Chapter 10: Labyrinthos and U-DO
Azaria:
It was hard to go to sleep when Yeshua was inside and very much awake. He had a tendency to keep calling me through the bracelet. He finally settled down around midnight in a calm stupor. (Thanks to my secret weapon!) I walked into my room, which was located on the other side of the Institute. My room was fairly cozy, with the walls painted a deep shade of blue, a canopy bed in the center and the small mats that I spent hours meditating on. I wasn't really tired, so I figured that I would lie down on my bed.
'Azaria…'
Ok… I paused in the center of the room. I thought Yeshua was asleep…
'Yeshua?' I sent my thought to the bracelet.
Nothing. Not a whimper or a whine. So…who or what was in my head? I glanced around my room carefully. I didn't see anyone. I checked my senses. Nope…nothing moving. Gods, you're so paranoid, Azaria. Get a grip or something. And I was supposed to be the rational one.
'Azaria…I know you can hear me. Tell me…what does it take to kill someone?'
That voice sounded a lot like Yeshua's. But why would Yeshua talk about killing?
'Yeshua…is that you?'
'Maybe.'
'Yeshua…'
'I feel different…powerful…'
Ok…
'You're scaring me.'
'I'm going to kill them—my brothers. The voice…the voice says so. I must obey…'
I turned towards the door.
'I won't let you, Yeshua.'
Laughter poured out from behind my door.
"Don't you hear the song, guardian? That maddening song…?"
Song? I didn't hear anything…
"I don't hear it. Are you outside of my door?" I asked.
The laughter stopped.
"I won't let you stop me."
He was joking, right? I moved to my door and placed my hand on the doorknob. There was a loud click and nothing more.
"Don't do this, Yeshua!" I warned while twisting the knob on the door.
It wouldn't turn.
"Don't worry, guardian. I'll take care of my brothers and Anima. After that, I'll come for you. And I'm going to enjoy that."
I shuddered as I walked around the large circular hole in the middle of the chamber I was in. My senses were on fire…mostly because the presence of U-DO filled this place. I hated U-DO. I hated it because it made Yeshua into a monster. I hated it because…it lived inside of me as well. I became infected by U-DO when I had to force him out of my mind in order to defend myself. I…shouldn't have come down here alone. Labyrinthos gave me a very uneasy feeling…like something was watching me.
Even if I could use my powers to search the building, I wouldn't get a correct reading. Two gates shielded the entrance to the elevator in the middle of the hole. It would take me far too long for me to unlock those gates normally…so hacking was in order. I pulled my communicator out and placed it on my ear.
"Child of darkness…"
What the hell? I whipped around, eyes darting from side to side. Nothing…
"Who's there?" I asked.
"Why are you here? You do not belong here."
"I don't need you to tell me that. How do you…"
"Oh, Azaria…you are so naïve."
I felt something move behind me and whipped around. Something hit the back of my head…and I knew nothing more.
Labyrinthos
chaos:
"That's odd. This place somehow feels different than the others," Jin commented.
We were all standing in the middle of a room…or rather a hallway with one doorway covered in cobwebs. I wanted to think that Azaria hadn't come through here. But she had…
"You're right. It almost looks like there were people still working here recently," Canaan commented.
Well, maybe recently…with Ormus invading the building.
"Nanomachines gone out-of-control…" Ziggy muttered.
"I have heard of nanomachines making rooms and passageways on their own," MOMO suggested.
"No. No, it doesn't feel like that. This is more like…like some sort of consciousness is at work here," Shion said softly.
U-DO. It's U-DO.
"It's U-DO. Its presence has spread this far out," Jr. informed.
Yet another reason why I didn't want to be here.
"It would appear our destination is right in front of us," Jin pointed out.
"Yeah. There's no time to lose," Jr. muttered.
Azaria:
I regained my senses moments later after the blow to my head. I quickly realized with the slightest tilt of my head that I wished I hadn't gotten up. Pain erupted in my skull, forcing a gasp from my lips. Gods, I had taken a cheap blow.
"I see you're awake, child of U-DO."
