Hello again, everyone. I know it's been quite some time, but I can't thank you enough for supporting me. Your support really means a lot. (is listening to Macalania Woods theme song) I seem to favor this song. It matches my mood right now. To Uzu-Chan and the Revered Khilai: thanks. Big hugs to the both of you. Here goes nothing.

-The level of tension died down a few hours later, but to many of the Reploids inside of the Maverick Hunter base, the tension was still at a lethal, feverish pitch. Many of the workers attended to the Infirmary Reploids, who were incredibly shaken up by the abrupt explosion that had taken place inside. None of them received any life-threatening injuries, but the emotional injuries were major-many of the Infirmary workers were unable to stop trembling for quite a while after the explosion. Many of them were greatly worried about Zero, and others couldn't stop thinking about the deadly, black song of the flames….their friends did everything they could do to calm them down, and everything they did worked out in the end. After the treatment, several of the Infirmary workers returned to their dormitories for rest, while the others decided to clean up the very place they worked in.

Snipe had done a pretty good job of disrupting things.

For a short while many of the Reploids, including Megaman X and General Signas, dashed throughout the base and took care of everything that needed to be dealt with. They attended to the ones that had been injured emotionally and the ones that had been given physical injuries, feeling great, unstoppable tidal waves of ice scorch their entire bodies. The Hunter and his general worked as a team, rushing throughout the base to heal everything that had been damaged in the incident….

Time was a cruel, unyielding enemy. It dealt out millions of emotions to every single soul in the base, and there wasn't a single heart that could deal with such a tremendous burden. The tension level had died down, yes, but it certainly wasn't gone. The atmosphere was still cold…

And filled with the deep, black mists of death.

Electricity was running throughout the base, but to everyone Reploid working inside of the base, it was completely dark. It was dark on the inside, dark on the outside…..

Things weren't getting any better.

The dormitory of General Signas wasn't much different from the rest of the base. The general's room was dimly lit, and it was excruciatingly cold…

It was as if the heavens knew of the pain they were all experiencing.

Usually, the general's dorm was a place of comfort and warmth, but those things no longer existed. Now, it was a cold realm of the darkest ice……and not a single moment of serenity could be found inside of it. Standing in his room was like standing right before a huge wave of black sea water…..

Signas felt like he was standing right before an enormous wave….

A wave that wanted to sweep him away into oblivion.

The general was inside of his dormitory, pacing around nervously with closed eyes. Signas had a habit of pacing around in his room whenever he became upset in anyway, since he was unable to sit still during times of dark emotions. There were documents all over his bed, his laptop was on, waiting for him to respond….but it was being completely ignored.

All of the trivial things, all of the little material things, were being completely ignored.

There wasn't anything to do at the moment. Everything had been cleaned up, everything had been taken care of….of course he would clear up a problem if it came up, but right now-

There was only one thing to do.

Pray.

Silence was burning his ears like daggers of ice. It was cold….way too cold for him to handle. He felt like a young horse that had been forced to walk out into a black storm of unyielding, fatal ice……and there wasn't anything he could do about it. He was the Maverick Hunter General, yes-

But right now, he felt like he wasn't any bigger than a baby chick.

A part of him wanted the company of a friend, but the other part of him wanted to be left alone. The other part of him wanted to sink into oblivion….

That part of him wanted the wave to take him away.

But that part wasn't going to get its wish.

"General Signas?"

Signas recognized that voice right away. It was the voice of his dear friend-

Megaman X.

"Yes, X?"

"May I come in, sir? I'd like to speak with you."

The tone of X's voice caused a million darts to strike the heart of the general. X was trying to keep up a strong front, but he really felt lost and disconsolate. The general released a small sigh and gave his friend an answer.

"You have my permission to enter."

Megaman X appeared in his room a moment later, wearing a small smile-he was obviously thankful for the chance to speak with him. He noticed that the general wasn't in the best of moods instantly, and so he made an attempt to lighten the atmosphere by giving a glance to the documents on the bed.

"Sir. Pardon me, but you aren't usually messy."

Signas smiled at him, but it was a smile that made X realize that he had failed at lightening the mood. It was a wry smile, one filled with impenetrable sadness.

"I'm sorry, but neatness doesn't really matter at the moment."

Sadness bloomed inside of the Maverick Hunter's heart at a powerful, excruciating rate. Crystallized drops of dew rushed into the gentle, divine eyes of the soldier…but he did his best to restrain them. He sat down on the general's bed, knowing that sitting on it wouldn't bother the general at all…..still wearing a soft smile….

But the smile wasn't one filled with golden light.

Signas sat down next to him, listening to the heartbeat of his soldier. He could feel the emotions of his friend….he could almost actually taste them. His soul united with X's as soon as the Hunter stepped into the room-both of them were experiencing the same type of pain…..

And neither one of them could get rid of it.

"Sir. The Infirmary is back up and running. None of our programs received any heavy damage, and neither did any of our workers. The Infirmary equipment took some damage, but it'll be fixed very soon. Zero is inside of ICU. That's all I have to report, sir."

Zero.

That name sliced Signas's heart like a saber of cold steel.

Zero.

