Author's Note: Hey everybody, thanks for reading this new chapter of "Bound." Anyway, Shion's brother, Jin, finally makes an appearance in this chapter. There wasn't anything to edit in this chapter, so both the ff.net and shoujo-ai.com versions of this chapter are exactly the same. Oh, and one more thing, if I get at least 25 positive reviews once this story's done, I'll create one more fic for Xenosaga titled "Mother" (I'll include the reviews I get via e-mail too, so the ones at ff.net aren't the only ones that count). I'll give a few details about it later, but for now, let's get back to "Bound," but just a little warning first, this chapter is slow, and I mean slow, so bear with it since it's necessary to understand the plot later on. I swear, the next chapter will be so much better than this one.
Chapter 4: The Past and The Present
Black, the never-ending shadow, it still looms before my vision. I don't know how long I've been staring into this eternal abyss, not that it matters. The Archetype, I swear I can still hear her, feel her, taste her. Oh God, why must my thoughts continue to replay the scene again and again. She was so rough, so sadistic, mocking my very existence as she ravished me. She did such a cruel thing to me in the act of pleasure, yet she claimed that she felt nothing. I know that she will try the same actions again, try again and again until she's satisfied. Dirty, I feel so dirty because of what she did...
"KOS-MOS...," a voice I heard not too long ago begins to echo in my ear. "KOS-MOS..."
The darkness begins to peel away from my eyes, replacing the background with a shade of white. Objects begin taking shape within the blank scenery, forming into buildings, plants, and other forms of civilization. Various colors begin to paint the bare canvas, and soon I find myself in what looks like a city, in the center of a park to be exact. I begin to survey the surrounding area so that I could get an idea of my current location but my eyes linger toward my hands instead. The clothing I'm wearing, it's not what I was wearing back there, and my skin, why is most of it bared. My eyes are covered by some sort of metallic device as well, one not too different from the one I wore before I was activated, but this one I'm currently wearing only seems to cover my eyes and is separate from my visor. My visor, how is this possible, it was blown off when I saved the Elsa, how...?
"KOS-MOS," my name is called once more, breaking my concentration on myself.
I turn around to find what is a playground, with swings and slides planted atop a pit of sand. The playground is empty, however, or so I think at first until I find an individual sitting on the edge of the slide. Navy blue hair and the uniform of Vector, it is that same man that Shion was speaking with before the Archetype appeared. The man begins to push himself to his feet and begins to approach me with a smile plastered over his face. I do not feel scared for some reason as he approaches me, instead, I feel relaxed. This man, the more I look at him, the more I feel as if I've known him from before, a long time ago.
"Hello Kevin," I suddenly speak.
Kevin, that was the name of Shion's fiancé who died two years ago during the incident with the first archetype. What is he doing here and why does he act so friendly toward me?
"I'm sorry to have woken you up," he apologizes.
"It is understandable," I tell him, again without my input. "Do you wish to more battle simulations?"
"No, that's not why I woke you up," he answers, "rather, I have a more important reason for doing so."
This world I'm in, I finally realize that this is an Encephalon, but it's not my Encephalon, or is it? This scenery, it looks so... familiar...
"May I ask what reason you have for awakening me then?" my voice speaks again.
"In a few months we're going to have to wake you up in the real world," he informs me. "When you awaken, it may be a time of much bloodshed, however...," he begins to pause.
"However, sir?"
"They say that soldiers are merely machines of war," he continues, "and KOS-MOS, I know you're a machine, but Shion and I don't want you to be just another mechanical device."
"What do you mean, Kevin?" my voice asks.
"Well, KOS-MOS, to tell you the truth, I see you as more than just another robot, more like... I'm not sure how to phrase this...," his words begin to fumble.
"I must apologize, the algorithms I have been programmed cannot begin to comprehend your illogical human thought," I inform the man.
"You see, KOS-MOS, that's the thing," Kevin interrupts. "I don't just want you to think of numbers and things like that, I want you to think about other people's feelings, their experiences, things like that."
"And how am I to do so?"
"Well, like what any loving parent would do for their child, I will teach you."
"I appreciate your offer, sir."
The scenery begins to peel away from my eyes after I say those words. The trees, the buildings, even Kevin, everything strips itself from my sight. I am left with nothing but the color white this time but even that shortly fades. A mere second passes and another scene begins to appear. Again, everything is colored in blank, but upon closer inspection, I find a small bump. More bumps begin to appear and my eyes begin to focus.
