I'm going on hiatus, so I made this chapter longer than usual. I'll be back soon.
Chibi Mi-chan: Tamomo was a friend of Akiko's brother, and the one who taught her Angelic Layer. As for an evil Sayoko, you'll just have to wait and see ^_^
elflord114: I never planned to make this so dark. Apollo was going to be a good guy, really he was, but I got carried away ^_^;; And it'll only get darker, so keep reading, and thanks!
Little Rabbit f/LRPLI: It's okay. Some stuff is confusing to even to me. I'll try to smooth everything out, if possible.
Lady Sage: Thanks! I'm usually bad with battle scenes, and I was afraid this battle would be confusing. But I'll keep working on it.
Destiny Goddess: Don't worry. I doubt Tamomo and Akiko will reappear, so you have two less characters to get confused by. Though, there are another pair of characters that'll emerge soon.
Senagirl: Thanks, but I wasn't planning on Apollo killing Misaki, but now that you've brought it up...
Jamfase: Um yeah, hold off on taking over the world. Project ArchAngels is halfway done, so I will continue. And I'm dedicating this chapter to you for your input on that scene. [wink]
Nix Entente: Whoa. My fans think more deeply about this than I do. y.y Apollo's emotions for his deus are powerful, but highly perplexing, even to him. Hence his acts of loyalty can been as bizarre, cruel, or even insane. Let's take a look into Apollo's disturbed psyche in this chapter, shall we?
WARNING: Really REALLY freaky Apollo moment.
Suggestions, comments, and flames for bad gramma' are gladly appreciated.
BTW, anyone wanna be my beta-reader?
Chapter 12: An Angel's Heart
They sat atop the swaying grass of the cliff, overlooking the ocean. As white seagulls wafted and squawked in the sea breeze, and the orange sun dimmed down, he stared out in wonder. "It's beautiful!"
"Do you understand what beauty means?"
The Angel gave the woman an inquisitive glance. She smiled back, her turquoise eyes framed with glasses, locks of ebony hair falling from a lose bun, just halting at the collar of a white lab coat.
"I know that you are beautiful," he said innocently. The woman flushed for a moment, then broke into giggles. "Did Hoshiko tell you to say that?"
"No."
"No? How did you learn that?"
"I taught myself."
"You did?" She let out a soft chuckle, then gazed back at the lapping waves. "You amaze me everyday. Your learning program is adapting more rapidly than we expected. You weren't even designed to understand concepts like these."
The Angel cocked his blond head to the side. "What type of concepts?"
"Concepts such as beauty, morality, creativity, love; concepts that only the human mind can conceive."
"The Human mind?" His face grew more perplexed. "There's a difference between my mind and yours?"
The scientist frowned. "Do you understand the difference between humans and angels?" When he shook his head, she cupped his small hand into hers and pressed it against her chest. "Do you feel that? It's my heart beat."
He felt the pumping of blood under her skin, and glanced unsure eyes at hers. "But, I have a heartbeat too."
"Yes, but yours is mechanical. It was programmed to beat at a steady paste similar to mine. But my heart is organic. Its beat depends on the intensity of my emotions and physical state. It is alive." Her bright smile faded away; a somberness clouding her eyes. "Do you understand now? Humans are alive. Angels are not."
Struggling to comprehend, the Angel clutched his own chest, grabbing the metallic organ underneath, his other hand still resting on hers. The two hearts pulsed in harmony. "I am not like you?"
"No."
"I am not alive?"
She sighed. "No."
He settled his ear against her heart, emerald eyes fogged with tears. "If I am not human, what am I?"
She stroked his back to calm him down. "You're an ArchAngel, Alpha. One day, you and the others will change the face of Angelic Layer. You will show the world the heart and soul of an Angel, and prove how alive a machine can be."
The sun melted into a blaze of orange and red down the horizon; the ocean's waves humming a sweet lullaby. Alpha yawned, snuggling deeper within her jacket. "Arigatou," he dozed off to sleep. "Michiko-sensei..."
--------------------
A yawn. A stretch. Apollo was awake. He rolled over in the ruffled sheets and met a sleeping Sayoko, her face dimly radiated by the moonlight. He smiled. "I know that you are beautiful too," the Angel whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Sayoko continued to snooze.
