bolt of lightning at me. Loud static fills my ears, and I hold my hands over them, trying to drive the sound out. I am in so much pain, over all of my body...even my hair hurts. A lot.
After about 15 seconds of this, it finally subsides. I didn't notice it, but I had curled myself up in a ball on the ground. Tears are streaming down my cheeks. I slowly pick myself up off of the floor. It certainly cleared the cobwebs out, but... "I don't think it worked." I say. "I can't remember any more than I did."
"But you don't remember any less?" Raynor asks. "I mean, the Storm didn't erase anything?"
"...No, I don't think so. I still remember everything else."
"Ok."
"I am sorry for putting you through this." Zeratul says to me. "Especially since it seemed to have no effect."
"Hey, it was worth a shot. Don't worry about it."
---
So I still don't remember much. But that High Templar seemed familiar somehow. Only...different. I guess it was part of my memories.
I'm in a bedroom of the building Raynor and I are until work is completed on the Hyperion II. Estimates say it could take a month at least to rebuild. So unless someone I knew finds a way to get to Shakuras from Braxis, I'm stuck here.
What was the name of this building? It's kind of pyramid-shaped, and is made from some goldish-colored metal. Oh, what was--Nexus, that's it.
Wait...Nexus...Nexar...
---
"Since you're so fond of keeping people frozen, I thought I'd just put you in Stasis for a while."
I'm in a grassy area, with a forest to the left of me and a beach to the right. Blue, clear water stretches out as far as the eye can see from the beach, which isn't all that far-stretching from the grass. It is long, though. This Protoss guy standing in front of us is huge. He looks a lot like a High Templar, only in a black-and-red robe. I'm in an armoured bodysuit much like Raynor's. I have a very long grenade launcher-like thing that I'm shooting at the Templar with. The only thing here other than me and the Templar is a Goliath. Wait, that's Kari's Goliath. How did I know that? I don't even know where I am, for God's sake!
the High Templar guy hits me with this bright white light beam. Some glassy substance surrounds me. I can't move. I can't breathe. I feel nothing. I can still see, however, and hear. The High Templar says "Damn. Missed some." And shoots out another bright beam. There are several...they look almost like ice cubes all around me. Whatever they are, they're made of the same material I'm in right now. Guess this is the rest of the DigiDestined. I count...7 other people incased in this stuff.
---
Then I wake up again, on the bed. "Another memory." I say out loud, realizing what I just went through.
I've got a splitting headache, though. Maybe that's just because I didn't get a MedPack or something. I groggily get up, and check my watch. I was out for about a half an hour, like last time. At least it's being consistent, this...flashback thing. I'm going to be glad when this is over, when all of my memories have returned.
Speaking of...I remember Nexar now. He was the High Templar form of...someone. Damn.
I would have to pick the thing in the least number of memories to remember.
---
I go with Raynor to oversee the work on the Hyperion II. "We are usually really efficient with building things. Especially mechanical things. But at times, we sacrifice a little workmanship for speed. Take the average bodysuit. You can make one in five minutes, with 35 kg worth of minerals. A Gauss rifle for 15. But they're standard issue. They're not nearly as strong as, say, mine, which is more powerful and stronger, but costs twice as much and takes a week to actually manufacture."
"I see. I guess it took a while to manufacture the weapons that we used against Nexar."
Raynor stopped. "You remember that?"
"Again, not much. I remember Nexar, you hiding behind some crates, and Kari in a Goliath. That's it."
"Nobody else?"
"Nope. But you know the first time I had a flashback, and received a memory about Kari?"
"Yes."
"Well, now I remember her. I've got every memory with her in it back, only if there's someone else there they're...not. Like if Kari's talking to someone, they're just talking to air."
"That's a very weird way to remember things. Of course, I've never had amnesia, so for all I know it could be normal. Oh, that reminds me. What do you think reminded you of Kari?"
"I think it was that I saw a Goliath finish building, then I mused that it looked like an SCV. I thought something along the lines of 'wonder how much more it could carry', and I guess 'Carry' and 'Kari' sounded close enough to each other it sparked something in my memory. It was the same thing as Nexar. I thought about how the High Templar looked familiar, and then about the name of the building, 'Nexus'."
"Yeah, I guess it did sorta look like a High Templar. Only I'd call it a Tall Templar."
I have to laugh at that. "That was funny."
"Really? I have to work on that. It was supposed to be a groaner."
---
Yo: Ok. What should we do until you need us again?
RynOr: Sit there and twiddle your thumbs.
Ryn0r: Hey! That wasn't me. Stop it, Sora.
RynOr: Sure it was me. Don't listen, I think I'm being lifaced.
Ryn0r: Sora...
RynOr: What? Oops.
*Ryn0r (The REAL one) shoots the imposter
*RynOr has exited IM
Ryn0r: Ask for some temporary quarters.
Ken: you mean money that'll disappear after a while?
Ryn0r: you always a punster?
Ken: yeah.
Ryn0r: groan
Yo: (To ) Keep your hands to yourself!
Ryn0r: I hate punsters.
Ryn0r: *blink* Yolei...
Yo: Sorry. I'm just going to not say anything anymore.
Ryn0r: Thanks.
Ryn0r: Even though I'm logging off now.
Ryn0r: Cya. ^_^
*Ryn0r has exited IM
*Yo has exited IM
*Ken has exited IM
---
I wake up, lying on the ground more or less where I was. Raynor's kneeling over me, looking like a worried father. "Gah." I say blearily. "I'd warn you of this, but it kind of comes all of a sudden."
Raynor smiles. "Yeah. What'd you remember now?"
"Ken and Yolei. Specifically, when you were setting up something, I think. When you were in a chat room?"
"Oh, yes. I guess it was the 'Groaner' remark that made you flash back."
"I guess it was. Well, at least I don't have a migraine now."
"That's always good. You recovered faster, too. It's only been about 5 minutes since you collapsed."
2 people with a stretcher run up. "It's alright. She's fine now." Raynor says.
The 2 people look at each other, shrug, and walk off. I get up and dust myself off. "I feel like I landed on my face." I say, gently prodding my nose to see if it's broken.
"You did."
"Oh. That explains it. Sorry about that, you were talking about the workmanship of the average bodysuit and rifle?"
"Yeah. It's the same thing with Battlecruisers. Sure, normal BCs are no small fry to begin with, but if you really put on the proper plating, make the weapons as powerful as you can, get the Yamato...Gun..." He pauses.
"What?" I say.
"Sorry. You knew someone named Yamato."
"Oh. Didn't trigger anything."
"That's kind of odd. Anyway if you pull out all the stops, so to speak, you've got the Hyperion or the Norad, which was another flagship Battlecruiser."
"What happened to it?"
"It was destroyed. And the next Norad was, too. Hope it isn't the same with the Hyperion."
"Yeah. Though 'Hyperion III' doesn't have the same ring to it as 'Norad III'.
---
Life is sedate for me at the moment. I've been cleaning house, so to speak. Doing a lot of thinking. I'm remembering specific memories with Kari, Ken and/or Yolei in them, seeing if I can jar my memory for more. You'd think I'd remember Kari or Ken or Yolei saying the name of another of the DigiDestined, but it just sounds like someone hit the mute button. No sound. Sigh The life of an amnesiac.
One of Raynor's Senior Staff, by the name of Tom Kazansky, has been teaching me to fly a Wraith. It's pretty straightforward. Landing gear, Burst Laser port, Gemini Missles, aim, viewscreen, et cetera. Kazansky says I'm a natural.
Raynor, Kazansky and I, as well as the rest of the Wraith Squadron, are going back to Braxis to see if any of the DigiDestined have arrived. If they get there. We don't know where they'll end up, but where they'd usually be would be a good start. "S-Three, report status." Kazansky's voice says over the radio.
"Roger, Bossman." I reply. "All sections WNP."
"Acknowledged."
We fly in silence for a while. Space is incredibly quiet.
About 10 minutes later, one of the wraiths reports in. "Bossman, this is Y-Seven. reporting spacecraft heading 35 mark 130, on an intercept course."
"Roger, Y-Seven, scanning...Shit. Spacecraft has been identified as Zerg, counting large numbers of Scourge, Mutalisks and Devourers. Suggest we cloak immediately."
"10-4."
everyone cloaks at the same time. Sensory data superimposed on the windows show where the other Wraiths are, so we don't collide by accident. "Change heading, 0 mark 220."
We all do so. I'm afraid to breathe. I've seen the Mutalisks' damage. The Devourers are bigger. The Scourge are smaller and much quicker. Not good.
The Zerg don't notice us. Or seem not to. "Change heading, 305 mark 220 immediately! Overlord spotted! Repeat, Overlord spotted!"
All of us change heading and gun it. Overlords are the only mobile detector units of the Zerg race, but if they do detect you you're open to attack by all the other units. And we can't afford that right now. 8 wraiths against a fair-sized air army. No chance. I don't care if there are three souped-up Wraiths in the squad.
The Zerg pass without incident. We all start breathing again. "Alright. Keep cloak field active, change to original heading. Full power." Kazansky says, obvious relief in his voice.
---
We arrive and land on Braxis, at the crash area. We walk to the wreckage of the Hyperion, and Raynor and I walk around it, looking for any signs of life, friendly or otherwise.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I guess they couldn't get here. I think to myself. I mean, they had to have tried, right?
"There's nothing more than the last time we were here. I guess there's not much left here to do--"
Raynor's watch beeps. "Hold on. I've got an incoming transmission."
Raynor runs back to his Wraith and activates its viewscreen. "En Taro Tassadar." A decidedly Protoss voice says.
"Hi, Artanis. How are you doing?"
"The same as always, Raynor. I believe we have someone here who would like to speak with you."
A short pause. "Hey, Yamato! I wondered where you'd end up." Raynor says.
"Yeah. Thanks for warning us." Yamato replies sarcastically.
"Sorry, but survival was a little higher on our list. The Hyperion was destroyed."
"Oh, man. I'm sorry to hear that. Well, you're OK. What about Sora?"
"She's here. You want to speak with her?"
"Yeah."
"It's for you." Raynor calls.
I walk over. I don't know who this guy is. If he was a boyfriend of mine... I hope he understands I have no clue who he is. "Hey, Sora."
"Hey...Yamato?"
"Yeah, it's me. How you doing?"
"Not too bad...considering that I can't remember anything."
"You--what?"
"I whacked myself on the head when the Hyperion crashed. I can't remember a thing."
"My god. You think you're going to ever remember anything?"
"I've started to, I think. Something jogs my memory, and I black out, and then I relive a memory I've had. So far, I remember Kari, Ken and Yolei, and that Nexar guy."
"Not me or Tai or anyone else?"
"Not yet. I've just got to get the right trigger, that's all."
"Alright. Glad to see you're OK. Where are you right now?"
"We're on the snow world of Braxis. Specifically the wreckage of the Hyperion, seeing if there's someone here."
"Yeah. I'm going to have to talk with Zeratul, see why I ended up here."
"It was just you?"
"Yeah, everyone sent me as a scout party. Speaking of which, you don't remember why you're in this dimension anymore, do you?"
"No. Why was I here?"
"We were going to propose that one of us would give up a D-3 for a while, see if the Protoss could reverse-engineer it. See what kind of useful tidbits could be inside it."
"Well, you can't use mine. I don't have one anymore. It got destroyed in the crash."
"Shoot. Maybe we can give you a lift into the DigiWorld when you need it."
"I guess you'll have to."
"Well, I guess you're on your way back to Shakuras, so I'll see you once you get here."
"Alright. See you."
"See you."
Matt cuts off the link. "He was really sweet." I say to Raynor. "You don't know...um...if he was my boyfriend or anything, do you?"
"Hmm? Oh. No, I didn't get into the personal lives of you DigiDestined. I couldn't tell you any pairings if I wanted to."
"Oh."
---
The trip home was pretty uneventful. No close encounters of the Zerg kind, no dogfights with other Terran, nothing. Just flying home.
I get out of my Wraith, and Yamato's waiting for me. "I didn't know you could fly one of those things." He says.
"Kazansky taught me. Something to pass the time. I didn't know when you were gonna come looking for me."
"We did expect you gone for a week. when you were 3 days late calling, we got worried. So I came to see if you were alright."
"Which, apparently, I'm not."