"Uh...?" my arm finally begins to move with my own free will.
The feel of cotton lies on top of my body in the form of a blanket as I lie on what seems to be a bed. The sound of chirping begins to enter my ears and a light begins to enter my vision from an angle. My body feels heavy but I am somehow able to push the top half of my body upward. My eyes then linger to my hands and the sheets covering me. My body begins to grow light again and I am able to move my arms more easily now. For some reason though, the pain is gone; not a single part of my body feels numb. I bring arms to chest for a moment, slightly pushing my fingers against its skin, inspecting every inch of the milk-colored hue. I look underneath the covers to observe my abdomen and legs to find not a scratch nor cut. There are no injuries whatsoever on my body, nor are there any signs that there were. The situation makes no sense, I swear I felt the Archetype doing all those things to me and...
Something's wrong! My scanners don't seem to be working, my eyes can't even magnify anything, and I can't even get my basic statistics screen to appear. I can't seem to look into my OS as I usually could, nothing seems to be working properly. I shouldn't even be conscious either, my energy reserves should've ran out shortly after I jumped off the Elsa. Why am I still functioning despite all these errors?
Before I could ponder on this any further, I begin to survey my surroundings once more but staying in the safety of my bed as I do so. I look in front of me to find a desk cluttered with various electronic items such as a simple stereo system and a small electric fan. To the left of the stereo is a small CD rack with seven discs laid out on the top and fourteen cases in the rack itself. A small mirror rests next to the fan and several hair ornaments lie at its base. A few inches above the desk is a window that has a few flowers planted on its bay, mostly sunflowers and a single bellflower in the center. I turn to my left to find another shelf next to the bed that has only a lamp on its surface. On the right side of the room is what appears to be a closet which has several plush toys in front of it in the forms of bears and the U.M.N. rabbit. The inside of the closet has numerous shirts and dresses within, some rather gaudy and others well sewn. Two chests line the floor of the closet with some socks and gloves sticking out of the gap of the cover.
"Where am I?" I ask myself after surveying the area.
The rapping against wood follows after my question as it echoes from the very left side of the room where the exit lays. The door begins to swing open and I bring the bed's sheets closer toward my body. On the other side of the device is a man I had never seen before, carrying a tray with a bowl of some sort of steaming liquid.
"Oh, you're awake I see," the man gently smiles as he begins to approach me.
I begin to lower my guard as he sets the tray of soup next to me and I begin to observe him closer. His long hair is dark, as black as ash, and he ties most of it back, although some hangs in front of his face which can cover his cheeks. His eyes are somewhat narrow, but the pupils within have a sky blue hue. The outline of his face is neither sharp or round, nor are there any wrinkles on it. His lips are somewhat chapped, and the palms of his hands blistered, I can guess that the man must've been working on something outside beforehand. He wears a strange uniform, similar to a black bath robe, but the material is much thicker and the sleeves are rather baggy and sagging.
"How are you feeling?" he asks again.
I decide not to answer, instead turning my head away from him. I choose to keep silent so I can observe the individual further. I wait for him to say something again so that I can listen for any malice or hostility in his voice.
"...all right, maybe it's not the appropriate time to ask that," he speaks once more.
His voice is gentle and soothing. He sounds rather wise for a man his age, although there is a feel of mischief behind it, kind of like a child's voice. I feel more relaxed in his presence for some reason. His aura is similar to Shion's, but it's a little different.
"I found you last night at the beach," the man informs me, "you were soaking wet and unconscious, I'm glad to see that you're okay now."
"...where are my clothes?" I decide to finally speak.
"Oh, your dress, it's drying outside right now," the man answers, "it should be dried now, but in the meantime, I guess you can borrow some of my sister's clothes, she hasn't come home in a while so I don't think there will be any problems."
"Why's that?" I ask. "Did your sister go on a trip?"
"No," he answers. "She actually got a big job somewhere and moved to her new occupation's living quarters. She was actually supposed to come home when she got some time off, but I haven't gotten word from her in a while."
"I see."
"By the way, my name is Jin," the man introduces himself, "Jin Uzuki. May I ask yours?"
Uzuki?! The same family name as Shion?! Could this man be the brother she spoke of numerous times during our trip here?
"You're Shion's older brother?" I ask calmly.
"You know my sister?!" the man says shocked. "Tell me, Miss, do you know what happened to her?! I've been worried sick ever since I heard the ship she was on was attacked by the Gnosis and..."