Uh…that voice again! I carefully lifted my head up and met the chilling eyes of…
"Margulis!" I hissed.
Margulis laughed and folded his arms.
"So you recognized me. That's excellent."
How could I not remember you?
"You're the one who's trying to manipulate Yeshua…or at least betray him."
"Yeshua is a fool if he thinks he can control Ormus."
So that's what this was about.
"You snatched me in order to make Yeshua cooperate?"
"Well, that's not all I want you for. You seem to forget that you and Yeshua are the only celestial beings in existence. And you, my dear Azaria, are tainted with U-DO and the gnosis."
A warning flag went up in my mind. My contamination was only known to the doctors that worked at the Yuriev Institute.
"How did you find that out?" I asked, ignoring the overwhelming sense to run.
"I have my ways of finding out."
"I'm leaving."
I stumbled back onto my feet and turned around. Margulis was standing right in front of me. Fear smacked into me head on, making me stumble backwards. I immediately tapped into my power reserves…only to find that I couldn't get it to respond. U-DO danced around in my senses, making my vision slightly hazy.
"How close do you think you are to the Zohar?" Margulis asked while regarding me coldly.
"What are doing to me?"
I was actually afraid for myself now. I had no weapons and my powers were being nullified.
"I'm not doing anything to you. You have your body to thank for that."
"I won't let you take me!"
"Too bad. I have some plans for you."
Fifteen Minutes Later
chaos:
Nothing could prepare me for what I saw when we walked into the area below the control room.
"My gods, Azaria…" I whispered.
My guardian was floating above us, limp and unconscious. Blood dripped down from her arms, which were looking fairly pale.
"How do we get her down?" Jr. asked.
As if on cue, her body dropped to the ground with a hollow thud. Without hesitation, I scooped her up into my arms. Ok…vitals ok…breathing fine…energies normal.
"Is she ok?" MOMO asked.
I nodded.
"Yeah, she's fine…for the most part. Let's get into the control room."
I followed the others onto the elevator that lifted us up to the room. The control room was a medium-sized room filled with equipment and a…maintenance bed. How convenient.
"This must be Labyrinthos' main terminal," Canaan muttered.
"So it would seem. Canaan, the powerful protection placed on the data within you uses the wave pattern emitted by the Zohar. We should be able to remove it with this terminal," Jin commented.
I know Canaan's happy about that. I watched as Canaan sat in the seat and Jin approached the console.
"Well, we finally made it. At last, we can set you free from your curse, Canaan," He added.
"I'd appreciate it if you could hurry. I really don't want something like this in my head any longer than I need to," Canaan snapped.
"Hey, just what is the data inside of Canaan, anyway?" Shion asked.
Oh…it just tells the identity of the bastard who caused the Militian Conflict, that's all.
"Put simply, it contains the identity of the mastermind behind the Militian Conflict," Jin answered.
"Hold on a second. The mastermind behind the Conflict was…"
"The madman, Joachim Mizrahi. At least, that's what everyone thinks. But just because most people believe something doesn't necessarily mean that it's true."
Exactly.
"Wait, what do you mean?"
"You're about to find out."
I sat Azaria down against the wall as Jin activated the console he was next to.
"You're familiar with the U-TIC Organization?" Jin asked.
"Sure. It's the organization established by Joachim Mizrahi to study the Zohar," Shion commented.
"We've gone through hell, thanks to them," Jr. snapped.
"So what about the U-TIC?"
"The U-TIC Organization was originally a part of the Federation. Professor Mizrahi was apparently using the data he obtained from studying the Zohar to convert U-TIC into a military organization. But he never actually told the Federation government. He kept them in the dark. But there's something else that's strange about this. It takes an enormous amount of money to fund research and weaponry. Yet, there's no evidence that the Federation ever provided that kind of financial backing," Jin explained.
"So someone else was funding them from behind the scenes?" Shion asked.
"That's right. Almost all of the U-TIC Organization's enterprises were nothing more than dummy corporations. That is, all except one."
"Just one?"