"Which apparently you're not. At least you're alive."
"Thank goodness for small favours. I guess there's not much I can do to help this amnesia except for letting it take its course."
"God speed to a full recovery."
"Thanks." I smile.
---
I'm sitting with Yamato...or Matt, as he says everyone calls him... on a cliff overlooking an ocean. The odd shade of grayish blue the ground is compliments the deep blue of the water. "You know, I think I'd go colorblind if I stayed here too long." Matt says.
"No wonder all the Protoss buildings are gold-coloured." I reply.
"You know, I never thought of it that way."
"Well, if you have to start from scratch you tend to notice a lot more."
"I would imagine."
Just now, I notice that there's an echo here. "Hey, you can hear an echo."
"So you can." Matt says. "HELLO!"
"hello...hello..." came the echo.
"It works." I say.
"Acoustics at their finest." Matt adds.
"HOW ARE YOU?"
"...re you...re you..."
"HEY!" I say, my voice full of mock anger. "STOP COPYING ME!"
"...me...me..."
Me...me...Mimi...
---
Another bed. I'm still nude, but this time I'm a little more agressive. My partner is as old as me, and has hair that is darker brown than Kari's.
Yes, all of it.
I am in the process of licking the living daylights out of this girl, and she's certainly enjoying herself. I'm incredibly aroused, but...I remember something like it being my turn next. So I have a little patience.
An orgasm rips through her, and she arches off the bed, gasping. After the pleasure subsides she collapses, looking extremely tired. I move back up and crawl on top of her, and give her a passionate kiss.
After some time of liplocking, I break the kiss. "Did you like the attention?" I ask.
"Yes...I loved it..." She replies, her voice dripping with desire.
"I told you it'd be better when we took turns. You tend to get distracted easily in a 69."
"Yeah, I have to admit it was better."
"And now it's my turn."
"Of course."
Finding strength from nowhere, she flips me over and attaches her mouth to one of my breasts. I yelp at this sudden attention, as I remember I was expecting something a little more sedate. After all, orgasms take a lot out of you. Not this girl, apparently.
After a little while of suckling, she moves down lower. Not wasting any time, she licks up and sown my labia, making me shudder. As her tongue moves to circle my clit, two fingers enter me and curl upwards, producing an immediate and powerful reaction. I arch myself off of the bed--her bed, if I'm not mistaken--and moan aloud. Ohhh... I think. This is so much better than anything I've ever experienced...before...
I can feel it building. The incredible force of the orgasm is already making its prescence known as it slowly grows into a whirlwind of passion. What started as a low growl from me turned into a full scream as everything releases itself at once.
You know how I said that orgasms take a lot out of you? I was right. Especially this one. I feel paralysed, but so content...I could lay here forever in the afterglow of this climax, and wouldn't mind a bit.
Mimi moves back up and cuddles me. "How was it?"
I can only mumble incoherently in return. "That good, huh?"
We fall asleep in each other's arms.
---
I wake again in the real world, in the room I was in when I was in the Nexus. Matt and Raynor are both there. "Hi." I say. "Feels like I slept a week."
"Three days, actually. Almost to the minute." Raynor says.
That woke me up. "Three days?" I repeat.
"Yeah. We brought you here about an hour after you went into your flashback." Matt adds.
"Who'd you remember this time?" Raynor asks.
"Uh...Girl, 'bout as old as me, brown hair...Mimi, that's it." I answer.
"What did you relive?" Matt asks.
"I'll have you know, that's between her and me."
"Oh. It's one of those memories." Raynor says.
"Hey." I say, pouting.
"I was just kidding."
"I know. But you were right."
"...Anywayyy..." Matt says, changing the subject. "While you were in lala land, we were able to make another D-3 for you. It's not in your color, mind you, but it should still work."
"Ok. Thanks. I guess we should be getting back to our universe, ne?"
"Uh-huh. Come on, I'll show you to the chamber I materialized inside."
Matt leads me and Raynor out of the Nexus and into another building, called a Cybernetics Core. It's almost cylinder-shaped, only with a sloped top, and there is a spinning chamber inside it. 4 silvery balls are anchored to one side, and three gold spikes protrude from the other. Anyway, we walk in, and Matt leads us around, trying to remember the path to the chamber..
A Dragoon--those spider-like things--seems to be following us. It was going out of a room, but it turned and starting going after us instead. Raynor turns around.
"Long time, no see, eh, Raynor?"
Raynor looks like he saw a ghost. "No. They didn't."
"I did. I was going to give about 6 million thanks to Zeratul and his boys, but I figured I'd say hi to you first."
"Uh, Raynor?" I ask. "I guess you know this guy?"
"Yeah. This is Edmund Duke, a Terran general that was killed by Kerrigan. Glad to see they could so something with you."
"They tried to explain how they could get Terrans in 'Goon shells but I couldn't understand most of it."
"I can imagine. I don't think I'd be able to. So after you give 6 million thanks to Zeratul, where you headed?"
"Oh, training, trying to get used to this body. Aiming the disruptor. Stuff like that."
"Alright. Hope we meet again in battle."
"En Taro Adun or whoever they're honouring now."
"I think it's En Taro Yamato right now."
"Gee, thanks." Matt says. "I always wanted to be worshipped."
"Like you're not already. I saw how Mimi and Kari were making eyes at you."
That makes Matt blush. "Right."
"See you." Duke says.
" 'Bye." The three of us say.
After Duke walks off, Matt continues the tour. " 'En Taro Yamato.' You've gotta be kidding me."
"Actually, you're heralded as the mastermind behind the death of Duran. So I guess it'd be the logical next step."
"Why me? I mean, I wasn't the one who planned out most of this, thought up any of the ideas, or even killed him! I was in stasis for half the battle!"
"True. But you were the supposed link between all three worlds, being here first from yours."
"I guess you've got a point."
"Well, I'm confused." I say.
"Don't worry. All you have to do is remember some more and it'll all be clear." Matt says. Then he stops at an intersection. "Shoot. Was it right or left? You can't read these signs, can you?"
"No, I can't. You Digiported in. You don't know where this place is?" Raynor says.
"Well, I was kind of busy--"
Busy...Izzy...
---
I'm in the conference room of the Hyperion. There's Mimi, Kari, Raynor and Zeratul there, as well as a guy who seems like the brains of the group. He's a little shorter, with spiky reddish-brown hair. He's explaining something...It sounds completely garbled right now.
Then Raynor replies to all that with "...And this all means..."
And the guy facefaults.
---
I wake up again. "You gotta stop doing that." Matt says. "You really scared us that time."
"Sorry." I say. "I'll try to weakly whimper as I go down, how about that."
"What was it this time?"
"I remember...Izzy, I think. And...I remember Raynor. I mean, I knew him before, just because of all the time I spent with him...but now I know him know him, you know? And Zeratul."
"Cool." Raynor says. "So now that you know who I am, can we please get to the chamber already? Any Protoss building besides a Nexus kinda gives me the creeps."
"Alright." I say, picking myself off of the floor. "Let's go."
We arrive at the chamber after a few retracings of our steps. "This is where I DigiPorted in." Matt says.
"You're sure?" Raynor asks. "I mean, wasn't that what you said the last seven times?"
"There are only 8 of these chambers. Since we've been to the other 7, this one has to be it."
"Ok. You want to go first, Sora, or should I?"
"I don't remember how."
"Right. You just point the D-3 at the screen and say 'DigiPort open!' Matt says, getting out his D-3. "Here, I'll demonstrate. DigiPort open!"
He disappears. "Seems simple enough." I say. "DigiPort Open!"
Nothing happened. I look at the D-3. "You think there was a mistake when this thing was made?"
"I don't know. Could be."
We walk out of the Cybernetics core and stop dead in our tracks.
There's nothing else here.
"Oh my god." Raynor says. "We just walked into East Pandemonium."
"Looks like. I think we better get the hell out of here."
"Motion carries."
We sprint in one direction, not stopping until we get to what looks to be a friendly base. Looks about the same, only it's just getting started. Zeratul and Artanis are there, as well as Duke, the Senior Staff of the Hyperion and, I'm assuming, the survivors of the attack. "What in God's name happened?!" Raynor says. "We were in the Cybernetics core 20 minutes! We come out and it's the only thing left standing!"
"We were attacked by a massive wave of Zerg. They have retaken the Xel'Naga Temple." Zeratul replies.
"Oh shit. They didn't. You did not say that."
"They did. And we are rebuilding now, as quickly as we can, because they are going to be coming in full numbers."
"Hell. Any of my men still here? Maybe we can help."
"The remnants of your men are dead. You, Sora, Matt and your staff are the only Terrans left here."
"Matt transported out right before the Cybernetics Core lost power. It's just me and Sora."
"This is unfortunate. I seem to recall you saying how proficient he was with your weaponry."
"He was quite the shot, I'll tell you that."
"Has Sora continued to have flashbacks?"
"Yes. I think she should be in someplace safe, just in case she collapses in the middle of an attack or something."
"I agree. I am sorry, Sora, but it is for the best."
"I understand." I say.
Zeratul leads me to the new Nexus. "You should be relatively safe here." He says.
I walk in, and hear the hum of the shields coming back up. I sigh heavily. "Well, it's a pain in the neck not being able to help but I guess it's the only option."
I walk out into a large room with a lot of controls. Nobody seems to be here. there is a large window all the way around the room, overlooking all of the base. I figure I'm somewhere near the top of the Nexus. Raynor is overseeing the construction of the defenses, and Zeratul is watching over the construction of the buildings and researchings. They're certainly being quick. The view is amazing--that is, if there weren't all those Zerg guys coming up to the base. And nobody seems to be noticing. "Oh, shit." I say. "There's gotta be a loudspeaker or something...uh...Arg, if only I could read Protoss..."
I don't want to start randomly pressing buttons, because for all I know I could be entering a self-destruct code. So I keep searching. The Zerg are a fair distance away, but they'll get to the base soon. "Ah! here!" I say to myself, noticing a button with a speaker on it. I press it. "Attention!" I say. "Zerg coming up on the base!"
Everyone seems to have heard that, because they're now working furiously to sure up the defenses. A light flashes above a control panel and I press it. Zeratul's visage appears. "Perhaps you are more helpful, even with your condition, than we think." He says. "Thank you for the warning."
"You're welcome. I couldn't stand here and watch everything get destroyed."
"We should be able to handle the Zerg now."
"That's good."
"Zeratul out."
He severs the link. I walk to the part where I saw the Zerg attack force, and see two Photon Cannons on fire--only with blue flames--and a large pool of blood around it. Since the flluid Dragoons float in is flourescent blue, and Zealots have yellow blood, I assume that it's all Zerg and there weren't any Protoss casualties. Good for them. They don't need to die...
Die...Tai...
---
I step out of someone's shower, dimly aware of what planet I'm on at the moment. the other person is behind me, and sees that I'm a little off- balance by, I think, a recent orgasm. He wraps his arms around my waist and walks me over to his bedroom, and sits me down on his bed. For whatever reason, he looks in his dresser. He freezes.
"What?" I ask.
He holds up an envelope with a label I can't see. He opens it, and reads aloud.
" 'Smile...you're on candid Camera. Kari.' What the hell?"
Did she tape us? is my first thought. "Does she have a camera, or camcorder, or something?"
"Yeah. Where would she put it?"
After getting dried and dressed again, we spend a good 15 minutes searching through the room Nothing. "Now this is starting to creep me out. She's apparently taped us, and we can't find the camcorder in question." I say.
Maybe she snuck in and took it out when we were in the shower." He says. "She's got a key to your room, doesn't she?"
"Yeah, but..." I remember the light. "Someone else might have seen us."
"What? How?"
"The keyhole. I saw the light from it disappear and then reappear. Someone else spied on us, or Kari filmed us somehow through there."
"That little--"
"Hey, I get first dibs. I'm ."
"Ok, I concede that. We've got to...I know. We beat her at her own game."
---
This is getting weirder. I'm starting to think that I'm the DigiDestined bicycle. Everyone's had a ride. I was probably Ok with it when I was 'normal', and when I regain more of my memories I'll probably feel that way again. But for the moment, I remember sleeping with 3 people, 2 of whom are girls. Out of the 6 memories, half of them were hot and heavy. And that's kind of disturbing.