Thanks to Snipe, he had been cut off from life support for several minutes. Miraculously, Zero was able to rise from the cold hands of death……but…….

X closed his eyes. He wanted to say more…..he wanted to extinguish the silence flowing between him and his dear friend……but his heart was throbbing painfully against his chest…..

It was trying very hard to fly right out of him.

Silence stayed inside of the dormitory for several long minutes, then Signas gained enough strength to speak. The eyes of the general were filled with firm devotion…..and firm, everlasting sorrow. His voice wasn't any different, even though he wanted to sound cheerful for the sake of his friend.

"So. I found out that Snipe Anteater, one of Axl's former friends, succeeded in sneaking into the Infirmary. Evidently, the Red Alert Syndicate found out about the crisis on our hands."

"Sigma was probably the one that found out for them." X replied with a soft, miserable sigh. "Remember, he IS obsessed with Zero."

More silence. But this time, it wasn't the type of silence that made them both feel uncomfortable.

"So, X?" Signas asked his dear friend after ten long years had elapsed. "Where is our young guest, anyway?"

The mention of the Black Tiger caused even more tears to rise to his X's eyes. His chest began to burn with fervent, fiery admiration and devotion…..but it also began to burn with the greatest degree of sorrow. His eyes began to shimmer like diamonds of the night, being soaked by the waves of the ocean…..and he began to tremble….unable to stop the tears of his heart from flowing. "I don't know." he said to Signas, wanting to break down and cry. "I really don't know. I had the opportunity to speak with him right after the explosion occurred……I haven't seen him since. I really hope he's all right."

Axl.

The image of the young reploid dashing towards the Infirmary caused even more tears to enter the Hunter's eyes.

I hope you're okay.

"Sir, may I speak freely?"

Signas smiled at him the way a proud father would smile at a son that had just discovered the beautiful miracle of life. He placed a hand on X's right hand, letting the Hunter know that he had his full attention and support. X smiled at him weakly through endless drops of pristine light….unable to stop the pain inside of his chest….

"I really think Axl would make a great Hunter."

"Really now? Why is that?"

"Because……" His voice became hoarse, but he tried his best to stay strong. "…..he may appear to be a normal teenager, since he has the vivacity and strength of one, but…he's more than that. He's wise……brave…..and has a heart of gold. His heart's…….beautiful. I've never seen a young one with such a pure soul before."

More silence passed between the two of them……

Fortunately, this time…..it was calm…..serene….sweet silence.

X placed his hands over his face and allowed every single one of his tears to flow. The pain inside of his chest exploded, his heart exploded…..everything inside of him fell apart……

Signas, still wearing the facial expression of a calm, proud father, put an arm about his shoulders….and gave the Hunter the time he needed to calm down. Several minutes passed before X was able to calm down a little……but the voice of the Hunter was still shaky and hoarse…..and his chest was still in a great amount of pain. The general didn't speak to him until he became silent, still emitting the warm aura of a loving, affectionate and supportive father.

"X. Dr.Cain keeps speaking to me about a light….a tiny light of hope that's glimmering in the distance. Do you think…..Axl could be our light of hope?"

The promises Axl had made to him returned to his mind…..the determination of the young's fierce eyes returned to his heart……everything burned itself into his soul…..

And those images would remain with him for all eternity. be." X said to the general softly. "He could be. He said….he told me that….he wants to find a cure……for Zero. Haha, he wants to look for something that's not even out there. I think it's silly. He's chasing after a false hope."

"Well, at least he has the strength to believe in hope. He's a strong one, that Reploid."

Silence returned….but only for a few moments. Both of them sat together-one of the Reploids had his eyes closed, the other one was lost in a whirlpool of thought……both of them sat together, feeling the emotions of each emotions of each other's hearts….feeling the light from their souls rise to the heavens…..

But the beautiful silence didn't last long at all.

"Captain X! Captain X! Please, please answer me! Captain X!"

X's heart fell into a million pieces the very second that voice touched his ears. It was the voice of an Infirmary worker-a young female named Rally. He looked at his wrist communicator and allowed the call to come through, not really wanting to hear any bad news but she didn't sound very happy…….

"Rally, what is it! Tell me!"

"It's about Captain Zero, sir! It's Zero! He only has a few hours left to live, sir! He can't stay with us much longer! During the explosion he was removed from life support, sir, and that caused some SERIOUS damage! He doesn't have much time!"

Right then and there X fell into an eternal nightmare. Everything around him shattered, everything inside of him shattered…..his frame of mind shattered…..his SANITY shattered. He didn't want to believe anything she had just said, he didn't want to acknowledge any of the emotions that were flowing through his body….he didn't want ANYTHING……his head began to spin madly…….

Oh God…….

The face of the young Rally vanished from the monitor, but X forgot about her right after she had given him the update. His whole world was spinning…..and he felt excruciatingly sick. He forgot about who he was, where he was, the outside world…..

"General?"

Signas wanted to break down and cry. The face of the Maverick Hunter was perfectly calm, and so was the Hunter's voice….but he was truly ready to crack. Seriously.

"Yes?"

"Can you wake me up? Please? I'd like to wake up now. I'm tired of being lost in this nightmare."