"This data includes recorded information regarding a business known as Hyams. It's highly likely that this company was the one that actually provided the money. And…the head of the Hyams outfit, a man named Heinlein, happens to be one of the cardinals of the Immigration Fleet."
Basically, the cardinal of Ormus.
"So, are you saying that the U-TIC Organization has connections to the Immigrant Fleet?" Jr. asked.
"Did Daddy…have connections to the Immigrant Fleet, too?" MOMO asked.
"No. I presume Professor Mizrahi was merely being used. Their objective was to acquire research data on the Zohar. Even the Realian outbursts that sparked the Militian Conflict was believed to be part of their experiments. But something else happened that they couldn't have predicted," Jin answered.
"U-DO awoke and the door to purgatory opened," Jr. muttered.
You mean I happened.
"And the Gnosis appeared…" Shion muttered.
"Everyone must have thought it was the end of the world. But that didn't happen. MOMO, the truth of the matter is, your father wasn't a madman at all. In the ensuing chaos, Professor Mizrahi had to make a vital decision in order to prevent the worst-case scenario," Jin commented.
"What decision?" MOMO asked.
"He knew he had to somehow isolate the Zohar, U-DO, and all of Militia, and seal their power in a place where no one could touch it."
"So, the reason Militia was swallowed up by the Abyss was because Professor Mizrahi…" Shion mused.
"A great many people were sacrificed for his sake. That's probably the reason he brought judgment down upon himself. To put an end to everything. Your father tried to save the world you were about to be born into. And then he entrusted his secrets to you, the one he could trust most, MOMO."
"Daddy…I knew it! I'm so…I'm so happy!" MOMO exclaimed.
"Wait a second. So if we just hand over the Zohar to the Immigrant Fleet, they'll…" Shion started.
"Yes, they will likely repeat the tragedy from fourteen years ago. Please go on without me. I'm going to send this data to Representative Helmer. Canaan, please handle the data backup."
"Understood," Canaan answered.
So this was it. I would be accompanying my friends to the Zohar. I turned around and picked Azaria up into my arms again. She didn't make a sound.
"All right everyone, let's go," I ordered.
It didn't take us long to find our way into the Zohar Isolation Area. And then…Margulis appeared.
"You!" Ziggy snarled.
Margulis glanced at us. Azaria twitched violently.
"I see. No wonder the air defense system was useless. Right, U.R.T.V.?" Margulis commented.
Jr. snarled.
"Don't…don't call me that!"
Margulis laughed.
"That Helmer…he's certainly managed to assemble an impressive ensemble. But your coming here now is pointless. We've already accomplished our objective. The Zohar is now under our control. There's nothing you can do. The outcome is already decided."
"What the hell are you thinking? That thing is way beyond anything you can handle. Do you have any idea what's gonna happen?"
"Of course I do."
Margulis took his sword out of its sheath.
"Zohar…Zohar!" Azaria managed to whisper.
Ok…Azaria's freaking out now…
"The annoying Gnosis as well as a few pathetic, weed-like humans, who are arguably even more worthless than the Gnosis, are going to disappear. Just like Ariadne," Margulis commented.
"You bastard!" Jr. snarled.
"But weak as your position is, we still can't allow anything to interfere with our plans."
"W-Watch out!" Azaria choked out.
A fireball erupted from his sword, headed right for us. Just before it could hit us, a wave of ice intercepted the fireball's path, creating a temporary peal of blinding light. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to filter it out.
"It's been fourteen years, hasn't it, Uzuki?" Margulis asked.
Jin?
"Personally, I would have preferred to never see you again."
The light faded away from the attack, allowing me to open my eyes in comfort. Azaria was squirming in my arms, very much conscious.
"Jin!" Shion gasped.
I backed up and sat Azaria gently on her feet.
"The blade is for carving one's heart, not for turning against the masses. That's what our master once said, was it not?" Jin asked.
'Are…they rivals?' Azaria asked mentally.
Margulis laughed.
"This is perfect. I can't believe you're still a part of this, Uzuki. Once again you insist on standing against me."
