Before we begin: I just want to say something to the newbies that might stroll in-
BE MATURE, PLEASE. IF YOU CAN'T, DON'T WASTE MY TIME.
The entire universe altered itself right before the eyes of the three friends. The hands of time froze, but at the very same time, they quickened their pace-it was as if all time was being controlled by an unseen, unstoppable force of dynamic strength. The temperature become intolerably cold and the walls around them vanished into thin air. All of these facts surprised the team greatly, but the outside world had changed drastically-it was almost too bizarre to believe. The sky was no longer a quiet, mysterious shade of blue-it was now a bright, staggering shade of yellow, and streams of starlight were flowing through it, the way fish swam up a rapid stream. The clouds that had been in the air had been forced to transform themselves into cold mists of translucent frost……and the ground seemed to be non-existent. Their current surroundings were extremely hard to describe-it was as if they were trapped inside of a vortex of some kind. Before them was Sigma, hovering in the air, resembling a black bat with red eyes and enormous wings. The look on his face was the look of a greedy child, but at the same time, he looked like a ravenous, devilish bear. He was only a few feet off the ground, but he didn't need to go any higher to make his point-he was the ruler of this new dimension, and he was strutting his stuff perfectly well.
The eyes of his enemies weren't filled with fear, however-each pair of eyes held their own qualities, their own emotions. X's eyes were wide, but they weren't filled with the emotion Sigma wanted to see-the legendary Maverick Hunter was astounded by what had happened to the environment, and was ready to encounter anything that was about to come his way. Zero's eyes were right on Sigma, glowing with a dangerous amount of hatred…..the Crimson Flame had a smile on his face, but he looked like he apparently wanted to rip Sigma's head off slowly. Axl's eyes were also on Sigma, but they were filled with the greatest amount of confidence…..and hope. The evil Maverick grinned at all of his opponents merrily, savoring every passing second-
"Well well well! Aren't you all ready to play! How about it-want to have another round!"
"I'm ready for you, pal!" the Black Tiger shouted out at him boldly, spinning his guns on his fingers with an awe-inspiring amount of grace and speed. His eyes were fatal gemstones of unstoppable fire, and his voice was a strong beam of golden light. Hearing Axl speak was like watching an eagle that had been held in captivity for several years take its first true flight.
"Bring it on!"
"Right." Zero said calmly, examining his Saber. "Who's going to make this first move? There are four of us here-wouldn't it chaotic if we all jumped in at once?"
Sigma narrowed his eyes at his old "friend", but then smiled a second later. The Crimson Flame was being perfectly calm-his calmness pleased the Maverick the way a mouse pleased a very fat cat. His eyes gleamed with a disgusting amount of ecstasy-the amount of ecstasy within his eyes was so high that it caused X to cringe in horror. "Well now, aren't we feisty?" he said to the phenomenal Maverick Hunter, licking his lips. "That's what I've always liked about you, Zero-you're always so sure of yourself! My precious little pet, you'll be mine soon, I promise. Aren't you excited?"
Zero didn't give out a response to Sigma, but Sigma's words caused X's heart to skip a few beats. The insane Maverick sounded like he had something hidden behind his back-the tone of voice he had used for his last remarks caused X to become uneasy. The gentle Maverick Hunter looked at his best friend's face urgently, his own eyes sparkling with both soft fear and confusion…..but the Crimson Flame looked at him with infinite wildfires in his eyes. Fear was not present-Zero was ready to handle anything Sigma had in store for him. Axl spoke next, bravely stepping out in front of his two silent friends.
"You're not getting your filthy mitts on any of my pals! I've had just about enough of you, Sigma!"
The sadistic, demonic glee didn't vanish from the Maverick's voice, but a few new qualities were added to it. His voice transformed itself into a poisonous, fatal melody….a melody that held the desire for endless bloodshed and pain. The deceitful eyes of the Maverick became horrifying gemstones of blood…..and they held the desire for power….the desire for rebirth……the desire……….for…….
Blood.
"You're just as cute as Zero! Don't you worry, little one-you'll be joining us! And we can all have fun together!"
Those words struck the young Reploid like a million bricks. Confusion struck his heart and caused the desire for battle to vanish from his eyes….his heart dropped right into the deepest gutter…..as his body filled itself with terrifying astonishment-
"What!"
Axl's confusion presented Sigma with greatest opportunity. The Maverick struck out at the disorientated Black Tiger with his arms at the speed of light, smiling…….his fists dug deep into the chest of the young one mercilessly, and he buried his opponent deep into the ground, laughing….time passed right by the Black Tiger…..it WAS being controlled by an unseen force…….
