Thanks to,
GreyElvenWarrior, well, here's more. I'm sorry it took so long to write it and post it, and I'm afraid it might be just as long till I get the next chapter up. Sorry.
Kal Torak, oh, yes, mean is something I do very well. And I'm afraid I'll have to repeat what I said at the end of the last chapter. Thanks for the suggestion for the title! And thanks for your support.
EmyLyii, thanks also for the chapter title suggestion. About Sapphire's name, when I first had the story idea in my head, I was thinking of a way of explaining why the machines would keep Sapphire alive the way they did. Because she was really dead inside Trinity when she died. If you want to know, I'm saying they cloned Sapphire's DNA and grew a new embryo so she would effectively still be alive.
Da Buffster, home sick from school? Are you sure you're not totally crazy now anyway? I can tell you're not making sense! Anyway, thanks for the review, it cheers me up to read them. I hope you like this chapter.
Angel-Of-Lightness, hi, thanks for the review! Like I said, I will be writing more, but it probably wont be any time soon. So sorry about that. I hope this next chapter keeps you equally as hooked! And I'm sorry about the length of time it took me to write this.
Thereisnobrain, if you are reading this, I've put your review answer at the bottom of the chapter (as its from 'Thrice').
kurtcobain01, thanks for your emails. I already answered the questions in your review, but if anybody wants to know, Neo and Trinity are now programs in the matrix; Niobe will meet the MA some time soon, after the Zion chapters; I'm not planning on Morpheus meeting them yet; and this story will be up for a long time, probably have sequels/prequels too, if you want. Thanks for the descriptions you gave me, I hope this is okay for you.
richard the pedantic, oh, don't worry, its probably best you cant think of anything else to say, then I don't keep on commenting about everything you write in my review bits! Future events are always unpredictable!!! That's why I love writing them, and to keep you guys guessing! And by the way, Left Behind is an excellent piece of fanfiction, thanks for writing it!
And just a note to some other people who haven't reviewed, if you stumble across this, I just want to say hi and thanks to Angel Leviathan, the author of 'Ultimate Sacrifice', a very very good fic that I recommend that everyone reads; and to littlemissamelia-1989, the author of 'Matrix Big Brother', which is a very humorous fic with uploading problems. So hi guys!!!
- And here is the next chapter you've all been waiting for, enjoy!!!
*~*~*
Sapphire stood nervously in front of the giant doors of the Neb, anxiously and slightly impatiently waiting for the next few seconds to pass and the door to open, releasing her to see the wondrous Zion. She tried her best to keep her emotions sealed; she felt that she was upholding the reputations of both herself and her mother at the moment. No one else got worked up over seeing Zion again.
However, she was just minutes away from first seeing the amazing city that she had long heard about and dreamed about all her life, and thus the façade was slipping. She could just about see Link out of the corner of her eye trying to hide a small grin on his face from watching her fight her emotions. She considered giving him a work out, but Zee had just come up beside Sapphire in an attempt to calm her apprehension, and the urge to hit her husband subsided.
A short moment later, which seemed to Sapphire to be an eternity, the doors slid open, revealing the glorious splendours on the other side.
Sapphire gasped in surprise at the sight that awaited her. Morpheus crept up behind her, startling her as her spoke.
"Welcome to Zion, Sapphire"
Her mother especially had described it quite excessively, talking wondrously about its magnificence, but seeing the sight first hand was something quite different itself. Trinity had insisted that it was a breathtaking place, one that hardly seemed to belong to a cold and jumbled place like Earth. She was right.
Sapphire was stunned by the vast space in which she was present. Several dozen ships were resting in various docks, impossibly immense amounts of space between them and above them. So many structures and people, all doing some or other job, all working together as one. She was so overwhelmed by the whole place, she didn't see the small party of people walking up the broad walkway moving purposely towards them.
Sapphire only noticed the party when they were only a few mere metres from the ship, the leading man in his dirty yellow uniform walking with his head up stiffly. He irritably addressed Morpheus when he was a couple of metres away from him, throwing a few dismissive looks at Sapphire and the other non uniformed people who had just stepped off the ships. Apparently non-ranking crewmembers didn't deserve his time, nor to be honoured by his presence. Sandman, a guy that had been unplugged for three years, crossed his arms and gave the yellow coated man an equally dismissive glance. Sapphire looked curiously at the man with his hastily tied shoulder-length blond hair, who was furiously giving evils to his opponent. In her short time on board the Neb, he had keenly watched her fight Morpheus, and had actually asked to spar with her later that night. He was quite a good fighter she found out, but he was amazed at her fighting techniques, and wanted to learn some little tricks and things from her the hard way. Oh, and boy was he a thrill seeker!
"Well, what is it, Morpheus? I hope you got me out here for a good reason, I don't take kindly to being dragged out of my office for inconsequential issues. Where is this new girl that you are so enthusiastic about?" The impatient man said, even more annoyed with the captain standing behind Sapphire, for no obvious reason other than it was Morpheus.
Morpheus just stood silently, behind his back like usual, and inclined his head towards Sapphire slightly. The man looked confused at Sapphire again, surveying her with dubious looks, before turning back to glare at the captain.