'Yeah.'
'Yeshua…U-DO…the Zohar…'
"There were still a few things I wanted to look into. These people were nice enough to give me a lift," Jin commented.
"Absurd…"
"Nothing has changed here. You know, it was careless of you not to erase those records fourteen years ago. Now you can never return to the Federation. Or perhaps, were you a bit too busy to worry about that at the time?"
"I see you still talk too much. Very well. If you really want to know…you'll have to use that sword to make me talk!"
Margulis lifted his sword.
"Naturally. That was my intent."
Jin jumped down in front of the group. Azaria grabbed my arm and whimpered.
'What's wrong, Azaria?'
'I…'
"Do not expect this to end like it did before, Uzuki!"
And the fight began. We all watched as Margulis caused Jin to lose his katana with a simple strike. I heard Shion take in a sharp gasp. Margulis swiped at Jin with his katana. Instead of dodging it, Jin grabbed the side of his katana with his hands. Margulis came at him again with his sword, trying to get in another blow. Jin swung his katana around so that the sword hit the blade instead. Jin took his blade back and began the series of clashing and evading maneuvers again. Margulis jumped onto the railing, flipped and struck Jin's katana hard. Jin was forced down towards the floor as he tried force Margulis' sword away from him.
"It's been far too long, Uzuki. This feeling…of exhilaration!" Margulis exclaimed.
"I told you. I won't allow a monster like you to inherit my grandfather's technique," Jin snapped as he kicked Margulis in his stomach.
"Bold words from such a fool!"
Jin and Margulis charged at each other…
And then, a flash of light occurred. Jin was thrown back safely onto his feet as well as Margulis.
"I shouldn't have spent my time running a used bookstore. I regret that now," Jin said quietly.
"I'll make sure you die a painful death, Uzuki! But for now…arise child of darkness!"
'Yeshua! I-I'm—'
"Margulis…don't do this!" Azaria screamed out loud.
I wasn't the only person looking at her at this point.
"Are you afraid to let the world know what you are?"
Azaria shuddered.
"If you trigger this, you won't get out of here alive!"
What in the world was going on? Margulis smirked.
"Is that a threat?"
A strange smile crept onto my love's features.
"You don't scare me."
Margulis lifted his sword and sent energy hurtling right for me. I attempted to pull energy up to deflect it, but Azaria stepped into the line of fire. The energy hit her dead on, rocking her body backwards.
"Oh my god…" Shion breathed.
Azaria doubled over and coughed violently. Energy began pouring out from her body, gaining intensity with each passing second. It wasn't long before our vision was impeded by light.
"You are such an idiot. I told you not to invoke this."
Was that another person? The light faded…and everything seemed to be normal…except for the fact that there was a woman dressed in black with a scythe to Margulis' neck. I would have enjoyed the irony if I wasn't slightly concerned.
"You wouldn't…"
The woman stepped in front of him with a grace that I had never seen before.
"Of course not. I suggest you run. I will let you."
The woman lifted her scythe and jumped into the air. It didn't take long for Margulis to summon a A.M.W.S. and leave. I cast my attention in the air, searching for the woman. And she was not there…
"Was that Azaria…?" MOMO asked.
I didn't know what to think. She was right in front of me…meaning she was the woman who chased Margulis off. But something did not add up here.
"Something's not right," I muttered.
"Maybe we will find out when we reach the Zohar."
Azaria:
My newfound powers had made it easy for me to travel from place to place. Even though I despised my dual nature, it would come in handy. So far, it got Margulis to back away from Yeshua. But now, I was something to be trifled with. In order to keep my charge safe, I would have to stop being nice. I settled down in the middle of the room leading to the containment center for the Zohar.
I willed the power U-DO bestowed to me back into a corner of my mind. I could feel my body returning back to normal. With being normal…came the large amount of fatigue. I crashed down to the floor with a heavy sigh. Did they suspect something?
"Azaria, are you ok?" MOMO.
I straightened up slightly so that I could see her face.
"I-I'm…ok. He…s-sent me here."
