We're almost at the home stretch. To all of my friends that have supported me-thank you. I appreciated the support all of you gave me when all others started accusing me of writing 'shounen-ai', and all of you still mean so much to me. Before we begin with the next chapter, I'd like to take this time to respond to you guys.
Uzu-Chan: I'm sorry for misleading you. To tell you the truth, the 'Soul' chapter was supposed to be longer, but I had to cut it short because of class time. There were only supposed to be a few chapters left, but time changes things. And you really do enjoy analyzing things! (smiles) Yeah, I'm really sorry about the whole 'Sigma' descriptions-I'm just trying to get a good picture of him myself. I don't know what else to call him yet! AND HE'S DEFINITELY NOT THAT DUDE OF OFF TWISTED METAL-NO WAY. He's more like Albedo. Definitely. Or Kuja from Final Fantasy 9.
I'm glad you liked X's attack. It's nice to know that my new interpretation of the final battle was liked. I was waiting for someone to pop up and say "THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS GO", but oh well.
MyGBAcantalk: Hi there! Yeah, I can actually picture Sigma working at Claire's: 'Would you like a nice shiny pair of earrings to go with your brassiere?'. Nice thought!
Prjct.War: Thanks for your opinions on Sigma! And keep up the amazing work on your story. As for Miss Khilai-I asked her about her troubles, and she told me everything. I don't think I have the right to share her information-that would be like a doctor sharing a patient's data with other patients-but I will let you know this. The character named Red in her masterpiece was giving her a lot of problems. She's all right now, thank goodness. And it seems like the pervertedness of my story is coming off great! (laughs)
Star Ninja: Hi! It's always nice to have you here. You enjoy being left on cliffs, don't you? (laughs) Hee hee heeeee...
PRIVATE: (hugs) Don't cry anymore. It'll be okay...I think.
Khilai: Thank you. I always look forward to reading your reviews, since they're always so detailed! You let me know what parts of my story you like, and WHY you like them, and I appreciate that! Because of you I know how much power I have as a writer! Thank you, so much! I don't know if I helped you out or not, but I'm glad you're back, and I don't want Red or ANYONE ELSE to take you down!
The world can't lose precious sunlight, or else it'll die!
Racegirl: I don't know if you'll be back in here, but if you are reading this, thank you! But Red really wasn't a bad guy...
On with the show!
Silence swarmed into the Red Alert Syndicate base like a pack of venomous bees. It watched over the two frantic Maverick Hunters anxiously, drowning in their pain and understanding their tension. Frosty winds swept through their current location like gales of fire, filling their hearts with immeasurable dread...both of their hearts were swiftly pounding...trying to escape from the confinement they were being forced to endure...tears were streaming down their faces...the world around them began to spin madly...it was almost as if the world was changing, right before them...
X couldn't take his eyes off of Zero, who was holding onto the lifeless body of Axl. The eyes of the gentle Maverick Hunter were filled with one solid thing-cold, hard fear. His eyes were beautiful, solid pools of eternal light...but the light was being created by the pristine tears falling from his heart. He possessed a desire to move, but moving any body part was simply impossible, since he was completely paralyzed by fear. He could barely even breathe, and his mouth refused to shut itself...everything felt so cold, so dead...
"No...oh God, no...no...this isn't how it should be..."
Zero wasn't ready to give up. Not by a long-shot. His ethereal eyes were firm, solid gemstones of unbreakable determination...they were the eyes of a loving, caring father trying to awaken his son. His voice, although shaky, was stern and frantic...his body was trembling, but he tried his best to stay calm...
"Axl. Axl, wake up."
Wake up.
Come on, don't leave me.
Wake up.
Two seconds passed, and Zero's heart dropped like a rock into a gutter. The young Reploid wasn't moving at all-the Crimson Flame wasn't receiving any type of response. A part of the Maverick Hunter wanted to give into fear, but he was unwilling to throw away what his dear friend had believed in.
