I was surrounded by light. I had to shield my eyes at first, and they slowly adjusted to the sudden brightness. As far as I could tell, I was outside, and the bright sunlight shone down on me. Though, now, I knew that not everything was as it seemed in this place... What did Shion call it? KOS-MOS' Encephalon? Whatever it was, I knew I had to be on constant-
I was interrupted by the bright laughter of children. I was baffled for moments on end, then turned my head slightly, and I suddenly was aware of a huge verdant tree. At its base sat a woman who looked uncannily like the Realian Febronia we had just encountered. Around the tree ran two small Realian children, who had the same features as Febronia as well. They were laughing and playing, completely oblivious that a large group of people had instantaneously appeared. In fact, they seemed to notice nothing but the three of them. I was aware that Febronia was with us, and she stood near Shion and the red-haired girl. A pained look came to her golden eyes, and she turned to Shion.
"I am sorry, Shion... I know it was hard for you... But..." She broke off, looking like she was close to tears. Shion looked from Febronia to the three Realians under the tree.
"There are," she started, looking back to Febronia, "two of you...?" A faint smile grew over the latter's features. Considering all the strange events, I did not find the smile comforting.
"The woman sitting over there isn't me." This seemed to take Shion aback, and she wasn't the only one. "It's just an image created for the girls. An illusion. This is their world..." She trailed off to look at the diminutive Realians, cavorting happily. "Created solely for Cecily and Cathe. I am using KOS-MOS' Encephalon construction abilities to show it to all of you." Allen nearly laughed, smiling.
"But...they seem to be so happy..."
"Would you say that... ...if you were to see this?" Febronia asked the man. Before our eyes, the world changed. The once lively and beautiful tree withered and died instantly. The formerly clear blue sky was now cloudy and gray, grumbling with ever-present thunder. A dead body now took the place of Febronia's look-alike. Allen gasped loudly, and I felt MOMO moving involuntarily away from the sudden and frightening change in scenery. I took her gently by the shoulder. The last thing I wanted to happen was for MOMO to dart from the group and become lost in this strange world. And she stayed; though I could feel her hand cutting into mine painfully. I never said a word.
"This is just an illusion that traps them here," Febronia told us, her eyes never leaving the children, who were still playing and laughing in their harsh environment. It gave the place an even more eerie feel. "A binding spell created by mankind to control the Zohar. But, as far as they know, this world is reality. I want you," she said, turning to Shion again, "to release my sisters... Please, for the future of the Realians as well."
"The future of the Realians?" Shion asked. It seemed as if she were suddenly about to get much more than she bargained for.
"Not just for their future," the small red-head cut in, and every head turned to her. "but for the future of humans, non- humans, and all matter of living consciousness. Feb and I can only exist in this world of consciousness. We can only come into contact with the real world for a short time. That is why I called for all of you... So that the future may be changed." These words hung on me like a sudden lead weight.
"Change the future?" Shion asked, still not quite understanding the undertaking she was about to receive.
"Look," the girl said, and as she tuned to the girls, the vision changed again suddenly, and we were floating amongst the inky blackness of space and the tiny white stars. Before us lay a beautiful planet. I knew as soon as I saw it, that it was Miltia. I had only seen it from space once, but that had been all the time I had needed. It sat suspended in space like a giant ball, staring at me, willing me to come closer, to remember. I pushed away the thought, still holding tightly to MOMO's hand.
"Miltia," Shion muttered. I stared at her. Did that mean that she, too, had ties to that damned planet? As we stared at the planet, we had failed to notice that an object was approaching from behind at incredible velocities. My sensors picked it up as it came near, and I swiveled around to see what it was. As I turned, so did MOMO, followed by the entire group.
"That's... KOS-MOS!" Shion shouted. As loud as her voice was, it seemed that it would not affect KOS-MOS' trajectory. Her cold, red eyes stared past us right to the planet Miltia. Slowly, I saw her boosters' back thrust, and she adjusted herself to face the planet dead on. The apparatus she had bedecked herself with looked ominously like the wings of some demon. She stared blankly down at the surface of the planet. A gasp from Shion alerted me to what KOS-MOS' dead eyes had been locked onto. The surface of Miltia was slowly being consumed by what looked like a concentration of red energy. It focused itself into one large spot on the planet's surface, and then the whole planet shook as the energy leapt from Miltia in an immense energy beam. KOS-MOS, her face deadpan, lifted her arm slowly, and a seemingly electrical-type charge was built up in huge amounts. It built up until it was released from her body in another great beam of energy. The two beams moved for each other rapidly, and I knew what was about to happen.
