Dynamo: (is dressed like game show host) All right, ladies and gentlemen….it's the time you've all been waiting for…..it's Rue's Review Corner! (applause)
Zero: Doesn't that sound a little corny?
Dynamo: (reads piece of paper) All righty-our contestants today are the lucky Uzu-Chan, Star Ninja, MyGBAcanTalk, Racegirl, PRIVATE, and our newcomer, J! Let's get them a round of applause, everyone!
Storm Eagle of Mega Man X1: (dances around while chanting a mysterious chant of magic proportions)
Zero: (reads latest reviews) ……my armor didn't come from 'Command Mission'….I hated that adventure…….
Double from X4: Awww. Is it because you acted like such a jerk in it?
(The narrator for every movie preview in existence begins to speak. His voice echoes throughout the game room like thunder, and everything becomes dark…..)
Dude: The first blockbuster of the year will keep everyone on their edge of their seats…prepare yourselves for the greatest movie of all time…….DYNAMO POTTER!
Zero: (mouth drops wide open) Oh my god. Are we serious? (sees Dynamo fly around on a broomstick, looking just like Harry Potter)
X: (pats him on the back) I'm sorry. I hope nobody forces a lawsuit upon us.
Uzu-Chan: During the whole 'wake up' scene with Axl and Zero, Sigma was completely silent-he enjoyed watching the entire thing because even though he thinks sweet emotions are completely meaningless, he also thinks they're amusing. The whole scene that took place between those two amused him. I didn't take offense to anything you said-you actually made me laugh because what you said is true-the enemies always wait for their opponents to finish their business for unknown reasons! And I'm so glad you like Sigma so much! I guess I made him perfectly well!
Zero's armor didn't come from Command Mission. I know he does have a black armor suit in Command Mission, but I made up the entire transformation sequence. That game didn't inspire me in any way. And as for me playing it…..I DID play it….I was able to play through it once…….and I wanted to play through it again, because I didn't get everything the first time around….but then I stuck a demo disc I received in the mail inside of my PS2, and the stupid thing kinda deleted all of the data on my memory cards…..so in other words, it was like I stuck a virus into the PS2. All of my memory cards were wiped out in one single night, all thanks to a stupid demo disc.
The night that happened was so tragic for me! Waaaah!
I haven't touched Command Mission in a VERY long time. I have not yet recovered from the loss.
PRIVATE: Yeah, you're right-I'll be putting another story under my belt soon! Thank you for waiting me to update all of the time! But…….you're not getting the cookie from Dynamo's bakery. X's line didn't come from Final Fantasy X! (grins)
Racegirl: Nope. You thought Zero's armor came from Command Mission too-he does have a black armor suit in there, but that game wasn't my inspiration. The entire transformation sequence and the changes made to his Saber were all from my imagination. Dynamo's not giving you any cookies either! (grins again)
Dynamo: (gives J a cookie) Here you go. You won first prize!
Gate: Who in the right mind would take a cookie from some guy wearing a pink, frilly apron?
Gaudile from Command Mission: (looks at new review from Youshou) Why are all of the newbies coming in now? The story is almost over!
Pallette of X8: Leave him alone. Everyone wants to cheer us on!
Gaudile: And do you mean to tell me that 'J' is actually an anonymous reviewer? There are actually NICE ones out there besides PRIVATE and MyGBA?
Redips of Command Mission: I guess. Pretty weird, huh?
To MyGBAcanTalk: No, NOBODY'S BEING MOLESTED! (laughs) THINGS AREN'T GOING TO TURN OUT LIKE THAT! That would be beyond awful. Sigma's just playing around….well….sort of…..but I'M NOT GOING TO WRITE ABOUT ANYONE BEING MOLESTED. Sigma's just a little sick in the head. That's all.
To Star Ninja: Hello! Thanks for the input! I enjoyed creating the battle scenes-they were a lot of fun to write! Sorry for not reviewing your story-I try to read other stories whenever I can. You're not whining. It's okay to ask for reviews! But PLEASE DON'T THINK I HATE YOUR STORY-IT'S CUTE! I gave you a review, but just in case you don't get to it, it's adorable! I love it! Hey, wait a minute-did you make up the character 'Star' by using your own pen name, Star Ninja? Is that supposed to be you? Wicked awesome story! I love it!
Note: There will be very little dialogue in the finale.
High Max from X6: Now, on with the show! (red curtains spread apart) On with the 'Strings of Fate' finale!