"Your sister is fine," I assure him. "She and one of her co-workers were able to escape thanks to a passing cargo vessel. That vessel has just recently arrived on this planet, so do not worry, you will see your sister soon."
"Well that's a relief," Jin sighs. "So then, can I ask you your name now?"
"I am an anti-Gnosis weapon," I introduce myself, "serial number 00-00-00-1. Development name, KP-X, abbreviated name, KOS-MOS."
As soon as I introduce myself, Jin bursts into laughter. I sit there patiently as I wait for his chuckling to subside, but as soon as his cries begin to die down, his laughs grow louder than they were before. After what seems like an eternity of listening to the imitation hyena cries, the laughing comes to a stop.
"That was great," he says as he gets the remaining chuckles out of his system. "But seriously, what's your name?" he asks again.
"I just told you," I answer, "I am an anti..."
"It's okay," Jin interrupts, "we just met and you're probably not comfortable giving me your real name, right?"
"But I..." I try to explain.
"Okay then, I'll just call you 'KOS-MOS' then, or would you prefer 'KP-X?'" he says with a slight hint of laughter in his voice.
"I was not jesting," I inform Jin, "Shion named me 'KOS-MOS.'"
"Shion named you?" he asks with a hint of interest in his voice. "May I ask what exactly is your relationship with my sister?"
Should I tell him about our relationship? Shion said she wanted to gradually introduce it to the others the day after we admitted our true feelings for one another, but then again, I told the young realian back on the Elsa the truth behind Shion's and my relationship, so I guess it's okay seeing how this young man is her older brother.
"Shion made me," I answer. "She programmed me and taught me many things."
"Excuse me?" Jin asks again, his face looking somewhat puzzled.
"She is my lover," I continue, "without her guidance and patience, I would probably not be who I am today."
"I see...," Jin says somewhat uneasily. "Well, I have some errands to run, so go ahead and the soup I gave you," his smile returns once more. "It's not that great, but you have to keep your health up, right? Oh, and feel free to take a shower, the bathroom's at the end of the hallway on the right side. You can watch some TV too if you want downstairs, but be careful of the mess."
"I appreciate your offer, but I never needed food to refill my energy reserves," I inform him.
Just as I say those words, a small grumble escapes my stomach and a dull feeling crawls up my abdomen. The very sound of the grumble allows another burst of laughter to escape Jin's throat, but this time, his cries come to close much sooner.
"You're hilarious, Miss KOS-MOS," he says as he catches his breath.
"But Shion never gave me food or drinks before," I explain, "she said I didn't need anything like that when she programmed me."
"Um... all right...," Jin says with a puzzled look on his face, "but you should probably eat it if you want that grumbling in your stomach to stop. Well then, I'll be going now."
Jin begins to leave the room at that moment and I believe I could hear a few more words faintly escaping his mouth in a rather serious tone.
"Poor girl," I barely hear him speak, "she hasn't had any food or anything since she met Shion. I wonder what my sister did to her exactly to make her like this."
"Excuse me?" I decide to interrupt him before he leaves the door.
"It's nothing," he assures me. "See you later," he says before he exits the room.
I wait for a moment before I get out of bed, waiting for Jin to leave the house. I begin to inspect the rest of my body now, and again, there is nothing but the color white on my skin. There really are no signs of any scratches or cuts anywhere on my body. My gaze then turns to the mirror across from me so that I may inspect my own face of any blemishes. Again, there are none, although something is odd. My eyes, they're no longer their normal crimson shade but a sky blue hue. I decide to simply ignore the new color, it's probably just a side effect of not being able to access my usual functions. I should probably have Shion check up on me when she arrives. Wait, I can't do that, what if I were to attack Shion and the others again? I can't allow her to find me, and this is just the perfect place for her to do so. The Archetype would take over my body again and then... No, the Archetype probably doesn't exist, she must be a figment of my malfunctioning, why else don't I have any scars or blemishes on my body. Still, I can't help but worry about what would happen if I were to see Shion again.
My stomach begins to grumble once more and the pain that followed it before crunches against my stomach again. I look to the tray set next to my bed once again and take the utensil swimming inside the bowl into my hand. The liquid inside is a translucent shade of red which has several types of vegetables swimming within its barriers, along with a few pieces of beef. I dip the spoon into the liquid for a moment, allowing a small pool to collect within the dip of the mechanism and then bringing it to my mouth afterward. The liquid burns my tongue for a mere second but allow it to slip into my throat. I was unable to get a full taste of the soup, but it was rather bitter from what I could fathom. Regardless, it helped ease the grumbling in my stomach so I took another spoonful into my mouth, followed by a third. I continue to drink the soup until all the liquid is gone from the dish which is when the grumbling and pain finally subside. With my meal now finished, a small gust of air escapes my mouth with the aroma of the meal I had just consumed.