I can't help but have a morbid curiosity for what's around the next corner. What the tiebreaker could be.
The Protoss have remade their base to almost its original size, and have upped the defenses a lot. They've got quite a lot of these white guys, made from 2 High Templar. They're called Archons.
If the same thing happens to Dark Templar, I think with a smirk, Will they make a Dark Archon?
---
"Yeah. We could maybe call for a Dimensional Recall, bring in a Dark Archon, and then Maelstrom ." Raynor says.
We're about at the same place we were fighting Nexar. Raynor's getting a plan together. I remember feeling a lot of apprehension.
"What's a Dark Archon?" Kari asks.
"Well, these Protoss beings, surrounded by Dark Energy, they're pretty elite. They have the ability to Maelstrom people-freeze any organic being. In otherwords, if 's not a robot, he'll be frozen. There's only one thing about the Dimensional Recall, though."
"And that is..." I say.
"It will require close to all the energy from 5 organisms, which means that the five of you will need to give up your energy to transport this thing. It'll knock the 5 of you out, but only for a minute. We can get Medics there fast to help you."
"And then we can destroy him...it...whatever." Mimi says.
"Exactly."
Ken and Yolei return. Yolei is out of breath. "I ran all the way there." She says between gasps.
"Ok. your D3 things, they can communicate with these?" Raynor asks.
"Yeah. Like in a chat room."
"Alright then."
Ken and Yolei DigiPort back. Izzy sets up the Laptop IM room.
---
Everything's kind of forming a jagged whole now. That little scene led up to the IM scene. I get it.
And I guess they do make Dark Archons.
The Protoss are getting ready to attack. I push the Loudspeaker button. "Good luck." I say.
Raynor looks up at me and salutes me. I salute back.
As they walk off into battle, I can't help but get the feeling that this could be the last time I see Raynor. The last time he fights for freedom.
I can't think like that. He'll survive. He has to.
The attack force goes out of sight. And it's impressive, to say the least. Pretty much everything you can think of, as well as Duke, Raynor, Zeratul and that Artanis guy in a Scout are going off to fight. It'd be a hell of a battle to watch.
Minutes pass. There's an infared scan of the area on one of the screens, and in the northeast edge of the reading there is one Zerg base. It is made up esentially of organs and skin, with the units defending it. Almost like a body. Only much bigger, and without definite shape. This particular base is quite large, and has a lot of units in it. Raynor and his forces are about 3/4 of the way there. Then the Zerg notice them and their attack force moves to intercept Raynor's. Then they collide, and the war begins. I can see Artanis dodging fire and moving to destroy as many of the Overlord Detectors as he can. To protect Zeratul, I suppose. Several Scourge are chasing him, and Artanis is doing his best to outrun them. He flies over Raynor, and he picks off about 5 of them. Only 2 are left to chase Artanis.
Artanis is passing over Dragoons now. They hit the rest of the Scourge and kill them.
Hydralisks--those snake things--are now the main attack force. There are about 40 of them, all attacking the Protoss. Several Zealots and Dragoons are dead already, but so are most of the Hydralisks. The Zerg attack force is dying out and Raynor's force is moving in to the base.
I feel like an announcer on CNN. "The war on Shakuras, brought to you by..."
Not that I'm endorsing war. I see the necessity of it, but not over petty squabbles or anything. But racial survival...that's different.
Raynor's forces are easily taking apart the base. It falls within minutes. Then Raynor and a few units head back to here. The rest start a base around the Temple.
There is another Zerg base in the southeast corner of the readout, and it's about the same structure. All we need is a couple more 'Goons and Zealots and we can take it with relative ease.
Neither Raynor nor I notice a bright, large splotch of white on the ground Raynor's walking on until it's too late.
---
He made it, but only barely. He passed over about 5 lurkers, and only realized it when he was in range of their attacks. A shuttle quickly airlifted him here, where he's receiving care. He's in extremely critical condition.
Kazansky is taking Raynor's place until he recovers. If he recovers. Meanwhile, we're getting another attack force ready. And this time, I'm coming with them, come Hell, High Water or Flashback.
It's kind of emotional. I've got a bodysuit on, just like in my memory with Nexar, and...I've got Raynor's Gauss Rifle.
He was barely concious when I saw him. He asked me if I was going out there. I replied yes, and he motioned to take his rifle. "A good...luck...charm." He said weakly. he hasn't opened his eyes since.
I'm sorry for the horrible cliché, but now it's personal.
It's also time. I'm walking alongside Kazansky, with a C-10 canister rifle much like mine when I was fighting Nexar, and Schezar, who is in a Goliath. Man, am I nervous.
We get halfway to the Zerg base when we see it. Mass amounts of Zerg are making their way here. Zerglings and Hydralisks Oh shit.
"Hold here!" Kazansky calls. "Firing position!"
We get into position. All the Dragoons are in the back line, all the zealots are in the front. Me, Kazansky, and Schezar are beside the Zealots. "READY!"
"Doom to all who threaten the homeworld!" The Zealots all said at the same time.
"That's why they're called Zealots." Kazansky said.
The Zerg got here with frightening speed. And we were waiting.
The Zealots protected the Dragoons from the Zerglings, because 'Goons don't do well against them. In turn, the 'Goons protected the Zealots from the Hydralisks.
I was picking off advancing Hydralisks with accuracy I didn't know I had. Clean headshots, all of them. I must have gotten 15, 20 kills at least.
I think I did a good job avenging Raynor already. And it's not over yet.
We advanced on the base. "Hold!" Kazansky said. "Forward, Observers."
The Observers move forward, and then display a holographic image of Lurkers waiting for us. eight Dragoons hit them with Disruptor blasts and kill them, and then we moved on to the base itself, where more units were waiting for us. After decimating the base, we headed home.
How was it? A part of me was completely mortified by all the death around me, but another was glad. It wanted to join in the hunt.
One taste of war goes straight to one's head, in other words.
When we got back, nothing had changed. Raynor was still out. I went in to his room to give him back his rifle. I quietly put it down, with the safety on, beside him on a chair. Then I turned to leave. "I did you proud, Raynor." I said quietly as I walked out.
---
By the way, I had failed to mention what had happened to the Hyperion II. It was able to move to the new base during the attack. People have been working literally around the clock to complete it. It's almost ready.
And now I'm wondering where the next DigiDestined will show up. And who, for that matter. Will they send Matt again? Tai?
I've got bigger fish to fry at the moment.
It's about a month after we retook the Xel'Naga temple. I've been training a lot, because I'm going to be going on a mission. The mission.
I'm going to go kill Kerrigan.
We've been building our army. We figured out exactly why the UED, the Protoss, led by Artanis, and Mengsk's army lost to one brood. And that was because A, they bothered to announce their arrival, and B, they all relied on each other to wear down the forces so the rest could go in and decimate the base. Nobody attacked Kerrigan with any real threat, so Kerrigan kept expanding and then crushed everyone. They had a chance, but blew it right at the start.
So we're going to go in under cloak, and strike hard and fast. Kerrigan will know what hit her, but she'll be working hard to keep up. And that's where I come in.
I am the one who has been selected to slip in and kill Kerrigan herself. With loads of backup, of course. Nobody wanted to except Raynor, and he's still healing. So I'm it.
I'm in my quarters, with Raynor, on the Hyperion II. He's recovered quite a bit. His right shoulder is the one major injury he has left, so his arm's in a sling. He's talking to me about the mission. "You're probably going to be a little out of place with the rest of your squad being ghosts."
"Ghosts? I guess they're high up on the tech tree. What are they?"
"They're light infantry, with C-10 Canister Rifles, much like yours when you were battling Nexar."
---
"Yes, Raynor. I shall make a mockery of you, then...delete your friends."
I'm in Stasis again. Raynor is talking with this guy, dressed in all white. I distinctly remember hoping like hell for Raynor's survival. I guess he's evil or something.
I think this is one of those times where an egomaniac bad guy is making one of his speeches before he gets his ass kicked by the good guy.
"But, just to make sure there's no more interruptions..." He fired a single shot at the Dark Archon that was standing beside the crates. It exploded. "Now...where were we?"
"Medic!" Raynor says.
"you're hurt?"
"Not exactly. Look."
The Ghost, I'm assuming, looked past us. "They're out cold...They fainted?" He says.
"Not good at this, are you? What, your psychic energy drained?"
"This is a digital universe, genius! I can't use telepathy on a computer program!"
"Oh. Well, then, don't look behind you."
He does. Something round is casting a shadow on the ground. Raynor pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Magellan! Now!"
The round thing shoots a grayish missle at Duran. It hits him and a wave of energy moves outward from him. "you EMP'ed me!"
"Yeah. Just so you can't Lock Down anything else."
"So what?"
"And your shields are gone."
"How the hell do you know about my shields?!"
That's a good question, I think.
"Let's see. you're not what you seem. We know that. So we assumed you had something useful. Like shields. Like mech equipment. So EMP quickly takes care of all that good stuff."
"I've still got my Canister Rifle."
"And I've still got tricks up my sleeve."
"Like what?"
"Like don't look behind you again."
The Ghost turns around. Raynor presses a button on his shoulder, then lets loose with the bullets. After a long while of just shooting into this guy, non-stop, he walks up to his lifeless body, which had morphed into this weird robot guy with wings. "Fooled you once, shame on me. Fooled you twice...tsk, tsk...shame on you."
---
I wake up again, still in my quarters. I'm on the bed, and Raynor's in a chair beside it. "You're awake." He says.
"I'm awake. Sorry about that."
"Let me guess. Duran."
"Yeah."
"The Ghost thing. I understand."
Then it hits me. I remember. Not just Duran... "I remember it all now."
"The battle, you mean?"
"No, I mean it all.I can remember everyone I used to know. There are no missing gaps anymore."
"Well, congratulations! I hope you don't hit your head too hard in the near future."
"Thanks, I think. Anyway, you were saying?"
"I was going to say that you'd be out of place because the rest of your squad are Ghosts, and because of a little present I had made for you." Raynor pulls out his walkie-talkie. "Bring it in."
An ensign brings out a bright orange bodysuit and Gauss Rifle. "Oh my...Raynor, I don't know what to say."
"I thought you might. Look, Sora, I'm not sure what's going to happen out there. All I want you to do is come back. For the DigiDestined, and--- and for me."
I smile. "I'll do my best."
"Can't ask more than that. And by the way, we've been deciding on an anthem for our army. I've always been a big fan of late 20th and early 21st century music, but I can't really decide on a couple of songs I really like. Think you could help?"
"Sure, I guess. If I can remember them."
"Well, the first would be the remixed version of Linkin Park's Points Of Athority."
"Oh, that one. That was always a favorite of mine."
"Then there'd be Papa Roach's Code Of Energy."
"Seems fitting for an army."
"And Sevendust's Praise."
"...I don't know that one."
"I'm not surprised. They're not all that famous. Here, I've got the song in the computer's archive. Computer, play Sevendust's Praise."
The song plays through. "It's pretty good too. I can see why you have trouble picking an anthem."
"Yeah. What one would you pick?"
"I'd probably go with Pts.Of.Athrty."
"That's what I was kind of leaning towards, too."
---
I'm nervous. Raynor's nervous. The redshirted ensign at the comm panel is nervous. Everyone is fully expecting to go in there, and die, but only after killing mass amounts of Zerg.
I sympathize. I'm not immune to the disease anymore. I've got it with the rest of them.
Looking back, remembering everything conciously, I was right. I was the DigiDestined bicycle. Unless my own mind is lying to me, I've slept with Mimi, Matt, Tai, Kari, and Takeru, or TK as he likes to be known. He'll only let 2 people call him Takeru, and that's his two true loves, me and Kari.
I haven't heard from the DigiDestined in a while. Since we retook the temple, nobody's come to see if I'm alright. I'll be glad when I get back and can tell them the harrowing tale of how I defeated Kerrigan. She might be the queen of blades, but right now I'm the queen of the Gauss Rifle.
Clash of the Titans. Irresistable Force VS. Immovable Object.
"You ready?" Raynor asks me.
"I'm ready. You ready?" I reply.
"I've been waiting five years for this moment."
