Gasp! Another update, so soon? By me? Believe it, and expect updates more often now, because I officially have a deadline: September 16. I need to have everything written and posted by the date, 'cause then I leave for college (Yeah! U of Chicago! I'll be a moron among geniuses...) and who knows how often I'll get to update after that.
Once again, I love my reviewers! You're all just so...loveable! And wonderful! KP-X actually said I have talent! The last person who ever said I had talent was my mother when I was two years old during potty training, "Oh my goodness, Christopher, you did a poopy in the toilet! You're so talented!" Yeah, that was probably too much info right there...I have to stop that.
Anyhow, I'm going to have a big thank-a-thon at the end of this story to thank all of my reviewers personally, because that's how much you all rock!
Without further ado...
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Borne Up on Angel Wings
Chapter Seven
—
"UNUS MUNDUS NETWORK EMERGENCY NEWSFLASH! Reporting live from the Dammerung, First R&D Division offices: After the shocking reappearance of the hyperspace column to Old Miltia and the discovery of the original Zohar nestled deep in the planet's submerged city, Ormus, a criminal organization under the alias Immigrant Fleet, has stolen the Zohar and used it as an energy source to run a super-weapon of overwhelming destructive power. In the horrifying aftermath of Ormus's theft, the entire Federation Fleet commissioned to guard Old Miltia was annihilated, and the entire planet crumbled into nothingness. These shocking developments have caused the Executive Committee to declare a State of Emergency throughout the entire star system.
"Following these terrifying events, the Dammerung, Vector Industries' main headquarters, was brutally attacked and infiltrated by Ormus. Our sources speculate Ormus was searching for Vector's new Anti-Gnosis weapon, KOS-MOS (Kos-mos Obey Strategic Multiple Operation Systems). The images you see here are the live footage of the damage wreaked upon the Dammerung only a few hours ago.
"Closely linked to this tragedy however, is the amazing life of Vector's new hero, Shion Uzuki, the re-instated Chief Engineer of the KOS-MOS Project General Operation System Research Center and newly appointed Director of Vector's First Research & Development Division. Five days ago, Ms. Uzuki and the crew she was traveling with aboard the freighter ship Elsa were convicted by the Federation for flying through restricted space, but documentation stored on the crew's E.S.'s hard-drive revealed their innocense and instead displayed the crew's startling encounter with Ormus's prime stronghold. Through clever and careful planning, the Elsa's crew managed to infiltrate the stronghold, and destroy it, thus allowing them to escape and seek shelter in the Kukai Foundation, from which Ms. Uzuki swiftly proceeded to the Dammerung.
"During an internal squabble behind the closed doors of Vector's corporate offices, Ms. Uzuki was fired from the company due to an Encephalon Dive that went unchecked with the Dammerung's Terminal Control. Reports now indicate that the information Vector's Chief Engineer discovered during her allegedly illegal Dive may have saved the lives of thousands of Vector employees. What she found during her Dive, unfortunately, has yet to be disclosed.
"Following her discharge from Vector, which was, as one colleague mentions it 'a terrible blow to Shion's self-esteem, seeing as that she dedicated her life to that company,' Ms. Uzuki lost no time in chasing Ormus to Old Miltia, and while not able to prevent the criminals from stealing the Zohar, she and her crew inflicted major damage on the organization's assault weapons.
"Now battle-weary, Ms. Uzuki had less than one hour to gather her wits before crossing paths with Ormus again—at the Dammerung, during the most vicious attack in the space colony's entire history. In a search-and-rescue mission that Vector employees are already calling 'epic,' Shion Uzuki fought her way through hordes of Ormus soldiers to rescue KOS-MOS and her distraught colleagues from bombings and assaults that rendered the Dammerung into the steaming pile of rubble you see here. It is widely accepted now that Ms. Uzuki's exploits were nothing short of miraculous. Despite Ormus's deadly attacks, no civilian deaths have been reported during the engagement.
"In the words of Vector Industries' President and CEO, 'Shion quite literally saved my company. No other employee of mine has ever risked or given so much for the well-being of her colleagues, to whom they owe her their life. I am confident that she will carry out her duties as Director of my First R&D Division to the best of her abilities, and her continuing work as Chief Engineer of the KOS-MOS Development Team is second to none. She is in every respect a hero, and I am delighted that the Federation has chosen to drop its charges...' "
"Oh God..." Shion slumped into her chair and covered her face in shame as what was easily the most unflattering picture ever taken of her flashed upon the Elsa's main U.M.N. Terminal. Her embarrassment was not eased by the piercing looks that all the male members on the Elsa threw at her.
"'The crew'?" Jr. scowled, "I get my ass almost blown apart on the Ormus Stronghold, I hold off an entire army of Ormus jerks in Labyrinthos while Shion takes her sweet time in getting there, I run around on the Dammerung like a maniac disabling its Security Systems, and the media doesn't even mention my name! I just get grouped into this ambiguous term, 'the crew.' It sounds like I'm part of this big gay group of sailors."
Shion ignored Jr.'s incessant complaints, more worried that people other that herself had seen the newsflash, and more importantly, her cross-eyed, open-mouthed picture.
"How many people do you think saw that?" Shion asked, her voice muffled by the hands that covered her voice.
"Considering the transmission was a U.M.N. Emergency Newsflash, the Federation will have propagated it throughout the entirety of the Unus Mundus, so the most accurate assumption is that everyone who has access to the U.M.N. will receive the newsflash within the next twenty-four hours. My estimate is that the inhabitants of over 500,000 planets will witness that transmission between today and tomorrow." KOS-MOS told her flatly.
"I can never show my face in public again..." Shion grumbled.
MOMO, as usual, saw everything through rose-colored glasses, "I think it's wonderful Shion! Why are you so upset? That entire newsflash was singing your praises, and besides," she lowered her voice to a confidential whisper, "don't you think chaos will have seen it?"
Shion's face blushed and blanched simultaneously, giving her the impression of a ghost with a nasty sunburn, "I hope not!–I–I mean, why would I care whether he does or doesn't see it? That's about the ugliest picture of me I've ever seen!—Tony would you stop laughing! Turn the terminal off already!" She stomped her foot angrily and attempted to sever the connection herself as Tony and her brother laughingly pointed out some of the more poignant details of the picture.
"Look here, her eyes are crossed!" Tony hollered, "It looks like she's retarded!"
"It is not funny to make fun of the mentally challenged." Shion scowled, covering the terminal's screen with her hands before Tony could point out the unsightly blemish on her chin.
"Crew! I almost die on Labyrinthos and there's no remote mention of me anywhere in that stupid newsflash!" Jr. continued, making an effort to evoke pity in anyone who was listening.
"You are wrong, Jr. There was mention of the Kukai Foundation, and it would be logical for people to associate you with that space colony." KOS-MOS offered helpfully.
"Oh, stick a sock in it, KOS-MOS! You're just all happy that billions and billions of people just heard your name over the Unus Mundus. Your full name at that!–the Kosmos Obey Multiple Sexy Orgasm System or whatever the heck it is!"
KOS-MOS eyed him for a fairly long time, "I am sorry, but my emotion module has not been calibrated to deal with illogical human jealousy."
A short pause ensued, followed by an explosion of laughter and a very disgruntled Jr.
