Mega Man Cross
Chapter 8
"The dream didn't end"
By MEGAMANX411
Mega Man X, Zero, and Alia all stepped into the field of light. All of three of them were systematically disassembled at the molecular level, hurled through space, and later reassembled back in the other world. The whole experience was still as mindblowing as the first time it happened to X and Zero. After all, how could one possibly ever forget being ripped apart and transferred across dimensions?
X was the first to open his eyes. He was greeted back to the land of the other world. The place where he was supposed to be dead. The place where a friend of his was in need. Zero wasn't really as affected by the whole trip and retained his composure. After all, he had to hurry if he wanted to save Kid. Alia, on ther hand, was in complete awe of what just happened. She was speechless.
X placed his hand on Alia's shoulder, and shook her a little to try and see if she was really awake or daydreaming.
"Hey Alia..are you alright?" X asked.
Alia shook her head quickly to try and regain her composure, and quickly came to her senses.
"Oh yes, I'm fine X. Just a little..shocked, that's all," Alia replied.
"Yeah, I would've thought dimensional travel would be more common these days," Zero teased.
"Anyway, we should be going. Kid definitely needs us," X replied.
Zero nodded quickly, and then opened his fist to reveal the vaccine.
"Yeah, she really needs this.." Zero mutered.
As X, Zero, and Alia got into the boat and departed, they continued their conversation.
"So who is Kid?" Alia asked.
"She's a young reploid from around here I guess. She helped us out a lot, so I think the least we can do is pay her back," Zero replied.
X then realized that this was the perfect time to repay Zero for the teasing earlier. He grinned as he looked at Zero.
"Yeah, plus she's your new girlfriend, right Zero?" X teased.
Zero's eyes widened, and he instantly became enraged. He was normally the one to make jokes about X, but this time the blue bomber managed to pull one on him!
"X!!!" Zero screamed.
Alia just laughed as she saw Zero try to strangle X, and X in the meantime was laughing too hard to resist really. Zero fell back and then sighed. He chuckled, and looked back up at X.
"I got to admit X, that was a good one," Zero replied, smiling.
"So what else has happened here anyway?" Alia asked, trying to get a more meaningful conversation going.
X shrugged. There really wasn't much to tell..or at least he assumed as much. He then remembered his dreams that he had, and the impact that they had on him. They were certainly gnawing on his mind.
"Well..there are some people after us. They are an elite group of reploids called Acacia Dragoons," X replied.
"Is that so? Why are they after you?" Alia asked.
"I don't know. I keep hearing something called the Frozen Flame being mentioned, and there's something else bothering me," X muttered.
"What's that?" Alia continued, becoming increasingly interested.
"There's some creature named Lynx..and he really creeps me out. There's something seriously wrong, I can feel it. Not to mention these dreams I keep having," X muttered.
"Dreams?" Alia repeated.
X shrugged his shoulders. Truthfully, he didn't really know how to explain his dreams to Alia. They hadn't happened. But it's as if he knew that they were bound to happen eventually. These dreams were arguably some of the strangest things that have ever happened to X, but he couldn't quite place it.
"I'm not really sure how to explain..it's like..it hasn't happened. But for some reason, it feels like it will happen. That's what I want to figure out. And I want to see how to stop it," X muttered, lowering his head.
X was a bit apprehensive about this whole mess. What if staying here actually made the prophecies depicted in his dreams come true? What if he was actually making them happen by trying to stop them? He couldn't be sure, and he didn't know if he wanted to risk it.Either way, there was something serious going on.
That's when he felt Alia's soft comforting touch on his shoulder. X slowly brought up his hand and laid it on top of her's, and for that brief moment, they felt entirely connected..but that wasn't going to last long. X then felt Zero tap him on the shoulder.
"X, we're here," Zero muttered, pointing to the familiar setting.
X nodded, and then helped Alia out of the boat. That's when Niki and Korcha came out of the medical room to spot X, Zero and some girl that they hadn't seen before. Niki nodded appreciatively at Alia, and then nudged X.
"Hey, she's a babe man," he commented.
X frowned and gave Niki a strange look.
"That's my friend Alia..and I'd appreciate if you wouldn't address her as "babe," ok?" X replied.