"You've got to be kidding me! You've got a lot of nerve to play around like this."
"I'm not playing around. I freed her four days ago, as requested by the Matrix Angels. That's why I needed to talk with the council. The machines-"
"Morpheus, I don't have time to get into your prophecies and theories crap. I've heard enough of it over the years; it almost destroyed the whole city. So if you'd like to get a move on, I'm on a tight schedule." He snapped, glaring at them intensely. Sapphire felt he was trying to impersonate Trinity's glare, which could break even the hardest of people. The man in front of her seemed to be doing it rather unsuccessfully.
"Councils expecting you in the small council chamber now. Don't keep them waiting." He promptly turned and walked back along the way he came, without even sparing a glance behind him.
Morpheus led his party down a different walkway, letting Sapphire catch up with him so they were walking side by side behind their escorts (the ones led down by and abandoned by the Yellow-coat).
"Does he always talk to Morpheus like that?" Sapphire whispered to Niobe walking behind her. Niobe took a quick step forward so she was just behind her.
"Er, yes." Niobe spoke into her ear, eyeing the disappearing figure.
"Why" Sapphire asked, confused. Sapphire caught sight of a small smile on Niobe's face when she turned her head as the absence of an answer. Sapphire then remembered the little stories her parents had told her about Morpheus, Niobe and Lock. So that's who he is. I guess that explains everything.
Morpheus noticed Sapphire watching Lock's back, brows furrowed. He lent in towards Sapphire as they walked on, talking quietly.
"That man was-"
"DeadBolt. Head of security. Well, he was eighteen years ago."
Morpheus turned to look at her curiously. She just kept on walking forwards as if she had commented on the weather.
"Yes…. Still is. He got a commendation for his work in the great battle. I think he is still frustrated and annoyed he didn't get promoted or anything at the time."
Morpheus reminded himself that by now he shouldn't be surprised by her impossible knowledge of the real world, but it was slightly disconcerting. He felt a hand pat his back, and looked back to see a sly grinning Niobe looking at him.
"I still don't know how she knows all of this. It's just impossible, its been irritating me since we unplugged her."
"I think I have some theories." Niobe said slyly, glancing at Link and Zee walking slightly behind them. Link looked downwards to hide a little smile; Zee just looked at him with the corners of her mouth slightly upturned. Morpheus looked questioningly at Niobe and the two crew members behind her.
"Now is not the time. Later." she said, as they stopped wait for the lifts to the main area of Zion.
Morpheus looked at her slightly upset, but didn't say anything as the lift doors slid shut. He was actually partially comforted by the knowledge that he would at least find out something soon by someone who wasn't Sapphire.
His attention however was suddenly pulled back to Niobe again when he heard her suddenly swear, something she rarely did without an obvious explanation. He looked at her concerned, willing her to look up at him and tell him her problem. She half-glanced at Sapphire who was at the back of the lift talking with Sandman. She then gazed into Morpheus' eyes, searching him for the answer as she spoke, willing him to realise their problem.
"Morpheus, where are we going…?" She stated, watching her lover frown at the question.
"The small council chambers, Lock just said-" he stated slowly, completely confused.
"I know what he said, Morpheus. I mean, where are we going… "
Morpheus just looked at her with the same blank stare. Niobe sighed and tried again.
"What is at the entrance of the councillors area? What will be right in front of us as the doors open?"
At that Morpheus too swore in realisation, and turned to look concerned at Sapphire. She was completely oblivious to the two captains, deep on conversation with Sandman about his previous encounters with Deadbolt.
Just then there was the loud groan of metal as the lift doors forced themselves open. Niobe and Morpheus held their breath as Sapphire saw what lay beyond the doors. Her defences slipped completely, eyes wide with the influx of visual information and mouth slightly open in a silent gasp of total surprise and shock.
A large slab of stone, large letters spanning the top reading: In Memoriam Of All Those That Lost Their Lives In The Great War With The Machines. Underneath were several long lists of names, all alphabetically bar the first two, who were in bold and completely separated from the rest.
Neo
Trinity
Without both of whom the war would not have ended.
Just to the side of the lists of names was a path through some graves leading to another, smaller stone that was separated off from the surrounding graves with glass. In front of it Sapphire could see the neat lines marking out a double grave.
She didn't need to look to know who's grave it belonged to.
She felt another comforting hand on her shoulder as she surveyed the grave of her parents, the only real physical evidence that they had ever lived in the real world.
*~*~*
I'll just remind you again that I won't be posting for a while, so make the most of it! Sorry, but my studies do come first.
(By the way, if you have noticed any spelling or grammar mistakes, please tell me about them, preferably in an email where it would be easier. Also if you read something that sounds a bit bad that you think can be reworded a bit better. All help is appreciated, and this goes for all chapters. Thanks!)
And lastly, I want to thank thereisnobrain, for your review for 'Thrice', glad to see people are actually still reading it. I don't really know about Neo, I'm just pretty much guessing that in that situation he would be like that, but as I said, I'm not the W brothers, I didn't create the character. Thanks again for the review!