Author's Note: Hello again, loyal readers. I know we have crossed this road before, about my claims to have a finished chapter ready for you, only to wait yet again. Once again, there aren't enough apologies or excuses to justify my tardiness. But I've never forgotten about finishing this story. And now that I have gotten back to playing EPII, I have the drive to finish what I started. But more importantly, the last terrific reviews really touched my heart, urging me to complete this even faster. Remember, the more reviews I get, the more motivated I will become.
On that note, I would really like to write another fanfic on the side, or afterwards, but I can't come up with any good scenarios. If anyone has a request for Xenosaga they would like, I'm open to suggestions. I have also been considering a fanfic or two for FFVII, because Lord knows there are far too many awful ones out for it.
Thank you all, once again, for the incredible feedback. I hope to continue meeting with your expectations. Enjoy this partially completed chapter.
"Nigredo! Nigredo, hold on!"
The black haired URTV hung lifelessly in my arms, covered with injuries. I too was suffering from my own injuries, but my pain was irrelevant. All I cared about was saving my youngest brother, Nigredo.
At last, the comatose boy began to stir, his eyes slowly opening. They were small and unfocused, but that was all the confirmation I needed.
"Nigredo..!" I called out with relief.
"Ru…Rube…do…" He struggled to say. His mouth continued to move, but I could no longer make out his words. Even so, I knew what he was trying to tell me.
"Don't say anything…" I quietly assured him. "It's all over... ...everything..."
The
boy responded with a weak smile, and slowly closed his eyes. I felt
my heart begin to race, and my eyes started to moisten. I tightened
my hold around Nigredo, refusing to let him die. I hopelessly looked
around for help. I was surrounded by cold, metal walls in every
direction. Burned debris and steam puffed around, leaving an eerie
cloud of smoke everywhere. In the center of the room was a hexagonal
floor with a hole in the middle, a menacing hum of electricity and
Ether reverberating within.
It was a wasteland nearly devoid of
life. And it was all my doing. I've already lost so many fellow
URTVs. I wouldn't lose Nigredo!
I slowly stood up, with Nigredo carefully nestled in my arms. I slowly lifted him upwards, silently begging for God, or anyone else from high above, to spare the dying boy.
"I can't stop it…" I cried out, to no one in particular. "I can't stop Nigredo's bleeding. Somebody help! Isn't there anyone else left? Please help us!"
I frantically called out for help. Whether it would come from a survivor, or someone who happened to wander towards this living nightmare, it didn't matter at this point. If Nigredo died, not only would I lose everyone important to me, but I would be left completely alone. I didn't want to be alone. Not here, not ever.
Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the room, surrounding both me and Nigredo. I should have been relieved by such a heavenly glow, but something about the light made me feel even more afraid. To my horror, I recognized the signature of this energy, and the one who was producing it.
"Al…bedo…" I slowly turned around, a cold sweat forming all over my body. God help me, there stood Albedo, floating in midair, bathing in the dark energy U-DO corrupted him with. His eyes were brimming with hatred and malice, his grin was stretching maddeningly across his small face, and his laughter filled me with even more fear.
"Albedo…" I pleaded. "Please…please help me. Nigredo's dying…I can't…I can't…!"
The white haired boy responded with an inhuman howl. The ground shook briefly as a result, while the surrounding energy formed around him, infusing him with more power and hatred. I couldn't believe that this was the same Albedo I knew. His very being has completely changed. Was there any humanity left in him?
With
a simple gesture from his hand, Albedo unleashed a torrent of energy
directly toward us. The blast pierced through my body, causing
Nigredo and I to crash into the floor. As a new wave of pain coursed
through my body, tried to struggle through it and asses the situation
through my clouded vision. Nigredo was lying next to me, unmoving. I
was prepared for the worst, but Albedo suddenly hovered above me,
exceeding my fears even further. His eyes were burning for my blood,
yet I couldn't help but stare into them. Was I too stunned to look
away, or was I trying to look for any signs that some of Albedo's
old self still remained?
"Albedo…" I called out to him
again, practically on my knees. "Please…please don't do this.