The skies that had fallen over the world Sigma had formed had also made their peaceful descent upon the entire world. The planet was resting….recovering from the tragedies it had been forced to endure…..savoring every second of serenity and warmth. Tranquil silence drenched every corner of the earth….the way sunlight soaked a horizon that had been lost within darkness for an eternity. Flocks of crystal white birds were soaring through the calm air silently, watching over the world they dwelled in while releasing beautiful streams of ethereal light from their wings…….the waves of every ocean danced onto peaceful, blissful shores quietly…….
Everything was at peace.
The magical spell that had fallen onto the world defied the very boundaries of comprehension, but it was a spell that would forever be remembered by all of those that felt it. Every living being on the planet was embraced by the sheer warmth of the light within the blue sky……and the silver stars flowing through it enchanted all eyes that fell upon them. It was a strange, yet miraculous and wonderful event……it was as if the earth was being reborn….the entire planet had become a realm of infinite, silent serenity……and the warmth flowing through the hearts of the world wiped away the painful emotions they had been forced to endure for so long. The nightmare the world had been in was over-and now was the perfect time to rest. It was the beginning of a new day….new promises……..new adventures…….
It was the beginning of the future.
Tranquil, invigorating silence was also soaring throughout the Maverick Hunter Headquarters. Blue streaks of crystallized starlight were falling softly through every window…….and gentle winds brushed every nook and cranny of the entire base. Small groups of silver stars were silently dancing throughout the base…..smiling upon the living beings that dwelled within its walls. All work had ceased-none of them were working on long, arduous reports….none of them were filing documents……none of them were examining any equipment…..all of them were simply savoring the newborn light that had fallen upon their home….
With the ones they loved.
The nightmare they had been lost in for such a long time swept through their minds like cold waves of ice…….but those waves vanished as soon as they rose to the surface of the present. Every heart within the base was lost in the embrace of peace and contentment…….all of them knew that the peace was only temporary……..
But they also knew that Sigma would soon be put to rest permanently.
The silence was completely shattered when the three victors of the climatic clash returned. As soon as they stepped inside of the main control room, cheering broke out and bloomed throughout the base like a contagious disease-it was just like when Zero had been saved by Axl. Every single Reploid worker broke out with wild applause, whistles and shouts…..many of them even broke into tears when their eyes fell upon Axl, the one that had rescued their precious Captain just a short while ago. An enormous flock of female Reploids-including Alia-pounced on the young Reploid joyously, shedding many dewdrops of everlasting happiness….and childlike excitement. The Black Tiger drowned under what seemed like a million kisses for several minutes-Mega Man X was unable to assist his friend, due to the fact that he had been swept into the air by his old friend Douglas, and Zero didn't rescue his young friend because he simply enjoyed watching the female Reploids adore him, The Crimson Flame was also swept into the air by what felt like a hundred pairs of arms after a few minutes……..but none of that bothered him. With a warm, affectionate smile, he gladly accepted the devotion his fellow soldiers gave to him……enjoying the very warmth of a new day.
Twenty minutes elapsed inside of the Maverick Hunter base, and the expiration of those minutes brought upon silence. The wild, ecstatic cheering that had soared through the base for an eternity came to a halt……and all hearts became filled with the sonata of a newborn sunrise. Excitement rushed into the air, and playfully choked every heart……many Reploids felt as if their heart had stopped because of the powerful suspense that had swept through the air in no more than a flash……….
It was time for something to take place. And everyone knew what that something was….
Everyone except for Axl, that was.
The eyes of the young Reploid, which held a light that surpassed the innocence of a newborn kitten, darted in several different directions anxiously. The Black Tiger felt uneasy and confused because of the silence, and he also knew that everyone else could see what was about to happen-that fact didn't help things. For several moments his exuberant, childlike eyes darted all over the place and searched for an answer……then he gave up and asked about the sudden outbreak of silence. Silence resumed its stay for several minutes……and during those minutes, X and Zero passed a wink between each other.
It was as if they were throwing a huge birthday party for someone that was completely clueless.
The warm, gentle eyes of General Signas met the vibrant, eloquent eyes of the young Reploid named Axl several minutes later…..and the look within the General's eyes made him feel as if he were at some type of coronation. He narrowed his eyes at his friend in confusion, bearing a strong resemblance to a very cute but bewildered puppy that couldn't understand its owner. There was a smile on the General's face….a smile that held the bright new beginning of life…..