I go to Shuttle Bay Four, where the rest of my group is waiting. Raynor was right. I do feel kind of out-of-place. "Alright, men. And women." Kazansky begins, nodding in my direction. "You're about to go down to the surface of Kerrigan's Orbital Station. Come back alive. That's all."
He turns and walks off. That was, in my opinion, far better than any patriotic speech I could think up.
We load up into the Dropship and then deploy into space.
---
"Go, go, go!!!"
We deploy with precision and go to work attacking everything Zerg we come across. My job is to take out any Mutalisks that appear. So far, there haven't been many. And of the ones that I've seen, I'm pretty sure they didn't see me. Not until it was too late, anyway.
Then I see it. A wave of mutalisks heading this way. I flash a sadistic smile and aim carefully.
Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Popopopopopopopopopopopopopopopop.
5 perfect headshots. Or whatever it is they call what houses their brain. Then the mutas went into kind of a cloud, and I let loose. No aim necessary. All of them fell.
"Advance! Keep it moving!"
The Ghosts and I went in a straight line forward, to the Hive that has Kerrigan in it.
Hydralisks are charging us right now. Like shooting snakes in a basket.
After they fall, we get to the heavy-duty stuff. Guardians, Defilers, Lurkers, Ultralisks, Devourers, Scourge, Infested Terran. We wait for backup. Namely, a huge Wraith/Valkyrie squadron led by Kazansky, and a large machine attack force led by Duke in his Dragoon shell and Schezar in his Goliath. Like peas in a pod, those two. Hell, if you think about it, Goliaths and Dragoons don't even look all that different.
Wonder how much Goons can carry.
---
They arrive. The real battle begins.
The Wraiths and Valkyries took the air. The Siege tanks took the ground. All we had to do was not get in the way. Then we were to take the hive.
Of course, we had to get through Kerrigan first.
She walked out from the hive, and laughed. "You think you've won?" She says. "You've just started."
She throws out Psionic Storms that hit almost everyone. Me, three of the ghosts, Duke, Kazansky, and Schezar were the only ones left alive. "Oh, I missed some. Come on. Bring it."
"Gladly. After Duran, you'll be a breeze." I say.
"You got Duran? I have to commend you, I did wonder where the little shit went off to."
"Raynor killed him, actually. I'm his prodigy, of sorts."
"Then it's time. Go."
I let loose with the bullets. Part of me thinks back to Duran, and how this was how he died. Of course, just being a Ghost, he was a lot easier to kill then the controller of an entire race.
Kerrigan charges me, claws out and at the last second I dodge and keep firing. Kazansky is moving around and shooting at her as well. Schezar and Duke don't want to try hitting her, because they could hit me.
I shoot her right through the heart--if she has one--and stop her in her tracks. "Grrr...you're good. Very good. But I'm better."
She charges again. This time I do nothing, and she tries to catch me going to the right. I just shoot her as she passes.
15 headshots in a row. She's on one knee, and breathing heavily. I'm continuing to shoot her.
Then a horrible shriek fills the air. "Hear that?" Kerrigan asks breathlessly. "That's the sound of 30,000 scourge coming in on this position. I'm going to die, but this orbital station's going down with me."
"So..." I say, facing Schezar and Duke. "Let's go."
A Shuttle flies by and picks up me, Duke and Schezar, and then we speed off. I can imagine the horror on Kerrigan's face when she realized she killed herself.
And out of the port window, I can see about 30,000 scourge slam into the station and blow it up.
...Oh shit.
There are 5 of them coming right for us.
We're guarded by Archon shields and NeoSteel Battlecruiser armour, but I'm still worried.
"BRACE FOR IMPACT!"
---
I wake up on a bed, I think. I'm in a hospital or something, though I can't see. "Hey, you're awake. Don't try to get up, you suffered a lot of injuries."
"I did?"
"Yeah. Sorry that you can't see, there was a lot of damage to your eyes. They should be Ok. In case you don't recognize my voice, I'm Raynor."
"Oh...thanks, Raynor. One question."
"Shoot."
"Who am I?"
---
The End.
Hell yeah.
I've gotta make more fics like this. Writing from an amnesiac's P.O.V. is so fun. Of course, trying to make it so it doesn't sound contrived is another matter.
What do you think? Yamato Gun III? See the aftermath of the victory? the effect the experience had on Sora? And how the rest of the DigiDestined will react? ...Man, this sounds like a plug for some new drama series. Never mind. I'll do what I want. A little emailing in the direction you want might help, though...
And if you've read my very short PWP songfic You Live What You Learn, you'll notice I avenge it in this fic. By the way, my knowledge of good Army anthems is a little bit limited. Any suggestions for more options?
RynØr
By the Reanimated Raynor (Reanimated_Raynor@interactive.rogers.com)
Notes: This is a Lemon. I made these scenes during the writing of this fic, not like Yamato Gun, which had the Lemon scenes written after and then screendumped on. It's a mostly yuri Lemon, and if you don't like the pairings you can go ahead and flame me for it. You've got the email.
Like Yamato Gun, this fic has the plot device in it that all DigiDestined, including the Originals, have D-3s. There is also little mention of the second-generation DigiDestined, like last time. Actually, there's probably less. Speaking of the timeline, this takes place about three weeks after Yamato Gun.
I'd read Yamato Gun, because there are major plot spoilers for it in this fic. Some of the scenes tie in strongly with it.
And this sequel is very different from the first. How different?
As I always say, you'll see.
"A little piece of paper with a picture drawn floats down the street until the wind is gone and the memory now is like the picture was then when the paper's crumpled up it can't be perfect again..."
Linkin Park, Forgotten
Yamato Gun II: SORAD YG2
I'd quit, but I wouldn't know where to send my letter of resignation.
I guess one never really does stop being DigiDestined. Even after the next generation takes over, you're needed. It wouldn't be so bad, if our help wasn't constantly taken for granted. Of course, the new DigiDestined are getting better at taking care of themselves. This is gonna make me feel old, but I think our generation was infinitely better at that. I mean, when we were their age, we were kind of thrown into the DigiWorld, no chance to really find out what happened, just survive. And we couldn't go back and forth at will. Heck, we couldn't go back at will, which was all that everyone was concernced about right after we were dumped onto File island. That, and finding food.
Enough with the history lesson. It's too depressing. On with the story.
Now, you must realize that I, your narrator, am not Yamato Ishida. I'm not in his style. When we decided to catalogue the events of how we defeated Samir Duran, we wrote it from Yamato's point of view because he was there for all the good bits. He was the first to appear on the Hyperion. So it was only fitting that he got the perspective nomination.
This story has a different person at its core, and of course, I am that person. Namely, Sora Takenouchi. I am the Yamato of Yamato gun.
Hold on tight. This is gonna be a bumpy ride.
---
"Direct hit on engine number two! We're losing altitude!"
"Reroute power to the Laser ports! We need to continue our attack!"
"Already at maximum! No available power to add!"
"Damn. Execute Plan Yankee Gamma!"
"Yes sir. All hands, move to deck 2 and 3! Prepare for loss of life support on all other decks in 30 seconds!"
Raynor watches as the chaos erupted around him. Schezar's at his left typing frantically at a terminal, attempting to locate and hit all of the Scourge and Mutalisks that were attacking the Hyperion. They were in a high orbit over the snow world of Braxis, but they have taken heavy damage and are almost at the point where they need to make an emergency landing. Kazansky is trying to keep the ship from tailspinning out of control from the helm.
And then there was me. In the conference room, listening to all this. I was told to stay here after the surprise attack, and I had no intention of getting in the way. Especially since life-and-death decisions could involve a lot of running around, what with terminals randomly overloading and such. Or that's what I get from most of the Star Trek episodes I've watched.
And I'm praying. Wow, am I praying. The only constructive thing I can do at the moment. Suddenly I hear Raynor shout "WE'RE GOING DOWN!"
I can see the inky blackness of space fade into blue sky. Clouds. Mountains. And lots and lots of ice and snow. The comm system, which by some miracle (maybe my praying did help?) stayed active, crackled out "BRACE FOR IMPACT!!!"
Not needing to be told twice, I quickly sit down in one of the chairs and proceed to exert a deathgrip on the table. This is the time where you're not sure when something's going to happen, but you're damned sure it's going to be big. Pure unleaded adrenaline is shooting through me as we speak. If I survive, I'll have finally achieved the ultimate rush. Something to gloat to Tai about.
Of course, that if is looking a bit big right about now.
I can gauge sort of when we're going to hit from the visible scenery. Little hills are starting to appear on the ground. More clear details-- trees, little patches of grass through the snow, small structures in the distance--are becoming visible. I figure I've got about 30 seconds before--
My thoughts are interrupted by an ear-splitting crash at the same time as the feeling that I'm about to be hit with a sledgehammer. Or the table rushing up to greet my face that will make a reasonable facsimile of.
- - -
Right now, my life's kinda cloudy. I don't know who I am, where I come from. Who I'm supposed to know, who're my enemies--nothing. A complete blank. I've been talking with this guy named Raynor, who seems to know a little bit about me. How I'm not from this time, or dimension, or something to that extent, and I've got a pet monster--all that.
"So you're supposed to be these group of Chosen Ones, and you're like the guardians of the Digital world...nothing familiar, is it?"
"Not at all."
"Greeeat. I'll explain as much as I can, but I don't know as much as you did. You use a special device to transport to and from the Digital world. And we had to shoot it to put it out of its misery. It was completely destroyed in the crash. So we wait for another one of the DigiDestined--the Chosen Ones--to come looking for you, and then you can return home. Assuming we can find them."
"What do you mean, 'assuming we can find them'?"
"Well, you all appeared only on the bridge of my now-trashed ship, so now that that's pretty much FUBAR I don't know where your friends are going to end up."
"So what happens now? We try to set up camp?"
"Yeah. We've got enough food and were able to recover a lot of emergency supplies from the wreckage so we'll be OK for a couple of weeks at least. Thankfully, we won't have to worry about running out of supplies so much as Kerrigan and the Zerg coming back to finish us off."
He's lost me. "...Kerrigan?"
"--Right. You don't remember. Kerrigan was the one who coordinated the attack on my ship and crashed it. And gave you your case of amnesia."
"Why is she attacking you? Some...random thing?"
"Not exactly. She's in control of this race called the Zerg, and is trying to take over this sector, among other things. And has declared war on us and this other race, the Protoss."
"You mean aliens?"
"Yeah. Psychic beings. Look, it's a very very long story. I'll fill you in later. Right now I need to help set things up."
"Alright. Sorry I kept you."
"No problem."
Raynor sends me to a tent that has already been set up. It's an MSH, or Mobile Surgical Hospital, and is busy tending to patients that took a lot more than I did. Plasma burns, major artery lacerations, broken bones, the whole range of the spectrum. A live body count conducted after the crash had at first revealed that only a quarter of the 924-pasenger crew were alive and accounted for. Of the healthy survivors, half are looking for people trapped in the wreckage and half are setting up tents, buildings, et cetera. We crashed near a mineral patch, and are in the process of building a Command Center, a Barracks, and Supply Depots. "Sir!" I hear someone shout. "2 Zerg bases spotted on scan, one Northwest, one southeast!"
"Shit." Raynor says, a little to loud to count as under his breath. "Alright, let's get another Barracks going. We'll need some major support soon."
A second Space Construction Vehicle, or SCV, moves in to build another Barracks. I feel like I should be helping, but I can't right now.
The SCV that was working on the Command Center finishes it and then goes to gather minerals. Raynor pushes a couple of buttons on the ouside of the Command Center and a flickering light can be seen coming from the chute. Production of a unit, I suppose. The first Barracks is finished and more flickering is seen. People all around are working frantically in a controlled panic, trying to get things done as fast as possible. Bunkers are being built outside ramps to the upper level around the crashed Hyperion and the makeshift base, which is fortunate, because it'd take longer to get here from the ground. I'm told all Zerg bases start out with ground attacks, so we should have another 3 minutes or so. Firebats and Marines are being loaded into the bunker as we speak. "Status of the Zerg bases!" Raynor shouts.
"NW base at Lair, counting few Zerglings, Hydralisks. SE Base at same, no Lair."
"Thanks. I needed to hear that."
Guess the Zerg are taking their time in building up. So we've got a little time before--
Wait. Assuming we survive an attack, how the hell are we going to be able to keep alive? We're stranded!