I leaned down and shielded MOMO from the blast that occurred as the two beams collided with one another. I could feel her gripping my shirt tightly. We were engulfed in a blinding flash of light, and in another moment, it was gone. Not just the light, but the planet, KOS-MOS... Everything. Shion threw her hands over her mouth, suppressing a scream. The red-head seemed unmoved by any of the events, and I could not help the anger from rising from within me. As MOMO slowly released me from her death grip, I could see her eyes searching for any sign of KOS-MOS. There was none. She looked to me, eyes shimmering with oncoming tears, and I shook my head sadly. Her hand remained firmly attached to mine.
"That stream of energy," the mysterious girl said, "is the consciousness known as U-DO." Jr. whirled around, staring at her with a seriousness I had not known him to possess.
"What?" He nearly yelled. "U-DO?!"
"U-DO was the source of the space-time anomaly that engulfed Miltia 14 years ago. What you just saw was a vision of the future, where U-DO encounters KOS-MOS in the form in which she was meant to be." I took my eyes from the girl for one minute, if only to see Shion's reaction to what she had to say. I saw no change on her face, but I could see a faint glimmer of fear deep in her eyes. "U-DO will awaken soon. He feeds upon the consciousness of those who intend to awaken him, as well as those who wish to seek him."
"It's gonna wake up... Soon?" Jr. asked. There was a fierceness about him, almost like a deep red aura. He was incensed, to the point of his eyes burning with both anger and fear. I saw it in him as I had felt it in myself once. I feared for him then, that he was like I had been so long ago. The red-head turned to face all of us, again seeming to look everywhere at once with her strange eyes.
"The future you just saw is but one of an infinite set of potential phenomena. But that does not mean that the future is already set. Even the smallest of waves can spread throughout the whole. Phenomena change with every moment, just like a drifting wave." Shion rounded on her, seeming to be more excited and tense, rather than angered as Jr. had been.
"Are you saying...that we're that wave?"
That statement alone was enough to tell me that this was indeed more than I expected to handle when I accepted the mission to emancipate MOMO. It was far deeper than I had realized then, but perhaps it had all been orchestrated specifically to come to this end. Perhaps we all were pieces of the puzzle this girl had been trying to piece together for so long. I was a part of a wave that was to change the course of the future.
"Yet, before it all begins, I wanted you to," she turned her eyes to me, almost threateningly, it seemed to me, "face your pasts. But I see you are not ready yet. I am sorry." My breath caught in my throat. I knew she was talking to me. She could very well have been talking about someone else, but I knew that part of her statement was for me. Because I had failed to recognize my past, however painful it was, I had somehow failed her plan. How could she possibly know how I felt? Anger seethed and welled inside me, but I swallowed it back, unwilling to let it escape and permeate.
"But why us?" Shion asked, determined to get answers that the girl seemed hesitant to give. She blinked slowly a few times, as if explaining that Shion already knew the answer, then spoke softly.
"Shion...you were once touched by a Gnosis." Shion's gasp echoed in the deepness of space. Every head turned to her. "Despite that, you remain unchanged, the same as before. That is why."
"That's why?"
"There will be a time when I can discuss why. If you go back to Miltia... The place where it all began. Then you will see." Febronia approached the red-head while she was speaking, then they both faced us. Like water over sand, they washed away into nothingness. They were gone before I could blink.
"Wait!" Shion called. But it was too late. They were gone, leaving us in darkness. All this time, I had nearly forgotten that MOMO clung onto my hand. I was suddenly aware of it again, as circulation to my fingers was suddenly cut off. I nearly jumped, and MOMO loosened her grip, muttering a quick, "Sorry."
"Don't apologize," I whispered back. This was all strange and confusing to me, who had lived for about 100 years... What would it be like from MOMO's point of view? Shion motioned for us to follow her, as she seemed to have discovered something. If it was a way out of this place, I was more than happy to be able to use it. As strange as it would have seemed if we were not in KOS-MOS Encephalon, a door in the middle of space was actually quite inviting. We stepped through, MOMO and me going through the door last, and gazed up at our new surroundings.
It was dank and musty, not unlike the church we had discovered Febronia in. We all stepped around furtively, as if unsure as what to do. But not Shion. She stepped beyond everyone else and moved to where we now saw KOS-MOS to be tied to a slab of rock. It was grotesque and morbid, and I tried not to stare. MOMO seemed enraptured, possibly so she could recognize that it was not actually KOS-MOS we had seen before. Shion approached KOS-MOS' limp form as she dangled from the rock by wires like a puppet. Slowly, Shion raised her hand in front of her.
"Ye shall be as gods..." She muttered under her breath. Without raising her head, we heard the voice of KOS-MOS around us, as if she were everywhere at once.