It was a lie…and I knew it. Yeshua's face came into view…etched with worry.
'I am not going to press you for information…at least not how.'
Two hands helped me back onto my feet and held me close as we walked through the doors to the Zohar. The object of divine hell was situated in the back of the room behind two capsules.
"Looks like we made it in time. Look, that's the Zohar. The original," Jr. commented.
"This place…I saw it in my dream. The cage Feb's sisters were trapped in," Shion muttered.
Feb's sisters?
"What cage?"
"Shion. I am detecting faint life signs in the capsules in front of us," KOS-MOS announced.
"Life signs?" Shion asked.
"That is correct. Their design is quite old. However, they are definitely Realians."
Huh? The mist that covered the cages blew away at that moment, revealing two horribly disfigured bodies. It took a lot to keep the contents of my stomach down…but I managed. Shion collapsed to the ground, absolutely horrified by the sight.
"It…it can't be. That's Cecily and Cathe…"
"Wait…you…you're saying that those are Realians?" Jr. asked.
"Jr.? What's wrong?" MOMO asked.
"MOMO, stay back!"
MOMO approached the capsules and saw the same horror that struck Shion and Jr. down.
"Shion…what is that? It's horrible!"
"It's horrible! I can't stand this! I'm…I'm sick of all of this! I just can't take it anymore! I just can't!"
"Shion…" I said sadly.
"Is there any way we can help them?" Yeshua asked.
Not now. It's too late for them.
"Unfortunately, because they are fused with the system, it appears they have already lost their individual functionality and consciousness. In their current state, separating them from the system would result in complete shutdown," KOS-MOS answered.
I saw the sadness in Yeshua's eyes.
"Bastards! Why'd they do this?" Jr. snapped.
"Because using them in their natural state proved difficult."
All of a sudden, a man dressed in priestly robes appeared above the Zohar.
"It was necessary to isolate their consciousness from the outside world," He said.
"Who the hell are you?" Jr. snapped.
"Why would the leader of the Immigrant Fleet be here?" Jin asked.
Wait a second…that was the Patriarch!
"There's really no need for me to answer questions from the likes of you. But very well. The Zohar—that object—originally belonged to us—to Ormus. Yes, since the down of recorded history, we have been its guardians. In turn, we use it in anyway we see fit. That is the way of things," Patriarch responded.
"Ormus…so that's the real name of your organization," Jin mused.
"That's right. Ormus has existed in the shadows since ancient times. Indeed, since before the crucifixion of the messiah. Human beings…no…all life throughout the universe must be guided forward by Ormus and the Zohar. And they shall be led unto a higher plane of existence. That is the mission that God has entrusted to us."
"Damn you!" Jr. and I shouted together.
Shion stood up.
"You…you did this to them for that?"
"What…is there a problem? They are tools, created specifically for that purpose," Patriarch said off-handedly.
"Shut up! I refuse…I refuse to accept this!"
"You refuse? Then, we'll just have to make you accept it."
He activated the Zohar with a mere wave of his hand.
"This power is granted to us by god!" He declared.
The Zohar began to resonate.
"That's…" Shion gasped.
I heard the voice…no…the song that changed my entire life.
"U-DO!" I screamed, trying to cover my ears.
"Stop the system! Now! If you don't, it's gonna wake up again!" Jr. shouted.
KOS-MOS approached Shion.
"Shion, please stand back. I will destroy the system and cut the bypass to the Zohar," She said.
A gun appeared in KOS-MOS's hands. Shion blocked her way almost immediately.
"KOS-MOS, wait! They're still—"
"Shion. If you interfere, I will be required to take drastic measures."
"No, KOS-MOS."
"Shion, you've got to let her do it! Please!" I begged.
After a moment or two of silence, Shion finally moved off to the side.
"KOS-MOS…fire!"
KOS-MOS immediately opened fire on the bodies in the cages, destroying and killing them both.
"Foolish. Truly foolish. It doesn't matter what you do now. You cannot stop this power," Patriarch declared.
All of a sudden, a huge golden mech emerged and took the Zohar into its torso.