Wake up, this isn't you…!"
For all of my begging, a horrible burst of laughter became my reward. "I am awake, Rubedo." Albedo quickly blurted in-between chuckled breaths. "For the first time, my eyes are truly open."
A quick flash of energy shot forth toward me, tearing through my body like white hot bullets. The sudden jolt in pain forced me unto to the ground. As I lay broken and bleeding, the boy responsible hovered above me, looking down at the damage he caused with utter joy.
"You're right, Rubedo." I barely heard. "I am no longer myself. And I couldn't be any happier. After all, when one does away with oneself…one thereby almost deserves to live."
As the possessed boy continued to laugh, the world around me began to grow dark. I could feel the lifeblood pouring away from me, my fingers growing cold to the touch.
I didn't want to die…not like this…filled with sin. I just wanted to go back home…
Back to her.
I awoke in a sudden shock, my heart rapidly pounding in tune with my breathing. It only took a moment to calm myself, assured that it was just another dream. The same bad dream, though this one in particular felt more real, not to mention painful. I slowly moved my right hand to clear my eyes a bit.
But the sudden surge of pain was the only wakeup call I needed. My right arm throbbed in agony, to the point that I gave up trying to move it. Concerned, I tried to move my head around, only to discover that I was lying facedown, and not in my bed.
Using my good arm to push myself upward, I moaned again from the pain, realizing that it was more than just my arm. It was a challenge just to focus one eye, as the other one felt swollen. Looking around, I was certain that wherever this was, it wasn't the Durandel.
I tried to stay composed, despite the increasing pain, and fear, I felt all over. Slowly looking around, I tried to identify the area around me. It was a large room, with cold, metal walls throughout. A deep hum could be heard from behind me, but other than that, there wasn't anything really unique about the place, except for the floor, which had a few odd streaks embedded on it. On closer inspection, they almost looked like burn marks, with melted debris and smoke rising from it. The molten creases stopped short just in front of me, causing me to wonder if the force behind it was responsible for my injuries.
It was then that I finally noticed the sound of voices, two of them, coming from afar. One voice was small and soft, like a child's. The other sounded far older, and…somewhat unsettling. For some reason my stomach began to churn, as if in disgust. That's when everything finally came back to me. Quickly, I snapped my head forward, despite the pain.
It was Albedo, no doubt about it. His back was facing me, and he was speaking with someone. I couldn't see the other person, but the tiny, frail voice quickly identified who it was. But I refused to believe it. I prayed that it wasn't her. Suddenly, Albedo inched a bit to the right, leaving me with a quick view of the person he was addressing. The black outfit, tiny frame, and pinkish hair confirmed my fears; it was MOMO.
The anger inside me began to swell up faster than my injured body. The absolute last thing that I wanted to happen was occurring before my very eyes. Where the hell was Shion? Did Albedo get to her first?
My concern for the young scientist caused me to veer off from MOMO for the moment. I looked to the right, struggling with the pain throughout my body. A single figure lay motionless to the far right of the room. It was Shion, lying facedown on the ground. My concern for her grew, since by all accounts, Shion was the most fragile person in our group, even more so than MOMO. On the bright side, she didn't appear to have any serious injuries, so she probably wasn't hurt too bad. In that case, I'd better check back with-
"No, that isn't true!" A surprising outburst from MOMO caused me to quickly focus back to her. Albedo, still standing in the same spot, must have said something to agitate the young girl.
"Because of me, you have now taken your first step in discovering your true self." Albedo wickedly retorted. "You have experienced pain, and you have desired a taste for it. With enough experience, you will learn to eventually accept it."
MOMO's response was too small to make out, but the look on her face outlined her discomfort. Why was she listening to that lunatic? Didn't she realize by now that he was just toying with her?
"It is impossible to experience life without pain," The bastard continued. "Just as a life without joy is a life not worth living. The line between pain and pleasure is truly thin. You must learn to merge the lines together, until they become one. In short, pleasure and pain must be one and the same. This is the conclusion I have gathered from my enlightenment. This is the true path to life. Once you learn to accept pain, you can truly live in infinite pleasure!"