Apollo flipped on his back, hands folded underneath his head, and stared dully at the ceiling. "Michiko-sensei..." he brooded over the familiar name. Since his encounter with Solana, images of his forgotten past have resurfaced and haunted his dreams, including this mysterious Michiko-sensei. Every time he envisioned her face, intense emotions, powerful and chaotic, ran rampant within his heart. But Apollo had no desire to relive his past.
An idea came to mind. The Angel crawled under the covers and lay his head against Sayoko's chest, almost delighting in the soft breaths and pulsing heart that matched his own. "I may not be human, but I know how it is to feel. I want to show you how I feel, Sayoko-sama." His face surging with emotion, Apollo fixed his lively emeralds to her face. "I will show the world the heart and soul of an Angel. And I will use Hikaru and Suzuhara to do it."
--------------------
The crowd was ablaze with excitement. It was the match every one had been waiting for: Suzuhara Misaki versus Mihara Ohjirou. The famous pair hadn't battled each other in years, and the tension was sizzling among the cheering fans. After a quick greeting, they climbed into their winged seats, and tossed their Angels in.
()*()*()
Back at home, Sayoko was recording the battle on videotape, paper and pencil ready to take notes on Misaki's fighting style. Apollo relaxed on a small pillow behind her. He snickered as the screen flashed over Wizard's face. This will be your last battle. The emerald eyes sparked red.
()*()*()
The Layer flashed, uncovering a murky cemetery. Rain battered the mossy tombstones, gushing from the thunderous clouds and dousing the two angels. With all this water, Wizard can't use his static shield. Misaki mused.
"Angelic Fight!"
Hikaru quickly encircled Wizard in a whirl of red, then skid on her right leg to attack his back, but her foot slipped on the watery grass. Ohjirou expected this. As she fell Wizard dashed toward her at minimum speed, slid on his side and kicked her in the air. The ground too slippery to land correctly, Hikaru crashed on her back.
Just as the pink-haired Angel struggled to stand, Wizard leaped on a headstone, slow enough to catch his footing, flipped in the air and stomped on Hikaru's stomach. Misaki willed Hikaru to clutch his leg and cast him to the ground. Yet Ohjirou expected this as well. The blue-clad Angel snapped into a handstand and struck a defenseless Hikaru in the chest. Hikaru was flung onto a nearby statue.
And then something happened. Wizard bolted toward Hikaru's fallen form when an invisible force erupted from her body and threw him to the outer edges of the graveyard. Hikaru lurched up slowly, damp hair clinging to her face, her frame gleaming in the pounding rain. "Nanda?" Misaki gasped. Her visor had been scrambled by bizarre symbols, before abruptly powering down. She willed Hikaru to fight, but to no avail.
Wizard charged forth, but Hikaru suddenly vanished. He spun around and saw Hikaru to his side. He sprinted after her; she disappeared. Now she was behind him. The blue-haired Wizard back flipped. She was gone. The burial ground was empty. Before he could plan another move, Hikaru materialized before him, eyes a pale green, a dim auric aura surrounding her. Too surprised to react, Wizard could not block her surprisingly fast onslaught, and was sent flying to the outskirts of the Layer.
Misaki was too confused to speak. Hikaru was not accepting her orders, and her statistics were wildly fluctuating. The brown-haired Deus watched helplessly as her Angel trudged toward Wizard. Ohjirou's Angel hurled a right punch which Hikaru deftly caught. He threw the other fist; Hikaru caught it as well. Suddenly, with ferocious strength, the pink-haired Angel crushed his hands in her grasp. The entire audience gasped. She then seized his wrist and nearly wrenched off his arm. Ohjirou flicked Misaki an awestruck look.
"Misaki, what are you doing!" the 23 year old hissed. Misaki shook her head wildly. "I can't stop her! She's not listening to me."
Wizard tried to escape her deadly clutches, but the possessed Hikaru was barbarically strong. She gripped his ankles and slung his entire body over a tombstone, then turned around and slung him again. And again. And again. The pale-eyed Angel dangled Wizard around with amazing ease, bashing him over and over until the sharp slab punctured his skin.
