Megaman Axl.
Chapter 11. – The ball under the shooting stars
A few days have passed since the destruction of Dr. Weil's space colony. His whereabouts are unknown, but peace has returned. Even Axl was able to get over with X's last good bye when he went away to seal the Mother Elf.
One morning at HQ, everything was pretty much normal. As no more Mavericks or threats have been spotted, it is like the entire defense division is taking a long break.
Axl woke up as always heading to the command room.
Axl: Damn, it is a good sunny day outside. I bet Alia is doing nothing right now. But speaking of the devil…
Axl turned to the left of the hall and headed to the living quarters. He stepped right in front of a door and pulled a bouquet of flowers as she knocked. The door was the entrance to Ciel's quarters.
Ciel: Yes?
Her muffled voice came from the door. Axl used DNA data to change his voice tone into a delivery boy one…
Axl: Package for Ms. Ciel.
It was his very own same voice… Ciel opened the door as a big bright smile came onto her. She almost woke up, so her hair was messy and was wearing a pink pajama with bunny sleepers.
Ciel: Oh, for me? You're so sweet Axl.
Axl: Happy birthday.
Ciel: Huh? Ho did you know it was my birthday?
Axl: Well, with this boyfriend thing, you get a special sense for these things… and I looked up in your profile at the Hunter's webpage. Did you know Alia uploaded a few pictures of her kitty?
Ciel: I checked them yesterday. They're so cute!
Axl: Anyways, I see you're still not ready to come out.
Ciel: What? Oh… oops… You go ahead to the command room, I'll catch up as soon as I'm ready.
Axl: Okay, see ya later.
Axl walked away as Ciel closed the door. She stepped to one of her drawers where she placed the flowers on a bowl.
Ciel: Axl…
Ciel though about Axl with concern…
Ciel: When are you going to buy me ice cream?
Axl arrived to the command room. There was Alia as always on her terminal. She looked kind of interested, so Axl got closer to her.
Axl: Hey Alia.
Alia: Good morning Axl. Sleep well?
Axl: I guess so. Whatcha doing?
Alia: I finally get to check the Internet by myself, you know always busy typing and typing and analyzing that I never get time for myself. Did you know that an imitator band would be making a tribute to Guns and roses?
Axl: I have a couple CDs when Zero let me listen to some of his. They rock.
Alia: Weird coincidence that your name is the same as Axl rose.
Axl: Yeah… weird…
"You got mail!" Alia's E-Mail box beeped.
Alia: Mail? I better check it out.
The message was kinda brief. The sender was the defense division. The message said:
To all defense division personnel.
Due to a request of the supreme council, all departments are to attend the ball under the shooting starts tonight. It will be a gala party with dance, food, drinks and friends. Contest to the best dancing couple and special announcement by supreme chancellor of defense division. The ball under the shooting starts will be at the Neo-New-York city's golden nut casino and hotel. Please come and enjoy.
Defense division supreme chancellor
X
Alia: Whoa! A ball! This is going to be awesome!
Axl: Wait… who is the supreme chancellor?
Alia: Wait a minute… X?
Axl: But he said he would go away to seal the Mother Elf!
Alia: I don't know… Maybe we could gather some info or see if he is "the X" in the ball.
Axl: Yeah… I was thinking the same too…
Alia: Hey, why don't you invite Ciel to the ball? I think you two would look good together.
Axl: To the ball? I don't know… Maybe she would say…
Ciel: Of course!
Axl: Huh? Ciel!
Ciel: So, are we gonna go to the ball tonight?
Axl: Well… I guess…
Ciel: Good! This should be our first date! I better find a pretty dress! Later!
Axl: Later…
Axl blushed as he saw Ciel going away… Alia looked at Axl with suspicious eyes as she chuckled.
Alia: He he he… So, you finally asked a girl out and worked out well…
Axl: I guess so… but why do I have the feeling that these "dates" are about spending one's money for the other?
Alia: Whatever… I still remember that day when you asked me that.
Axl: What?
Alia: You know, about that friend of yours? Who asked the girl? And tried to impress her?
Axl: That! Well, he surely feels better now.