I ask one of the Medics sitting beside me that question. "Raynor sent out an emergency transmission to Zeratul of the Protoss. They should be here in approximately an hour, so all we have to do is keep here and we'll be fine."
Not according to the look on Raynor's face.
---
The SCVs are mining or building, Marines are patrolling the perimeter, keeping watch for any impending attack, or are in Bunkers, and Medics are tending to the injured. Everyone seems to be busy except me. And the people lying in hospital beds with large holes where their stomach should be.
So I'm the only one healthy who's not busy.
Maybe I should help. But then again, I haven't the slightest clue about anything here. Or anywhere, for that matter. If only I remembered something...
And speaking of reasons why I shouldn't go anywhere at the moment, those...whatevers...are looking kind of menacing attacking that bunker.
There are these big snake things, and small almost dog-like things. Only the snakes are shooting some green acid stuff, and the little guys are hacking apart the metal.
Suddenly, doing nothing doesn't seem so bad.
The Marines and Firebats in the Bunker are not faring too well, so more Marines rush in and shoot the big guys. Then Firebats come in and burn up the little ones. SCVs are already at work repairing the Bunker, which looks almost completely totalled. then the other base's guys attack. Same thing, but the Bunker, some of the Marines, and the SCV repairing the Bunker were destroyed. "Get two more Bunkers going!" Raynor says. "There's more where that came from! Status of Zerg bases!"
"Lair, Queen's Nest, Evolution Chamber, Spire. Both have mutas."
"Turrets! And get more Marines in here!"
The efforts of everyone in the base is redoubled. Three SCVs move from their mining to get Missle Turrets ready. The Barracks are working like mad getting Marines ready. "Start on a Factory and Armory! We need Goliaths!" Raynor orders. Guess we've got to match the Zerg guys on the Tech tree to survive.
As the third Missle Turret finishes, Mutalisks attack from both ends simultaneously. "Not wasting any time, are we?" I say to thin air.
Two Missle Turrets destroyed. One bunker. Two Marines. The casualties are really starting to pile up. "Go right up the tech tree! Starport and Science Facility, now!" Raynor orders.
As work begins on those, the Goliaths finish. They almost look like the SCVs, I guess. Only bigger. Wonder how much more they'd be able to carry...
...carry...carry...why do I seem to remember that in conjunction with a Goliath?
Wait...it's not carry...I remember...something...
...Kari...
---
Next thing I know, I'm lying nude on someone's bed, locked in a passionate kiss with another girl. She's considerably shorter than I am, and younger, too. She's got short light brown hair.
Anyway, she seems to know what she's doing, rubbing one of my nipples with one hand while thrusting inside me with another. I feel so alive now, not like about 5 minutes ago, morbidly afraid of dying to a Zerg attack.
I absentmindedly wonder what transported me here. Maybe the Protoss? I think, attempting to keep my wits about me. I have no idea where I am. I have no idea who this girl is. But still, here I am. I could have known her before I got this amnesia. Maybe this is a flashback, some memory that's been triggered by some chain of events. Whatever it is, I don't really mind it. I can feel an intense love for this girl, as well as a fierce sense of loyalty. Since I would be used to these feelings, but aren't becuase I don't remember anything, I'm completely overwhelmed by all this.
I moan aloud. I-I'm so close...I...
---
...I awake. Right at the best part. Always happens, doesn't it?
I'm now lying in one of the beds in the MSU, and feel...well, drugged, to say the least. A medic is standing beside me. "Oh, good. You're awake."
"I am, I think. I feel really lightheaded, though."
"Yes, we had to sedate you. One minute, you were sitting down on one of the chairs spectating the construction of the base and such, the next you were on the ground in convulsions. We hit you with a MedPack supplement and laid you here."
"Oh...I remember everything up to the watching everything happen. How long was I out?"
"Not long. About a half an hour. The Protoss are going to arrive any minute."
"Any chance of me seeing the fireworks? Am I gonna make it, doc?" I add dramatically.
"Yeah. Actually, we were waiting for you to wake up so we could use the bed. We're kind of backed up on patients."
I get up, and my feeling of lightheadedness doubles. "Whoa, steady there. The MedPack's still under effect. I'm going to give you a CryoStim. It should help you feel more normal."
She injects me with a very small needle. I can't even feel it. I can feel the fog around my brain dissapate, though, and walk over to where I was. Why did I black out? And what was that dream, memory, whatever it was, about?
My thoughts are interrupted by what appears to be a bright ball of lightning forming in the sky. Even though there aren't any clouds around. The ball slowly takes shape, and it is a weird shape at that. It materializes into some big ship. This must be the Protoss, I guess.
More balls appear on the ground and in the air. Very curvy, flowing fighter jet-like things appear. Large almost spider-like things appear. Even humanoid guys appear, and all of them go to the Zerg bases with whatever Raynor could send with them. Raynor's taking a transmission from who I think is the captain of the big ship up there. "En Taro Adun." The person on the screen says.
"En Taro Adun, Zeratul. Thanks for the cavalry on such short notice."
"An ally that needs help is always welcome. I assume the units we have sent are adequate?"
"Very. Preliminary scans show that the Zerg bases will be a pile of biomass in a matter of minutes."
"Good. You do need transportation, correct?"
"Yes. Me and another...oh, 200 people or so. That's all that survived."
"Did...Sora..."
"She's alive, but she took a whack on her head when we crashed. She's got amnesia."
"Amnesia?" Zeratul looks completely confused. I laugh. Guess the Protoss aren't so prone to memory loss.
"It's when you get hit on the head so hard you forget most of your life. It should be temporary. But she did go into convulsions about half an hour ago."
"Ah. Thank you."
"Any time."
Raynor severs the connection, then walks over to me. "You alright?"
"I think so." I reply. "Hey, Raynor, tell me--did I know anyone by the name of Kari?"
"Yeah. You did."
"Shorter than me, a little younger, short brown hair?"
"Dead on. You're starting to remember?"
"Only her. When I went into convulsions I had a flashback."
"Oh. So that might be how you're going to react to the rest of your memories."
"I hope not. Having to deal with that every time I remember something will be a huge shock to the system." Especially if they're anything like the first one. I think.
As we are all loaded onto shuttles, I realize that I can remember a lot more than that one memory. I remember every memory with Kari in it. Only if there's someone else there, they're not. At times, Kari is talking to air. Or I am. I guess it's all going to be filled in later, when I remember everyone else I knew.
---
We are now on the planet of Shakuras, somewhere else in the galaxy. Zeratul has set up a meeting for me with one of his High Templar. He thinks maybe a very mild Psionic Storm might help. I'm open to suggestions, but when I saw the look on Raynor's face I wasn't so sure. "Why did you look so worried there?" I ask him.
"Well, I've seen full Psionic Storms in action. They literally rip apart the mind of their target. So if this is even a little more powerful than strictly necessary, you could be facing the rest of your life as a vegetable."
"Oh. Oh." I say, the full effect of the words finally registering. "I guess it'd be too late to back out."
"Yeah. You'd be risking an interplanetary diplomatic incident."
"I never did like politics."
"How do you know? You can't remember what you like."
"Oh yeah. Well, if I liked it then, I don't now."
Raynor and I walk to a room with a kind of weird-looking alien in it. It's got blue skin, dressed in this really elaborate yellow robe with blue trim. Zeratul then walks in behind us. "This High Templar happens to be a specialist in psychic diseases. He has practiced extensively with low- energy Psionic Storms."
"If you're sure this is completely safe..."
"It is. The late Matriarch of the Dark Templar, Raszagal, has undergone several of these procrdures herself."
"Alright. Any special preperations I'll need?"
"None."
Raynor, still a little apprehensive, shifts a few feet away. Just in case the Templar misses or something, I assume. "Ready?" Zeratul asks.
"Ready." I answer.
Zeratul glances at the Templar. "Go."
The Templar seems to shoot a small bolt of lightning at me. Loud static fills my ears, and I hold my hands over them, trying to drive the sound out. I am in so much pain, over all of my body...even my hair hurts. A lot.
After about 15 seconds of this, it finally subsides. I didn't notice it, but I had curled myself up in a ball on the ground. Tears are streaming down my cheeks. I slowly pick myself up off of the floor. It certainly cleared the cobwebs out, but... "I don't think it worked." I say. "I can't remember any more than I did."
"But you don't remember any less?" Raynor asks. "I mean, the Storm didn't erase anything?"
"...No, I don't think so. I still remember everything else."
"Ok."
"I am sorry for putting you through this." Zeratul says to me. "Especially since it seemed to have no effect."
"Hey, it was worth a shot. Don't worry about it."
---
So I still don't remember much. But that High Templar seemed familiar somehow. Only...different. I guess it was part of my memories.
I'm in a bedroom of the building Raynor and I are until work is completed on the Hyperion II. Estimates say it could take a month at least to rebuild. So unless someone I knew finds a way to get to Shakuras from Braxis, I'm stuck here.
What was the name of this building? It's kind of pyramid-shaped, and is made from some goldish-colored metal. Oh, what was--Nexus, that's it.
Wait...Nexus...Nexar...
---
"Since you're so fond of keeping people frozen, I thought I'd just put you in Stasis for a while."
I'm in a grassy area, with a forest to the left of me and a beach to the right. Blue, clear water stretches out as far as the eye can see from the beach, which isn't all that far-stretching from the grass. It is long, though. This Protoss guy standing in front of us is huge. He looks a lot like a High Templar, only in a black-and-red robe. I'm in an armoured bodysuit much like Raynor's. I have a very long grenade launcher-like thing that I'm shooting at the Templar with. The only thing here other than me and the Templar is a Goliath. Wait, that's Kari's Goliath. How did I know that? I don't even know where I am, for God's sake!
the High Templar guy hits me with this bright white light beam. Some glassy substance surrounds me. I can't move. I can't breathe. I feel nothing. I can still see, however, and hear. The High Templar says "Damn. Missed some." And shoots out another bright beam. There are several...they look almost like ice cubes all around me. Whatever they are, they're made of the same material I'm in right now. Guess this is the rest of the DigiDestined. I count...7 other people incased in this stuff.
---
Then I wake up again, on the bed. "Another memory." I say out loud, realizing what I just went through.
I've got a splitting headache, though. Maybe that's just because I didn't get a MedPack or something. I groggily get up, and check my watch. I was out for about a half an hour, like last time. At least it's being consistent, this...flashback thing. I'm going to be glad when this is over, when all of my memories have returned.
Speaking of...I remember Nexar now. He was the High Templar form of...someone. Damn.
I would have to pick the thing in the least number of memories to remember.
---
I go with Raynor to oversee the work on the Hyperion II. "We are usually really efficient with building things. Especially mechanical things. But at times, we sacrifice a little workmanship for speed. Take the average bodysuit. You can make one in five minutes, with 35 kg worth of minerals. A Gauss rifle for 15. But they're standard issue. They're not nearly as strong as, say, mine, which is more powerful and stronger, but costs twice as much and takes a week to actually manufacture."
"I see. I guess it took a while to manufacture the weapons that we used against Nexar."
Raynor stopped. "You remember that?"
"Again, not much. I remember Nexar, you hiding behind some crates, and Kari in a Goliath. That's it."
"Nobody else?"
"Nope. But you know the first time I had a flashback, and received a memory about Kari?"
"Yes."
"Well, now I remember her. I've got every memory with her in it back, only if there's someone else there they're...not. Like if Kari's talking to someone, they're just talking to air."
"That's a very weird way to remember things. Of course, I've never had amnesia, so for all I know it could be normal. Oh, that reminds me. What do you think reminded you of Kari?"
"I think it was that I saw a Goliath finish building, then I mused that it looked like an SCV. I thought something along the lines of 'wonder how much more it could carry', and I guess 'Carry' and 'Kari' sounded close enough to each other it sparked something in my memory. It was the same thing as Nexar. I thought about how the High Templar looked familiar, and then about the name of the building, 'Nexus'."
"Yeah, I guess it did sorta look like a High Templar. Only I'd call it a Tall Templar."
I have to laugh at that. "That was funny."
"Really? I have to work on that. It was supposed to be a groaner."
---
Yo: Ok. What should we do until you need us again?
RynOr: Sit there and twiddle your thumbs.
Ryn0r: Hey! That wasn't me. Stop it, Sora.