A smile that held many dreams.
Beyond those dreams were the many secrets of eternity….the many promises eternity brought….and the many emotions eternal dreams created. A realm of wisdom and devotion rested behind the brisk currents of emotive hopes…….and that realm shimmered with a light that surpassed the depth of every star. The eyes of the general were calm and clear…..just like the countless waves of the ocean….but at the same time they held swift tides of emotions….emotions that inspired him to reach out to the future. For a minute he gazed upon the face of the confused young Reploid in silence……but when that minute passed, the young one received everything he had dreamt of.
With a speech that stirred up fervent emotions inside of every being, General Signas of the Maverick Hunters bestowed the rank of a top-notch Hunter unto the Reploid that had restored the very thing called 'hope'. Axl was immediately placed into the 'S-Rank', which was the very same rank X and Zero were in, and not a single individual inside of the base argued with the general's decision. Smiles, embraces and ecstatic shouts pierced the calm, serene air and created a stimulating atmosphere as soon as the speech of the general came to completion-every living being inside of the base fell right back into immense bouts of cheering. Teardrops soared throughout the base incessantly, moving about through the hearts of every being like streams of fish flowing up a stream……and the tears emitted tiny beams of crystal white light….light that was beautiful enough to match the light of an angel's smile. There wasn't a single silent individual, and there were over seven hundred individuals inside of the base. The celebration that had broken out in the base just a short while ago had returned….with a difference.
This time, the celebration held more jubilance, more excitement….
More dreams.
An hour passed before the celebration died down, but the workers of the Maverick Hunter base didn't calm down at all. The thought of a new life excited all of them, and they were ready to do things they had never thought of before. All of them were ready to make all of their dreams come true, and some even vowed to make huge improvements on their jobs. Promises, vows-everything rushed throughout the base like a gigantic flood, and smiles were the side effect to everything. All of them were greatly excited by the mere thought of the future……a future that had been given to them by…..
The one named Axl.
The young one became a great hero in no more than an instant. Many Reploids spoke of their opinions about him, bearing great smiles on their faces-and many female Reploids spoke of him excitedly, the way a child would speak of an extremely cute puppy. Everything he had done for them was spoken of……and because of the excitement his name caused, the young one finally began to understand the true depth of the deed he had done. A small smile broke out on his face when he came across a younger, enthusiastic male Reploid named Regulus…..
Regulus had adopted the young Axl as one of his heroes.
Hours passed, and they brought back the beauteous silence that had filled the base a short while ago. The peaceful melody of the night had fallen upon the Maverick Hunter base…..and it was a breathtaking, glorious melody. The magic of night time had caused the sky to become an endless pool of dark purple dreams……but there were incandescent, iridescent streams of light flowing through the everlasting ocean. The streams of light were nebulas-nebulas that had never been seen by the earth before. The stars within the sky seemed to be grinning because of the astonishing amount of happiness flowing through their veins…….and even the translucent clouds were at peace. The heavens were bestowing rich, bountiful joy upon the earth……and everyone was as at ease. The sunlight would bring about the start of a new day….
The start of a new life.
Axl, the last remnant of the Red Alert Syndicate, was all alone inside of the Maverick Hunter observatory. Everything was silent…..and the world before him was like a painting-mysterious, yet celestial and comforting….enchanting and warm. There wasn't a single soul around him-his two new partners, Mega Man X and Zero, were inside of their dormitories….and everyone else had fallen into peaceful slumber. X was working on several new reports he had to finish for his general, but the Crimson Flame was simply thinking of everything that had occurred within the last few hours. There definitely was a lot to think about….it was almost too much to think about….
It was as if everything had been nothing but a dream.
11:20 pm.
X folded up his laptop and sighed softly, ready to close his eyes and fall into a realm of tranquil slumber. A smile bloomed on his face as thoughts of recent events filled his mind……the emotions he had felt during the nightmare his soul had gone through filled his mind……everything he had experience soared throughout his mind…..and he felt as if everything had just been a dream.
A wild, crazy dream.
A part of him wanted to believe that the nightmare was still going on-
Zero wasn't alive, Axl didn't really exist…..
It was extremely hard to believe in the emotions flowing through his body. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, his body, heart and soul were at peace….
He felt HAPPY.
Happy.
Strange word, 'happy'.
X finally learned the true meaning of happiness.