At last Wizard loosed himself from her hold, and managed to launch a spinning kick to her face. But Hikaru didn't flinch. Her face remained hard and emotionless as she clutched his neck and heaved him high into the air. The battered Angel couldn't wiggle free. Then, in one last cruel move, Hikaru reached forward and snapped his neck, the sickening crack echoing through the cemetery. She discarded the lifeless body to the floor.
There were no shouts or cheers, just a deafening silence. Misaki could feel the angry and disgusted glares from the crowd. Ohjirou descended from the winged chair and lifted the beaten Wizard. His body was bruised beyond repair, limbs horribly mangled and torn. Misaki ran from the Layer and touched his arm.
"Ohjirou-san, I didn't mean to--" she pleaded, but the black-haired Deus said nothing. He turned to face her; no anger on his face, but instead, a devastating look of despair. No words uttered, he turned around and left Misaki in the silent stadium.
()*()*()
"Whoa, now THAT'S one hell of a battle!" Youkou cackled in her seat. "Man, if only you would fight like that, ne Solana? Solana?" She glanced at her lap. Solana was nowhere near as thrilled as her Deus. The golden-haired Angel was clutching her orange dress, cheeks wet with tears. Alpha, you haven't changed at all. Even after what you did to Michiko-sensei, you still choose to abuse your powers. She shook her gold locks, her face full of solid resolution. I have no choice, brother. I must stop you. Even if it means your demise.
--------------------
Apollo floated cross-legged over her, head cocked to the side, his eyes clearly puzzled.
"Why are you weeping?" he asked, peering at her upside down.
Sayoko shot him an incredulous look. "Didn't you see the way Hikaru fought Wizard today? It's almost like she went insane. Wizard will never be able to battle again, and Suzuhara might be disqualified."
He suppressed a laugh. "Yes. It was wonderful, wasn't it?"
"What?"
"Did you not enjoy that spectacle, Sayoko-sama? Suzuhara's reputation is ruined, just like you wanted." He flipped over, right-side up, lips curved into a faint, cryptic smile. "It was the perfect way to get revenge for defeating us. Now she is humiliated and hated by her fans, and we will not have to worry ourselves over battling Wizard."
Blood drained from her face. "Was it YOU who caused Hikaru to do that?"
"Yes." He beamed proudly. "The best way to crush Suzuhara's heart was through Hikaru, so I possessed her Angel to destroy Wizard. It was a very enjoyable experience. Are you not happy? I did it just for you."
Shocked at the cruelty of his words, Sayoko stuttered, "Then, wa-was it also you who caused Akiko and Tamomo's accident?"
He nodded.
"And caused the blackout?"
He nodded again.
"And you destroyed Suzumu's Angel on purpose?"
Another nod.
"....For me?"
He actually chuckled. "Of course. I wanted to show you how much I care, so I destroyed our strongest enemies. They were my gifts to you."
She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. Hearing Apollo talk of his ruthless actions so carefree sent chills into her very core. "Apollo, does that mean you're an ArchAngel?"
You're an ArchAngel, Alpha. Michiko-sensei's words resounded in his mind. After a brief hesitation, Apollo nodded.
Her lips trembled. "Then, those two people in the legend-"
He cupped a caressing hand around her face, fingers tangling in the brown locks of hair, his thumbs massaging her pale cheekbones. "I'm sorry I did not tell you sooner. I thought you would be afraid of me if you found out. But why are you crying? I thought you would be happy."
Terror shook her frail limbs. It wasn't the gruesomeness of his actions that shocked her. It was his utter lack of remorse. She saw no grief nor sorrow in him, just a twisted sense of pride. It was then that Sayoko finally realized the truth: Apollo had no conscience.
He slipped her palm into his slender fingers and squeezed them again his chest. "Sayoko-sama, the moment you became my Deus, my body synchronized itself to yours. Your heartbeat, your brain waves, even your emotions are linked with mine. Because of this, you are the most essential part of my essence. If you were taken away from me, I could not survive." Clasping Sayoko's hand against his body, he slowly raised pitiful, glossy eyes at her, his face sparkling with warmth and emotion. "You are my heart, Sayoko-sama. But now that you know what I am, will you abandon me?"
"Abandon you?"
"Yes. I am one of the legendary ArchAngels. If you wish, I can do anything you desire from me. But my strength relies on you. I cannot achieve my full power without your acceptance." He smiled softly, sweetly, eyes twinkling. "Sayoko-sama, what is your decision?"