"Well, you people are all hilarious," Captain Mathews said coldly as he made his way back to the bridge, "Hey Tony! We're less than an AU away from Second Milita. Is the Elsa going to land itself? Or are you going to get your lazy ass in the pilot's seat and do what I pay you to do?"
Tony reluctantly trudged back to the bridge, followed by the other crew members who were knocked out of their reverie by the Captain's barking.
Jr. lingered behind, "We'll be on Second Miltia before you know it," he told Shion, winking at her, "Are you ready?"
"Of course I'm ready, and what are you implying?" She folded her arms.
He laughed, "Ok, play dumb, I suppose it suits you. A hundred bucks says you'll be kissing chaos within five minutes of your arrival."
"You know, I would usually ignore a typical, stupid comment like that, especially coming from you, but since the chances of that happening are non-existent, it's a deal." She shook his hand, "and remember, he ripped my heart in two. Regardless of what you think, I doubt he's eager to see me, or I him for that matter. I'm only meeting up with him now because you want me to."
"Oh God, help, help! I'm drowning in a load of bullshit!" He laughed, "it's good that Wilhelm gave you a raise, because you'll be forking over cash soon. But maybe you really aren't all that excited about seeing him; I mean, we'll be landing in ten minutes and you haven't even–"
"What!" She bolted frantically for her cabin, "Ten minutes? I haven't even combed my hair yet! I still need to–"
"Heh, heh, not eager to see him are you?" Jr. smirked.
"I–he–it's just...oh, go screw yourself, Jr.!"
She hurried for the bathroom and the sounds of Jr.'s laughter slowly faded away.
—
"The Star-ship cruiser Elsa has just disembarked in Port 7. Welcome to Second Miltia. All passengers please prepare for customs and checking."
chaos smiled and got up from his seat in the Miltian Spaceport's waiting area. He made his way to Port 7, and patiently awaited Shion's arrival. The warmth in his heart seemed to be spreading throughout his entire body. So Wilhelm had made his moves on her? Well, we'll see...
—
"Why am I so freaking nervous?" Shion grumbled to herself as she made her way down the Spaceport's Arrivals Terminal. In her frantic haste to make herself look presentable, which, despite her efforts, hadn't turned out exactly the way she had hoped, (hair streaked across her forehead in untidy spikes, her heavy bag bounced unceremoniously against her rear as she managed to hook it around her elbow...And her clothes, well, she had thrown on anything that didn't qualify as her Vector uniform. Coincidentally, she wore the same red tank-top, black jacket, and same pants she had worn when chaos told her she "looked great" a few days ago. She thought nothing of it, but it was probably her subconscious screaming to tell her something), she hadn't realized how awkward this meeting would be. Butterflies were tearing away at her stomach, and what bothered her most was the fact that she shouldn't be nervous. He should be the one wetting his pants right now!
She grabbed her back, hoisted it further up her shoulder, and walked purposefully out into the Spaceport's Arrivals. Whatever her nervousness was, she wasn't going to give chaos the satisfaction of knowing that she'd been suffering since he left. Which was silly in itself, she thought, they'd only been apart for less then twenty-four hours. But she knew the truth, their temporary separation had been total and complete, compounded by Shion's trials on Old Miltia, and it tore across all physical and emotional bonds between them, inflicting more damage than an entire lifetime apart could have done.
He didn't have to know that though. Shion grinned and suddenly felt a strange sense of power swell up inside her. She was exhausted, but felt refreshed and confident at the same time. The ball was in her field now; she was up from her down. The nervousness turned into adrenaline, and she would show the world (chaos) how strong she really was.
—
chaos's eyes scanned the flow of people that was quickly filing out of Port 7, and he spotted her. It was impossible to miss her, she emerged among the other passengers like a flame. She was stunning, strutting confidently down the port's jet-way like a supermodel. He sensed within her a powerful energy, a force that drew him to her like a magnet. Although she appeared battle-weary and disheveled, to him she still managed to look beautiful all the same. He waved at her, and gazed tenderly in her dierection as she approached him.
—
Crap. He wasn't nervous at all. Shion had expected this moment to be incredibly awkward, but it was impossible to feel awkward around chaos. He exuded an aura of calm and peacefulness, and she found (to her dismay) that her apprehension melted away immediately once her eyes met his. Her speedy, confident strut came to a halt, and she walked up to him almost bashfully, hating herself for turning to jell-o at his gaze. Five meters, two meters, a few feet, she closed the distance between them until she was close enough to touch him, and as she began speaking, she fought against the thoughts that were really going through her head.
"Hi," she whispered. God I've missed you.
"Hey, Shion." He smiled warmly at her. She gripped her bag in an attempt to keep from falling over, "I noticed you on the news today. It seems like you've accomplished a lot."
"Yeah, well...We've made some discoveries." I wished you were there with me.
"I'm sorry I didn't make it to Old Miltia, but, I doubt I could have prevented anything. Has Ormus really stolen the original Zohar?"
She nodded nervously, avoiding his gaze. Why wasn't he feeling all weird now? Not that she minded, but... "So, how about you?" President Wilhelm asked me out to dinner! He kissed my hand! Does that mean nothing to you?
chaos gazed at her in a way that seemed to plunge into her very soul, "I've made some decisions."
"Oh?" She breathed, unsure of what to make of his statement. At that moment, her bag slipped and she shifted her posture so that it wouldn't fall to the floor. She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and shook her bangs out of her eyes.
He couldn't take it anymore. Her movements were so sweet, so innocent, timid even, but at the same time intriguing and unbelievably sexy. Shion met his gaze again and came up short of breath. His eyes were passionate, almost feral. Emerald flames danced in his irises. A scarlet blush streaked across her cheeks; his gaze was so intense...
"Look, chaos, I–ah!" She felt warmth envelope her and found herself being pulled into a heart-melting kiss. Her heart soared. She was floating...floating in a heavenly cloud. Her fears (and rational thought) dissolved at the lightest touch of his lips brushing against her own. She craved his touch, reveled in the feeling of his hands running down her sides, stroking her back, caressing her cheeks...His hot, soft tongue licked sensually against her lips and her knees buckled...
"Hey!" She yelled, and, fighting against every urge that surged through her body, she shoved him away, while secretly aching for his warmth, "you've got a lot of nerve, chaos!"
He smiled apologetically, and she ignored the fluttering in her heart.
"First you make me drool over you like an idiot on the Elsa!" She scowled, "Having me run circles around you like some love-sick teenager! Then you refuse to open up to me, breaking my heart and blasting my self-esteem into nothingness! And now you're–you're kissing me in the Miltian Spaceport!–"
"Yeshua."
She stopped ranting and stared, a confused expression on her face, "huh?"
"My name is Yeshua."
"Wh–wha...oh." She breathed.
"At first I thought I could protect you by keeping you in the dark, but I know that's not true now. I've made my own decisions, without regrets. My destiny is what it is, but my life is what I make of it—right here, right now, regardless of fate. There's too much I risk losing if I don't...Well, let's just say that despite my best efforts, we're all involved now, and..." He placed his hand on her cheek, "You have the right to know anything you want." He smiled tenderly, "no more secrets."