True happiness wasn't something that could easily be described, but it refreshed the body, mind and soul. It removed all horrible nightmares, thoughts, visions….and it replaced darkness with light. It changed even the course of time….and the course of Fate itself. It changed even the most rigid of hearts…..and it also altered the emotions of a heart. The true depth of joy filled the Maverick Hunter's heart like a calm, halcyon beam of pure light….
It was time….
To start living.
The warmth of happiness was gently lulling X to sleep the way a loving mother sang to a sleepy baby. The softhearted Maverick Hunter yawned, stretched out his arms, put away his laptop and got into his comfortable bed, still…..
Smiling.
He said a single sentence to himself before he closed his eyes-
"Well, here we go."
The empyrean, peaceful dormitory of the Crimson Flame was completely silent, and filled with the mystical warmth of the skies. The phenomenal Maverick Hunter was resting on his bed with closed eyes, completely lost in a world of thought…..
Completely lost in a world of happiness.
During his relationship with Iris, he learned the true meaning of happiness-
True happiness came to him passionately, ardently, fervently…….
It all happened….it all came to him….
Like a dream from the heavens.
He never thought he would ever feel such happiness again after she had sacrificed her life for her beliefs…..but…….
His entire life had changed.
His body was once again being held within the embrace of extraordinary, uplifting happiness……and it was incredibly powerful. A part of him wanted to descend from the dormitory and move around-the Crimson Flame had such much energy flowing within him….it was a strange, foreign amount of energy……
But at the same time….it was beyond beautiful…..
And the energy flowing through his heart brought tears into his eyes.
He wasn't even supposed to be alive.
Everything had changed….everything that had been written in stone was completely wiped away…..
The nightmare had passed.
And it was time….
For life to begin.
12:05.
The young Black Tiger was still all alone inside of the Observatory, absorbed in his own world of thoughts…..his own world of emotions and dreams. For what felt like the very first time, his eyes weren't their usual vibrant, childlike selves-they were filled with heavy, burdensome sadness. The silence surrounding him bothered his ears, since he was used to hearing the voices of the friends he cared so much for, but at the same time, his heart was glad to have the chance to think in silence. Not a single scrap of his usual jauntiness was present-he was silent, sad and utterly lost within a world of thought. The rooms outside of the observatory were silent….and there wasn't a single soul around him….
The entire world was at rest….
But it was ready to embrace…
The new day that was about to begin.
The memories that had touched his heart so deeply rose to the surface of the young one's mind, and caused beautiful teardrops to enter his eyes. The days he had spent with his first friend Red fell into his mind…and images of those days played all by themselves. Every lesson he had received from the proud, honorable Red Alert Syndicate member rose from the depths of his heart and into his mind….bringing themselves to the present. The young one had learned so much about the one that had rescued him from certain death…….the lessons he had gained from him were priceless, precious treasures……and they still meant so much to him. Before Sigma had found him, Red was a respectable Reploid, a Reploid of great decency, honor, integrity……
But when Sigma's soul united with his, he became a monster-a demon that craved nothing but blood and power.
That thought brought even more tears to the young one's eyes. A part of his heart missed Red, and that part of his heart refused to be ignored. The voice of the Red Alert Syndicate leader fell into his soul, and burned itself there for all eternity……
"Never let go of what you believe in, my dear Axl."
He was gone.
Everything he had created…everything he had dreamt of….
Was gone.
Tears of his soul rose into his young gemstones of everlasting vigilance…..as he thought of everything he had been through with his first friend…his father. He didn't know who his creator was-he didn't know who was truly responsible for bringing him into the world…..but he did know one thing. Red was the one that taught him everything he needed to know….everything he needed……to spread his wings and fly. The leader of the Red Alert Syndicate passed on a vast amount of knowledge to him……and shared many sunny days with the one he had loved so much. The Red that he had encountered several times during the nightmare he had been through wasn't the true Red….Sigma had poisoned his soul and took away the time they could have shared together……
But at least the true Red appeared right at the very end.
The stars outside of his window were soared through the skies like beams of fire, releasing their intricate beauty to every being below. The earth was still at peace….everything was still locked within a gentle embrace of silence. The world had been reborn…..but nothing felt 'real'. He too still felt as if he were lost within a nightmare….it was pretty hard to believe in anything that was occurring.
It was pretty hard to believe…
That he had two friends, two very good friends.
It was strange….but Axl felt as if he had known X and Zero…..
Before he had even been born.
He felt as if they had always been with him, always been near him…
In spirit.