To Be Continued
Chibi Mi-chan: Tamomo was a friend of Akiko's brother, and the one who taught her Angelic Layer. As for an evil Sayoko, you'll just have to wait and see ^_^
elflord114: I never planned to make this so dark. Apollo was going to be a good guy, really he was, but I got carried away ^_^;; And it'll only get darker, so keep reading, and thanks!
Little Rabbit f/LRPLI: It's okay. Some stuff is confusing to even to me. I'll try to smooth everything out, if possible.
Lady Sage: Thanks! I'm usually bad with battle scenes, and I was afraid this battle would be confusing. But I'll keep working on it.
Destiny Goddess: Don't worry. I doubt Tamomo and Akiko will reappear, so you have two less characters to get confused by. Though, there are another pair of characters that'll emerge soon.
Senagirl: Thanks, but I wasn't planning on Apollo killing Misaki, but now that you've brought it up...
Jamfase: Um yeah, hold off on taking over the world. Project ArchAngels is halfway done, so I will continue. And I'm dedicating this chapter to you for your input on that scene. [wink]
Nix Entente: Whoa. My fans think more deeply about this than I do. y.y Apollo's emotions for his deus are powerful, but highly perplexing, even to him. Hence his acts of loyalty can been as bizarre, cruel, or even insane. Let's take a look into Apollo's disturbed psyche in this chapter, shall we?
WARNING: Really REALLY freaky Apollo moment.
Suggestions, comments, and flames for bad gramma' are gladly appreciated.
BTW, anyone wanna be my beta-reader?
Chapter 12: An Angel's Heart
They sat atop the swaying grass of the cliff, overlooking the ocean. As white seagulls wafted and squawked in the sea breeze, and the orange sun dimmed down, he stared out in wonder. "It's beautiful!"
"Do you understand what beauty means?"
The Angel gave the woman an inquisitive glance. She smiled back, her turquoise eyes framed with glasses, locks of ebony hair falling from a lose bun, just halting at the collar of a white lab coat.
"I know that you are beautiful," he said innocently. The woman flushed for a moment, then broke into giggles. "Did Hoshiko tell you to say that?"
"No."
"No? How did you learn that?"
"I taught myself."
"You did?" She let out a soft chuckle, then gazed back at the lapping waves. "You amaze me everyday. Your learning program is adapting more rapidly than we expected. You weren't even designed to understand concepts like these."
The Angel cocked his blond head to the side. "What type of concepts?"
"Concepts such as beauty, morality, creativity, love; concepts that only the human mind can conceive."
"The Human mind?" His face grew more perplexed. "There's a difference between my mind and yours?"
The scientist frowned. "Do you understand the difference between humans and angels?" When he shook his head, she cupped his small hand into hers and pressed it against her chest. "Do you feel that? It's my heart beat."
He felt the pumping of blood under her skin, and glanced unsure eyes at hers. "But, I have a heartbeat too."
"Yes, but yours is mechanical. It was programmed to beat at a steady paste similar to mine. But my heart is organic. Its beat depends on the intensity of my emotions and physical state. It is alive." Her bright smile faded away; a somberness clouding her eyes. "Do you understand now? Humans are alive. Angels are not."
Struggling to comprehend, the Angel clutched his own chest, grabbing the metallic organ underneath, his other hand still resting on hers. The two hearts pulsed in harmony. "I am not like you?"
"No."
"I am not alive?"
She sighed. "No."
He settled his ear against her heart, emerald eyes fogged with tears. "If I am not human, what am I?"
She stroked his back to calm him down. "You're an ArchAngel, Alpha. One day, you and the others will change the face of Angelic Layer. You will show the world the heart and soul of an Angel, and prove how alive a machine can be."
The sun melted into a blaze of orange and red down the horizon; the ocean's waves humming a sweet lullaby. Alpha yawned, snuggling deeper within her jacket. "Arigatou," he dozed off to sleep. "Michiko-sensei..."
--------------------
A yawn. A stretch. Apollo was awake. He rolled over in the ruffled sheets and met a sleeping Sayoko, her face dimly radiated by the moonlight. He smiled. "I know that you are beautiful too," the Angel whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Sayoko continued to snooze.