Shion reeled back in shock, sheer joy surging across her face. Was she hallucinating? Had he just offered to open up to her? She tried in vain to analyze the implications of chaos's refusal to be secretive and mysterious from now on, but she got lost in his gaze. She shook excitedly, searching his eyes for...anything! But found to her surprise that they didn't pacify her this time, they energized her.
"So...you..." She paused, hands frozen in the air in mid-gesture, perplexed, afraid to accept what was really going on in case it wasn't true. He had to hold himself back, she looked adorable.
"No," she said finally, grinning. The final wall came crashing down. She was sure of it, feelings this strong were never wrong. "You just told me everything I needed to know."
chaos beamed her a smile that lit up the spaceport, but she didn't give him a chance to respond. She flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into an intense, searing kiss.
"Damn it." She moaned lightly against his lips a few long seconds later.
"What?" He chuckled, coming up for air.
"I owe Jr. a hundred dollars..."
—
"You gotta be kidding me!"
Captain Mathews was not happy. He, Jr., KOS-MOS, MOMO, and Jin stood in the basement of a fast crumbling shop whose infrastructure was made of plastic. This gave the impression that the building was about to cave in and collapse at any minute on the unsuspecting customers below. The shop was part of an old, run-down space colony whose only purpose in the cosmos was providing fuel for passing ships—who, incidentally, wanted to leave the colony as soon as they arrived, making it a profitable refueling spot. No one in their right minds would ever stop at the colony for more than an hour, the time it usually took to refuel. No one, that is, but the Captain, who had been forced by his Little Master to purchase Ether-steel metal, a material only sold on the old colony. The salesman of the shop–a fat, greasy ball of lard–was so excited when he saw actual customers walk cautiously into his basement for the first time in three years that he actually forgot what his job entailed for the first ten minutes of their arrival. When he realized that they were indeed interested in buying something, he began jumping around excitedly. So much did his overweight body pound against the floor that Jin wondered if it the shop may need its floor-boards reenforced afterwards.
"You must be joking!" The Captain continued, still not happy. The greasy salesman had offered to sell three cargo-boxes of Ether-steel metal for the "low price" of 500,000 dollars. This did not sit well with the Captain. Or Jin. Or MOMO. Or Jr. Or even KOS-MOS, but the Captain was the only one who was vocal about it.
"I am so sorry sir." The sales man said, rubbing his hands together, "but that is the lowest price I can offer you. Either 500,000 dollars or no deal. You know, the penalty for selling you something either greatly over-priced or under-priced is so severe these days that the Federation could shut down this entire colony for good if I were to scam you like that!"
"Really?" The Captain snorted, "then pack your bags, because 500,000 dollars is outrageous!"
The salesman huffed, more like wheezed actually, his corpulent body didn't allow him much energy for anything more forceful than a sigh, "You mean to tell me, that I have over-priced my products!"
"Affirmative." All heads turned, surprised. KOS-MOS was monitoring the supply of the Ether-steel metal, "taking into account the poor condition of this metal and the actual, physical value of one Federation dollar, my sensors responsible for metallic analyzation and my economic value processor would not place these three cargo-boxes of Ether-steel metal above the price of 200 dollars. Simple mathematics and the economic of theory supply and demand validate this observation."
The salesman's eyes darted about nervously and glared at KOS-MOS. Mathews looked as if he were about to kiss her.
"I will understand," continued KOS-MOS, "if you do not wish to value your products fairly and adjust your prices accordingly. Keep in mind, we came here to buy these metals in goodwill. I could have just as easily destroyed your store and stolen the metal myself. If you prefer not to reconsider your offer, I'm sure the Federation will be delighted to shut down a dishonest business like yours–"
"Alright, alright, please!" The salesman's lip quivered, terrified," Don't tell the feds, I'll-I'll make you a fair deal, I promise! 150 dollars for all three boxes, I'll throw in another box free if you need it, just please don't shut my business down!"
"Quit your blubbering." the Captain silenced the crying fat man, "it's a deal. Jin make yourself useful, help Jr. haul those cargo-boxes into the Elsa. And KOS-MOS, I think I'm in love with you!"
KOS-MOS blinked at the Captain. For the first time since her activation, her emotion module failed to provide her with an adequate response.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the crumbling space colony:
"I'll pay 450 for that celluloid High-Frequency A.I. chip." Tony declared, bargaining with an attractive young girl whose job was to sell various robot and computer parts.
"I'm–I'm sorry sir, but the price is 700 dollars. What are you trying to do?" The salesgirl asked, blushing slightly as she was taken aback by the suave, good-looking pilot who had entered her shop along with his nerdy friend.
"I'm bargaining with you!" Tony grinned, pointing at the A.I. chip emphatically, as if to make a point.
"Um, well, I don't do that!" The salesgirl said, flustered. She pointed at Hammer, "he didn't bargain with me!"
Tony turned to look at Hammer, who had apparently paid full-price for what appeared to be an extremely expensive aggressive neural processor, "Well, he didn't shower for the last three days either, so don't go comparing him with me." Tony flashed her a toothy grin and ran a hand through his locks, taking the opportunity to flex his well developed biceps.
"Hey!" Hammer protested, "I paid good money for this ANP!"
Tony shot him a dirty look, "Ok, first of all, only geeks abbreviate their robot parts. Second of all," he lowered his voice, "I'm trying to save us some cash here so the Captain doesn't ream us a new pair of assholes! Could you leave, please!"
Hammer understood and left the store, searching for a shop that might sell Erde sinews.
"So," Tony said, turning back to the salesgirl, "how about we make a deal? You sell me that A.I. chip for 450 dollars, and I'll treat you to a nice dinner in a suit in that nice—er, kind of nice—hotel up there...catch my drift?"
The girl caught it, and she couldn't help but feel excited. She pondered the proposition for a moment. She lived in a drab, old, falling-apart space colony where she had to deal with the same ugly people every single day of her boring life, and here she was, in the prime of her...womanly graces. She finally found herself a good-looking, muscular pretty-boy. The chances of finding another one in this place were close to zero.
"Ok, I am hungry..." she licked her lips happily and sold Tony the A.I. chip for the newly established price. "Meet me up at the hotel in five minutes."
Tony started panting excitedly, "you know, I'm also interested in getting that combat chip for a more affordable price. Do you think that would be possible?"
"Well," the girl smiled, suddenly finding her dingy shop hot, and was forced to unbutton the first three buttons of her blouse, "that depends on how well our dessert goes."
—
"A convertible? I didn't think you were the kind of person to place aesthetics over practicality, chaos!" Shion screamed above the roar of the wind. She and chaos sat in a topless car, zooming away from the spaceport and towards downtown Second Miltia. The towering government buildings soared high above them to their right.
"I'm not," he yelled, switching into high-gear and gunning the car into the fast line, "this was the cheapest thing I could find on such short notice. Jr. called me last night and expected me to be ready to pick you up with a car in twelve hours. I suppose this one is neat and flashy and sucks more gas than a luxury space cruiser, but I wonder what one is supposed to do when it rains?"
She laughed. Her hair whipped wildly around her head in the wind as they sped down the freeway. She had trouble understanding chaos sometimes. The way he gave her the cold treatment, and then was suddenly warm and friendly again. Hot, cold, hot, cold...one thing was for certain though, she could barely think straight whenever he was hot.