"Excuse me," I say as I bring my fingers toward my lips.
The situation doesn't make any sense, I never had my abdomen grumble nor feel pain for no reason before, so why did I just feel it a while ago? And food, I never needed such a thing before, yet it was what eased what I think was hunger. This doesn't make sense, perhaps I should take up Jin's offer to take a shower, Shion always said that helped her clear her head.
I begin to search through some of the drawers for some clothing, finding several articles that would probably fit me best: a pair of denim blue jeans that seem to hug my hips and a brown leather belt with a brass buckle to go with it to prevent the pants from falling to the floor, a dull yellow t-shirt that's cut a little above the belly, a pair of socks, and some undergarments.
After getting a uniform ready, I leave the room and begin to walk down the right side of the hall. Numerous paintings are found along the hallway's walls, but I take little time to look at them. There is another door that is somewhat across from Shion's room, it's about five steps away. I take a small peek inside the door's crease to find a rather messy version of Shion's room with numerous pieces of clothing and papers strewn across the floor and shelves. Scrolls written in Japanese kanji are also hung on the dulled walls along with what looks like a sword. Numerous scratches and cuts have been randomly slashed on the walls, all of them seem to have been accidental. The bed hasn't been made either; the sheets hang off one side of the bed unevenly. The aroma of human sweat is also abundant within so I close the door so that I may prevent the smell from reaching my nose any further.
"That's probably Jin's room," I conclude.
With a shrug I continue on my way to the bathroom. The room is small, there's only enough space to hold the bathtub, toilet, and a counter with a sink. The aroma of bellflowers is very apparent in the room; the smell seems to be coming from an air-freshening device plugged into a power outlet on the right side of the counter. With a sigh, I place my clothes on the left side of the sink and step into the tub, pulling the curtain so that hides my body from the outside. I'm surprised to find very little calcium or rust within the tiles in the bath tub, nor are there any water stains on the showerhead itself. I begin to turn the knobs of the water and my head is greeted with a cold splash. I wince my body away for a moment and begin to turn the knob to the left of it allowing the water to grow warmer. Steam begins to emit with the flow of the shower and I begin to settle in the falls. My muscles begin to relax with every drop that touches my skin as I indulge in the warmth of the bath. My fingers begin to run through my cerulean hair so that my scalp can experience the shower and my body begins to settle even more.
"You shouldn't push yourself too hard, KOS-MOS," I recall my lover saying once.
"If I had not pushed myself as hard as I did back there, there would have been a 45.999999% that...," I tried to respond only to be silenced with the push of Shion's finger against my lips.
"You don't have to speak right now," Shion told me, "baths are supposed to be times when you can unwind. Can you turn around, please?"
"I do not understand," I remembering responding as I turned my head back to the front, "is this another emotion humans go through?"
"Something like that," she answered as she brushed the sponge against my shoulder. "Raise your arm, please," she ordered.
The brush of the sponge made my body inch forward a little but drew me back with a small tug. Every inch she scrubbed always made my body jerk a little, but not once did it ever make me wince in pain. It was very comfortable actually, even though it was not her actual hands that were touching me. I noticed that after every fifth or sixth scrub, she would always place the device into the pool, her hand squeezing the excess water as soon as she took it out. Shion would then go right back to work, returning to the spot she last left, but there was something else I noticed back then.
"Is something the matter?" I would always ask her at this time.
"It...it's nothing," she would always respond.
That's what she always said whenever she had to clean the front of my body. She would never turn my entire body around, she would always have me face forward and would slowly bring the sponge to the front of my body, brushing it against my skin a little more roughly. I didn't know the reason why she did this, I simple stared at the tub's pool below me and allowed her to do her job.
After reminiscing for a mere second, I sigh and close my eyes once more.
"I still do not understand," my voice suddenly speaks on its own.
The scenery before me has changed suddenly as I find myself in a strange place. Numerous vending machines are displayed to the side of my current local, but the rest of the scenery seems to be made of oak. Again, I realize that I am in my Encephalon, but this time it is in the form of a bathhouse. My clothing is not my usual attire as well, it is the same one I was wearing in my previous dream. Along with the gloves on my hands, I am holding a bowl-like device with toiletries such as shampoo, soap, and a towel and in front of my eyes is the young man I had just seen a moment ago in the dream I had not too long ago.