Hope.
What happened next shocked Mega Man X.
Zero slowly closed his eyes, and gently placed his heart against the heart of his young friend. Fear was threatening to consume his entire body, but the Maverick Hunter wasn't ready to give in. He held onto Axl tightly, shielding him from all danger the way a mother bear would shield her cub...hoping...waiting...waiting...for something...hoping...
Wake up. Axl, awaken.
I am with you.
Rise from the darkness-
Don't let Sigma-
Don't let anyone take you from the light!
Don't surrender to anyone!
Those last words echoed throughout his mind.
Don't surrender to anyone!
Tears welled up in the eyes of the Maverick Hunter-waves of emotion wanted to consume him badly...he remembered the way he felt when Iris had sacrificed her life...
Forlorn, desperate, and heartbroken.
He never thought he would feel like that, ever again. He never thought he would become a small, helpless, sorrowful little kitten again...he never thought he would have to feel such horrible, painful emotions ever again...
Tears began to stream from his eyes, and they gave his eyes a wonderful, surreal warmth...his body began to tremble even more and more...
Don't leave us!
We need you!
Seconds smacked him right in the face. Nothing was working.
"AXL! WAKE UP, DAMMIT! YOU CAN'T LEAVE US LIKE THIS! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU IF YOU DO!"
Time seemed to be laughing at him.
He wanted to go insane. His emotions were tearing him apart.
The world continued to spin and spin and spin and spin...his head continued to spin madly...nothing would stop...nothing would slow down...time continued to laugh at him...he was trapped in a non-stop, inexplicable nightmare...a nightmare that refused to end...a swift yet deadly nightmare...it just wouldn't stop...
Tears continued to fall from his eyes, sparkling...shimmering like drops of dew, descending from the petals of newborn flowers...glowing like the rays of light from the golden orb known as the sun...they struck the face of the sleeping Black Tiger like tiny raindrops...the world continued to spin and spin...X's eyes were glued on the frantic, fearful eyes of his dearest friend...
"Axl!"
Zero's heart leapt beyond the heavens during the next second that elapsed. He truly felt as if it had shot right out of his chest...and into a nameless void. What happened after his friend's name left his mouth caused a million bolts of electricity to shoot right through his body-
His young friend's eyes opened.
"Okay okay-I'm awake already. Sheesh. Stop screaming at me already."
The Crimson Flame's heart continued to rise higher and higher...radiant teardrops streamed from his warm gemstones like waterfalls...
And a smile broke out on his face.
The sharp gasp of relief from Mega Man X touched his ears with the gentleness of a feather. The eyes of the blue Maverick Hunter lit up like the eyes of a child on Christmas day, and his heart soared into an abyss of immoderate happiness...
"Axl! You're alive! You're all right!"
"Yeah, barely...still here though...aaackkk...sheesh, I ache all over..."
The emotions that swept through Zero refreshed his body and soul, but they swept through him at a painful, perilous pace-he felt as if someone had struck him right in the head with a hammer. The tears just wouldn't stop...
At the least the world had stopped spinning.
"Took you long enough, pal." he said to his young friend, feeling as if a thousand hammers had struck him in the head all at once. His voice was soft and calm, but his heart definitely wasn't calm...peace was the last thing on its mind. Axl smiled at him fondly, his eyes shimmering with tears of appreciation...and devotion. The young one's voice was soft and peaceful, but he was shivering a little because of the pain drenching his body...
"Sorry about that. Glad you woke me up, though. Sorry for worrying you two."
X wiped sheets of teardrops from his eyes, smiling...smiling with relief...
"If you even THINK about leaving us again, I'll kill you! Do you hear me?"
"Yeah, I hear you, Mom..." the young one replied to him, laughing weakly. Zero noticed that Axl was restless-the look in his eyes told the Crimson Flame that he wanted to get up and move around.
"I'm sorry for making you worry."