"So what's the situation with Ormus and their new superweapon?" chaos asked, finding it difficult to speak above the car's rumbling engines.
'Sure,' she thought, 'pretend to be all serious now with that we-have-to-save-the-universe attitude of yours. I know the truth: You missed me, you adorable little angel-boy. Could hardly keep your hands off of me within seconds of my arrival. That's exactly the kind of behavior which is going to have me panting at your feet very quickly..." She stared at his currently wind-battered face, silver locks flying all over the place...
"Well?" He shouted, thinking she hadn't heard his question above the wind and the engines.
"Huh? Oh..." Smooth, Shion, have him catch you drooling on his lap, "Uh...one of the cardinals of the Immigrant Fleet, Patriarch, stole the Zohar and used it to power Proto Omega–some gigantic sort of combat mech that uses a U.M.N. Phase Transfer Cannon!" She screamed, "Patriarch claims Ormus has been granted the right by God to use the Zohar, and with it they'll exterminate the Gnosis, rid the world of spineless humans, and open the path to Lost Jerusalem. I think KOS-MOS has something to do with that. And they hope to kill an Aeon in order to gain control of the Unus Mundus, but I don't know all the details." Her voice started to hurt from all her yelling, and she failed to notice the shiver that crept up chaos's spine.
"So why are we on Second Miltia with orders from Jr. to get to the city as quickly as possible?" He asked.
"Because," she explained, leaning closer to his ear so that she wouldn't have to scream, "there's a senile old man on the Elsa who claims he can build an Erde robot. He's a professor from the Robot Academy which recently rebuilt his headquarters on the Elsa."
"I bet the Captain is thrilled about that." chaos chuckled.
"You could imagine. Anyway, apparently this Erde robot will be incredibly powerful, enough to take down or at least help us defeat Patriarch and Proto Omega. The catch is that you can only summon the robot as an Ether spell, and other Ether skills are required before you can summon the Erde. We can only learn those skills inside a Forbidden Encephalon Dive, which is located in downtown Second Miltia. One of the Professor's colleagues is in charge of the Dive. That's why we're here, screaming at each other like lunatics because you're driving 40 miles above the speed limit and I can't hear anything!"
"Well, I'm going to be deaf by the time we reach our destination because you've been screaming in my ear for the past two minutes!" He hollered, laughing, "By the way, could you stop flirting and breathing down my neck? I'm trying to drive here, less distractions would be appreciated."
"I'll give you distractions..." She grinned mischievously and squeezed his thigh.
—
"'Second Miltia Ballet Academy'?" Shion stared at the smooth, steel building in front of her, slightly doubting that the Professor had given her the right address. She had arrived at what apparently was their destination.
"No, I don't think that's it either. Look over there." chaos said, pointing to a door to the Ballet Academy's left. Shion shrugged and tried her luck with the door chaos indicated. The interior did indeed look like a lab.
"Excuse me," Shion asked a technician in a white lab coat, "I'm looking for a woman named Janet."
The technician turned to face Shion, "I'm Janet. How can I help you?"
"We're friends of the Professor from the Robot Academy. We were wondering if you would allow us to use your Forbidden Encephalon Dive device. I'm afraid the matter is urgent and extremely important."
The technician eyed Shion and chaos somewhat sympathetically, "the Professor, huh? So he's managed to ensnare other youths to do his dirty work for him. I don't think so, Miss. It's called the Forbidden Encephalon Dive for a reason—wait a minute." She stared intently at Shion for a moment, "you aren't by any chance Shion Uzuki are you? That Director from Vector?"
Shion blushed, suddenly remembering that hers had become a household name, "Yes. I am Shion Uzuki. Chief Engineer of the KOS-MOS Development Team and Director of Vector's First—well, you saw the newsflash. No need to repeat myself."
"I thought it was you." Janet said, still staring at Shion, "it's just that...That picture they showed of you on the U.M.N..."
"Yes, yes, I know. I'm not very photogenic. Either way, this forbidden Dive, it regards Ormus. What we find in there may be able to help us stop their superweapon! You have to let us Dive."
Janet considered this, "Is it true that you single-handedly disabled ten A.M.W.S. Units?"
"Uh...yeah, yes it is." How the heck did Janet manage to get that information?
chaos seemed surprised, "Wait a minute, when did that happen?"
Shion spun around, frustrated, "Huh? Oh, long story, I'll tell you later. Look, Janet!" She whipped around again, taking hold of the technician's shoulders, but chaos beat her to the punch:
"Whether the Dive is dangerous or not is not a priority now. If we don't find what we're searching for soon, Ormus may inflict a great deal of damage on the Star Cluster. You may be able to help us stop one of the Federation's most dangerous enemies. If it is our safety you are worried about, you should now that we are experienced fighters, and if anything happens we certainly won't hold you accountable."
Janet eyed chaos for a while, "no, it's not that. It's just...this Forbidden Encephalon Dive device isn't like other dives. You see that panel down there?" She pointed downstairs on the lab's lower floor to a glowing green insignia on the floor, "that's the Dive device. Once you step on it, you'll be physically projected into cyberspace completely, and you won't be able to come out unless you find that insignia again once you're in cyberspace."
Shion pondered this for a moment. Did they have a choice? There were bigger things at stake, "Well, then there won't be any risk of the Dive being intercepted, will there?"
Janet's brow furrowed, puzzled by the question, "No, the Dive is a closed circuit, but...if you get hurt or trapped inside, there's no way for you to get out. No one will be monitoring the Dive. The two of you will be on your own."
Shion smiled, "I couldn't be safer then." She stole a glance at chaos, who blushed in spite of himself, "look, Janet, you have no idea of what's about to happen. We need the Ether skills contained in that Dive! Believe it or not, the universe depends upon it!"
"Well, you certainly do seem fit for the Dive, and if the Professor did recommend you...alright. But I must warn you, once you're in–you're in! I won't be able to pull you out. I won't even be able to reach you, since the Dive becomes inaccessible once the first Divers access the Encephalon."
"We understand." chaos told her, "don't worry about us."
"Alright." She led them downstairs and deactivated the security system which kept the Dive device off limits, "but make sure you both make it back in one piece. I would never be able to live with my conscience if something bad happened in my lab on my account.
They thanked her and proceeded to the glowing green insignia. Shion eyed it nervously and grabbed chaos's hand.
"You scared?" He asked, genuinely concerned.
She looked into his eyes, then to her hand in his, "nope."
They stepped onto the Forbidden Encephalon Dive device together, and disappeared into cyberspace.
—
She staggered a bit, blinked, and found her bearings. She had been completely projected into cyberspace, both her psyche and her physical body. She felt chaos materialize beside her. Taking a shaky step to make sure the Dive had been successful, she glanced up and observed her surroundings.
"Oh my gosh," she gasped, "What is this place? It's...beautiful."
She stood on a long, marble platform that was part of what appeared to be a floating castle in the sky. Stone and marble structures towered above her, and in the near distance she spotted a long, cylindrical tower that swept up into the heavens. Just stone and marble, no steel, the structure looked ancient and bore with it an air of majesty. The place was unlike anything Shion had ever seen before. Clouds floated above her, beneath her; the wind played with her hair and whipped at her clothes. She was in awe.
chaos also seemed surprised, but for a different reason. How had a place like this become part of the Encephalon?