"Disarming subconscious domain protection."
A soft white light, very much unlike the light that had come from the collision of U-Do and KOS-MOS' energy, surrounded us. I closed my eyes, but the light did not dim. I never felt MOMO's hand leave mine. There was a small jolt, and the light began to subside. I opened my eyes once more, and I found myself to be back on the Elsa. Thank God, it was the Elsa. It was done. I felt myself exhale loudly, and MOMO's head inclined to search my face, and I actually allowed the corners of my mouth to lift up in a smile. It was over.
With a hiss, KOS-MOS' module opened revealing the android as she sat up, staring at Shion. The Vector employee removed the red visor from her eyes. Her eyes met those of KOS-MOS, who blinked blankly. A smile fell over Shion's mouth as she formed what seemed to be very familiar words.
"Good morning, KOS-MOS."
"Good morning, Shion," KOS-MOS replied.
A long silence ensued, as if no one knew what to say. It was chaos that decided to speak up, and his statement seemed to snap everyone out of a daze.
"Well, looks like we all managed to make it back," he said gleefully. Allen nearly jumped at the sound of his voice, then turned to Shion in a quick movement. He moved his mouth without making any sound for at least three seconds, then leapt to Shion's side.
"Chief!" He called with unbridled joy. He threw his arms around her and embraced her tightly. "I'm so relieved you're okay!" Shion's face was one of surprise and lack of any words to form. Finally, after a moment of awkward embrace, Shion formed a word, stuttering.
"A-Allen?" She called nervously. He seemed unwilling to release her, and I heard MOMO's soft giggle from beside me. As soon as Allen registered MOMO's laugher, he let go of Shion quickly, blushing very obviously.
"Er- ah... Sorry, Chief."
A wave of relief washed over everyone present. I could see it spread as everyone released their tension and slumped down into whatever seat they could find. All but KOS-MOS. She stood, staring at Shion. It seemed like no one wanted to move. I especially was one who opted for a short breather. But Shion reminded us that the whole ordeal was to gather information for Captain Lapis Roman. Sighing, I pushed myself out of the seat.
All this about a wave disturbing the course of the future... Was it possible that the strange little girl had been planning it for years or even for centuries? Could it be possible that she knew everything about me because she had been watching, waiting for the opportune time, when all of us, the wave makers, were finally together? What little sense there was in the matter, I gathered it together and plodded up to the bridge, following Shion and KOS-MOS, letting my mind wander.
I was interrupted by the bright laughter of children. I was baffled for moments on end, then turned my head slightly, and I suddenly was aware of a huge verdant tree. At its base sat a woman who looked uncannily like the Realian Febronia we had just encountered. Around the tree ran two small Realian children, who had the same features as Febronia as well. They were laughing and playing, completely oblivious that a large group of people had instantaneously appeared. In fact, they seemed to notice nothing but the three of them. I was aware that Febronia was with us, and she stood near Shion and the red-haired girl. A pained look came to her golden eyes, and she turned to Shion.
"I am sorry, Shion... I know it was hard for you... But..." She broke off, looking like she was close to tears. Shion looked from Febronia to the three Realians under the tree.
"There are," she started, looking back to Febronia, "two of you...?" A faint smile grew over the latter's features. Considering all the strange events, I did not find the smile comforting.
"The woman sitting over there isn't me." This seemed to take Shion aback, and she wasn't the only one. "It's just an image created for the girls. An illusion. This is their world..." She trailed off to look at the diminutive Realians, cavorting happily. "Created solely for Cecily and Cathe. I am using KOS-MOS' Encephalon construction abilities to show it to all of you." Allen nearly laughed, smiling.
"But...they seem to be so happy..."
"Would you say that... ...if you were to see this?" Febronia asked the man. Before our eyes, the world changed. The once lively and beautiful tree withered and died instantly. The formerly clear blue sky was now cloudy and gray, grumbling with ever-present thunder. A dead body now took the place of Febronia's look-alike. Allen gasped loudly, and I felt MOMO moving involuntarily away from the sudden and frightening change in scenery. I took her gently by the shoulder. The last thing I wanted to happen was for MOMO to dart from the group and become lost in this strange world. And she stayed; though I could feel her hand cutting into mine painfully. I never said a word.
"This is just an illusion that traps them here," Febronia told us, her eyes never leaving the children, who were still playing and laughing in their harsh environment. It gave the place an even more eerie feel. "A binding spell created by mankind to control the Zohar. But, as far as they know, this world is reality. I want you," she said, turning to Shion again, "to release my sisters... Please, for the future of the Realians as well."