I refused to hear any more of that monster's insane prattling. And my frustration only grew as I watched MOMO continue to listen on, almost possessed by that scum's preaching. I had to do something.
My right arm was broken, that much was certain. So for now, I had to see how much use I still had with my left one. I tested my good arm's durability by moving it around the floor. It was hurting pretty badly on its own, but it was minor compared to the numbing pain my other appendage was feeling. Satisfied, I started to place my hand on the ground, getting ready to brace myself to stand.
But once I stretched my palm out, my fingers touched an object lying on the floor. It was too far away for me to see, so I used my fingers to identify it by trailing them around its surface. I only needed to move my fingers around the object a couple of times to figure out what it was: It was one of my Marakovs. If I had the strength left to smile, this would have been the appropriate time.
Suddenly, a small cry erased the false hope that I felt. Quickly shifting my attention back to the front, I was in utter shock, as MOMO was down on her knees, her arms wrapped around her waist, and crying out in pain. And Albedo, still standing in the same spot, had his right hand stretched out into a fist, squeezing it in tune with MOMO's gasps.
"Our souls have joined together, ma belle pêche." Chimed Albedo, the one responsible for MOMO's torment. "We are meant to become one, the same as pain and pleasure. I can feel the pain swelling up inside you. It's inside me, too. But within all those feelings of fear and torment, I can sense the joy you feel. Embrace it; turn this pain into your pleasure!"
"No…stop it. Stop!" The small Realien cried out. As the pain within her became greater, so too did the hatred within me also grow. Damn him...damn him for tormenting her again, and right before my eyes! I'll never forgive Albedo for this, never! And I'll never forgive myself for allowing this to continue!
My mind was made up. I slowly moved my fingers around the handle of my single remaining Marokov, and started lifting my arm toward my target. I tried to focus my aim toward the back of Albedo's head, but there wasn't enough strength in my body to keep the gun steady. At this point, a precise shot no longer mattered. If I could just get one shot in, just one to draw his attention toward me and away from MOMO...
But just as I was about to pull the trigger, the sadistic monster released his hold over his victim. The exasperated girl nearly collapsed on the floor, while Albedo turned his head a bit to the side...toward me. Did he catch on to me?
"Why must we be constantly interrupted?" Albedo questioned, to no one in particular. His head turned back to MOMO, who was still on all fours, gasping for air. "We really must find a more private area for just the two of us next time." With that, the monster turned completely around, his gaze focused on his newest prey...me.
So he did notice me. It didn't matter, though, because this was exactly what I wanted. As he continued peering into my agonizing soul, Albedo drew closer toward me with each step. There was only amusement in his sickening expression, even though I still had my gun pointed toward him. Fine, then. Let him drown in his arrogance. I'll just wait for him to move a little closer, and I'll pump him full of lead.
The white haired psychopath was only a couple of feet away from reaching me. My index finger was securely wrapped around my antique gun's trigger, ready to act without another thought. And yet, as he drew even closer, I noticed that my finger still remained on the trigger. Why hadn't I fired yet? What the hell was I waiting for?
Albedo now stood mere inches before me, his feet the only area left in my line of sight. Without a single comment or gesture, he lowered himself down to face me directly. As usual, a twisted grin lay plastered on his smug face. I thought seeing his arrogant expression would have been enough to restore my desire to shoot him, but my left hand wasn't even aiming at him anymore.
"Had a pleasant nap, Rubedo?" Albedo questioned in his usual sinister tone. "I was just in the middle of a private conversation. But I'm glad you decided to join us, Rubedo. It'll make things even more interesting."
I wanted to come up with something witty or brave as my response; something to show him that I wasn't as helpless as he believed. But the throbbing in my head left little room for creativity, so I had to improvise.
"Go to hell…you bastard."
"So tell me, Rubedo…" Albedo asked, unhinged at all. "Have you finally decided to use your real power? Or are you planning to burn a hole through my head with those burning eyes of yours?"
'I would prefer putting a bullet through your damn skull.' That would have been my response, but I barely had enough strength left as it was. I kept focused on moving my left hand back up toward Albedo's head.