"Heaven's Ruins." He whispered somberly, as if saying the name too loud or disrespectfully would shatter the Dive.
Shion turned to him curiously, "You know this place?" Heer eyes scanned the long, elegant platform that stretched out towards the castle. Luminescent crystals dotted the marble passageway like sentinels.
"Yes." He breathed, "you could say I'm from here."
She gazed at him again. Heaven's Ruins. chaos had angel wings. It made some sense. She also knew that Yeshua had something to do with the divine, but she had pushed it to the back of her head for now. She knew that with the mysterious chaos one could never probe too deeply. He still hadn't given her a satisfactory answer for the time he made the Gnosis disintegrate just by touching it, on the day they first met...
"It's a travesty though." He sighed, gazing longingly at the ruins, "this place is crawling with Gnosis now. I can feel it. Janet wasn't kidding when she said this Dive was dangerous." His gaze hardened as he felt the ruthless power of the Gnosis that lurked inside the ruins' interior. He pulled her towards him protectively, "Stay close."
She was surprised by his sudden display of concern but not altogether displeased, "Hey, chaos, it's ok. I can hold my own you know–I mean, billions of people know that." Yeah, I kicked ass left and right on Old Miltia and the Dammerung. I'm still sore.
"Oh, right." He blushed and released her arm, "it's just...I saw you in the Dive Terminal on the Dammerung, when that Gnosis...all that blood and gore...You didn't look good." His words trailed off abruptly.
She understood, "You don't have to worry. You're here with me now, chaos."
He tried to conceal another blush. He looked so cute!
"Oh, that's alright isn't it?" She asked, "If I keep calling you chaos? I guess old habits die hard, but–"
"No, it's fine. I'm not really fond of my other name." He smiled.
She thought she knew why, but she pushed the reason to the back of her head again. Something inside of her refused to think about it.
"Well, time is short." She stated. They took off down the platform, and entered the castle's dark interior.
The Gnosis were indeed powerful, strange, and fought in ways that Shion had never seen before. They seemed frightfully intelligent, and more intent on strategically disabling their opponents rather than killing ruthlessly like their other, weaker brothers. One such Gnosis, the Deion, was all about the speed, swooping around her and chaos like a ghost and tackling them with bone-breaking force. chaos seemed terrified for her safety, but she felt strangely calm.
"It weak against Aura Ether." She stated, analyzing the Gnosis on her M.W.S. She ducked from Deion's tackle.
"Boost your Ether, chaos! If I can get behind it we can attack it on both sides!"
The Gnosis whipped around and sped towards her again. chaos started for her, but she dove for the floor, evading Deion's attack, and rolled to the other side of the stone precipice on which they fought. Deion reeled and stumbled from its own momentum.
"Open Ether circuit..."
"Grant me a fragment of thy power..."
"Aura Blast!" Their voices resounded around the castle as one.
Silvery missiles shot out of Shion's and chaos's hands and crossed paths with the Gnosis. Deion spun about, shrieked, and exploded. Shion teetered from the blast and almost fell off the precipice.
"Ah! Oh, whew. Uh, s–so predictable. No problem!" She regained her balance and grabbed chaos for support.
To her dismay, the interior of Heaven's Ruins didn't seem as balanced and straight-forward as she thought. For a start, the castle didn't have a floor, more like winding stone bridges that closed gaps between one wall and another, forming precipices around the structure's center. One wrong step and she'd fall off the stone bridge and plummet down towards...What? Infinity? Only sky was visible below her. If the precarious stone bridges weren't enough to irk her, the lack of order in the ruins would. Her problem was compounded by the fact that she had no idea which of the stone pathways to take. She could see just from where she stood that many of them led to dead ends.
"Whoa, you ok?" chaos asked, hoisting her away from the edge of the precipice.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, fine. I was just thinking...Where do we go from here?"
He smiled, "That should be the least of your worries. I know my way around. Just follow me, I'll lead. Stay close though, it's a long drop down."
She looked down (bad idea) and gulped. Fluffy white clouds billowed beneath her. She instinctively grabbed his hand, and he led her down one of the castle's twisting, floating passageways outside to an open, platform on the castle's west. No walls, no ceiling, just a floating platform in the middle of the sky, connected to the castle by a stone bridge.
"This should be the first place." He whispered, crouching behind a stone block, "but I doubt we'll get that Ether skill without a fight."
She peeked over the block's edge. A nasty looking Golem lumbered about on the floating stone platform. She didn't like Golems much. In her list of Most Hated Gnosis, this one ranked definitely up in the top five.
"It looks strong." She whimpered, squeezing his hand.
"Oh, it is." He eyed the Golem coldly, "we can't afford to be careless. If you know any ice Ether use it, because that element appears to be its weakness."
She stole a glance at the Gnosis again, "How can you tell?"
"Well, it's red, which probably means it's fire-based, and ice–well, water more specifically–is fire's natural weakness."
She couldn't help but smile. Sometimes the correct answer was the simplest one. She searched her brain for all the ice Ether skills she knew, but came up short because the Golem had somehow sensed their presence and its boulder-like fist came crashing down on the stone block they were hiding behind, inconveniently interrupting Shion's thoughts.
Her only line of defense now shattered, Shion tried her best not to panic, "Split up!" She screamed, as the Golem lunged for them. She took off past the monster's left, chaos to its right. They bolted down the stone bridge onto the floating platform the Gnosis had been standing on. It was the only option they had available in terms of direction, but now they were trapped.
"Fire!" She yelled, more out of fear then out of necessity to inform chaos that they should attack something that was intent on splattering their guts against the castle's ramparts. She inundated the Gnosis with electrical charges from her M.W.S. as chaos pummeled it with glowing, silvery fists. The Golem seemed unfazed, and continued to chase after them, swinging its heavy arms wildly. chaos ducked from a skull-crushing blow, Golem's fist grazing his face, and he hurried back towards Shion. She grabbed him and pulled him back to the other side of the platform, as far away as possible from the fast approaching monster.
"It appears Aura attacks don't affect this Golem like other Gnosis." chaos muttered angrily, feeling a deep, bloody laceration on his cheek.
"Yeah, thunder is out of the question too." She frowned, nursing his wound back to health with a hastily cast Medica Ether.
The monster lunged for them, they stepped back. One more step and they'd fall off the platform into oblivion. It was because of this dire situation that Shion was especially happy when a particularly good idea struck her, "chaos, do you know how to re-configure your elemental attacks?" She asked, yanking him around the perimeter of the platform in an effort to buy themselves some time.
"Yes." He looked at her hopefully, catching on to what she was saying, "let's synchronize our Ether. Grant my a fragment of they power..."
"Open Ether circuit..."
"Ice Sword!"
Shion felt a slight shiver as icy energy surged from her arm into her M.W.S. She noticed the same thing happened to chaos. Without thinking twice, they both turned to the Golem and unleashed a barrage of frosty missiles, battering the Gnosis with chilling attacks. The monster staggered and fell, writhing in agony.
"chaos! I think it's working!" She yelled happily but no longer felt his presence beside her. She looked up and found him floating above the platform, wings extended, charging a thick ball of energy in the palms of his hands.
"Arctic Blast!"
