ROCKMAN EXE: Prophecy
Rcokman stared at the mural before him. "Whoa," was the only thing his mind could formulate to describe it. Roll was, for the first time in a long time, rendered speechless, and Gutsman had lost interest and gone back to his homepage over an hour ago.
"Whoa," Rockman managed again. A normal Navi came up beside him.
"Do you like it?" the green Navi asked.
"It's huge. What is it?"
"Er . . . we're not sure. It's simply titled 'Prophecy.' It's a very ancient image file from way back when all there was were chat rooms and message boards. It's in .bmp format, which hasn't been used since 2005, so it is a very rare and valuable image."
"Okay, I guessed that," Rockman said. "But what IS it? What does it show?"
"Um . . . well, we don't know. I guess you can try and figure it out for yourself. Like a mystery," the Navi laughed and walked away to talk to another group that was looking at a collection of virus pieces.
Rockman looked back at the picture. It was predominantly brownish-gray, giving it the look of old hieroglyphics from Egypt. To the far left was a large blank space, followed by a bunch of wavy lines and a circle a little after that. The wavy lines separated the circle from the empty space. To the right of the circle, there was a man holding a square up over his head, and even further right, there was a triangle with a square at the top. Inside the triangle was a drawing of a man with a spear. To the right of that, there were four men, one stacked on top of each other. Each man had a different feature. One had a large head, while another had a large arm. Another man had what looked like wings, while the last had a circle around him. To their right were three more figures, stacked similarly, but they all looked identical with one minor exception. This was the only part of the picture that had any amount of varying color, as the top man here was white, while the middle was gray, and the bottom was black.
Beneath all of this, there was an inscription in a language Rockman couldn't understand, but translated parts had been provided to add to the mystique. It read: "When light and darkness spring from the same source, the world will quake with the awakening of the four guardians. Each Guardian will test these three beings of power, and so shall give them their blessing to receive the ultimate power, and halt the wave as one."
"Deep," Rockman breathed.
Roll finally spoke. "What do you suppose it means?"
"I don't know," Rockman shrugged. "Probably some crazy old man's doomsday visions. Who knows? Or cares?"
"I wouldn't just brush it off, Rockman," a voice behind the pair caused the two of them to turn. There, leaning against an exhibit of an old firewall assembly, was Blues.
"Hi Blues," Rockman smiled, almost relieved to see the red Navi. "What's up?"
"Not much," Blues shrugged as he strolled toward Rockman and Roll, "I was just passing by when I saw the two of you. On a date or something?"
Both Roll and Rockman blushed. "Hey, hey, now," Rockman said. "Just because YOU can't find a girl Navi to keep you company doesn't mean you have to be mean to those of us who can," he grinned.
Roll very calmly kicked Rockman in the shin, who then not-so-calmly swore out loud and held said shin as Roll gave Blues a serious look. "What did you mean when you said that, Blues?"
Blues cast a conspiratorial glance to his left and right, and then spoke. "From what I know, that whole prophecy was posted on the internet by a man whose wife had died due to cancer."
"Cancer?" Roll asked, tilting her head. "That was eliminated in 2011, right?"
"Yeah, but this was 2003, I think," Blues shrugged. "Anyway, apparently the whole story was his wife's last work. She was a poet and she wrote the whole thing down only two hours before she died and told her husband to spread the story. He posted it on the internet, hoping that would work, and then he died to. Apparently, he got run over by a freight train."
"So he never really got the story spread?" Rockman asked, still rubbing his shin.
"Not really. But now it's here, for all to see," Blues sighed. Then he gave Rockman a serious look. "If the past year has taught me anything, it's to listen to prophecies. You may think it's foolish, but lately, you've been the center of some very strange stuff, so I wouldn't be surprised if this involved you in some way. Be on your guard."
Rockman sighed and hung his head. "You're so freakin' depressing, Blues. I think you talk to Forte too much."
"Stow it," Blues said. He turned to walk away, and then shot back over his shoulder, "Enjoy your date, you two. Oh, and Roll? If he gives you any trouble or doesn't treat you right, just remember there's always a REAL guy waiting in the wings for you," he smirked.
"What, Glyde?" Roll said innocently.