Signas's chest began to hurt. And so did his heart.

"I'm sorry, X….but….I'm lost too."

A minute of silence passed, and then the Maverick Hunter rose from his place…..and left. General Signas was left alone with his emotions and thoughts…..unable to see clearly….unable to think clearly……

There was only one word going through his mind.

And it was the word 'why'.

-Megaman X fell to his knees several yards from his general's dormitory, unable to go any further. The world he was in was literally killing him, but there wasn't anything he could do to stop the nightmare. He felt cold, lightheaded, dizzy, weak…..everything in the book had his picture right under it. He was dangerously close to throwing away the will to live. There wasn't anything left for him to believe in...

"X!"

With the greatest amount of reluctance, X answered the call on his wrist communicater….failing to recognize the voice. "What is it?"

"It's me! Hey!"

A gasp tore itself from the Hunter's throat. That was none other than-

"Axl! What are you-where are you!"

The Black Tiger smiled at him nonchalantly. "I'm about to take care of a little problem! Don't bother coming after me, pal! I'm all right on my own!"

"Wha!" X still couldn't believe that Axl was no longer inside of the base. "But what about-what are you-"

"I've got everything under control. Don't worry about me! Just take care of yourself, all right?"

"But-"

"I said stop being such a worry wart! It's fine, okay?"

"Axl……"

X's heart went through the longer roller coaster drop. The Hunter was looking at the face of the only one that believed in the thing called "hope"…..but he was falling through eternal despair. Tears streamed from his eyes like oceans……and his chest continued to burn…..

"It's……about…..Zer-"

"I know. It's okay, X. I know. You don't have to explain anything. Listen." The young one's voice was firm, but very soft and warm. "I'm going to take care some of business. I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise. Just try to stay strong. I know it's hard, but I'll be back."

Axl was killing him. The young one was so courageous and kind….it was beyond phenomenal. The Black Tiger was the parent trying to console a child that was in the middle of a plane crash, and he was doing the "parent" job perfectly. X smiled at him weakly through so many tears…….

"Axl?"

"Yeah?"

Two words left the Maverick Hunter's mouth.

"Thank you."

The young one grinned at him. "Hey. You're welcome. I take care of my friends. I have t'go now, all right? Keep your chin up!"

The child was left all alone…..wanting the parent to return. The child felt helpless….excruciatingly helpless………Axl seemed to be a million miles away…..

I don't know what to do.

I can't think, I can't do anything.

I need you here.

Hurry up and return. Please.

"Hey, you're welcome! I take care of my friends. I have t'go now, all right? Keep your chin up!"

Oh God……Axl….Zero……Zero…….I don't know if I can……

-Time was no one's ally. To the Black Tiger, it was like a swift wind of fire-relentless, deadly and sadistic. It was laughing at him….and he knew it.

But nothing could escape the fury of his claws.

An hour flew by like a mere second.

The domain of Snipe Anteater was silent…….it was a realm of ocean blue melodies…..and a realm of sapphire blue dreams. There wasn't a single soul moving throughout the entire the base-

The tiger had dealt with his prey.

Drops of starlight were silently floating throughout the domain of Axl's latest victim….watching over the tiger, who was lost in thought at the moment. The body of Snipe Anteater, which was drenched in vermillion red blood, was at the young one's feet…….and there was a tiny smile on the young one's face. He sheathed both of his guns, scanned his surroundings…..and laughed at the one that had failed to come out on top.

"Heh. That wasn't so hard."

It was time to get back to the situation at hand. The young tiger's eyes became phenomenal gemstones of pure determination as he plunged into a chaotic world of thought…..the drops of starlight held a silent vigil over him as he soared throughout the realm of his mind, planning out his next move….

Time wasn't going to stop for anyone.

Now, back to business. Where there's a will, there's a way. Where there's a virus, there's a cure. There has to be something somewhere. There's gotta be something somewhere.

There are hundreds of professors, hundreds of Reploids…..Reploids are brought into the world every day, right? There are researchers…..scientists……hundreds, probably even thousands of those guys out there……so there HAS to be some type of data…somewhere….

That's it. I need to get into some type of database. But it can't be any old database.

A very bright light went off inside of the young one's heart, and a smile blossomed like a newborn flower in Spring on his face.

That's IT! The database inside of my old hangout! Red collected TONS of data about everything there is to know! I could find anything in there! He's got information on everything, EVERYONE-even on Dr. Light, the guy that made X! Something HAS to be in there!

The light inside of Axl's heart became brighter, and so did the courage within his eyes. His smile became warmer….but it became a smile of deep, strong vigilance…..

It was the smile of a true friend. A true brother.

Perfect. I'm going to make everyone's dreams come true.

I know something has to be in there.

The young Reploid left behind the cold, lifeless body of Snipe Anteater, filled with the most powerful light……..the light no one else believed in….

The light of hope.

-Enjoy! I hope everyone likes this chapter. Twas very emotional for me. Big hugs to all of my dear supporters! Please stay with me until the very end! I won't disappoint anyone! And I promise I'll the newest chapters of your story soon, Uzu-Chan! I'll try to update soon!