"Yes, YES-I've seen the future! You'll be getting your party soon! Very soon!"
(A/N: Sigma's throwing out hints about what will happen between Lumine and Axl in 'Until the End of Eternity': X8 adaptation. Sigma is able to see into the future.)
Immoderate pain ate away at Axl's body savagely. The eyes of his opponent burned into his own eyes, which were filled with the very thing Sigma wanted to see-fear. The ground beneath him continued to rise all around him……..his entire world became a wild, excruciating blur…..nothing seemed real…..nothing at all…..he was a million miles away from his two friends……a million miles away from everything…..
"Poor little thing, I won't kill you-I just want to have some fun!"
Sigma's words didn't ring true. The Maverick said he had no desire to kill his opponent, but the pain he was dealing out was beyond intolerable, and the young one had not yet recovered from the first round of battle. Pain continued to eat away at his entire body…..it was like drowning in a sea of fire ants……and there wasn't anything he could do to escape from the clutches of vast torment. No options were available, and his strength was fading fast…..the pain refused to stop….it wouldn't stop…….Pain had its own soul, its own mind……and it was being controlled by the heart of Sigma….
He couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't open his mouth……..the world around him changed once again…..he was placed in a whole new battlefield, a whole new realm of destructive possibilities……but it was a world he had no chance of surviving in….for he was blinded by pain……everything around him seemed to be spinning….spinning and spinning and spinning……
Time could no longer be measured. Sigma had taken control over everything….
An unidentified amount of time elapsed, and then…….another miracle occurred. A battle cry of phenomenal power shot right into the young Reploid's ears, and brought his heart an everlasting amount of relief…..the cry was filled with an awesome amount of inexplicable strength……it was like hearing an eagle cry………
Sigma released the young Reploid and looked away from him, smiling……
He would have made the perfect cat.
"Hmm. Zero."
The young Reploid's vision was completely distorted because of the pain consuming him, but he tried his best to follow Sigma's gaze. The moment he turned his head was the moment his heart jolted violently with joy, and pristine raindrops filled his youthful eyes. An ethereal pool of golden yellow light was before him…..and it was definitely the most beautiful thing he had set his eyes on. The vast pool was beyond breathtaking-it looked like something that had truly descended from the heavens. Within that pool was the Maverick Hunter called Zero-the living, breathing phenomenon's eyes were closed, and he was going through a transformation sequence. He had heard the cries of his young friend's heart, and followed him into the new dimension Sigma had created...tears streamed and streamed from the young Reploid's eyes, and a smile bloomed on his face….
"Zero."
The pool of light wrapped itself around the Reploid's body, and he allowed it to work its magic. The pool separated itself into streams of beautiful light, and those streams altered the Hunter's body. First, he raised his arms and allowed the streams of light to wrap themselves around his body-the small waves of light brought him new armor. When the armor was completed, he lowered his arms and allowed the streams of light to raise over his head-his golden yellow ponytail became longer, and his eyes, even though they were still closed, changed as well. His Saber, which was resting in its hilt, was also altered because of the process-it went from being a light shade of green to a pure shade of white. The power of his Saber also increased, and it increased to a striking, breathtaking degree. Luminous, translucent white wings appeared behind him and gave him the aura of a true celestial soldier, but they vanished as soon as they arrived.
The transformation process didn't take any longer than a few minutes. The streams of light made themselves scarce, and the Hunter opened his eyes with a smile. His appearance knocked the wind out of both Axl and Sigma-his armor was no longer just red and white-it was now black and a heavenly shade of light. He wasn't alone-X was right next to him, wearing his renowned Ultimate Armor…and also wearing a smile. Both of them exchanged smiles with each other, and then their eyes fell on Axl, who was dangerously close to sobbing. The young one was definitely in a great amount of pain, but he was able to give his friends a small smile…..
"Jeez, you guys…….you certainly know how to make an entrance…."
"Glad you liked it." Zero said to his young friend softly. He knelt down and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, his eyes radiating great concern and warmth. "Are you going to live?" he asked him, and received a nod in return. The nod was weak, that was true, but the young one was determined to fight with his two friends.
"Yeah. I'm gonna be fine. Don't worry about me."
"You can't expect us not to worry about you. That's impossible. You're obviously in a great amount of pain."
"….."
"Don't be embarrassed." Mega Man X said to his young friend kindly, patting him on the back gently. "It's all right. You're hurt-you can't pretend that you aren't. You know, you're just like Zero."
"That means you've got a big ego." The Ethereal Deity murmured to the Black Tiger mischievously, bearing the look of a clever child in his eyes. "Don't cry now-up on your feet. No more tears. If you wish to fight, then fight-we're with you."