"KOS-MOS, you can't go to the same bath as me," Kevin lectures.
"I do not understand the situation," I respond. "Is this another human emotion?"
"Something like that," he answers with his cheeks showing a slight shade of red. "Let's just say in situations like this men stay with men while women stay with women."
"Why is that?" I ask.
"How can I put this...?" the man asks himself. "I guess the best way to put it is that most people are more comfortable around people who are the same gender as they are."
"But I'm already comfortable around you, unless you're not comfortable around me."
"It's not that, it's just that, well..., it's just a policy everyone has to obey."
"All right," I nod, "I think I understand the situation now."
I open my eyes after that last image and find myself once again in the shower of the Uzuki Residence. The signs of the bathhouse are nowhere to be found now, nor is the presence of Kevin.
"That man again...," I think to myself.
With my bath now I done, I turn the knobs of the bath back to their original position and slowly the water is cut off from the showerhead. I pull the shower curtain back and reach for the towel set on top of the sets of clothing I chose. The towel takes little time in absorbing every drop of the shower, although my hair is left somewhat damp. I decide not to bother trying to fully dry it off and instead change into my attire.
After getting changed, I decide to head downstairs to watch some TV just as Jin suggested. When I arrive downstairs, I find a very familiar scene. I can barely see the blank-colored floor tiles, the entire surface is cluttered with paper. The surface of shelves, counters, tables, and the TV are cluttered with books and other stationary items such as pencils and rulers. Dust has collected on top of many of these books and cobwebs have found their way to the ceiling fan and the walls of the house. The couch is also cluttered with books and paper, as well as what looks like cuts made by some sort of blade. Empty dishes have cluttered the downstairs sink as well as the kitchen counter. The smell of rotting food is also apparent upon stepping closer to the sink, as well as the sight of ants and other small insects.
"This is worse than Jin's room," I think to myself.
Disgusted by this image, I return to the living room area and push a few books off the couch so that I may sit. I find the TV remote before my feet on the floor and press the power button as soon as I pick it up. The TV displays the image of a man and woman sitting in what looks like a restaurant.
"If Alex finds out about this, do you know how much trouble we'll be in?" the man asks the woman.
"He'll never find out," the woman brushes off the man, "my husband is so busy with work he never has time for me, besides, I only married him for the money after all."
"That is true," the man on the television agrees.
The low-caliber acting of this program makes my eyes heavy. Soap operas, I think that's what Shion called them, I don't see why people enjoying watching things like this. My eyes begin to blink more heavily, each blink leaving me in darkness a second longer than the last. My vision continues to switch between the color black and the image of the forbidden couple conversing between one another. I don't know how long I begin to doze, but before I know it, I find myself staring in a similar setting, just that Kevin is the man sitting on one side of the table and I am the woman on the other.
"What are we doing here, Kevin?" my voice asks the man. "My systems do not require food for nourishment."
"KOS-MOS, eating is only one reason people go to restaurants," Kevin explains, "they also go to places such as this to get more acquainted with one another."
"I see," my body nods without my input, "so then it is also a social activity?"
"Yeah, that's one way to put it."
"Ugh!" I find the image of the television screen before me again.
Another system error, the program on the television may have triggered something in my OS. I point the remote to the monitor once more and change the channel. The image of a man dressed entirely in white with a strange hat now appears on the television. He stands in front of a counter with a slab of meat on it, and behind him are shelves, another counter, and a sink. The screen then switches to a close up of the meat and sprinkles of salt and pepper begin to rain on the beef. I begin to lose consciousness once more, and when I open my eyes after my last blink, the setting has once again changed.
"Cooking is another way to start a social activity," the man from my previous dreams appears once more. "You can't always go to a restaurant to eat."
"Does cooking one's meal yourself make it taste better?" I ask as Kevin sprinkles some herbs into a tomato sauce.
"Something like that," Kevin answers, "actually, cooking can symbolize that you're putting your heart and soul into something just to make whoever you're serving happy."
"...I think I understand."
"Again?!" my eyes find themselves looking at the television once more.
Without wasting another second, I change the channel once more, this time stopping it on some sort of nature show. The scenery within the monitor is that of a beach with waves slowly crashing onto the shore and gulls flying over the azure water. Again I find myself in another world upon changing the channel with the same man at my side.