Niki shook his head apologetically while Zero just laughed. Alia wasn't really playing attention, she was more preoccupied with her data analysis.
"Anyway..let's go help Kid, we can't waste any more time," X added.
X and the others went inside and they all congregated by Kid's side. She was entirely fatigued from the effects of the virus, and seemed to be sleeping (or at least attempting to sleep). Zero took the vaccine out and administered it. The effects were almost immediate, and Kid soon regained conciousness.
She sat up in her bed, and then shook her head to remove any of the excess weariness from her system. She gave a strange look around the room and saw that the entire group was huddled around her.
"What's goin' on..?" Kid whispered, looking around the room.
Zero smirked, and then patted Kid on the back.
"Looks like you're ok," he observed, notably impressed with her resolve.
Kid gave Zero an arrogant smile, and then proudly stood back up.
"Well, it'd take more than that to take care o' me," she replied. "But X..thank you. For savin' me."
X nodded, and smiled back at Kid.
"I couldn't have abandoned you," X replied.
"So X, whatcha gonna do now?" Korcha asked.
X suddenly was thrust into another vision.He saw something happen again. Something he needed to prevent. A great disaster unlike any other he had ever seen. X shook his head, and then he tensed his muscles as if he was suffering from a great headache.
"Are you ok?" Alia asked.
X nodded slowly, and then relaxed his body.
"Yeah..I'm fine. I'm thinking that I'm going to stay here a bit longer though. There's something I need to figure out," X replied.
"Yeah, I agree. There's something weird going on. But first, I think we should get back to Termina. There will probably be more clues there," Zero noted.
"I can take you all back to Termina if you like," Korcha replied.
"Really?" X asked.
"Yes..but um..." Korcha stuttered, his eyes trailing around the room.
Korcha nervously fidgeted, and then gave Kid an embarrassed stare.
"What is it?" Kid asked.
"Well..in return for the trip...I'd like..to.." Korcha muttered, once again becoming inaudible.
"Heh, pretty shrewd aren't ya? Guess I shouldn't have thanked you earlier after all!" Kid shotued.
Korcha looked extremely nervous. It's as if something was on his mind, but he couldn't express it into words. He tensed his muscles and tried to spit it out as best he could, but the words refused to come without immense effort.
"I wantcha to be my wife!" Korcha shouted, nevously blurting out his answer without thinking.
Korcha then immediately placed a hand over his mouth as he realized he just said something rather out of the question.
"What..did you say?" Kid asked, sounding entirely amazed.
"I said..I wantcha to be my wife!" Korcha repeated.
Zero shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. This was entirely unnecessary, and furthermore, childish.Even so, Zero did find it somewhat amusing.
"Just get this over with, say yes for all I care," Zero muttered.
Zero was then shocked to see Kid grabbing him and giving him a hostile look.She drew her face close to his, and she was heaving breaths.Clearly, she was really ticked.Zero, on the other hand, was downright frightened at this turn of events.
"What..did..ya..say?" Kid muttered, fire in her eyes.
Now it was Zero's turn to be apprehensive.He couldn't quite get words to come at first, but eventually resolved to.After regaining his pride, he stood back up, and shook off Kid's grio.
"Ah, nothing," he replied.
Kid looked back to Korcha, and gave him an equally ticked gaze.
"And as fer ya..I'll think about it, but first you gotta take us to Termina," Kid commanded.
Korcha nodded hastily.Heck, even that answer was as good as a yes to him, so he didn't have many complaints.However, Niki wasn't really paying attention to the sitatuation, Alia was busy taking her data analsysis, and X was too busy supressing his laughter. So they couldn't really comment on anything.
When everyone got in the boat, Kid was a bit perplexed as to why Alia was here. She walked around her and examined her closely, as if she were checking out her supposed competition and comtemplating how to get the upperhand.
"Who are ya?" Kid asked.
"My name's Alia. It's nice to meet you," Alia replied.
Alia introduced herself in her typical polite manner, which X concluded was rather hard to resist.Kid, on the other hand, somehow managed to remain somewhat arrogant still.She didn't seem to like the fact that she was sitting next to X, or that she was on this trip at all.