"The future of the Realians?" Shion asked. It seemed as if she were suddenly about to get much more than she bargained for.
"Not just for their future," the small red-head cut in, and every head turned to her. "but for the future of humans, non- humans, and all matter of living consciousness. Feb and I can only exist in this world of consciousness. We can only come into contact with the real world for a short time. That is why I called for all of you... So that the future may be changed." These words hung on me like a sudden lead weight.
"Change the future?" Shion asked, still not quite understanding the undertaking she was about to receive.
"Look," the girl said, and as she tuned to the girls, the vision changed again suddenly, and we were floating amongst the inky blackness of space and the tiny white stars. Before us lay a beautiful planet. I knew as soon as I saw it, that it was Miltia. I had only seen it from space once, but that had been all the time I had needed. It sat suspended in space like a giant ball, staring at me, willing me to come closer, to remember. I pushed away the thought, still holding tightly to MOMO's hand.
"Miltia," Shion muttered. I stared at her. Did that mean that she, too, had ties to that damned planet? As we stared at the planet, we had failed to notice that an object was approaching from behind at incredible velocities. My sensors picked it up as it came near, and I swiveled around to see what it was. As I turned, so did MOMO, followed by the entire group.
"That's... KOS-MOS!" Shion shouted. As loud as her voice was, it seemed that it would not affect KOS-MOS' trajectory. Her cold, red eyes stared past us right to the planet Miltia. Slowly, I saw her boosters' back thrust, and she adjusted herself to face the planet dead on. The apparatus she had bedecked herself with looked ominously like the wings of some demon. She stared blankly down at the surface of the planet. A gasp from Shion alerted me to what KOS-MOS' dead eyes had been locked onto. The surface of Miltia was slowly being consumed by what looked like a concentration of red energy. It focused itself into one large spot on the planet's surface, and then the whole planet shook as the energy leapt from Miltia in an immense energy beam. KOS-MOS, her face deadpan, lifted her arm slowly, and a seemingly electrical-type charge was built up in huge amounts. It built up until it was released from her body in another great beam of energy. The two beams moved for each other rapidly, and I knew what was about to happen.
I leaned down and shielded MOMO from the blast that occurred as the two beams collided with one another. I could feel her gripping my shirt tightly. We were engulfed in a blinding flash of light, and in another moment, it was gone. Not just the light, but the planet, KOS-MOS... Everything. Shion threw her hands over her mouth, suppressing a scream. The red-head seemed unmoved by any of the events, and I could not help the anger from rising from within me. As MOMO slowly released me from her death grip, I could see her eyes searching for any sign of KOS-MOS. There was none. She looked to me, eyes shimmering with oncoming tears, and I shook my head sadly. Her hand remained firmly attached to mine.
"That stream of energy," the mysterious girl said, "is the consciousness known as U-DO." Jr. whirled around, staring at her with a seriousness I had not known him to possess.
"What?" He nearly yelled. "U-DO?!"
"U-DO was the source of the space-time anomaly that engulfed Miltia 14 years ago. What you just saw was a vision of the future, where U-DO encounters KOS-MOS in the form in which she was meant to be." I took my eyes from the girl for one minute, if only to see Shion's reaction to what she had to say. I saw no change on her face, but I could see a faint glimmer of fear deep in her eyes. "U-DO will awaken soon. He feeds upon the consciousness of those who intend to awaken him, as well as those who wish to seek him."
"It's gonna wake up... Soon?" Jr. asked. There was a fierceness about him, almost like a deep red aura. He was incensed, to the point of his eyes burning with both anger and fear. I saw it in him as I had felt it in myself once. I feared for him then, that he was like I had been so long ago. The red-head turned to face all of us, again seeming to look everywhere at once with her strange eyes.
"The future you just saw is but one of an infinite set of potential phenomena. But that does not mean that the future is already set. Even the smallest of waves can spread throughout the whole. Phenomena change with every moment, just like a drifting wave." Shion rounded on her, seeming to be more excited and tense, rather than angered as Jr. had been.
"Are you saying...that we're that wave?"
That statement alone was enough to tell me that this was indeed more than I expected to handle when I accepted the mission to emancipate MOMO. It was far deeper than I had realized then, but perhaps it had all been orchestrated specifically to come to this end. Perhaps we all were pieces of the puzzle this girl had been trying to piece together for so long. I was a part of a wave that was to change the course of the future.
"Yet, before it all begins, I wanted you to," she turned her eyes to me, almost threateningly, it seemed to me, "face your pasts. But I see you are not ready yet. I am sorry." My breath caught in my throat. I knew she was talking to me. She could very well have been talking about someone else, but I knew that part of her statement was for me. Because I had failed to recognize my past, however painful it was, I had somehow failed her plan. How could she possibly know how I felt? Anger seethed and welled inside me, but I swallowed it back, unwilling to let it escape and permeate.