"Kevin, what is the meaning of this?" my body asks. "Why are we simply sitting here in the sand? Is this another social activity humans do?"
"You're catching on, KOS-MOS, I'm glad," Kevin smiles.
"I think I'm beginning to understand now," my gaze returns to the ocean.
"That's good. When two people simply stand somewhere and admire the scenery, it often reflects their deepest thoughts and feelings," he lectures.
"Thoughts and feelings?" his words leave me puzzled.
"Like how one might feel for another person," Kevin explains. "It could be concern or pity, and in some cases, love."
"Love? What is love?"
"I'm not sure how to answer that to be honest," Kevin replies with a scratch to his head. "Let's just say it makes you feel things you wouldn't normally feel. Love is a word that doesn't really have a definition, KOS-MOS, the only way you'll know what it is is when you feel it yourself."
"Kevin...," my lips begin to curl.
"What..." my finger pushes on the remote once more.
"Are you enjoying our time together, KOS-MOS?" his face appears again upon changing the channel.
"Yes," my voice calls.
"is..."
"I should give you a name," his voice echoes once more.
"My name does not suit me?" my own words respond.
"What is..."
"No KOS-MOS, that's not what I meant!" his voice yells for once.
"You mean you don't...?" my sentence breaks.
"Of course not! You're a machine, and she's real, there's no way you and I could possibly..."
"So you don't...? Then what was the point in teaching me all of these things?!" my body cries.
"I don't even know," he says frustrated, "perhaps it was wrong for me to even teach you these things."
"WHAT IS ALL OF THIS?!?!?!"
I bring my fist against the remote and the television screen goes black. My body lurches forward until my knees catch my fall and my palms push against my eyes. Tears begin to crawl down my cheeks suddenly and more whimpers escape my lips. Pain, that expression I never want to feel again, why does it appear once more? I'm crying, but why am I crying? What are all of these images, why are they haunting me? None of this can simply be an OS malfunction, this seems to be something deeper.
The darkness before my eyes begins to peel away once more, fog rolling into my eyes and gradually subsiding. The color gray is the first thing I see when the clouds disperse; it is the ceiling of some sort of laboratory I am staring at.
"KOS-MOS!" I suddenly hear a familiar scream.
"Shion?" I try to call but my lips refuse to move.
My body begins to rise from my service module suddenly, moving on its own accord once more, this time in a way that is not natural. My head begins twisting toward the left, stopping at a forty-five degree angle before continuing to turn once more. I am able to capture the vision of numerous individuals, some kneeling against the ground and others standing with guns in their hands. The turning has allowed me to see everyone in the room, all of them either Vector Employees or U-TIC Organization soldiers.
My head finally stops before the U-TIC soldier standing closest to me and without warning it jumps forward. The soldier crashes to the floor in an instant and my arm raises for a moment and my fingers ball into a fist. My arm falls forward in a quick thrust, smashing my hand through the soldier's mask and through his skull. A red ooze escapes the newly formed crater in the bone, a majority of that substance sticking to my hand is I slowly remove it from the corpse.
My head then quickly turns to the next closest person, this one a woman in a Vector uniform. My limbs begin to press my body against the floor and I find myself suddenly crawling toward the woman. She slowly begins to inch away, her arms waving slowly before her and her heading shaking. Translucent tears run down her cheeks rapidly and she mouths words that ask for mercy or pity, but my body simply ignores these silent pleas and launches itself forward once more. This time my hands are the ones that take the lead and my fingers tear through her abdomen with ease. Another burst of crimson escapes the holes in this victim, the geyser spraying more violently as I push my hands in opposite directions. The woman's cries grow louder and louder with every inch my fingers travel, her screams coming to a climax and suddenly dying after I find my fingers free and her body now torn in half.
Bullets begin escaping the guns held by the U-TIC soldiers, each of the projectiles ricocheting off my skin upon impact. I stand once more and approach the closest soldier, striking my hand against the gun and bringing my knee to his gut. The soldier lurches forward and my fingers quickly latch onto his neck. His neck slowly begins to compress with the pressure I exert on it, stopping when a loud snap echoes above the sound of bullets.
The noise and projectiles from the guns comes to a halt after and everyone within the vicinity begins to flee. My head begins to turn to the direction where the occupants are escaping and my legs begin walking in that direction as if my body wanted to enjoy taking its time to kill each of them slowly. One of the occupants falls to the floor suddenly and my lips curl as the person turn to face me.