Axl turned around leaving the command room.
Alia: I hope so!
Axl: Yeah.
Ad the hours passed. Douglas asked Alia out. But he wasn't lucky. But she accepted to go with Midi. So Signas, Lifesaver and Douglas would go alone… poor guys…
Neo-New-York city quickly recovered from the wars and became a powerful big metropolis again. It was night, so the nightlife was intense. As cars, both flying and ground cars parked around the building, the hunters got to arrive on a private jet. As they came out, they showed up their gala outfits, which were variations of their armors for the ball. Alia was wearing a pretty intense red dress-armor. The guys were wearing tuxedo-armor. Midi was all black with a cartoon character necktie. I think it was the Servbot… Douglas was wearing a half white half black tuxedo armor pretty much like those in the 1950's. Commannder Signas had all his medals and awards for the defense division from he was younger. He surely was a war hero. Lifesaver was wearing an all white armor-tuxedo. Like doctors always wear white. And Axl was wearing a complete black tuxedo-armor And behind him, Ciel came with a beautiful black with shades of blue dress. The dress highlighted her eyes and her hair. She had a pretty hairdo.
Axl: You know, you look pretty on that.
Ciel: "Chuckles" You too Axl… pretty…
Axl: Huh?
Ciel: Just kidding. You look official Mr. bond.
Axl: Ooookay… shall we go inside?
They followed the rest of the hunters. The main hall was the place. Many tables organized according to division. Many faces from the hunters and many other defense division organizations as the second Repliforce and…
Axl: Hey! Those are the Giga city resistance!
Alia: Didn't you knew? After their cooperation in the Rebellion incident, the defense division granted them the chance to join the republic. And the resistance became the Giga city defense division. And… Axl?
Ciel: I think he went with them…
Alia: Geez… he never listens like a kid…
Axl made his way as he reached the familiar faces… Nana, Marino, Cinnamon, Massimo and Professor Gaudile.
Axl: Hey guys!
Cinnamon: Axl?
Massimo: Hey! It's Axl!
Marino: I knew they would be here.
Nana: Hello there Axl. How have you been lately?
Axl: Well, with the war… a little complicated… but anyways, how have things been in Giga city since we left?
Gaudile: Well, we have been progressing with the Supra Force Metal and using it for good.
Cinnamon: Thanks to me, the Supra Force Metal is now under good use as a clean and reliable energy source. It doesn't contaminate the environment!
Marino: And of course, we joined the resistance full time. I am sooooo good in stealth operations.
Cinnamon: But Mr. Massimo seems to be an idol for the kids.
Massimo: Oh please. There are so many tales about the original Steel Massimo many kids know. Like when he fought the sea monster.
Marino: Are you sure it was a sea monster?
Massimo: I don't remember very well. But it was a monster! HA HA HA HA! ……… Okay… maybe it wasn't…
Axl: He he, you'll never change buddy.
Nana: So, how are X and Zero doing? Are they around here too?
Axl: Well… there is something I have to tell you guys…
Axl carefully told the story about the Sigma religion, and Dr. Weil's attack. Being honest about what happened to X and Zero. They got it pretty well…
Marino: Oh…
Cinnamon: That is so sad…
Gaudile: Those two were extremely good together… but we'll always remember them for what they did.
Massimo: Wait a minute! Isn't X here as the supreme chancellor of the defense division?
Nana: Yeah. What's with that?
Axl: We still don't know. I even saw X leaving. He said that he would go where the Mother Elf could be never found.
Marino: And there's X here too…
Gaudile: There's a missing link…
As the big guys on the big table in front of all the others used their spoons to tingle their crystal cups, everyone paid attention to their message.
Council member: My dear friends. Today, we welcome peace back as it deserves to be; under the night of the shooting stars that will pass above us in 30 minutes. As we have planned alongside the supreme chancellor of the defense division, we are about to step into the new era for the world, an era where the world will unify into one single entity for peace. The supreme chancellor will give his speech after the dance. There's the contest of best couple in the dance. So teamwork is essential. Good luck my friends.