"Where…..are we?" the young Reploid asked him, once again shaming the cutest little kitten. Zero shook his head and sighed softly.
"I don't know. I really don't know. I guess we're lost within a time vortex. I can't really tell you. Sigma made it, after all."
Zero's 'old friend' licked his lips for what seemed like the tenth thousandth time. The Maverick's eyes were still a fierce shade of red…..and the desire to kill was swimming around in his blood-red gemstones. He wanted to finish off the mortally wounded Axl, but at the same time he didn't want to kill of any fun. The Black Tiger had a lot of spirit-
That couldn't go to waste.
The eyes of the magnificent Deity called Zero went right out to the demonic villain. The eyes of the Maverick Hunter were soft, tender gemstones of holy light….but they also held unsurpassable strength and bravery within them. His voice was firm yet soft and warm, filled with devotion…….he knew that his young friend was in serious danger…..
And did NOT want to lose him.
"X."
"What's up?"
"Doesn't your Soul Body armor come with healing abilities?"
A small frown shot onto the legendary Hunter's face and glued itself there for a moment as he thought about an answer to his friend's question. His mind reeled over all of the information regarding his current suit of armor……and then he gave his friend a proper answer….
Sadly.
"I'm afraid not, my friend."
"Then think of another way to help Axl. I don't have any healing powers, and someone has to play with Sigma."
Sigma clapped his hands at the mention of his name….the way a child would clap its hands after being chosen to do a very fun magic trick.
"Ooooo! I get to play with Zero! Wow, you've never used this armor before! I can't wait to see you try it out!"
Zero's voice was calm and smooth……and filled with the greatest amount of confidence….and hope. He looked back at his two dear friends….his most precious treasures……and winked at them.
"X…..Axl……"
Both of them looked at him with the same facial expression: the facial expression confusion created. "What?"
The Ethereal Deity said one last word before he made his first attack on Sigma-
"Thanks."
Neither X or Axl had any time to respond. The incredible Maverick Hunter lunged out at his enemy with his newborn Saber, delivering the attack with an arresting amount of elegance and speed. The attack turned out to be successful-the Saber struck Sigma's face with an amazing amount of power, and emitted a wave of crystal white fire. The two of them began a rapid duel, moving about at a speed that surpassed the speed of sound…..both of them were in the air, delivering their own attacks, releasing their own emotions……firing out at each other with everything they had within their souls…..
"YES, YES! I LIKE IT! YOUR NEW TOY IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE, ZERO! I LIKE IT! WHERE DID IT COME FROM, I WONDER?"
Zero's eyes were focused on the body of his enemy. Wisps of his golden yellow ponytail were appearing in front of his face, but he didn't allow them to dampen his vision. The sweat streaming from his body caused them to stick to his face, but none of them bothered him. He continued to attack his opponent mercilessly-even though all of his attention was placed on the heat of the battle, he was still able to answer his foe. He knew Sigma loved to spout off during their duels, and so he was able to either answer him or just flat-out ignore him.
"IT CAME FROM SOMETHING YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND, DEAR FRIEND!"
That answer shocked the Maverick for a few seconds, but then his malicious smile returned to his face in an instant. He knew what his old pal was speaking about-the armor he was wearing didn't come from a program.
It came from…..
The one named Axl.
"Glad you like what I can do with it!" Zero shouted out at him, unwilling to bring a halt to his attacks, which were being perfectly matched. Sigma was able to meet all of his attacks perfectly-it was as if they were two swordsman, and their blades were bouncing off of each other.
"I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS NEXT TREAT, MY GOOD FRIEND!"
Sigma released two massive balls of energy from his hands and aimed them right out at Zero. Instead of dodging them, however, the Hunter absorbed the beams of energy with his Saber-he knew that if he had decided to dodge them, Sigma would have sent them out right at Axl and X, who were not participating in the battle. After absorbing the balls of energy he sent them right back out at Sigma, who batted them away with a flick of his hand. The Maverick laughed gleefully at his opponent with a smug smile-
"It looks like things are a teeny bit complicated-don't you think?"
Both of the combatants were still in the air…..Zero was breathing heavily, trying to figure out an effective battle technique……all of his attacks were practically bouncing right off of Sigma….X was still protecting the wounded Axl……
A minute later, a lightbulb went off in the Hunter's mind, and a small grin bloomed on his face. He closed his eyes, sheathed his Saber, and formed a gun with both of his hands…….waves of golden yellow fire began to rise around him……
"Blades of thunder, shadows of doubt, disperse and leave no trace behind. Break out from the vapors of darkness and shatter this demon within my eyes!"