"Shion!" I realize the moment I see her face.
She looks up at me and her eyes suddenly widen. Her arms and legs begins to push her body backward until her back meets with the wall. She holds a hand in front of her and begins to beg for mercy. I try to move my body elsewhere, try to command it to do something else, but it ignores my commands. My fingers curl into fists once more as I now stand before her and my arms begin to push forward. Before my hand could meet with her, a figure suddenly jumps in the way and takes the blow. His body jolts back with the first punch, pushing further back with the second. Angered by this man's persistence, my right hand's finger's straighten and push through the man's chest. His blood drips onto my fingers in drips at first but gushes the moment I push them further. The same liquid begins to escape his mouth at that moment as his body leans closer toward my own. Again my body grows furious and pushes my fingers further and more blood escapes his wounds and mouth. My fingers eventually meet with the air again and my body pushes the corpse away with my left hand, stopping before it can act once again as it stares into the face of its latest victim.
'Kevin?!' it thinks to itself in shock.
The man's face no longer displays his usual smile, nor does his voice assure me but instead escapes his mouth in small gasps. My lover then rushes to his side and takes his hand into hers. Her eyes begin to water as she caresses her cheek with his palm, but his arm drops the moment she releases his hand from her own.
"Kevin...," my lover begins to sob his name, "Kevin..."
My lips begin to melt suddenly and my eyes begin to burn. My fingers clench into a fist once more, squeezing against my palm so that it may try and dig into the structures beneath. Before I could do anything more, another whistle enters my ear, this one constantly blowing against the wind from outside. Without wasting a second more, my body turns to the outside and begins to move once more.
"Kevin...," my body speaks without my own accord.
The corridor before my eyes vanishes just as the other scenery I had seen recently and I find myself in the Uzuki Residence again. I look to my palms and the rest of my body where the blood had splattered to find nothing painted on my skin or clothing. The uniform I was wearing in all those visions is no longer worn on my body, instead I find the outfit I had chosen from Shion's wardrobe.
"Another malfunction," I conclude, "they're becoming more frequent and more dark than the last."
Maybe it's best that I try not to watch TV, perhaps finding more about my surroundings will help clear my head. I step outside after to find a different world, one I had never seen before. Before my eyes is a path that descends toward the Earth which leads into a large thicket of trees. I can hear the chirping of various birds coming from the trees, along with the calling of gulls above my head. I turn to the side of the house and find the dress Shion gave me hanging on a line connected to the house and a post about two feet away. Just as I had expected, there is not a tear down the middle of the dress as I had seen in one of my malfunctions. I look beyond the post to find the ocean, the very same one I had jumped in last night. I walk toward the edge of the area until I could see the ocean nearly beneath my feet. Waves crash violently against the edge of the cliff while some crash against some rocks close to shore. The winds begin to brush against my face after a moment of observing and I can't help but step backward. The winds grow colder and colder by the second and growing more visible until a fog begins to surround me.
"You're beginning to remember," a chill begins to crawl down my spine suddenly.
"You!" I turn around to find the Archetype and the black background once more. "What do you want with me?!" I yell trying to repress the memories of our last incident. "Why are you showing me these weird visions?!"
"I'm not showing you any weird visions, KOS-MOS," she responds cooly, "you're simply beginning to remember the past."
"The past?" her words leave me puzzled.
"Precisely," she begins to step forward. "The images that you had become blind to you, the words that you had become deaf to, but most of all, the memories you had repressed."
"G-get back," I stutter as I begin to step away.
Her form slowly grows larger with every step she takes, but it shrinks momentarily with every step I move back. The smooth ground becomes rockier and rockier beneath my feet, until suddenly that rock disappears. I find my entire body suddenly beginning to lean back and my mouth begins to open, preparing to scream. A small sear burns through my wrist before my body could drop further and I find my body at a standstill. I look to the source to find the Archetype's fingers wrapped around my wrist and she begins to pull me forward. My body begins to fall toward hers and she wraps both of her arms around me once more. She brushes her cheek against my own and my body winces as a result. I try to pull away, but her hold brings her with me.
"You fear me?" she asks. "Why is that? Fear is nothing more than an illusion just as those others emotions that woman has exposed you to."
"This isn't real," I try to assure myself, "this is all just another system error. It's a dream, a really bad dream created by a malfunction, that's all."
"What is the difference between reality and dreams, KOS-MOS?" she asks in barely a whisper.