Shion ducked instinctively. A snowballing boulder of ice sailed over her head and crashed into the Golem, exploding in a million shards of frosty snowflakes. Shion staggered to the floor, she felt her vision shatter around her just like the ice as her world shook and crumbled in a cold rage. Everything went black.
—
She fell, plummeting down through an endless sky. White, wispy clouds flashed before her eyes, but she didn't feel gravity's pull. She didn't feel the roar of the wind, nor the sense of vertigo.
"Shion."
She craned her neck and saw Nephilim falling beside her.
"Nephilim? What's going on–"
"Stop Testament!" The young girl was angry, enraged even.
"What? Nephilim what are you–"
"Stop Testament!" She repeated, "What used to be a holy and noble cause is in reality a sick perversion of the truth and will end in a gruesome murder."
"Wha...?"
—
Bang. Her eyes snapped open as her head hit the hard stone platform.
"Shion!" chaos swooped down to her side and cradled her head, "Are you alright? You passed out."
She blinked, wincing in pain but at the same time reveling in his sweet touch, "Uh, yeah. I had another vision. No! Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." He helped her up to her feet but she staggered.
"What's wrong?" He asked, supporting her.
"Energy." She gasped.
"What?"
"The Ether skill..." She felt Ether energy surge through her, unlocking powers hidden within her and stretching the limits of her Ether capabilities, preparing her for the Erde Kaizer. "I learned it. Erde Storm. The first skill I need to summon the robot." She inhaled a deep breath and flexed her tired muscles, feeling the newly infused energy within her. She knew that the amount of Ether energy her body was capable of sustaining had just flown of the charts.
chaos nodded, glad she wasn't hurt, "Ok, if you're feeling well then we should continue. If my memory serves me correctly, there is another platform just like this one on the eastern end of the ruins. I wouldn't be surprised if we had to battle another Gnosis there."
He wasn't wrong. Another Golem lay waiting for them at the castle's eastern platform. Thunder-based, so Shion's attacks were useless. Naturally, it was a little stronger than the first Golem, a little faster, a little meaner, a bigger pain to defeat. Within five minutes chaos lay sprawled on the platform, unconscious, and Shion stood over him guarding his body, deflecting attacks from the Golem with the hope of protecting chaos's body from being mangled. The Thunder Veil they had cast together was beginning to fade, and Shion feared that the electrical surges thundering out of the Golem's fists would soon shatter her shield, and collide with her vulnerable frame. She realized in that moment how strong she and chaos were when they fought together. When they synchronized their Ether and attacked simultaneously, they were unbeatable. Alone, well...Shion had some trouble.
This is why she was incredibly happy (since chaos lay unconscious at her feet and had wound up that way because he had shielded her from the Gnosis's attacks) when another brilliant idea struck her. In her panic to defeat the Golem, she had forgotten what she just learned:
"Erde Storm!"
The Ether drain was significant, but with good reason. The sky ripped open above her, and powerful vortexes tore across the platform, falling from the sky, and ripped the shrieking Golem to shreds.
Staggering to regain her energy, she knelt over chaos and cast the most powerful healing Ether spell she knew, "Come on." She groaned, "Wake up." Her last image was that of chaos stirring and his eyes fluttering open before she passed out again.
—
She fell yet again. Nephilim was starting to become predictable. Something was different this time though. Shion was falling through darkness, and something about this vision made her blood run cold. The voice that spoke to her was not Nephilim's and all that Shion could see were dark, red, ruthless eyes.
"While His sacrifice will be painful to some, it will save all. He was born for that purpose. You must not let your emotions get in the way of destiny..."
The darkness gave way to something much more horrifying. The incident two years ago, Kevin lay dying in her lap, bloody and disturbing. But when she saw his eyes...emerald irises. She screamed, tried to force the macabre image from her mind, tried to drown out the voice in her head:
"The Savior will save, only if He dies."
—
Screaming and shaking, she bolted to a sitting position and wrapped her arms around a very concerned chaos. He held her tightly, and waited for her to calm down.
"Another vision?" He asked.
She nodded, still too frightened to speak. She thought she knew what the vision meant. She didn't want to know. She ignored it.
"From Nephilim?" He whispered.
"No." She breathed against his neck. She waited a while, "Erde Quake."
"Hm?"
"Erde Quake, that's the new Ether Skill I just learned. I–I don't know how I know this, but the Encephalon's insignia, it's on the top of the tower. We have to reach it if we want to leave this place." She stood up, determined.
"Judging by what's been happening," he told her, "our journey to the top of the tower may be painful for you. There's no telling how many more visions you'll receive. Are you sure you want to continue?"
She nodded, "Do I have a choice? I can't back out now! We need the last Ether skill! I'll do whatever it takes..."
chaos smiled, amazed. That was the kind of inner strength that had gotten her this far, and he loved her for it. "Alright. Let's go." He took her hand and led her back to the ruins' interior.
She noticed the iron gated archway that led to the base of the tower was open now. The defeat of the two Golems must have triggered some sort of ancient switch, as if the ruins deemed them worthy of entering its sacred tower.
The sheer magnitude of Heaven's Ruins jumped out at her as she and chaos ascended the spiral staircase that run alongside the walls of the tower. Everything about this place was majestic and mysterious, and as she stared at the ancient runes and carvings on the tower's inner wall, its aura of mystery forced out of her a string a questions that collapsed on themselves like dominos: What does chaos mean when he says he's from here? Is he really an angel? Who is the Aeon that Ormus is so intent on sacrificing? What or who is Testament? Why is Kevin recurring in my nightmares again? When would KOS-MOS wake up? And what would happen when she did?
Up and up they kept on climbing, and Shion felt as if her mission and all her answers would climax at the summit and finally enlighten her. She never felt such a strong sense of urgency. Pity on the Gnosis who stood in her way now. Nothing would stop her from reaching the summit.
chaos was in awe of her. She was wasting some of the most powerful Gnosis they had ever encountered. He knew that her power had been undoubtedly bolstered by her newly acquired Erde skills, but it was something more than that. She fought with a purpose now, she fought because of a vow she made to herself to discover all the answers.
They emerged into sunlight. Now the staircase winded upwards on the outside of the tower. If either of them slipped, they'd fall for hundreds of feet and crash into the marble platform below them. If they were lucky enough to miss the hard, marble floor, they'd continue to fall for eternity. This disquieting thought was especially disturbing when an Armaros materialized before them in a frightening burst of the stuff that nightmares are made of. Armaros—the same Gnosis that had turned Shion into a bloody, gory mess in the Dammerung's Dive Terminal. She didn't flinch though, much to chaos's surprise, and to her own as well. She cast an Aura Sword on herself and charged the monster in a full, frontal attack, not allowing the Gnosis to even aim an attack at chaos. She fought savagely, shielding herself from its venomous attacks and nailing it with every special skill she knew, first a Lightning Blaster, then a Thermal Blast, then a Gravity Well. Armaros shook and sizzled furiously, and unleashed a sinister, searing wave of hellfire. Shion retaliated with her Erde Quake. Their attacks met and ricocheted off each other, resulting in a massive explosion. Armaros hit the wall of the tower, impaling itself on a spear-like sculpture, and disintegrated. Shion flew out in the opposite direction and hurtled like a rock towards oblivion.