"But why us?" Shion asked, determined to get answers that the girl seemed hesitant to give. She blinked slowly a few times, as if explaining that Shion already knew the answer, then spoke softly.
"Shion...you were once touched by a Gnosis." Shion's gasp echoed in the deepness of space. Every head turned to her. "Despite that, you remain unchanged, the same as before. That is why."
"That's why?"
"There will be a time when I can discuss why. If you go back to Miltia... The place where it all began. Then you will see." Febronia approached the red-head while she was speaking, then they both faced us. Like water over sand, they washed away into nothingness. They were gone before I could blink.
"Wait!" Shion called. But it was too late. They were gone, leaving us in darkness. All this time, I had nearly forgotten that MOMO clung onto my hand. I was suddenly aware of it again, as circulation to my fingers was suddenly cut off. I nearly jumped, and MOMO loosened her grip, muttering a quick, "Sorry."
"Don't apologize," I whispered back. This was all strange and confusing to me, who had lived for about 100 years... What would it be like from MOMO's point of view? Shion motioned for us to follow her, as she seemed to have discovered something. If it was a way out of this place, I was more than happy to be able to use it. As strange as it would have seemed if we were not in KOS-MOS Encephalon, a door in the middle of space was actually quite inviting. We stepped through, MOMO and me going through the door last, and gazed up at our new surroundings.
It was dank and musty, not unlike the church we had discovered Febronia in. We all stepped around furtively, as if unsure as what to do. But not Shion. She stepped beyond everyone else and moved to where we now saw KOS-MOS to be tied to a slab of rock. It was grotesque and morbid, and I tried not to stare. MOMO seemed enraptured, possibly so she could recognize that it was not actually KOS-MOS we had seen before. Shion approached KOS-MOS' limp form as she dangled from the rock by wires like a puppet. Slowly, Shion raised her hand in front of her.
"Ye shall be as gods..." She muttered under her breath. Without raising her head, we heard the voice of KOS-MOS around us, as if she were everywhere at once.
"Disarming subconscious domain protection."
A soft white light, very much unlike the light that had come from the collision of U-Do and KOS-MOS' energy, surrounded us. I closed my eyes, but the light did not dim. I never felt MOMO's hand leave mine. There was a small jolt, and the light began to subside. I opened my eyes once more, and I found myself to be back on the Elsa. Thank God, it was the Elsa. It was done. I felt myself exhale loudly, and MOMO's head inclined to search my face, and I actually allowed the corners of my mouth to lift up in a smile. It was over.
With a hiss, KOS-MOS' module opened revealing the android as she sat up, staring at Shion. The Vector employee removed the red visor from her eyes. Her eyes met those of KOS-MOS, who blinked blankly. A smile fell over Shion's mouth as she formed what seemed to be very familiar words.
"Good morning, KOS-MOS."
"Good morning, Shion," KOS-MOS replied.
A long silence ensued, as if no one knew what to say. It was chaos that decided to speak up, and his statement seemed to snap everyone out of a daze.
"Well, looks like we all managed to make it back," he said gleefully. Allen nearly jumped at the sound of his voice, then turned to Shion in a quick movement. He moved his mouth without making any sound for at least three seconds, then leapt to Shion's side.
"Chief!" He called with unbridled joy. He threw his arms around her and embraced her tightly. "I'm so relieved you're okay!" Shion's face was one of surprise and lack of any words to form. Finally, after a moment of awkward embrace, Shion formed a word, stuttering.
"A-Allen?" She called nervously. He seemed unwilling to release her, and I heard MOMO's soft giggle from beside me. As soon as Allen registered MOMO's laugher, he let go of Shion quickly, blushing very obviously.
"Er- ah... Sorry, Chief."
A wave of relief washed over everyone present. I could see it spread as everyone released their tension and slumped down into whatever seat they could find. All but KOS-MOS. She stood, staring at Shion. It seemed like no one wanted to move. I especially was one who opted for a short breather. But Shion reminded us that the whole ordeal was to gather information for Captain Lapis Roman. Sighing, I pushed myself out of the seat.
All this about a wave disturbing the course of the future... Was it possible that the strange little girl had been planning it for years or even for centuries? Could it be possible that she knew everything about me because she had been watching, waiting for the opportune time, when all of us, the wave makers, were finally together? What little sense there was in the matter, I gathered it together and plodded up to the bridge, following Shion and KOS-MOS, letting my mind wander.