"Ouch," Blues winced. "Touché." He chuckled a bit and walked away, leaving Roll and Rockman to their own thoughts.
Meanwhile, deep in a space that didn't reflect the normal laws of time or physics,, a much humbler Serenade than last time meditated. Ever since his defeat at the hands of Rockman, he had become even more recluse than normal, if that had been possible. But now, something stirred within him.
Serenade looked out into space, and sighed.
"And so it comes to pass," he heard a voice say, "that MY time has come at last."
"I know," Serenade said. He turned to look at the golden Navi behind him. "Are you sure, brother? We are timeless, true, and I know you are bored, but does it have to be . . . HIM?"
"You're just mad because he beat you," the golden Navi chuckled.
"On a fluke, nothing more," Serenade growled. "He has more blind luck on his side than actual power, and yet you are already so willing to believe he is the one the prophecy speaks of?"
"ONE of them, yes." Serenade's brother said. "Remember, the prophecy says that there are three. Light, Dark, and Gray. I believe he is the gray."
"But the Light and Dark must spring from the same source as the Gray. It cannot be him! There is only one of him."
"Two. I have no doubt you remember his power-crazed alter-ego?"
"That . . . thing is still alive?" Serenade gasped. "I thought they had destroyed him!" It was that monster's fault Serenade had lost to Rockman, since it was only after that battle that Serenades twin shields had become visible, let alone pink and sparkly.
"They drove him back."
"That still leaves the Light. How do you suppose THAT will happen?" Serenade snorted.
The golden Navi gave a knowing nod that sent a chill up Serenade's back. "Trust me. It will. Prophecies never lie."
"Very well," Serenade sighed, giving in, "do what you wish."
"Like I needed YOUR permission, little brother."
"Mom would have given you such a pinch for talking like that," Serenade frowned.
The golden Navi laughed. "Yeah well, she isn't here, and neither is father. Oh well. I'm off, little bro. Try not to squeeze the stuffing out of your teddy bear while I'm gone." With that, the golden Navi vanished in a bright flash of light. Serenade sat down, picking up something from the ground.
"Meanie," he frumped, hugging his teddy bear.
Rcokman stared at the mural before him. "Whoa," was the only thing his mind could formulate to describe it. Roll was, for the first time in a long time, rendered speechless, and Gutsman had lost interest and gone back to his homepage over an hour ago.
"Whoa," Rockman managed again. A normal Navi came up beside him.
"Do you like it?" the green Navi asked.
"It's huge. What is it?"
"Er . . . we're not sure. It's simply titled 'Prophecy.' It's a very ancient image file from way back when all there was were chat rooms and message boards. It's in .bmp format, which hasn't been used since 2005, so it is a very rare and valuable image."
"Okay, I guessed that," Rockman said. "But what IS it? What does it show?"
"Um . . . well, we don't know. I guess you can try and figure it out for yourself. Like a mystery," the Navi laughed and walked away to talk to another group that was looking at a collection of virus pieces.
Rockman looked back at the picture. It was predominantly brownish-gray, giving it the look of old hieroglyphics from Egypt. To the far left was a large blank space, followed by a bunch of wavy lines and a circle a little after that. The wavy lines separated the circle from the empty space. To the right of the circle, there was a man holding a square up over his head, and even further right, there was a triangle with a square at the top. Inside the triangle was a drawing of a man with a spear. To the right of that, there were four men, one stacked on top of each other. Each man had a different feature. One had a large head, while another had a large arm. Another man had what looked like wings, while the last had a circle around him. To their right were three more figures, stacked similarly, but they all looked identical with one minor exception. This was the only part of the picture that had any amount of varying color, as the top man here was white, while the middle was gray, and the bottom was black.
Beneath all of this, there was an inscription in a language Rockman couldn't understand, but translated parts had been provided to add to the mystique. It read: "When light and darkness spring from the same source, the world will quake with the awakening of the four guardians. Each Guardian will test these three beings of power, and so shall give them their blessing to receive the ultimate power, and halt the wave as one."
"Deep," Rockman breathed.
Roll finally spoke. "What do you suppose it means?"
"I don't know," Rockman shrugged. "Probably some crazy old man's doomsday visions. Who knows? Or cares?"