A melody of liberation drifted into X's heart, and fell into his eyes like an ephemeral wind of twilight. The smile on his face became even brighter, and his heart soared into a place that couldn't be described by anything-
"It's all right. I'm just glad you're okay. I'm sorry about accidentally striking you...and thank you...for protecting me. Thanks so much, Axl."
"Hey, no problem." the young Reploid told him jauntily, throwing a wink in his direction. He sounded like someone that was about to throw a tea party-calm, cheerful and composed.
Just like always.
"Everything's cool."
A brief moment later, he began to stretch out his arms, and made several attempts to rise from Zero's shield. At first, moving around was intensely difficult because of the pain flooding his body, but it only took him a few seconds to see past the pain. The Crimson Flame watched his young friend worriedly...the way a fearful mother would watch her cub make its first steps...but Axl was determined to stand on his own bravely. Gritting his teeth, the young one finally left his friend's arms a minute later, bearing a resemblance to a wounded horse that was determined to finish the race he had started...
"Everything's perfectly cool, X."
The look on Axl's face brought even more tears to the Maverick Hunter's eyes. Zero looked at him proudly, beaming at him with brotherly love...the emotions within the young one's eyes moved him to tears...
They touched his heart deeply.
"Let's finish this creep off, guys."
X wasn't ready to let the cub fight. Tension struck his eyes and caused a gasp to draw itself from his mouth...Axl was still in a lot of pain...
"Wait a minute! You can't-"
"X, you can't keep me down. You should know this by now, buddy." the Reploid replied, twirling one of his guns around, smiling like the most confident cowboy. "I didn't come this far just to be put out of the ring after a few measly minutes."
Zero, the Angel of Death, unsheathed his mighty Z-Saber and stood at his young friend's side, ready for anything...ready for anyone. His eyes were sparkling with the light of a new future, the light of newborn stars...the light of...
Hope.
"I'm ready whenever you are, Axl."
The emotions flowing through Zero's body reached X's heart. The legendary Maverick Hunter readied his X-Buster...also ready to take on the present...and...
The future.
The three of them united...and stood together...ready for what time would bring...ready for what the future would bring...ready for anything. All of their eyes held the same emotion, but at the same time, each pair of eyes held unique, ethereal qualities...X's eyes were like the eyes of a true, devoted soldier...Zero's eyes were bright and strong, like the eyes of a speed demon...
Axl's eyes were jubilant, merry gemstones of valiance.
X spoke to his two friends the way a general would speak to his soldiers right before the final battle...but his eyes held the emotions of a true, loving companion...
"My friends...it's time to run across the finish line."
The three of them placed their eyes on Sigma, who had been watching them the way a sadistic child watched a legless grasshopper wriggle around. The evil Maverick had a gleeful smile on his eyes, and his eyes were gleaming with the devilish merriment of a cat...apparently, he had enjoyed watching the three bond with each other...
"Good, good, very good."
The Maverick clasped his hands together...and his smile became even larger.
"Now, let's get back to our party, shall we? I can't wait to finishing dancing with the three of you. Come now, give me some more of yourselves-I'm just dying to taste all of you! I am quite hungry."
The battle fire from Axl's eyes vanished in an instant, and comical disgust replaced it.
"Guys...I don't think we should touch him. I mean, after all, he did lick Zero-"
Zero lowered his Saber.
"Well..." X said to his young friend, laughing anxiously-the look on Zero's face made him feel a little uneasy. The Crimson Flame obviously didn't want to think about the way Sigma had licked on him as if he had been a lollipop-
"Just try to keep yourself as far away as you can from him, if you don't want to touch him."
"Awwww." Sigma whined, putting on the sweet, sugary look of a kitten. "You're afraid of little ol' me? Don't be! I just want to caress your delicious bodies and pull them into OBLIVION!"
What happened next caused time to fall out of existence.
The three friends gasped...eyes widened...hearts stopped...everything stopped...
"COME NOW, JOIN IN MY SWEET DANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE!"