"So..are ya like X's mom or somethin'?" Kid asked.
Alia's smile was then replaced by a rather fake smile that hid a bit of anger.Being called old by some ungrateful little reploid she barely knew was not something she enjoyed. X decided to help break things upby intervening on Alia's behalf.
"Kid, Alia is my friend. She's from the same world I am," X replied.
"Izzat so?" Kid asked. "Can ya fight at all?"
Alia shrugged her shoulders. Personally, she didn't like to fight. Physical violence was not something she liked to resort to.She did, however, complete basic training as a requirement for joining the Maverick Hunters. Many people there did admit that Alia has pretty good aim with a buster arm, although she isn't as skilled as X is. However, Alia simply chose not to fight on most occasions and simply provide navigational support, which was her strong suit.
"Well..yes," Alia replied.
X shook his head. Even though he wasn't the best person at picking up signals that women gave, he could tell that Alia and Kid were heading for some conflict.
"OK, I think that's enough..anyway, Alia, this is Kid. She's helped us out a lot, and she can fight pretty well. Kid, this is Alia.She's a great friend of mine, and she's very good at providing navigational assistance," X replied.
Kid merely crossed her arms defiantly and sat down beside Zero, who remained rather impervious to her supposed charms. During the trip, Korcha also saw fit to speak to Zero. However, his slight accent did start to get on Zero's nerves.
"So..how are youcha doing?" Korcha asked.
"Fine," Zero muttered, not particularly interested in any conversation.
"Your name's Zerocha right?" Korcha asked.
"It's Zero," Zero replied, sounding a bit offended.
"Zero, that's whatcha I said," Korcha replied.
Zero shook his head. Korcha's method of conversation was really starting to bother him.
"Do you have to say that?" Zero asked.
"Say whatcha?" Korcha asked.
"That!" Zero shouted.
"I dunno whatcha you're talking about," Korcha replied.
"Just stop saying "cha" after everything you say!" Zero screamed.
"Sorry..." Korcha muttered.
"That's better..." Zero muttered, sitting back down.
"..cha.."
"Get over here you little!!" Zero screamed, trying to strangle Korcha.
X quickly leaped over to subdue Zero in time to prevent him from injuring the little reploid. He had to stop laughing first, of course.After the whole "cha" fiasco on the boat was over and done with, they finally arrived back at the Termina docks.
"Wellcha, I'll be seein' ya guys. Later!" Korcha shouted, waving his arms.
"Goodbye Korcha!" X shouted.
"And Korcha! I said I'll think about it!" Kid added.
X then turned to Niki, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Well, it was great having you with us Niki, but I think you better get back with your band now. I bet Miki's really worried about you," X commented.
"Oh, that's right dudes. Anyway, it's been cool hangin' with ya, glad I could help. Feel free to stop by a concert when you want, I'll let ya in for free," Niki replied.
"Heh, sure, I'd like that," X answered.
So, Niki then left, leaving the group reduced to X, Zero, Kid, and Alia.
"Where to now?" Zero asked.
"Well, we might as well look around for clues I suppose," Alia offered.
Alia then heard some voices. She tensed up and tried to listen.
"What is it Alia?" X asked.
"Shh..I hear something.." Alia replied.
"The general and his men are headed for Fort Dragonia.There has been word that the major power of the east, Porre is up to something suspicious. They seem to have heard the rumors of the Frozen Flame in El Nido and are coming to investigate," the first person began.
"My then, that means the Porre army might invade this town any time now.I wonder if we will be alright..." the second person replied.
"Yes, that is why we are moving to the fort for a while.That fort is far from town, so it is not used normally, but it has good defenses. I was ordered to remain at the manor and protect Miss Riddel, but...she felt very uneasy about the way General Viper was acting before he left, so..." the second person answered.
Alia turned to X and the others, apparently looking a bit worried.
"What do you think this means?" she asked.
"Oi! This means that while I was snoozin' in Guldove, Lynx hightailed it out of the manor! Bloody hell! These blokes may cause some major hell!" Kid shouted.
"Well, I think it's best we find our way to Fort Dragonia then," X replied.