A tiny smile lit up his face, and he laughed at himself. Not even his voice was real to him-
The entire world was lost within a dream.
Several minutes passed….before the teardrops within his eyes became holy drops of utter radiance. The dewdrops filled themselves with the glory of sunlight…..and became even more beautiful than the most stunning painting. The heavens became a wondrous, soothing mixture of blue and golden yellow…..but the silver stars were still flowing within its embrace. Everything……
Was at peace.
There were clouds in the sky….crystal white clouds that soared through the sky with a phenomenal amount of beauty……with a phenomenal amount of happiness. They seemed to be smiling at him….welcoming him to the new world he had awakened in….and the stars were still looking upon him as well, encouraging him to move forward…..
He closed his eyes and became absorbed in a world of thought once again. The future was cloudy-he didn't know what was going to occur tomorrow, and he couldn't see into the next day. No one knew what was going to happen……..
Except for Sigma.
The words of the evil Maverick struck him violently, causing great thunderbolts of confusion to rise within his heart. The words he had shouted out at him stunned him completely-what was he trying to say?
What was going to happen to him? And what about Zero?
What……..was….going to happen?
He allowed himself to stay within the whirlpool of confusion for several minutes, and then a smile returned to his face….the type of smile X had become so familiar with. He placed a hand over his heart….and opened his eyes…..
"Whatever happens, happens. I'll deal with whatever he wants to throw at me. I've come this far-there's no turning back."
I'll deal with anything.
I know I can take on anything.
A moment later, something happened that caused his heart to jump….and his eyes to widen with shock. A silver star shot through the crystal clear skies….but it wasn't like any of the other stars that were soaring through the air. There were ribbons of translucent silver light streaming behind it……and it released beautiful, glimmering mists of starlight upon the winds. The beauty of the sacred treasure struck his heart like a bolt of lightning….but at the same time…it filled his heart with everlasting love and warmth. It caused even more tears to rush into his eyes…….and he almost developed a desire to break down and release a hundred tears…..but he bravely confronted that desire and wiped it out. A weak smile bloomed on his face as he placed both hands over his heart…..and spoke.
"Good night, Red….and thank you."
I love you, Father.
12:25 am.
Axl, the newest member of the Maverick Hunters, walked out of the Observatory in silence and headed to the dormitory he shared with Zero, the Crimson Flame. There was a smile on his face-it was one of the usual smiles: calm, nonchalant, and beyond adorable. His head was held high, and so was his heart….even his footsteps were filled with bright, bold determination. His eyes were bright, and filled with the glorious exuberance of the sun…..
He wasn't going to look back.
It was time to move on.
The first day of his new life had already begun. He couldn't look back.
All of them had learned something…..they had learned the true meaning of life…the true meaning of friendship….the true meaning of family. Life had to be lived to the fullest-it couldn't be wasted on doubts or fears…..all challenges had to be met head-on. There were millions of things to experience-love, happiness, sadness, pain…..many emotions were horrible, painful ones, but they all were a part of life…..and so they all had to be accepted. All of them had learned so much about true devotion…..they knew that every second spent with loved ones had to be savored, for nothing was held in a firm guarantee…..and nothing could be taken for granted. They all knew that they had to savor even the most simple conversations….for the hands of destiny could wipe out everything they loved. Nothing could be wasted….nothing could be lost….
Everything had to be held within their hearts.
The future….had begun…..
And it was time to meet it.
It was time…..
To fly.
The planet was at peace…….but in one corner of the earth, the peace wasn't soft and serene. The winds of destiny were tainting it……and it reeked of Fate's troubles. Darkness was covering the entire area……but the silence had enough power to choke even the strongest soldier. The only things that could be seen were small red flames that held the desire to increase their power….and the eyes of a small male Reploid. He had a gentle, dignified appearance…..but his eyes betrayed that appearance instantly. There was a small smile on his face, but that was also deceptive-within his mind was a plot, a plan to break out and achieve something……
"Hmm. It looks like Sigma's gotten himself into a pretty big mess."
The young male Reploid picked up the head of evil Maverick and grimaced, bearing a resemblance to a sophisticated gentleman….
"Well now, it looks like I've got some puzzle solving to do. I can't do a single thing with just his head. I've got to hurry if I want to finish the operation on time."
Everyone was on their way to embracing the future.
The young Reploid named Lumine was also ready to embrace it.
But not in the way everyone else wanted to embrace it.