Apollo flipped on his back, hands folded underneath his head, and stared dully at the ceiling. "Michiko-sensei..." he brooded over the familiar name. Since his encounter with Solana, images of his forgotten past have resurfaced and haunted his dreams, including this mysterious Michiko-sensei. Every time he envisioned her face, intense emotions, powerful and chaotic, ran rampant within his heart. But Apollo had no desire to relive his past.
An idea came to mind. The Angel crawled under the covers and lay his head against Sayoko's chest, almost delighting in the soft breaths and pulsing heart that matched his own. "I may not be human, but I know how it is to feel. I want to show you how I feel, Sayoko-sama." His face surging with emotion, Apollo fixed his lively emeralds to her face. "I will show the world the heart and soul of an Angel. And I will use Hikaru and Suzuhara to do it."
--------------------
The crowd was ablaze with excitement. It was the match every one had been waiting for: Suzuhara Misaki versus Mihara Ohjirou. The famous pair hadn't battled each other in years, and the tension was sizzling among the cheering fans. After a quick greeting, they climbed into their winged seats, and tossed their Angels in.
()*()*()
Back at home, Sayoko was recording the battle on videotape, paper and pencil ready to take notes on Misaki's fighting style. Apollo relaxed on a small pillow behind her. He snickered as the screen flashed over Wizard's face. This will be your last battle. The emerald eyes sparked red.
()*()*()
The Layer flashed, uncovering a murky cemetery. Rain battered the mossy tombstones, gushing from the thunderous clouds and dousing the two angels. With all this water, Wizard can't use his static shield. Misaki mused.
"Angelic Fight!"
Hikaru quickly encircled Wizard in a whirl of red, then skid on her right leg to attack his back, but her foot slipped on the watery grass. Ohjirou expected this. As she fell Wizard dashed toward her at minimum speed, slid on his side and kicked her in the air. The ground too slippery to land correctly, Hikaru crashed on her back.
Just as the pink-haired Angel struggled to stand, Wizard leaped on a headstone, slow enough to catch his footing, flipped in the air and stomped on Hikaru's stomach. Misaki willed Hikaru to clutch his leg and cast him to the ground. Yet Ohjirou expected this as well. The blue-clad Angel snapped into a handstand and struck a defenseless Hikaru in the chest. Hikaru was flung onto a nearby statue.
And then something happened. Wizard bolted toward Hikaru's fallen form when an invisible force erupted from her body and threw him to the outer edges of the graveyard. Hikaru lurched up slowly, damp hair clinging to her face, her frame gleaming in the pounding rain. "Nanda?" Misaki gasped. Her visor had been scrambled by bizarre symbols, before abruptly powering down. She willed Hikaru to fight, but to no avail.
Wizard charged forth, but Hikaru suddenly vanished. He spun around and saw Hikaru to his side. He sprinted after her; she disappeared. Now she was behind him. The blue-haired Wizard back flipped. She was gone. The burial ground was empty. Before he could plan another move, Hikaru materialized before him, eyes a pale green, a dim auric aura surrounding her. Too surprised to react, Wizard could not block her surprisingly fast onslaught, and was sent flying to the outskirts of the Layer.
Misaki was too confused to speak. Hikaru was not accepting her orders, and her statistics were wildly fluctuating. The brown-haired Deus watched helplessly as her Angel trudged toward Wizard. Ohjirou's Angel hurled a right punch which Hikaru deftly caught. He threw the other fist; Hikaru caught it as well. Suddenly, with ferocious strength, the pink-haired Angel crushed his hands in her grasp. The entire audience gasped. She then seized his wrist and nearly wrenched off his arm. Ohjirou flicked Misaki an awestruck look.
"Misaki, what are you doing!" the 23 year old hissed. Misaki shook her head wildly. "I can't stop her! She's not listening to me."
Wizard tried to escape her deadly clutches, but the possessed Hikaru was barbarically strong. She gripped his ankles and slung his entire body over a tombstone, then turned around and slung him again. And again. And again. The pale-eyed Angel dangled Wizard around with amazing ease, bashing him over and over until the sharp slab punctured his skin.
At last Wizard loosed himself from her hold, and managed to launch a spinning kick to her face. But Hikaru didn't flinch. Her face remained hard and emotionless as she clutched his neck and heaved him high into the air. The battered Angel couldn't wiggle free. Then, in one last cruel move, Hikaru reached forward and snapped his neck, the sickening crack echoing through the cemetery. She discarded the lifeless body to the floor.