"Waaahhh!" Her voice peeled around the tower as she tumbled through the air, finding it impossible not to panic. She had the wind knocked out of her, however, when her back landed on something soft and she felt two arms grip her waist in a strong embrace.
"Heh, heh, I caught a Shion!"
She opened one eye and looked down to find two gloved hands holding her firmly but tenderly across her stomach. She tilted her head upwards and, lo and behold, the emerald eyes she had grown so accustomed to smiled down at her. chaos had indeed caught her, and now they floated lazily in the air, held aloft by his feathery wings.
No matter how many times he touched her, she still blushed, "Yeah, you did." She grinned, "thank you, angel-boy. It's funny how often you've saved my life in the past five days. What would I do without you, or your wings?"
He laughed, "I usually don't like to abuse my powers, but I think our current situation qualifies as an emergency."
For some reason she knew why he disliked showing his wings so often, but again, she refused to address the thought.
"So," he continued, rocking her gently in the wind, "you tired of climbing stairs and fighting blood-thirsty Gnosis?"
She shrugged and avoided his gaze. His eyes were becoming very intense again, and she feared she'd lose herself in them if she continued to stare at him, "Well, I could continue if I absolutely have to, but it would be nice if the blood-thirsty Gnosis part could be avoided." She pouted at him longingly.
"Ok, hang on then. We're flying to the tower's summit."
She snaked her arms behind him and locked her fingers, "Yay! Just don't drop me and–ah! Ha, ha–stop it! Don't you dare tickle me! Or I'll trounce you like that Armaros."
"You know, I have never been more attracted to you." He grinned.
She blushed uncontrollably. With a powerful beat of his wings, they soared to the top of the tower and landed at the summit. When Shion's feet touched the stone floor and she looked down, the tower's base appeared miles away, her vision fogged by the passing clouds.
"Well, this is the top." She said, staring up. Nothing but sky stretched above her. "What's supposed to happen here?"
A deafening explosion answered her. A dark, silvery figure streaked across the sky and landed next to Shion and chaos with a shuddering crash. The dust cleared and a huge, humanoid Gnosis in Knight's armor sat on horseback, glaring at them. His horse seemed just about as evil as he was.
"Nepos Rigas?" chaos breathed, a fearful wonder in his voice.
The Gnosis cackled and his voice boomed around the ruins, "Foolish mortals! How dare you trespass on sacred ground? Prepare to meet your Creator!" He sneered at Shion, "Filthy human, and," his glowing red eyes froze on chaos. "What?..." He paused and leaned forward on his towering horse to take a closer look, "An Angel?" He cackled again, "yes, an Angel! How interesting. Welcome back, Yeshua, you disgusting dissenter. Have you come crawling back on your knees begging for forgiveness?"
chaos scowled, "Not in your lifetime."
Nepos Rigas shook indignatly.
"chaos," Shion whispered, "who is that?"
chaos grabbed her hand protectively, "Someone so foul that not even hell accepted him."
"Hah, you flatter me Yeshua. Who's the human filth you've dragged unceremoniously into our Ruins? I didn't think you were the type to associate with an inferior slut."
chaos bristled with rage, "You take that back–"
"Hey!" Shion yelled, "You better watch your mouth before I shove that horse of yours up your ass! I'm the Director of Vector's First Research & Development Div—"
Nepos Rigas fired a blinding white arrow in Shion's direction. chaos shoved her out of the way and the arrow sizzled at the spot where she stood, turning the stone into ash.
"Shion," chaos whispered, trying to keep his calm, "now is a really bad time to boast about your promotion."
"INSOLENT FILTH!" the Gnosis bellowed, "A typical stupid human. While amusing in your own repulsive way, your sass has just ended your life. Prepare for all the horrors of hell!"
chaos only had time to hoist Shion off the ground before Nepos Regas formed a protective barrier around himself.
"He's summoning a break-block." chaos told her, "he'll be invincible once that barrier is active, and he'll begin attacking with reckless abandon. Just defend yourself and deflect his attacks! Once he starts predicting our destinies, it means he's getting tired, and he'll begin to let loose his most powerful attack. Afterwards the barrier will be gone, and he'll attempt to reload his weapons. Use that time to attack him with everything you've got!"
Shion didn't have time to question him, as Nepos Rigas began unleashing the fastest and most devastating attacks she had ever witnessed.
Magna Shot! Shion and chaos Ether boosted an Aura Veil around themselves just in time.
Hemorrhage Shot! Shion dove for the floor as the glowing bulled whizzed above her head and collided with chaos's skull, resulting in an eruption of blood. She wasted no time in healing him.
Kreuz Shot! chaos deflected the attack with an Aura Blast. Shion let the bullet bounce of her M.W.S., but found her arm paralyzed afterwards. chaos restored her.
Embrace! Nepos Rigas lunged for Shion, crushing her slender frame with his deadly arms. chaos slugged the Gnosis, while she unleashed an Erde Storm, which forced Nepos Rigas to release her.
Memory of Time! "The door to Ruin opens!" Nepos Rigas hollered with delight.
"Up!" chaos screamed, grabbing her, unfurling his wings, and shooting up like a rocket into the air. Time froze. Shion and chaos lay immobilized in midair, and an explosion rocked the tower's summit. Embers flew past the couple's face, singing their clothes and stinging their faces, but they evaded the brunt of the attack.
Ragnarok! "Fate is unavoidable!" the Gnosis howled, "He will die before her eyes, and her mistakes will haunt her in hell!"
"Here it comes, look out!" chaos screamed. Nepos Rigas had prophesied, and now the Ragnarok was coming. The sky exploded, and millions of bullets rained down upon the ruins, shrieking with sonic booms and trailing fiery tails behind them, like hell-spawned comets.
Shion screamed and felt chaos's arms wrap around her as his wings crossed in front of her, forming a protective shield around them. Bullets grazed at their arms and legs, but his wings deflected the heaviest fire as they sank back to the ground.
Nepos Rigas scowled and slumped, his barrier fading.
"Now's our chance!" Shion screamed, hoisting her M.W.S.
"Lunar Seal!"
"Spell Ray!"
"Angel Wings!"
"Shock Blade!"
"Heaven's Wrath!"
"RAIN BLADE!"
The attacks, lasers, bursts of light, and feathery blasts surging out of Shion and chaos were cataclysmal. Nepos Regas convulsed with energy and a mushrooming explosion billowed out above the tower and rocked the ruins to their core. For a moment Shion feared the tower would crumble under their attacks, but it held fast. She'd never unleashed so many attacks in such quick succession before. She felt exhausted, and chaos had to hold her up to keep her from flopping to the ground.
Once the smoke cleared, a panting Nepos Regas lay sprawled on his dying horse.
"You guys aren't bad!" His booming voice clawed at Shion's heart, "I'm impressed! How about it? Wanna play a game that tests each other's courage? I'll just sit here while one of you attacks me! If you can't beat me in one blow, then it'll be your turn to stand defenseless! Now, start whenever you're ready! Let's have some fun!"
"Wh–what's he doing?" Shion asked chaos, struggling to balance on her feet.
"He won't attack us now until he's provoked. It's a vile little game he likes to play. We get to hit him with one attack. If we don't kill him with that attack, he'll Embrace the attacker."
Shion gulped, "So...I gather he's never lost at this game?"
chaos shook his head and began charging his Ether.