Right then and there his eyes snapped open, and they weren't any different from the fangs of a pissed off panther.
"Release to me your will, erase this soul from existence! Haaaaaaaa!"
Colossal waves of lighting shot out from the Hunter's hands like ephemeral waterfalls, and they struck his enemy simultaneously. The attack was successful-a cry of immense pain left Sigma's mouth and pierced the cold, frosty air. The waves of lighting emitted strong rays of light, and those rays filled the world Sigma had created…..eliminating the cold darkness and replacing it with pure fire….
A solution to the problem that had been presented made itself known to X right after Zero had made his attack.
The soft-hearted Maverick Hunter closed his eyes and placed a hand over Axl's crystal……completely silent and lost in thought. The young one was confused by his friend's movement, but he kept himself within silence, and tried to ignore the pain that was still eating away at him. X kept his hand over Axl's crystal for several minutes, thinking……
Dr.Cain once told me...that I could use my crystal's power...to heal...
"Don't concentrate on anything, my boy-just do it. Let your heart do the talking. That's all you need, son."
Let your heart do the talking.
A few minutes went by slowly…..but time was still being controlled by the hands of pure evil……Axl's eyes fell on a small pool of topaz blue light……which was coming from X's hand…..and being sent into his crystal…..
"Don't think. Just let your heart do the talking."
The Black Tiger closed his eyes…..he knew nothing of Dr.Cain's research, but somehow, he realized that he had to bring an end to his train of thought in order for the process to be successful. Both hearts had to communicate with each other flawlessly….so the power of the crystals could unite with each other……..the light streaming into his body was warm and refreshing…..like the beams of a newborn day……
Let your heart speak.
Zero continued his duel with Sigma...but now, because of the dynamic attack he had delivered, things were a little different. He had the upper hand in the battle-some of Sigma's body parts were malfunctioning, and so he was unable to use them properly. With a small smile of confidence on his lips, the Maverick Hunter sent out a countless amount of attacks with his Saber, unwilling to show a scrap of pity for his opponent. The Maverick's speed had dropped several levels-he was no longer able to match any of Zero's attacks. The Hunter definitely had the upper hand in the duel.
Several minutes dropped upon both of them, and then flew right off. Sigma broke away from Zero, breathing heavily……his opponent was only a few feet away, smiling…..smiling proudly……and holding that damned Saber of his….
"Still having fun?"
Oceans of blood were streaming from the Maverick's body…..but they pleased the thirsty demon immeasurably. With a finger he tasted his own blood, and smiled ecstatically…..enjoying every moment of his life….his sick, twisted life….
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am! You're throwing such a wonderful party!"
What happened next caused the Maverick's heart to jump right out of his chest.
"Well, you're going to have even more fun, STARTING NOW!"
Sigma's eyes widened with the greatest amount of disbelief…….
His eyes were…..
On…..
Himself?
"WHAT! WHAT IS THIS-ANOTHER ME? THIS CAN'T BE!"
It was true. There was another Sigma, hovering in the air behind the true Sigma…..and that Sigma was laughing…..smiling….
"You'd better believe it! Isn't this a small world?"
The shock that consumed Sigma's body caused him to become completely paralyzed, and vulnerable to all attacks. The Sigma clone delivered a mighty blow of energy from his hands to the true Sigma, sending the shocked Maverick right into the ground. The attack was wondrously effective-the Maverick's body was almost completely broken. His eyes went right back up to the face of his clone…..and they burned with hatred….
"YOU! I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! SHED THAT DISGUISE IMMEDIATELY!"
A tiny smile lit up the Sigma clone's face. He spread his arms apart, closed his eyes…..and streams of gentle white light uncovered the truth. The Reploid named Axl grinned at him victoriously and waved at him with one of his guns-
"Pretty cool trick, huh?"
Sigma didn't get any time to answer. X delivered a potent attack with his Buster, his own heart beaming with pride and confidence. The Hunter had never felt such a high degree of confidence and excitement before…..
But a lot of things had changed.
"Sigma, you know you're outclassed! Surrender or die in obscurity!"
(A/N: A cookie goes to anyone that can find out where X's line came from. Hint: it came from a Final Fantasy game.)
Like a true, red-eyed demon, Sigma rose from the ground and lunged right out at X-
"NEVER! I'LL NEVER SURRENDER TO ANY OF YOU! I'LL NEVER CEASE TO EXIST! YOU'LL NEVER DEFEAT ME!"
An opportunity to attack was wide open.