"It can't be! Proto Omega! It's been completed?" Jin exclaimed.
"No!" Yeshua shouted.
"Oh? You know of it. I'm impressed. It seems I may have underestimated you slightly. These past fourteen years have been of great help to us. As has the data from the Conflict. As a result, we now have a symbol of overwhelming power. With this, we will wipe the Gnosis from the cosmos and place the entire star cluster under the jurisdiction of Ormus. Of course, we hardly need anything this overwhelming now, thanks to the U.M.N. and the Federation," Patriarch said rather confidently.
Shion glanced up at him.
"You can't be serious!" I shouted.
"They've managed to reduce the people to a simple mass of spineless weaklings."
Jr. jumped in front of Shion and drew his gun.
"Shion, out of the way!"
Both Jr. and KOS-MOS opened fire at Proto Omega, only to be absorbed by the shield.
"Wasting your time!"
The giant mech released a wave of energy, sending everyone except for me and Yeshua back towards the wall.
"Now…let the festival begin!" Patriarch declared.
Proto Omega descended into the chasm below it. Almost immediately, the area started shaking and crumbling.
"This is bad. We gotta go!" Jr. shouted.
Five Minutes Later
The Elsa
Azaria:
The Elsa blasted off from it's landing spot and into the atmosphere. As we left the planet, a screen showed it slowly breaking apart in our wake. A tear gently dropped onto my cheek. I…couldn't believe that it was being destroyed. A golden wing burst forth from the planet, sending debris hurtling towards the Federation ships in the area. Wait…Federation ships? They must have undone the protection on the Transfer Columns.
The gold mech fully erupted from the planet moments later, sending a huge shockwave towards the Federation ships. Hundreds of ships exploded almost instantly. What…have we all done…
"Tony, get us all out of here," Captain Matthews ordered.
"No…Militia…" Shion whispered.
Gods…I didn't want this all to happen…
"They destroyed the entire planet? How the hell could they do that?" Jr. asked.
Shion shook her head and exited the bridge.
"He had this planned from the very beginning…" I said softly.
Jr. touched my shoulder gently.
"I know Militia was your name. I-It's a great loss for many people."
Another tear slipped down my cheek.
"I'm more concerned about chaos."
"I think he may be taking it harder than all of us. Listen, we're heading back to the Kukai Foundation. Please rest. You'll need it."
I nodded and walked out of the bridge. I immediately headed to Yeshua's private quarters. I knew he was in there…he wouldn't want anyone else to see him upset. I walked inside the room and saw him lying in the fetal position in the middle of the bed. His distress hung in the air…like a thick fog.
"Yeshua…"
"It's gone…our home is gone."
"I know…but it's in our hearts now."
How did that sound? That sounded heartless.
"I saw it coming, Azaria. I knew Ormus was building that thing! I-I can feel their lives being peeled away…"
"It's not your fault…"
"I hate death!" He shrieked.
I jumped.
"I know…"
"My name is Yeshua. My birth name is Yeshua! With my powers, I can make it so that people will never die! Do you hear me, Azaria? Do you hear me, guardian?"
I wanted nothing more than to slap Yeshua, but it wouldn't be right. Instead, I walked over to the bed and touched his arm gently.
"Just let it out, ok? I won't judge you."
I tried to embrace him as best as I could. I watched as his whole body shook with his grief. Right now…he wasn't the only one who shared grief for Militia.
Author's Note: There are officially two chapters left in this fanfic. I have poured my heart and soul into this story. HOWEVER, I feel like I am not getting enough support. My last chapter barely got reviews. BARELY. I feel like stopping altogether, but since I have two chapters left…I decided not to. Now, I would appreciate some more support…if it's not too much to do. After this story is done, I may do another fanfiction. It may have something to do with Yeshua and the Ormus Corporation. But I'm not sure yet. It all depends on the feedback I get for this chapter and the last two chapters in this story.
The next chapter deals with Azaria's role in the story. This chapter has revealed some things about her and Yeshua's past. It is, of course, filler. But it's action packed filler this time.