As the gun came toward Albedo's point of view, the bastard's eyes moved toward the loaded weapon making its way toward him. Upon inspecting it, he merely sighed and looked back at me.
"Now what good would that do, Rubedo?" He asked with a hint of boredom. "Haven't you figured it out by now? A pathetic, man-made weapon like that wouldn't harm me in the slightest. I could easily dodge it. Or I could kill you before you even pull the trigger. Or maybe…" his grin stretched out even further, showing most of his milky white teeth. "All you care about is hitting me with that weapon, regardless of how little damage you would inflict. That's it, isn't it, Rubedo? You just enjoy the thought of seeing my brains splattered all over the place, if only for an instant."
Why couldn't I pull the trigger? Why did I keep listening to his insane drivel? Was I afraid…afraid of him? No, of course not. I hated him. I wanted to tear him apart. I wanted to hear him scream in agony. I wanted him to choke in his own blood…
And that's when it hit me. It wasn't Albedo that I was really afraid of…it was how far I was willing to go to beat him.
"You seem to be having some trouble with your aim, Rubedo." Albedo commented, as he stared directly at the shaking gun in my hand. "Here, let me give you a hand."
Without warning, he wrapped his own hand around mine, gripping it tightly. I was surprised, but I didn't have the strength to break free. Struggling against Albedo's strong hold only caused more pain toward my hand. With another hideous smile, Albedo moved the gun away from his head, and stepped a bit to my right side, continuing to force my gun's position. I looked ahead, trying to see where Albedo was forcing me to aim. Finally, my arm stopped in place. It was then that my newest target was revealed, and the shock from that realization hit me like a stray bullet.
"Rubedo, what are you doing?" Albedo asked with utter sarcasm, still forcing my aim toward MOMO, who stared toward me with complete shock. Her terrified gaze pierced me with absolute fear.
"Why, Rubedo?" Albedo continued, trying to sound generally concerned. "You can't be serious. No…how could you?" I immediately turned to face the madman, whose insidious smile proved his true intentions.
"God damn you, Albedo…don't do this!" I responded in utter panic.
Grinning even further, Albedo began squeezing my index finger, slowly causing the gun's trigger to pull back.
"Stop…please stop!" I could feel the beads of sweat forming around my head, along with my eyes growing moist. I must have looked completely pathetic in Albedo's eyes. With one final push, my finger finally gave out, and the gun began unleashing it's fury upon the one person I would never have fired upon.
My lungs nearly burst out instantly, as I began screaming out in defeat. The loud gunshots drowned out my cries, but I continued to cry out to MOMO. Between the sparks escaping the barrel of my Marakov, I could barely make out the panicked girl covering her head between her knees, staying put in one spot, as the shots continued.
Two bullets, three, and four…soon there were too many to count. But one thing was certain; despite the heavy barrage aimed at her, not a single bullet had made contact with MOMO. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of torture, the gun clicked a few times, signaling that it was empty. I looked onward, hopeful.
Ever so slowly, MOMO lifted her head up. She was shaking relentlessly, but she didn't appear to have been hit by any bullets. My heart began to beat normally in relief. I wanted to believe that this was a miracle, but I knew the truth. Albedo never intended for MOMO to be my target. A breakdown of laughter confirmed things for me; this was just another sick joke to him. My face began to burn in absolute hatred. I faced the cackling monster once again, nearly in tears.
"YOU BASTARD!" I began to give my lungs another round of torment, unleashing all of my anger and frustration toward my enemy. I was so wrapped up in my hatred; I couldn't even remember what I was shouting, though it couldn't have been pleasant. I could only recall my last words to him, after I calmed down a bit.
"I'll kill you." I declared to Albedo, my voice sore from shouting. "I swear I'll kill you, Albedo…!"
In response to my threat, Albedo's arrogant grin shortened just a bit. It seemed my words did little to intimidate him.
"You tried once before, remember Rubedo?" he stated quietly. "Actually, you succeeded that time. But you were much more aggressive back then. If you fought me with even half of the anger you showed just now…"
I was out of breath, and out of insults. All I could do was glare at him with all the hatred I could muster.