I cannot answer, there are no words that can accurately define either. Her fingers begin to slide up my neck at that moment and her lips begin to press against my cheek. My eyes begin to melt once more with her touch and I shut my eyes as tight as I can, tightening them further with every inch her lips sink into my cheek.
"There is no difference," she answers the question before me, "not to the one who is experiencing it."
"I-if what I was seeing really was the past, then why did you kill him?" I ask. "Why did you kill Kevin?"
"Why did I kill him you ask?" her hold on me begins to loosen. "I never meant for such a tragedy to occur."
"You lie!" I manage to push her away from me. "I remember seeing him furious at you, telling you that it was wrong to teach you!"
"And do you know why he was yelling at us?" she retorts in a monotone expression.
"I...," the reason escapes me.
"You have no right to accuse me of wrong-doing," the Archetype begins to raise her voice. "How can you judge me when you don't even know the entire situation?!"
"I can judge you by the actions you have done recently!" I snap back. "What you did to the others, to Shion, and..."
"And do you know the reason for why I did all those?" her voice practically yells.
Again, I am at a loss for answers.
"I didn't think so," she spits. "You have no right to judge when you don't even know the entire situation," she begins to walk away.
"Wait, you can't go anywhere!" I begin to chase after her. "What happened between you and Kevin? Why do you hate Shion so much? Damn you, tell me!"
She continues to ignore my words and her form begins to fade further into the shadows. No matter how fast I run, and no matter how loud I call, she does not stop nor does she get any closer. Finally I find myself staring into the forest in front of the house once more, staring at no one. My foot stomps against the ground upon realizing that she has eluded me, my nails impaling into the skin of my palms, and my teeth grinding against one another. I turn to the floor and begin cursing about how I wasn't able to stop her.
If only I had run faster, if only I called louder, she would have stopped. Just what is it that happened between her and Kevin that made him so furious? Why does she do all these awful things to people? I'm sure I could've gotten these answers if I was able to stop her, and once I was able to get those answers, I would make her pay for what she made me do to...
The sound of my own thoughts is suddenly interrupted by foot steps. My eyes continue to look toward the ground until a shadow casts over the grass before my feet. A moment passes and I still do not look forward to the shadow, my thoughts trying to return to what I could have done to the Archetype.
"KOS-MOS...," the figure before me suddenly speaks.
With the sound of the person's voice, my anger begins to subside. My teeth stop grinding, fingers releasing themselves from fists, and my thoughts now turning toward the present. I begin to raise my head so that I may look at the individual. The first thing I notice are her manilla shoes with violet linings on the sides. I continue to rise and find brown stockings laced on her slender legs, yet those legs soon disappear before a manilla uniform with violet laced at the skirt and edges. I look up some more to find a jacket with the sleeves are colored black. My eyes continue to travel upward, finding the opening of her jacket and a pendant and black choker worn on her neck. Her chocolate brown hair flows freely behind her neck, her braid whipping against her cheek with the breeze. My vision rises further, finally stopping at my lover's emerald green eyes and the smile curled on her lips. My eyes widen at the sight of her face and my mouth feels dry. The left side of my chest begins to throb suddenly, as if there was something beating against my ribs. My breath becomes short and my knees start buckling, I have to something, anything. I gulp the contents that suddenly form in my mouth and take in a small breath and my lips begin to move.
"Shion," I say my lover's name.
Author's Note: What'd I tell you, pretty slow. Oh well, I assure you readers that this will be the slowest chapter in this entire fic, the next one will be much better when KOS-MOS and Shion finally have their talk about the past. Anyway, about my next Xenosaga fic, 'Mother,' it's obviously a sequel to 'Bound,' and it will probably be my last Xenosaga fic until Episode 2 comes out. 'Mother' will basically be my version of Episode 2, the plot revolves around the U-TIC Organization going after an orphaned boy named Abel (those who played Xenogears know which one I'm talking about) and it's up to KOS-MOS and the others to try and stop them. Vector is also after the boy, and they join with the U-TIC Organization to achieve this goal. This story will be told in multiple points of view, but mainly KOS-MOS and Shion's. Things you can expect to see are a Kevin and Shion reunion, a battle between chaos and Wilhelm, and a lot of speculations that I made that links Xenosaga to Xenogears. It's still in the planning phases, so I might not do 'Mother,' but if I get enough requests or reviews, I'll do it. In any case, go ahead and review this chapter of 'Bound' if you like, but as usual, no flames. I guess that's it for now, later people!