There were no shouts or cheers, just a deafening silence. Misaki could feel the angry and disgusted glares from the crowd. Ohjirou descended from the winged chair and lifted the beaten Wizard. His body was bruised beyond repair, limbs horribly mangled and torn. Misaki ran from the Layer and touched his arm.
"Ohjirou-san, I didn't mean to--" she pleaded, but the black-haired Deus said nothing. He turned to face her; no anger on his face, but instead, a devastating look of despair. No words uttered, he turned around and left Misaki in the silent stadium.
()*()*()
"Whoa, now THAT'S one hell of a battle!" Youkou cackled in her seat. "Man, if only you would fight like that, ne Solana? Solana?" She glanced at her lap. Solana was nowhere near as thrilled as her Deus. The golden-haired Angel was clutching her orange dress, cheeks wet with tears. Alpha, you haven't changed at all. Even after what you did to Michiko-sensei, you still choose to abuse your powers. She shook her gold locks, her face full of solid resolution. I have no choice, brother. I must stop you. Even if it means your demise.
Apollo floated cross-legged over her, head cocked to the side, his eyes clearly puzzled.
"Why are you weeping?" he asked, peering at her upside down.
Sayoko shot him an incredulous look. "Didn't you see the way Hikaru fought Wizard today? It's almost like she went insane. Wizard will never be able to battle again, and Suzuhara might be disqualified."
He suppressed a laugh. "Yes. It was wonderful, wasn't it?"
"What?"
"Did you not enjoy that spectacle, Sayoko-sama? Suzuhara's reputation is ruined, just like you wanted." He flipped over, right-side up, lips curved into a faint, cryptic smile. "It was the perfect way to get revenge for defeating us. Now she is humiliated and hated by her fans, and we will not have to worry ourselves over battling Wizard."
Blood drained from her face. "Was it YOU who caused Hikaru to do that?"
"Yes." He beamed proudly. "The best way to crush Suzuhara's heart was through Hikaru, so I possessed her Angel to destroy Wizard. It was a very enjoyable experience. Are you not happy? I did it just for you."
Shocked at the cruelty of his words, Sayoko stuttered, "Then, wa-was it also you who caused Akiko and Tamomo's accident?"
He nodded.
"And caused the blackout?"
He nodded again.
"And you destroyed Suzumu's Angel on purpose?"
Another nod.
"....For me?"
He actually chuckled. "Of course. I wanted to show you how much I care, so I destroyed our strongest enemies. They were my gifts to you."
She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. Hearing Apollo talk of his ruthless actions so carefree sent chills into her very core. "Apollo, does that mean you're an ArchAngel?"
You're an ArchAngel, Alpha. Michiko-sensei's words resounded in his mind. After a brief hesitation, Apollo nodded.
Her lips trembled. "Then, those two people in the legend-"
He cupped a caressing hand around her face, fingers tangling in the brown locks of hair, his thumbs massaging her pale cheekbones. "I'm sorry I did not tell you sooner. I thought you would be afraid of me if you found out. But why are you crying? I thought you would be happy."
Terror shook her frail limbs. It wasn't the gruesomeness of his actions that shocked her. It was his utter lack of remorse. She saw no grief nor sorrow in him, just a twisted sense of pride. It was then that Sayoko finally realized the truth: Apollo had no conscience.
He slipped her palm into his slender fingers and squeezed them again his chest. "Sayoko-sama, the moment you became my Deus, my body synchronized itself to yours. Your heartbeat, your brain waves, even your emotions are linked with mine. Because of this, you are the most essential part of my essence. If you were taken away from me, I could not survive." Clasping Sayoko's hand against his body, he slowly raised pitiful, glossy eyes at her, his face sparkling with warmth and emotion. "You are my heart, Sayoko-sama. But now that you know what I am, will you abandon me?"
"Abandon you?"
"Yes. I am one of the legendary ArchAngels. If you wish, I can do anything you desire from me. But my strength relies on you. I cannot achieve my full power without your acceptance." He smiled softly, sweetly, eyes twinkling. "Sayoko-sama, what is your decision?"