"Why do this to yourself, Rubedo?" Albedo asked, in a pseudo-sympathetic voice. "Isn't there a part of you that's just begging to be released? To be set free?"
As he continued his psychoanalyzing, Albedo bent down on one knee, moving his face just inches from mine.
"Just look at me, Rubedo." He whispered. "Just look at what I've become, all thanks to U-DO. I no longer live my life bound by the chains of human flesh, or by their animalistic ways of life. I've achieved an existence beyond all that, and I've never looked back. Don't you see, Rubedo? I am…free."
I didn't want to try understanding this psychopath's way of living. I didn't care anymore. At this close range, I would have loved to simply spit at his arrogant face, and maybe curse his name just one more time. But instead, after looking into those monstrous eyes, and hearing his claim about never looking back, a brief memory flashed inside my mind. About the young, precocious boy Albedo used to be. Seeing the twisted, warmongering creature he's become…I almost pitied him.
"You call that living?" I grunted back. "You claim to be free…at the cost of your humanity…?"
Albedo closed his eyes, and for the first time, gave off a sincere smile. "You forget, Rubedo…" Slowly, he rose back to his feet, while keeping his gaze downward.
"We were never human to begin with."
I kept telling myself not to let his words get to me. But that last line stuck in my brain like a parasite, no matter how hard I tried to shake it off. I'll never acknowledge any of his insane ramblings…but I wondered how long I could go on denying that final statement.
"I hate you."
The silence was broken when those words were uttered by the smallest and most unlikely person to speak them. Both Albedo and I turned to face MOMO, who was standing upright, and with an expression of absolute sorrow.
"I hate you! I HATE YOU!" The young girl was unleashing a fury of anger upon Albedo, something that I would never have expected from her. Her tiny hands were clenched into fists, streams of tears were pouring down her gentle face, and her beautiful eyes were now radiating a fire of pure hatred toward Albedo. "You're a horrible man! A MONSTER! I hate you! I wish you were dead! I HATE YOU!"
The room fell silent, save for the constant sobbing from the little Realien. The pain I felt was nothing compared to what MOMO has gone through. And to have her show hatred and contempt toward someone, for the first time ever, must have only caused further grief for her. I hated myself for allowing this to happen to her. I felt like her words were directed toward me instead of Albedo; because in the end, I was the one to blame for all of her suffering.
MOMO's gentle sobbing finally ceased, and was replaced by the more sinister chuckles from Albedo. Almost instantly, his chuckling rose into laughter. And that laughter soon exploded into a roaring outburst of hilarity. The maniacal adult began to stumble around like a wild drunk, clutching his forehead as he continued with his chortling. After a while, it didn't even sound like laughter anymore, but more like a deranged howling. I always found myself full of contempt and disgust from Alebdo's laughing, but watching him now, with tears streaming down his face, and blood pumping through the veins on his forehead…I started to feel afraid instead.
Thankfully, the lunatic had finally quieted down, almost struggling to breathe in-between his brief giggling. After getting somewhat composed again, the monster continued with his mocking.
"Now you understand what it's like to truly live." Albedo said in a deep breath. "A very good start, pêche. There is hope for you yet. However…" He removed his hand from his face. "It's wrong for you to say that you hate me. After all that I've done for you? You've been a naughty girl, ma pêche."
Albedo began to walk toward MOMO, who looked nearly frozen in fear. "I'm afraid you'll need to be punished. Or maybe this will be a reward for you? Either way, you'd best prepare yourself."
My eyes widened in horror. After all that, Albedo still wouldn't leave her alone? And with my gun out of bullets, and my injuries still lingering, what the hell could I do? I looked toward the pink haired girl, and was surprised at the change in her expression. As she pulled out her battle scepter, the look on MOMO's face seemed devoid of fear, and full of determination. She was actually going to fight Albedo.
I slammed my left fist into the ground in pure frustration. That idiot! Of all the missed opportunities she had to run…and now she was actually going to fight that monster? Damn her naivety!