RynOr: Sure it was me. Don't listen, I think I'm being lifaced.
Ryn0r: Sora...
RynOr: What? Oops.
*Ryn0r (The REAL one) shoots the imposter
*RynOr has exited IM
Ryn0r: Ask for some temporary quarters.
Ken: you mean money that'll disappear after a while?
Ryn0r: you always a punster?
Ken: yeah.
Ryn0r: groan
Yo: (To ) Keep your hands to yourself!
Ryn0r: I hate punsters.
Ryn0r: *blink* Yolei...
Yo: Sorry. I'm just going to not say anything anymore.
Ryn0r: Thanks.
Ryn0r: Even though I'm logging off now.
Ryn0r: Cya. ^_^
*Ryn0r has exited IM
*Yo has exited IM
*Ken has exited IM
---
I wake up, lying on the ground more or less where I was. Raynor's kneeling over me, looking like a worried father. "Gah." I say blearily. "I'd warn you of this, but it kind of comes all of a sudden."
Raynor smiles. "Yeah. What'd you remember now?"
"Ken and Yolei. Specifically, when you were setting up something, I think. When you were in a chat room?"
"Oh, yes. I guess it was the 'Groaner' remark that made you flash back."
"I guess it was. Well, at least I don't have a migraine now."
"That's always good. You recovered faster, too. It's only been about 5 minutes since you collapsed."
2 people with a stretcher run up. "It's alright. She's fine now." Raynor says.
The 2 people look at each other, shrug, and walk off. I get up and dust myself off. "I feel like I landed on my face." I say, gently prodding my nose to see if it's broken.
"You did."
"Oh. That explains it. Sorry about that, you were talking about the workmanship of the average bodysuit and rifle?"
"Yeah. It's the same thing with Battlecruisers. Sure, normal BCs are no small fry to begin with, but if you really put on the proper plating, make the weapons as powerful as you can, get the Yamato...Gun..." He pauses.
"What?" I say.
"Sorry. You knew someone named Yamato."
"Oh. Didn't trigger anything."
"That's kind of odd. Anyway if you pull out all the stops, so to speak, you've got the Hyperion or the Norad, which was another flagship Battlecruiser."
"What happened to it?"
"It was destroyed. And the next Norad was, too. Hope it isn't the same with the Hyperion."
"Yeah. Though 'Hyperion III' doesn't have the same ring to it as 'Norad III'.
---
Life is sedate for me at the moment. I've been cleaning house, so to speak. Doing a lot of thinking. I'm remembering specific memories with Kari, Ken and/or Yolei in them, seeing if I can jar my memory for more. You'd think I'd remember Kari or Ken or Yolei saying the name of another of the DigiDestined, but it just sounds like someone hit the mute button. No sound. Sigh The life of an amnesiac.
One of Raynor's Senior Staff, by the name of Tom Kazansky, has been teaching me to fly a Wraith. It's pretty straightforward. Landing gear, Burst Laser port, Gemini Missles, aim, viewscreen, et cetera. Kazansky says I'm a natural.
Raynor, Kazansky and I, as well as the rest of the Wraith Squadron, are going back to Braxis to see if any of the DigiDestined have arrived. If they get there. We don't know where they'll end up, but where they'd usually be would be a good start. "S-Three, report status." Kazansky's voice says over the radio.
"Roger, Bossman." I reply. "All sections WNP."
"Acknowledged."
We fly in silence for a while. Space is incredibly quiet.
About 10 minutes later, one of the wraiths reports in. "Bossman, this is Y-Seven. reporting spacecraft heading 35 mark 130, on an intercept course."
"Roger, Y-Seven, scanning...Shit. Spacecraft has been identified as Zerg, counting large numbers of Scourge, Mutalisks and Devourers. Suggest we cloak immediately."
"10-4."
everyone cloaks at the same time. Sensory data superimposed on the windows show where the other Wraiths are, so we don't collide by accident. "Change heading, 0 mark 220."
We all do so. I'm afraid to breathe. I've seen the Mutalisks' damage. The Devourers are bigger. The Scourge are smaller and much quicker. Not good.
The Zerg don't notice us. Or seem not to. "Change heading, 305 mark 220 immediately! Overlord spotted! Repeat, Overlord spotted!"
All of us change heading and gun it. Overlords are the only mobile detector units of the Zerg race, but if they do detect you you're open to attack by all the other units. And we can't afford that right now. 8 wraiths against a fair-sized air army. No chance. I don't care if there are three souped-up Wraiths in the squad.
The Zerg pass without incident. We all start breathing again. "Alright. Keep cloak field active, change to original heading. Full power." Kazansky says, obvious relief in his voice.
---
We arrive and land on Braxis, at the crash area. We walk to the wreckage of the Hyperion, and Raynor and I walk around it, looking for any signs of life, friendly or otherwise.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I guess they couldn't get here. I think to myself. I mean, they had to have tried, right?
"There's nothing more than the last time we were here. I guess there's not much left here to do--"
Raynor's watch beeps. "Hold on. I've got an incoming transmission."
Raynor runs back to his Wraith and activates its viewscreen. "En Taro Tassadar." A decidedly Protoss voice says.
"Hi, Artanis. How are you doing?"
"The same as always, Raynor. I believe we have someone here who would like to speak with you."
A short pause. "Hey, Yamato! I wondered where you'd end up." Raynor says.
"Yeah. Thanks for warning us." Yamato replies sarcastically.
"Sorry, but survival was a little higher on our list. The Hyperion was destroyed."
"Oh, man. I'm sorry to hear that. Well, you're OK. What about Sora?"
"She's here. You want to speak with her?"
"Yeah."
"It's for you." Raynor calls.
I walk over. I don't know who this guy is. If he was a boyfriend of mine... I hope he understands I have no clue who he is. "Hey, Sora."
"Hey...Yamato?"
"Yeah, it's me. How you doing?"
"Not too bad...considering that I can't remember anything."
"You--what?"
"I whacked myself on the head when the Hyperion crashed. I can't remember a thing."
"My god. You think you're going to ever remember anything?"
"I've started to, I think. Something jogs my memory, and I black out, and then I relive a memory I've had. So far, I remember Kari, Ken and Yolei, and that Nexar guy."
"Not me or Tai or anyone else?"
"Not yet. I've just got to get the right trigger, that's all."
"Alright. Glad to see you're OK. Where are you right now?"
"We're on the snow world of Braxis. Specifically the wreckage of the Hyperion, seeing if there's someone here."
"Yeah. I'm going to have to talk with Zeratul, see why I ended up here."
"It was just you?"
"Yeah, everyone sent me as a scout party. Speaking of which, you don't remember why you're in this dimension anymore, do you?"
"No. Why was I here?"
"We were going to propose that one of us would give up a D-3 for a while, see if the Protoss could reverse-engineer it. See what kind of useful tidbits could be inside it."
"Well, you can't use mine. I don't have one anymore. It got destroyed in the crash."
"Shoot. Maybe we can give you a lift into the DigiWorld when you need it."
"I guess you'll have to."
"Well, I guess you're on your way back to Shakuras, so I'll see you once you get here."
"Alright. See you."
"See you."
Matt cuts off the link. "He was really sweet." I say to Raynor. "You don't know...um...if he was my boyfriend or anything, do you?"
"Hmm? Oh. No, I didn't get into the personal lives of you DigiDestined. I couldn't tell you any pairings if I wanted to."
"Oh."
---
The trip home was pretty uneventful. No close encounters of the Zerg kind, no dogfights with other Terran, nothing. Just flying home.
I get out of my Wraith, and Yamato's waiting for me. "I didn't know you could fly one of those things." He says.
"Kazansky taught me. Something to pass the time. I didn't know when you were gonna come looking for me."
"We did expect you gone for a week. when you were 3 days late calling, we got worried. So I came to see if you were alright."
"Which, apparently, I'm not."
"Which apparently you're not. At least you're alive."
"Thank goodness for small favours. I guess there's not much I can do to help this amnesia except for letting it take its course."
"God speed to a full recovery."
"Thanks." I smile.
---
I'm sitting with Yamato...or Matt, as he says everyone calls him... on a cliff overlooking an ocean. The odd shade of grayish blue the ground is compliments the deep blue of the water. "You know, I think I'd go colorblind if I stayed here too long." Matt says.
"No wonder all the Protoss buildings are gold-coloured." I reply.
"You know, I never thought of it that way."
"Well, if you have to start from scratch you tend to notice a lot more."
"I would imagine."
Just now, I notice that there's an echo here. "Hey, you can hear an echo."
"So you can." Matt says. "HELLO!"
"hello...hello..." came the echo.
"It works." I say.
"Acoustics at their finest." Matt adds.
"HOW ARE YOU?"
"...re you...re you..."
"HEY!" I say, my voice full of mock anger. "STOP COPYING ME!"
"...me...me..."
Me...me...Mimi...
---
Another bed. I'm still nude, but this time I'm a little more agressive. My partner is as old as me, and has hair that is darker brown than Kari's.
Yes, all of it.
I am in the process of licking the living daylights out of this girl, and she's certainly enjoying herself. I'm incredibly aroused, but...I remember something like it being my turn next. So I have a little patience.
An orgasm rips through her, and she arches off the bed, gasping. After the pleasure subsides she collapses, looking extremely tired. I move back up and crawl on top of her, and give her a passionate kiss.
After some time of liplocking, I break the kiss. "Did you like the attention?" I ask.
"Yes...I loved it..." She replies, her voice dripping with desire.
"I told you it'd be better when we took turns. You tend to get distracted easily in a 69."
"Yeah, I have to admit it was better."
"And now it's my turn."
"Of course."
Finding strength from nowhere, she flips me over and attaches her mouth to one of my breasts. I yelp at this sudden attention, as I remember I was expecting something a little more sedate. After all, orgasms take a lot out of you. Not this girl, apparently.
After a little while of suckling, she moves down lower. Not wasting any time, she licks up and sown my labia, making me shudder. As her tongue moves to circle my clit, two fingers enter me and curl upwards, producing an immediate and powerful reaction. I arch myself off of the bed--her bed, if I'm not mistaken--and moan aloud. Ohhh... I think. This is so much better than anything I've ever experienced...before...
I can feel it building. The incredible force of the orgasm is already making its prescence known as it slowly grows into a whirlwind of passion. What started as a low growl from me turned into a full scream as everything releases itself at once.
You know how I said that orgasms take a lot out of you? I was right. Especially this one. I feel paralysed, but so content...I could lay here forever in the afterglow of this climax, and wouldn't mind a bit.
Mimi moves back up and cuddles me. "How was it?"
I can only mumble incoherently in return. "That good, huh?"
We fall asleep in each other's arms.
---
I wake again in the real world, in the room I was in when I was in the Nexus. Matt and Raynor are both there. "Hi." I say. "Feels like I slept a week."
"Three days, actually. Almost to the minute." Raynor says.
That woke me up. "Three days?" I repeat.
"Yeah. We brought you here about an hour after you went into your flashback." Matt adds.
"Who'd you remember this time?" Raynor asks.
"Uh...Girl, 'bout as old as me, brown hair...Mimi, that's it." I answer.
"What did you relive?" Matt asks.
"I'll have you know, that's between her and me."
"Oh. It's one of those memories." Raynor says.
"Hey." I say, pouting.
"I was just kidding."
"I know. But you were right."
"...Anywayyy..." Matt says, changing the subject. "While you were in lala land, we were able to make another D-3 for you. It's not in your color, mind you, but it should still work."
"Ok. Thanks. I guess we should be getting back to our universe, ne?"
"Uh-huh. Come on, I'll show you to the chamber I materialized inside."
Matt leads me and Raynor out of the Nexus and into another building, called a Cybernetics Core. It's almost cylinder-shaped, only with a sloped top, and there is a spinning chamber inside it. 4 silvery balls are anchored to one side, and three gold spikes protrude from the other. Anyway, we walk in, and Matt leads us around, trying to remember the path to the chamber..
A Dragoon--those spider-like things--seems to be following us. It was going out of a room, but it turned and starting going after us instead. Raynor turns around.
"Long time, no see, eh, Raynor?"
Raynor looks like he saw a ghost. "No. They didn't."
"I did. I was going to give about 6 million thanks to Zeratul and his boys, but I figured I'd say hi to you first."