"I wouldn't just brush it off, Rockman," a voice behind the pair caused the two of them to turn. There, leaning against an exhibit of an old firewall assembly, was Blues.
"Hi Blues," Rockman smiled, almost relieved to see the red Navi. "What's up?"
"Not much," Blues shrugged as he strolled toward Rockman and Roll, "I was just passing by when I saw the two of you. On a date or something?"
Both Roll and Rockman blushed. "Hey, hey, now," Rockman said. "Just because YOU can't find a girl Navi to keep you company doesn't mean you have to be mean to those of us who can," he grinned.
Roll very calmly kicked Rockman in the shin, who then not-so-calmly swore out loud and held said shin as Roll gave Blues a serious look. "What did you mean when you said that, Blues?"
Blues cast a conspiratorial glance to his left and right, and then spoke. "From what I know, that whole prophecy was posted on the internet by a man whose wife had died due to cancer."
"Cancer?" Roll asked, tilting her head. "That was eliminated in 2011, right?"
"Yeah, but this was 2003, I think," Blues shrugged. "Anyway, apparently the whole story was his wife's last work. She was a poet and she wrote the whole thing down only two hours before she died and told her husband to spread the story. He posted it on the internet, hoping that would work, and then he died to. Apparently, he got run over by a freight train."
"So he never really got the story spread?" Rockman asked, still rubbing his shin.
"Not really. But now it's here, for all to see," Blues sighed. Then he gave Rockman a serious look. "If the past year has taught me anything, it's to listen to prophecies. You may think it's foolish, but lately, you've been the center of some very strange stuff, so I wouldn't be surprised if this involved you in some way. Be on your guard."
Rockman sighed and hung his head. "You're so freakin' depressing, Blues. I think you talk to Forte too much."
"Stow it," Blues said. He turned to walk away, and then shot back over his shoulder, "Enjoy your date, you two. Oh, and Roll? If he gives you any trouble or doesn't treat you right, just remember there's always a REAL guy waiting in the wings for you," he smirked.
"What, Glyde?" Roll said innocently.
"Ouch," Blues winced. "Touché." He chuckled a bit and walked away, leaving Roll and Rockman to their own thoughts.
Meanwhile, deep in a space that didn't reflect the normal laws of time or physics,, a much humbler Serenade than last time meditated. Ever since his defeat at the hands of Rockman, he had become even more recluse than normal, if that had been possible. But now, something stirred within him.
Serenade looked out into space, and sighed.
"And so it comes to pass," he heard a voice say, "that MY time has come at last."
"I know," Serenade said. He turned to look at the golden Navi behind him. "Are you sure, brother? We are timeless, true, and I know you are bored, but does it have to be . . . HIM?"
"You're just mad because he beat you," the golden Navi chuckled.
"On a fluke, nothing more," Serenade growled. "He has more blind luck on his side than actual power, and yet you are already so willing to believe he is the one the prophecy speaks of?"
"ONE of them, yes." Serenade's brother said. "Remember, the prophecy says that there are three. Light, Dark, and Gray. I believe he is the gray."
"But the Light and Dark must spring from the same source as the Gray. It cannot be him! There is only one of him."
"Two. I have no doubt you remember his power-crazed alter-ego?"
"That . . . thing is still alive?" Serenade gasped. "I thought they had destroyed him!" It was that monster's fault Serenade had lost to Rockman, since it was only after that battle that Serenades twin shields had become visible, let alone pink and sparkly.
"They drove him back."
"That still leaves the Light. How do you suppose THAT will happen?" Serenade snorted.
The golden Navi gave a knowing nod that sent a chill up Serenade's back. "Trust me. It will. Prophecies never lie."
"Very well," Serenade sighed, giving in, "do what you wish."
"Like I needed YOUR permission, little brother."
"Mom would have given you such a pinch for talking like that," Serenade frowned.
The golden Navi laughed. "Yeah well, she isn't here, and neither is father. Oh well. I'm off, little bro. Try not to squeeze the stuffing out of your teddy bear while I'm gone." With that, the golden Navi vanished in a bright flash of light. Serenade sat down, picking up something from the ground.
"Meanie," he frumped, hugging his teddy bear.