Zero and Axl shot out of the sky and attacked the demon relentlessly, using their own unique techniques and style to take down the screaming Maverick. The show of force they displaced was beyond phenomenal-their attacks united with each other and created an unstoppable force of light. Sigma was unable to avoid any of their attacks, and was also unable to endure them……..the world he had created began to fall apart, right before his very eyes……the skies above them transformed themselves into an unbelievable shade of blue…….silver drops of starlight began to stream throughout the endless blue oceans……..the cries of the evil Maverick drifted away into the air……
"YOU'LL NEVER DEFEAT ME! I'LL COME BACK! Mark my words, I'll be back!"
His last few words echoed throughout the crystal blue skies……but were soon eliminated by the silver stars within them…….the light from the last attacks faded away…..and the ground ceased its shivering…….everything became calm…….yet…….the winds were still strong……..Sigma's last words echoed within the minds of the three Reploids……
But they brought no fear upon any of them.
The world Sigma had created was no longer his world. It was a realm of crystal blue light…..a silent, serene world of deep beauty. The winds were still strong, but they were soft and gentle…….the clouds had disappeared………and….they were ethereal nebulas in the sky…….the stars were shimmering upon them, smiling upon them……
The world was perfectly aware of everything that had taken place.
The world knew that it was safe…..for the moment.
Zero removed the divine armor he had placed himself in, and returned to being the Crimson Flame. Silently, he looked at the two of his friends…….
And smiled.
They smiled back at him.
All three of them knew…..that Sigma wasn't gone forever. They knew he would be back.
They knew they would be ready for his return.
Small drops of dew flew from the Crimson Flame's eyes and soared away with the winds, shaming the silver starlight…..
"So. Are you two ready?"
A warm smile broke out on X's face, and his soft eyes began to sparkle with deep devotion. "Of course I am." he replied, watching his own teardrops fly away with the wind. He looked at Axl, who was wearing the cutest grin on his face.
"Are you ready?"
The Black Tiger closed his eyes and thought of answer……he knew, that this answer……
Was going to determine the course of his life-
The course of his destiny.
He thought of everything that had happened……everything about Red…….everything about the Red Alert Syndicate…..the times he had spent as a member of the Syndicate……the memories of the past……..the memories of the present……the lessons he had received from his first friend…….
A minute passed.
Axl opened his eyes.
"You guys?"
"Yeah?" X and Zero asked him simultaneously.
"Let's go home."
This chapter was a pretty amazing chapter to write. I wrote it while listening to the Final Battle music from Final Fantasy 10.
Once again, a word to those that feel like saying something smart about this chapter-if you can't be mature, then don't waste my time. Sigma is truly nothing more than a psychotic clown-I'm not writing about anything that has to do with sexual intercourse. And for the tenth millionth time, I am not writing 'shounen-ai'.
Sometimes I wish I could just blast all of the stupid people out of the world….
I was gone for a long time-I apologize for being away! It was because of Spring Break-I didn't have a SINGLE opportunity to touch my story! There is only one chapter left, for sure! To all of my friends that have been with me all of the way-I hope you enjoyed the battle between Sigma, Axl, Zero and X!
(whimpers) And X WASN'T useless, by the way….he helped out a lot too….just in case one of you want to say that 'Zero did all of the work! Haha!' (smiles)
Thank you….all of you.
KOS-MOS of Xenosaga Episode 1: The 'Strings of Fate' finale is due to be posted on Thursday, March 31 of the year 2005. If any changes are made to this, please forgive the author for any inconvience. We appreciate your support.
Axl: (face lights up) Hey, you're cute.
Zero: (sighs) Life has no meaning….
Dog: Awwoooooo!
Zero: Oh God…..
Spider of Mega Man X: Command Mission: 'Until the End of Eternity', Rue's version of Mega Man X8, is due to begin shortly after the completion of 'Strings of Fate'. A 'Dark Cloud 2' fan fic is also being planned, but whether the story will be created or not is still up in the air. She hopes that all of you will enjoy her new story-or 'stories'.
Shion of Xenosaga, Episode 1: And if anyone has any fics about the latest Suikoden installment, please share them with the author. (throws down the paper she was reading from) Sheesh, she's really worked up about this whole Suikoden thing.
Dynamo: I don't understand why. I think it's a waste of air.
Massimo of Command Mission: AND SO ARE YOU! (flings Dynamo away, anime-style) HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT A TRUE PIECE OF ART!
Spider: Rue would like to dedicate Massimo's actions to all of those that think the latest Suikoden game stinks. Thank you very much.
Somebody: AYYAAAAAAAHHH-
Zero: What is this, a circus?