The couples got together ready to dance. Ciel rushed to Axl as she pulled his arm.
Ciel: Come on Axl! Let's dance!
Axl: Well, later guys.
As Axl left, the Giga city faces were shocked…
Marino: Did you just see what I saw?
Massimo: Did Axl got a girl?
Gaudile: I checked the probability of Axl getting a girl. The results were 17452846486 to 1.
Nana: But they look really cute together. Don't you think?
Cinnamon: Yeah.
Axl and Ciel danced together. As the soft pace went on, a familiar song came into play. It started with soft music box tune. The song was "Dias de memorias".
Quick author's note.
"Dias de memorias" from the Parasite Eve credits.
Ciel: I… I remember this song…
Axl: You do?
Ciel: I… I always loved this song… when I felt sad, or alone… I always played it. I have a pendant, which plays it…
Axl: Ciel…
Ciel: My mom gave it to me when I was very young… It has a photo of my parents and me when I was a baby. My dad died when I was 1 and a half, so I never met him. This pendant is very important to me… "Sob"
Axl: Ciel?
Ciel: And… and… "Sob"… I miss them… "Sob"
Axl hugged Ciel tight as his soft words filled the loneliness in her heart.
Axl: I know how it feels… I also miss X and Zero… but I keep on and never give up for them. And for you.
Ciel: Axl…
Axl pulled a handkerchief from his pocket wiping Ciel's tears.
Axl: Please promise me you'll be strong… even if I go away, you'll be strong always.
Ciel: Promise.
The moment was very heart touching. Everyone that looked at them suddenly gave up on the dancing. Even Alia and Midi gave up.
As the song ended, they were the only ones left on the dance floor. The single spotlight highlighted them in the darkness.
Then, the lights turned on as the diamond walls deflected the soft light. Everyone clapped in cheer as the winners were taken.
Council member: And our winners of the best couple tonight are, Ciel and Axl from the Maverick Hunters.
Everyone Axl and Ciel knew were cheering for them all the time. As they were cheering, Axl looked at Ciel.
Axl: Now remember… always strong…
Ciel: You too…
As the minutes passed, everyone was at the balcony of the hotel. As the time came, every light in the city went to sleep. The darkness of the city highlighted the shine of the starts in the sky. And as the first shooting star went by, everyone gasped in amusement. Then a group of them followed the lonely star. A whole group of stars zipped through the sky.
Ciel and Axl looked at the wonder in the sky hoping for everlasting peace with everyone.
After the shooing stars went by, everyone got inside again to hear the speech of the supreme chancellor. As he stepped to the podium, the hunters were amazed to see him.
Alia: That is X!
Signas: But how?
Douglas: He said he was going to be away… why is he back?
Axl: I have a bad feeling about this…
As the X on the podium spoke, his words were the same as those of the X they know.
X: My dear colleagues, members of the defense division… and friends…
He looked directly at the hunters like if he was the real X.
X: Today, we received peace. And witnessed the rare occasion of gazing at the shooting stars in 45 years, I with to declare the plan for peace. As the supreme council said, we are uniting the entire world into one single metropolis. Alone, we weren't able to keep peace. But together, we will make peace last for the future of both humans and Reploids. As a vision, as a lost Eden, Neo Arcadia will be forged out of the wills for peace of the citizens of the world. Together, let's face the future, and let peace prevail.
Everyone in the room cheered upon such wise words. The hunters knew it was X who was there.
Alia: I don't know how, but now I'm convinced that he's the X we know.
Signas: Bravo X!
Axl: Still… there's something funny…
Alia: Oh, come on Axl. X goes away. Then he comes back and you think he's not X.
Axl: Is not that… is just… forget about it…
Alia: Okay…
Axl kept his silence as he though about it. Then, in a very low personal tone, he realized that something was missing.
Axl: I… I don't feel him… I don't feel X at all… This is completely different… Is he really X?
As everyone cheered, Axl looked at X… X kept his soft gentle smile as everyone was shaking hands with him.
And so on, the declaration of the creation of Neo Arcadia was made. And, people would be moving the next day to the place that would be the metropolis of Neo Arcadia.