No, it wasn't her fault. Not a single damn thing was her fault. I knew who to really blame for this. She knows that she doesn't stand a chance. She was doing this for all of us…for me. Damn it, just this once, couldn't she have been a little selfish?
Albedo was just mere inches away from MOMO. The young Realien continued to stand tall against the towering Albedo, who looked like a vulture ready to devour his prey.
Why was this happening? The most important person in my life was just beyond death's door, and all I continued to do was watch. Was Albedo right? Was I really afraid to use my powers, even to help MOMO? Was I really a coward?
A flash of light brought me back to the two individuals. MOMO had started the battle with a quick gesture from her scepter. The small trail of energy sped toward Albedo, but the villain easily flicked the blast away like an annoying fly. "I hope you can do better than that." He sneered. "After all, your friends failed to satisfy my hunger. And thus, I'm afraid my appetite for a thrilling fight has overcome my affection for you."
Hearing that last statement almost made me believe that Albedo was more intent on fighting MOMO just to spite me. Damn it, I shouldn't have hesitated! I should have beaten him from the start with everything I had! And now MOMO was the one who had to pay the price for my cowardice.
The small girl made a competitive shout, releasing another, far brighter beam of light. But instead of trying to deflect it, Albedo merely vanished from thin air. The blinding surge of Ether exploded where the madman once stood; leaving a cloud of smoke that obscured my vision. Once the smoke cleared, I was able to make out MOMO, who stood alone. But then, to my horror, Albedo appeared directly behind her, and latched his arms around the Realien's wrists. The sick bastard lowered his head toward MOMO's ear, whispering something only she could hear. Enraged, I tried to stand on my feet again, but nearly cried out from the pain. It was no use!
With another shout, this time more desperate, MOMO broke free from Albedo's hold (though in reality, he likely released her out of his own arrogance), and unleashed another Ether attack against the conceited adult. A rush of flower petals spinning around a gush of wind surrounded the girl, giving a serene look to her deadly maneuver. But before it could connect, Albedo vanished again, returning to his original spot before the first strike.
"A cute little maneuver! It suits you perfectly." He said in a delightful tone. "But your adorable antics are also starting to get my blood pumping. I think I'll let you attempt one more attack, then it's my turn!"
I could see the fear plastered all over MOMO's tiny face. Seeing her gentle visage covered in horror only caused further agony for me. I wanted to scream with all my might, to tell her to run away. But my voice was still torn from my last outburst. But I also knew that even if I did have the strength to shout, she wouldn't run. The child Realien suddenly grabbed her weapon with both hands, and held it directly in front of her. She then closed her eyes, and lowered her head. It almost looked like she was praying, but in truth she was actually gathering all of her remaining Ether for one final strike.
A glowing wave of Ether surrounded MOMO, filling the child with a beautiful aura. Instantly, a pair of angelic wings sprouted from her battle staff, which in turn propelled the Realien high into the air. I recognized this maneuver, as MOMO had used it several times before. It packed a surprising amount of punch, but there was no way it would be enough to stop Albedo. And yet, would it really be better if she didn't try at all?
A flurry of illuminated beams poured downward like rays from a sun during a supernova. The scorching waves of light exploded upon contact, leaving a cloud of dust and debris to obscure the intended target.
For a few seconds, all I could make out was dust. Just a few seconds would determine everything. Between the waiting and the pain, I thought I would die right on the spot.
And then the dust settled, followed by a forming silhouette, and an all too familiar cackle, all happening exactly as I feared.
"How disappointing." Spoke Albedo, completely unaffected by MOMO's last effort. "Well, I suppose you don't hate me enough, after all. Now it's my turn to have some fun." The monster threw a single arm toward the frightened girl, ready to ensnare her. I was ready to cry out in desperation…
"NO!" a single shout from MOMO signal the release of a huge Ether blast, taking both Albedo and I by surprise. The view became obstructed again, but this time the blast was far larger and brighter than MOMO's last attack, or any other attack she used before. This was just like in the Song of Nephilim, where MOMO displayed another unique ability to counter Albedo's power.
The dust settled again, and Albedo's form was visible again. The bastard was still standing,