"Uh, Raynor?" I ask. "I guess you know this guy?"
"Yeah. This is Edmund Duke, a Terran general that was killed by Kerrigan. Glad to see they could so something with you."
"They tried to explain how they could get Terrans in 'Goon shells but I couldn't understand most of it."
"I can imagine. I don't think I'd be able to. So after you give 6 million thanks to Zeratul, where you headed?"
"Oh, training, trying to get used to this body. Aiming the disruptor. Stuff like that."
"Alright. Hope we meet again in battle."
"En Taro Adun or whoever they're honouring now."
"I think it's En Taro Yamato right now."
"Gee, thanks." Matt says. "I always wanted to be worshipped."
"Like you're not already. I saw how Mimi and Kari were making eyes at you."
That makes Matt blush. "Right."
"See you." Duke says.
" 'Bye." The three of us say.
After Duke walks off, Matt continues the tour. " 'En Taro Yamato.' You've gotta be kidding me."
"Actually, you're heralded as the mastermind behind the death of Duran. So I guess it'd be the logical next step."
"Why me? I mean, I wasn't the one who planned out most of this, thought up any of the ideas, or even killed him! I was in stasis for half the battle!"
"True. But you were the supposed link between all three worlds, being here first from yours."
"I guess you've got a point."
"Well, I'm confused." I say.
"Don't worry. All you have to do is remember some more and it'll all be clear." Matt says. Then he stops at an intersection. "Shoot. Was it right or left? You can't read these signs, can you?"
"No, I can't. You Digiported in. You don't know where this place is?" Raynor says.
"Well, I was kind of busy--"
Busy...Izzy...
---
I'm in the conference room of the Hyperion. There's Mimi, Kari, Raynor and Zeratul there, as well as a guy who seems like the brains of the group. He's a little shorter, with spiky reddish-brown hair. He's explaining something...It sounds completely garbled right now.
Then Raynor replies to all that with "...And this all means..."
And the guy facefaults.
---
I wake up again. "You gotta stop doing that." Matt says. "You really scared us that time."
"Sorry." I say. "I'll try to weakly whimper as I go down, how about that."
"What was it this time?"
"I remember...Izzy, I think. And...I remember Raynor. I mean, I knew him before, just because of all the time I spent with him...but now I know him know him, you know? And Zeratul."
"Cool." Raynor says. "So now that you know who I am, can we please get to the chamber already? Any Protoss building besides a Nexus kinda gives me the creeps."
"Alright." I say, picking myself off of the floor. "Let's go."
We arrive at the chamber after a few retracings of our steps. "This is where I DigiPorted in." Matt says.
"You're sure?" Raynor asks. "I mean, wasn't that what you said the last seven times?"
"There are only 8 of these chambers. Since we've been to the other 7, this one has to be it."
"Ok. You want to go first, Sora, or should I?"
"I don't remember how."
"Right. You just point the D-3 at the screen and say 'DigiPort open!' Matt says, getting out his D-3. "Here, I'll demonstrate. DigiPort open!"
He disappears. "Seems simple enough." I say. "DigiPort Open!"
Nothing happened. I look at the D-3. "You think there was a mistake when this thing was made?"
"I don't know. Could be."
We walk out of the Cybernetics core and stop dead in our tracks.
There's nothing else here.
"Oh my god." Raynor says. "We just walked into East Pandemonium."
"Looks like. I think we better get the hell out of here."
"Motion carries."
We sprint in one direction, not stopping until we get to what looks to be a friendly base. Looks about the same, only it's just getting started. Zeratul and Artanis are there, as well as Duke, the Senior Staff of the Hyperion and, I'm assuming, the survivors of the attack. "What in God's name happened?!" Raynor says. "We were in the Cybernetics core 20 minutes! We come out and it's the only thing left standing!"
"We were attacked by a massive wave of Zerg. They have retaken the Xel'Naga Temple." Zeratul replies.
"Oh shit. They didn't. You did not say that."
"They did. And we are rebuilding now, as quickly as we can, because they are going to be coming in full numbers."
"Hell. Any of my men still here? Maybe we can help."
"The remnants of your men are dead. You, Sora, Matt and your staff are the only Terrans left here."
"Matt transported out right before the Cybernetics Core lost power. It's just me and Sora."
"This is unfortunate. I seem to recall you saying how proficient he was with your weaponry."
"He was quite the shot, I'll tell you that."
"Has Sora continued to have flashbacks?"
"Yes. I think she should be in someplace safe, just in case she collapses in the middle of an attack or something."
"I agree. I am sorry, Sora, but it is for the best."
"I understand." I say.
Zeratul leads me to the new Nexus. "You should be relatively safe here." He says.
I walk in, and hear the hum of the shields coming back up. I sigh heavily. "Well, it's a pain in the neck not being able to help but I guess it's the only option."
I walk out into a large room with a lot of controls. Nobody seems to be here. there is a large window all the way around the room, overlooking all of the base. I figure I'm somewhere near the top of the Nexus. Raynor is overseeing the construction of the defenses, and Zeratul is watching over the construction of the buildings and researchings. They're certainly being quick. The view is amazing--that is, if there weren't all those Zerg guys coming up to the base. And nobody seems to be noticing. "Oh, shit." I say. "There's gotta be a loudspeaker or something...uh...Arg, if only I could read Protoss..."
I don't want to start randomly pressing buttons, because for all I know I could be entering a self-destruct code. So I keep searching. The Zerg are a fair distance away, but they'll get to the base soon. "Ah! here!" I say to myself, noticing a button with a speaker on it. I press it. "Attention!" I say. "Zerg coming up on the base!"
Everyone seems to have heard that, because they're now working furiously to sure up the defenses. A light flashes above a control panel and I press it. Zeratul's visage appears. "Perhaps you are more helpful, even with your condition, than we think." He says. "Thank you for the warning."
"You're welcome. I couldn't stand here and watch everything get destroyed."
"We should be able to handle the Zerg now."
"That's good."
"Zeratul out."
He severs the link. I walk to the part where I saw the Zerg attack force, and see two Photon Cannons on fire--only with blue flames--and a large pool of blood around it. Since the flluid Dragoons float in is flourescent blue, and Zealots have yellow blood, I assume that it's all Zerg and there weren't any Protoss casualties. Good for them. They don't need to die...
Die...Tai...
---
I step out of someone's shower, dimly aware of what planet I'm on at the moment. the other person is behind me, and sees that I'm a little off- balance by, I think, a recent orgasm. He wraps his arms around my waist and walks me over to his bedroom, and sits me down on his bed. For whatever reason, he looks in his dresser. He freezes.
"What?" I ask.
He holds up an envelope with a label I can't see. He opens it, and reads aloud.
" 'Smile...you're on candid Camera. Kari.' What the hell?"
Did she tape us? is my first thought. "Does she have a camera, or camcorder, or something?"
"Yeah. Where would she put it?"
After getting dried and dressed again, we spend a good 15 minutes searching through the room Nothing. "Now this is starting to creep me out. She's apparently taped us, and we can't find the camcorder in question." I say.
Maybe she snuck in and took it out when we were in the shower." He says. "She's got a key to your room, doesn't she?"
"Yeah, but..." I remember the light. "Someone else might have seen us."
"What? How?"
"The keyhole. I saw the light from it disappear and then reappear. Someone else spied on us, or Kari filmed us somehow through there."
"That little--"
"Hey, I get first dibs. I'm ."
"Ok, I concede that. We've got to...I know. We beat her at her own game."
---
This is getting weirder. I'm starting to think that I'm the DigiDestined bicycle. Everyone's had a ride. I was probably Ok with it when I was 'normal', and when I regain more of my memories I'll probably feel that way again. But for the moment, I remember sleeping with 3 people, 2 of whom are girls. Out of the 6 memories, half of them were hot and heavy. And that's kind of disturbing.
I can't help but have a morbid curiosity for what's around the next corner. What the tiebreaker could be.
The Protoss have remade their base to almost its original size, and have upped the defenses a lot. They've got quite a lot of these white guys, made from 2 High Templar. They're called Archons.
If the same thing happens to Dark Templar, I think with a smirk, Will they make a Dark Archon?
---
"Yeah. We could maybe call for a Dimensional Recall, bring in a Dark Archon, and then Maelstrom ." Raynor says.
We're about at the same place we were fighting Nexar. Raynor's getting a plan together. I remember feeling a lot of apprehension.
"What's a Dark Archon?" Kari asks.
"Well, these Protoss beings, surrounded by Dark Energy, they're pretty elite. They have the ability to Maelstrom people-freeze any organic being. In otherwords, if 's not a robot, he'll be frozen. There's only one thing about the Dimensional Recall, though."
"And that is..." I say.
"It will require close to all the energy from 5 organisms, which means that the five of you will need to give up your energy to transport this thing. It'll knock the 5 of you out, but only for a minute. We can get Medics there fast to help you."
"And then we can destroy him...it...whatever." Mimi says.
"Exactly."
Ken and Yolei return. Yolei is out of breath. "I ran all the way there." She says between gasps.
"Ok. your D3 things, they can communicate with these?" Raynor asks.
"Yeah. Like in a chat room."
"Alright then."
Ken and Yolei DigiPort back. Izzy sets up the Laptop IM room.
---
Everything's kind of forming a jagged whole now. That little scene led up to the IM scene. I get it.
And I guess they do make Dark Archons.
The Protoss are getting ready to attack. I push the Loudspeaker button. "Good luck." I say.
Raynor looks up at me and salutes me. I salute back.
As they walk off into battle, I can't help but get the feeling that this could be the last time I see Raynor. The last time he fights for freedom.
I can't think like that. He'll survive. He has to.
The attack force goes out of sight. And it's impressive, to say the least. Pretty much everything you can think of, as well as Duke, Raynor, Zeratul and that Artanis guy in a Scout are going off to fight. It'd be a hell of a battle to watch.
Minutes pass. There's an infared scan of the area on one of the screens, and in the northeast edge of the reading there is one Zerg base. It is made up esentially of organs and skin, with the units defending it. Almost like a body. Only much bigger, and without definite shape. This particular base is quite large, and has a lot of units in it. Raynor and his forces are about 3/4 of the way there. Then the Zerg notice them and their attack force moves to intercept Raynor's. Then they collide, and the war begins. I can see Artanis dodging fire and moving to destroy as many of the Overlord Detectors as he can. To protect Zeratul, I suppose. Several Scourge are chasing him, and Artanis is doing his best to outrun them. He flies over Raynor, and he picks off about 5 of them. Only 2 are left to chase Artanis.
Artanis is passing over Dragoons now. They hit the rest of the Scourge and kill them.
Hydralisks--those snake things--are now the main attack force. There are about 40 of them, all attacking the Protoss. Several Zealots and Dragoons are dead already, but so are most of the Hydralisks. The Zerg attack force is dying out and Raynor's force is moving in to the base.
I feel like an announcer on CNN. "The war on Shakuras, brought to you by..."
Not that I'm endorsing war. I see the necessity of it, but not over petty squabbles or anything. But racial survival...that's different.
Raynor's forces are easily taking apart the base. It falls within minutes. Then Raynor and a few units head back to here. The rest start a base around the Temple.
There is another Zerg base in the southeast corner of the readout, and it's about the same structure. All we need is a couple more 'Goons and Zealots and we can take it with relative ease.
Neither Raynor nor I notice a bright, large splotch of white on the ground Raynor's walking on until it's too late.
---
He made it, but only barely. He passed over about 5 lurkers, and only realized it when he was in range of their attacks. A shuttle quickly airlifted him here, where he's receiving care. He's in extremely critical condition.
Kazansky is taking Raynor's place until he recovers. If he recovers. Meanwhile, we're getting another attack force ready. And this time, I'm coming with them, come Hell, High Water or Flashback.
It's kind of emotional. I've got a bodysuit on, just like in my memory with Nexar, and...I've got Raynor's Gauss Rifle.
He was barely concious when I saw him. He asked me if I was going out there. I replied yes, and he motioned to take his rifle. "A good...luck...charm." He said weakly. he hasn't opened his eyes since.
I'm sorry for the horrible cliché, but now it's personal.
It's also time. I'm walking alongside Kazansky, with a C-10 canister rifle much like mine when I was fighting Nexar, and Schezar, who is in a Goliath. Man, am I nervous.
We get halfway to the Zerg base when we see it. Mass amounts of Zerg are making their way here. Zerglings and Hydralisks Oh shit.
"Hold here!" Kazansky calls. "Firing position!"
We get into position. All the Dragoons are in the back line, all the zealots are in the front. Me, Kazansky, and Schezar are beside the Zealots. "READY!"
"Doom to all who threaten the homeworld!" The Zealots all said at the same time.
"That's why they're called Zealots." Kazansky said.
The Zerg got here with frightening speed. And we were waiting.
The Zealots protected the Dragoons from the Zerglings, because 'Goons don't do well against them. In turn, the 'Goons protected the Zealots from the Hydralisks.
I was picking off advancing Hydralisks with accuracy I didn't know I had. Clean headshots, all of them. I must have gotten 15, 20 kills at least.
I think I did a good job avenging Raynor already. And it's not over yet.
We advanced on the base. "Hold!" Kazansky said. "Forward, Observers."
The Observers move forward, and then display a holographic image of Lurkers waiting for us. eight Dragoons hit them with Disruptor blasts and kill them, and then we moved on to the base itself, where more units were waiting for us. After decimating the base, we headed home.
How was it? A part of me was completely mortified by all the death around me, but another was glad. It wanted to join in the hunt.
One taste of war goes straight to one's head, in other words.
When we got back, nothing had changed. Raynor was still out. I went in to his room to give him back his rifle. I quietly put it down, with the safety on, beside him on a chair. Then I turned to leave. "I did you proud, Raynor." I said quietly as I walked out.
---
By the way, I had failed to mention what had happened to the Hyperion II. It was able to move to the new base during the attack. People have been working literally around the clock to complete it. It's almost ready.
And now I'm wondering where the next DigiDestined will show up. And who, for that matter. Will they send Matt again? Tai?
I've got bigger fish to fry at the moment.
It's about a month after we retook the Xel'Naga temple. I've been training a lot, because I'm going to be going on a mission. The mission.
I'm going to go kill Kerrigan.
We've been building our army. We figured out exactly why the UED, the Protoss, led by Artanis, and Mengsk's army lost to one brood. And that was because A, they bothered to announce their arrival, and B, they all relied on each other to wear down the forces so the rest could go in and decimate the base. Nobody attacked Kerrigan with any real threat, so Kerrigan kept expanding and then crushed everyone. They had a chance, but blew it right at the start.
So we're going to go in under cloak, and strike hard and fast. Kerrigan will know what hit her, but she'll be working hard to keep up. And that's where I come in.
I am the one who has been selected to slip in and kill Kerrigan herself. With loads of backup, of course. Nobody wanted to except Raynor, and he's still healing. So I'm it.
I'm in my quarters, with Raynor, on the Hyperion II. He's recovered quite a bit. His right shoulder is the one major injury he has left, so his arm's in a sling. He's talking to me about the mission. "You're probably going to be a little out of place with the rest of your squad being ghosts."
"Ghosts? I guess they're high up on the tech tree. What are they?"
"They're light infantry, with C-10 Canister Rifles, much like yours when you were battling Nexar."
---
"Yes, Raynor. I shall make a mockery of you, then...delete your friends."
I'm in Stasis again. Raynor is talking with this guy, dressed in all white. I distinctly remember hoping like hell for Raynor's survival. I guess he's evil or something.
I think this is one of those times where an egomaniac bad guy is making one of his speeches before he gets his ass kicked by the good guy.
"But, just to make sure there's no more interruptions..." He fired a single shot at the Dark Archon that was standing beside the crates. It exploded. "Now...where were we?"
"Medic!" Raynor says.
"you're hurt?"
"Not exactly. Look."
The Ghost, I'm assuming, looked past us. "They're out cold...They fainted?" He says.
"Not good at this, are you? What, your psychic energy drained?"
"This is a digital universe, genius! I can't use telepathy on a computer program!"
"Oh. Well, then, don't look behind you."
He does. Something round is casting a shadow on the ground. Raynor pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Magellan! Now!"
The round thing shoots a grayish missle at Duran. It hits him and a wave of energy moves outward from him. "you EMP'ed me!"
"Yeah. Just so you can't Lock Down anything else."
"So what?"
"And your shields are gone."
"How the hell do you know about my shields?!"
That's a good question, I think.
"Let's see. you're not what you seem. We know that. So we assumed you had something useful. Like shields. Like mech equipment. So EMP quickly takes care of all that good stuff."
"I've still got my Canister Rifle."
"And I've still got tricks up my sleeve."
"Like what?"
"Like don't look behind you again."
The Ghost turns around. Raynor presses a button on his shoulder, then lets loose with the bullets. After a long while of just shooting into this guy, non-stop, he walks up to his lifeless body, which had morphed into this weird robot guy with wings. "Fooled you once, shame on me. Fooled you twice...tsk, tsk...shame on you."
---
I wake up again, still in my quarters. I'm on the bed, and Raynor's in a chair beside it. "You're awake." He says.
"I'm awake. Sorry about that."
"Let me guess. Duran."
"Yeah."
"The Ghost thing. I understand."
Then it hits me. I remember. Not just Duran... "I remember it all now."
"The battle, you mean?"
"No, I mean it all.I can remember everyone I used to know. There are no missing gaps anymore."
"Well, congratulations! I hope you don't hit your head too hard in the near future."
"Thanks, I think. Anyway, you were saying?"
"I was going to say that you'd be out of place because the rest of your squad are Ghosts, and because of a little present I had made for you." Raynor pulls out his walkie-talkie. "Bring it in."
An ensign brings out a bright orange bodysuit and Gauss Rifle. "Oh my...Raynor, I don't know what to say."
"I thought you might. Look, Sora, I'm not sure what's going to happen out there. All I want you to do is come back. For the DigiDestined, and--- and for me."
I smile. "I'll do my best."
"Can't ask more than that. And by the way, we've been deciding on an anthem for our army. I've always been a big fan of late 20th and early 21st century music, but I can't really decide on a couple of songs I really like. Think you could help?"
"Sure, I guess. If I can remember them."
"Well, the first would be the remixed version of Linkin Park's Points Of Athority."
"Oh, that one. That was always a favorite of mine."
"Then there'd be Papa Roach's Code Of Energy."
"Seems fitting for an army."
"And Sevendust's Praise."
"...I don't know that one."
"I'm not surprised. They're not all that famous. Here, I've got the song in the computer's archive. Computer, play Sevendust's Praise."
The song plays through. "It's pretty good too. I can see why you have trouble picking an anthem."
"Yeah. What one would you pick?"
"I'd probably go with Pts.Of.Athrty."
"That's what I was kind of leaning towards, too."
---
I'm nervous. Raynor's nervous. The redshirted ensign at the comm panel is nervous. Everyone is fully expecting to go in there, and die, but only after killing mass amounts of Zerg.
I sympathize. I'm not immune to the disease anymore. I've got it with the rest of them.
Looking back, remembering everything conciously, I was right. I was the DigiDestined bicycle. Unless my own mind is lying to me, I've slept with Mimi, Matt, Tai, Kari, and Takeru, or TK as he likes to be known. He'll only let 2 people call him Takeru, and that's his two true loves, me and Kari.
I haven't heard from the DigiDestined in a while. Since we retook the temple, nobody's come to see if I'm alright. I'll be glad when I get back and can tell them the harrowing tale of how I defeated Kerrigan. She might be the queen of blades, but right now I'm the queen of the Gauss Rifle.
Clash of the Titans. Irresistable Force VS. Immovable Object.
"You ready?" Raynor asks me.
"I'm ready. You ready?" I reply.
"I've been waiting five years for this moment."
I go to Shuttle Bay Four, where the rest of my group is waiting. Raynor was right. I do feel kind of out-of-place. "Alright, men. And women." Kazansky begins, nodding in my direction. "You're about to go down to the surface of Kerrigan's Orbital Station. Come back alive. That's all."
He turns and walks off. That was, in my opinion, far better than any patriotic speech I could think up.
We load up into the Dropship and then deploy into space.
---
"Go, go, go!!!"
We deploy with precision and go to work attacking everything Zerg we come across. My job is to take out any Mutalisks that appear. So far, there haven't been many. And of the ones that I've seen, I'm pretty sure they didn't see me. Not until it was too late, anyway.
Then I see it. A wave of mutalisks heading this way. I flash a sadistic smile and aim carefully.
Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Popopopopopopopopopopopopopopopop.
5 perfect headshots. Or whatever it is they call what houses their brain. Then the mutas went into kind of a cloud, and I let loose. No aim necessary. All of them fell.
"Advance! Keep it moving!"
The Ghosts and I went in a straight line forward, to the Hive that has Kerrigan in it.
Hydralisks are charging us right now. Like shooting snakes in a basket.
After they fall, we get to the heavy-duty stuff. Guardians, Defilers, Lurkers, Ultralisks, Devourers, Scourge, Infested Terran. We wait for backup. Namely, a huge Wraith/Valkyrie squadron led by Kazansky, and a large machine attack force led by Duke in his Dragoon shell and Schezar in his Goliath. Like peas in a pod, those two. Hell, if you think about it, Goliaths and Dragoons don't even look all that different.
Wonder how much Goons can carry.
---
They arrive. The real battle begins.
The Wraiths and Valkyries took the air. The Siege tanks took the ground. All we had to do was not get in the way. Then we were to take the hive.
Of course, we had to get through Kerrigan first.
She walked out from the hive, and laughed. "You think you've won?" She says. "You've just started."
She throws out Psionic Storms that hit almost everyone. Me, three of the ghosts, Duke, Kazansky, and Schezar were the only ones left alive. "Oh, I missed some. Come on. Bring it."
"Gladly. After Duran, you'll be a breeze." I say.
"You got Duran? I have to commend you, I did wonder where the little shit went off to."
"Raynor killed him, actually. I'm his prodigy, of sorts."
"Then it's time. Go."
I let loose with the bullets. Part of me thinks back to Duran, and how this was how he died. Of course, just being a Ghost, he was a lot easier to kill then the controller of an entire race.
Kerrigan charges me, claws out and at the last second I dodge and keep firing. Kazansky is moving around and shooting at her as well. Schezar and Duke don't want to try hitting her, because they could hit me.
I shoot her right through the heart--if she has one--and stop her in her tracks. "Grrr...you're good. Very good. But I'm better."
She charges again. This time I do nothing, and she tries to catch me going to the right. I just shoot her as she passes.
15 headshots in a row. She's on one knee, and breathing heavily. I'm continuing to shoot her.
Then a horrible shriek fills the air. "Hear that?" Kerrigan asks breathlessly. "That's the sound of 30,000 scourge coming in on this position. I'm going to die, but this orbital station's going down with me."
"So..." I say, facing Schezar and Duke. "Let's go."
A Shuttle flies by and picks up me, Duke and Schezar, and then we speed off. I can imagine the horror on Kerrigan's face when she realized she killed herself.
And out of the port window, I can see about 30,000 scourge slam into the station and blow it up.
...Oh shit.
There are 5 of them coming right for us.
We're guarded by Archon shields and NeoSteel Battlecruiser armour, but I'm still worried.
"BRACE FOR IMPACT!"
---
I wake up on a bed, I think. I'm in a hospital or something, though I can't see. "Hey, you're awake. Don't try to get up, you suffered a lot of injuries."
"I did?"
"Yeah. Sorry that you can't see, there was a lot of damage to your eyes. They should be Ok. In case you don't recognize my voice, I'm Raynor."
"Oh...thanks, Raynor. One question."
"Shoot."
"Who am I?"
---
The End.
Hell yeah.
I've gotta make more fics like this. Writing from an amnesiac's P.O.V. is so fun. Of course, trying to make it so it doesn't sound contrived is another matter.
What do you think? Yamato Gun III? See the aftermath of the victory? the effect the experience had on Sora? And how the rest of the DigiDestined will react? ...Man, this sounds like a plug for some new drama series. Never mind. I'll do what I want. A little emailing in the direction you want might help, though...
And if you've read my very short PWP songfic You Live What You Learn, you'll notice I avenge it in this fic. By the way, my knowledge of good Army anthems is a little bit limited. Any suggestions for more options?
RynØr