"No! What are you doing? You can't attack him! What if the attack isn't strong enough?" She cried wrenching his hands apart and dissolving the energy orb that had been materializing between them, "I'll do it!" She marched towards Nepos Regas.
chaos grabbed her and pulled her back, "Are you crazy! I don't think you've understood the gravity of the situation. If you attack him, and you don't defeat him, you will die."
Despite the circumstances, Shion felt a warm wave spread from her heart throughout her body. She and chaos were mutually concerned about each other. She'd sooner take a bullet to the head rather than see him risk his life against this awful Gnosis, and the fact that he would do the same for her...a strange feeling bubbled up inside her. Was there mutual care? Mutual love?
She looked at him pleadingly, "but what about the Erde Quake, or–or–"
"No way. It's too risky. Your life is non-negotiable, Shion."
"Hey! You filthy, inferior mortal and you irredeemable rebel!" Nepos Regas howled, "My patience is running thin. I could just as easily kill you both off right now!"
Shion gasped. What could they do? She became utterly ecstatic when her final, fantastically brilliant idea of the day forced itself into her mind. Reinvigorated with resolve, she grabbed chaos's right hand and placed it around her waist.
"What are you...?"
She pointed her M.W.S. aiming for Nepos Rigas's chest.
"Oh," chaos smiled and placed his left arm above her own.
"You scared?" She whispered, preparing the double tech. A neon blue eye formed in front of her weapon.
"No."
She grinned and placed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. It felt warm and sweet and good...
"DUAL SPELL RAY!"
The energized beam that erupted from her M.W.S. was more powerful than anything her weapon had ever produced. The beam tore across the tower and ripped through Nepos Rigas's body. He convulsed in agony and finally exploded in a shower of sparks. The attack knocked Shion back with such force that even chaos staggered to keep her from falling. The wind blasted their faces, the ground rumbled beneath their feet, and Shion felt oblivion creeping up on her.
—
She swam frantically in the darkness, calling for help, until Shion finally met Nephilim's gaze. Nephilim said nothing but Shion knew, and the most terrifying horror of all revealed itself to her:
An Aeon, Gnostic Angel, his wings... The Gnosis disintegrated at his touch. Ormus wanted him. He was crucified and died, so that all sins could be forgiven. Yeshua...what she had pushed to the back of her mind came flooding forward. Yeshua meant Messiah, the Savior. chaos was the Savior. He sacrificed himself to the Zohar, and Lost Jerusalem was reborn. The prophesy, his destiny, his fate, the secret he was keeping... chaos was the Savior. chaos was an Aeon, the Aeon. Ormus needed chaos. chaos had to die, and the Gnosis would be exterminated. His destiny...He would have to be murdered so that mankind could be saved.
"No!" She shrieked, a heart-wrenching scream tore from her lungs. She denied it, ignored it, willed it to go away, but it was true. The prophesy, his destiny...chaos was like the Christ, the Messiah, he had to die so that humanity could live...
—
"Nooo!" She screamed again, crying, sobbing, crawling pathetically on the hard stone floor of Heaven's Ruins. She gripped chaos's shoulders, screamed at him, pounded at his chest, ordered him to tell her it wasn't true, that it was too cruel. Animalistic sobs wracked her frame. The horror!
He knelt by her petrified, stunned. She knew. His secret was out; the secret he had tried to protect, just like his friends, just like Shion, so she wouldn't suffer. But she knew now, and all he could do was hold her, because nothing he could say would ever make it better.
—
Starlight drenched Heaven's Ruins. The majesty of the cosmos glittered around the floating castle, showering it with all the wonders the universe had to offer. Shion lay in a heap at the tower's summit. The stars above her and the crystals on the platform below her glistened in her tears. chaos sat behind her, his arms held her protectively in a warm embrace. Their fingers interlocked. She would never let him go. She would never allow him to leave, not now, not ever.
"I won't let them take you." She whispered. "I won't let them murder you." She fought back more tears. She was so sick of crying; she needed to act now.
"Oh, Shion." He ran his lips against her cheek, tasting her tears, "you can't change what's written in the stars."
She winced, "Is–is it really true? You're Yeshua, are you really the Messiah, the Savior?"
"I–" He paused. She spun around in his embrace, looking straight into his eyes. She gazed at him with a determined expression.
"Your hands..." she breathed, "Take your gloves off."
"Wha–"
"Take your gloves off!" She screamed, almost frantic.
He complied, surrendering his hands to her. She took his left hand and in an eager haste almost tore the glove apart, revealing his hand. Then, realizing the importance of what she was doing, she slowed down considerably. She took his right hand gingerly, treasuring it. She unstrapped his glove slowly, and delicately slid the fabric off his hand. It was so tender, almost sensual, as if she were revealing an intimate part of his body. His right glove fell to the floor. She took both of his exposed hands into hers, staring at the backs of his palms. She inhaled shakily, not knowing what to do if she saw what she feared she would see. She held her breath, and flipped his hands over.
Nothing. She exhaled deeply. She didn't really know what she had been expecting: bloody holes in the middle of his palms where nails had been driven through? chaos sensed her relief and laughed, "I'm not literally the Christ, Shion. I haven't been nailed to any cross."
She brought his right hand up to her face, "it's not funny." She whispered, blinking back tears. She kissed the center of his palm and ran her lips up his hand, placing tender kisses on his fingers.
"You're an angel?" She breathed against his hand.
"Well, the technical definition is 'a being formed in the highest plane of the Unus Mundus.' But I like angel better. I'm still human though..."
She held his hand against her cheek, "how human?"
"Human enough to laugh, to feel pain, to cry, to hope, to grow, and..."
"What?" Her lips trembled. She knew what the last part was to die.
"Look, Shion. When I left you on the Dammerung, it was because I didn't want you to get involved, with any of this. I should have never even crossed paths with you. But I reflected on it and...I feel I'd have been terribly remiss not to see you again before...my fate was sealed."
She choked on a moan, "why?"
"I needed to tell you something. I couldn't just walk away."
Her heart hammered against her chest, "chaos, no..."
"I needed to tell–" He breathed heavily, fighting with tears of his own, "needed to say...I'm human enough to love..."
She gasped.
"..You."
Undescribable emotions ripped through her, she began shaking in spite of herself, "Oh...my God..."
"I knew I'd have to come back, I needed to tell you because no matter what happens, no matter what the stars write for us in the end...it doesn't matter, because...I knew you felt the same way about me."
She nodded vigorously, still reeling from his confession and unable to speak. She didn't know if his declaration of love made her happier or if it complicated things terribly.
She wrapped her arms him, burying her face in his neck, "it won't happen." She moaned, "that prophesy, it's a load of crap!" She bristled with energy, with the same inner strength he loved about her. He lifted her face gently so he could look at her. She exhaled happily, feeling the touch of his hands for the first time. Her gaze met his. Those eyes, she couldn't take it, she wouldn't take it.
"chaos, just..." She grabbed him, almost forcefully, and their lips melted together in a kiss that set her heart on fire. His fate, his destiny, the prophesy, she didn't care. She didn't give a damn. It would not happen. Shion couldn't allow it. All she knew was that she had him close to her now, in that moment. She pulled him down to the ground with her. She made a promise to herself on that tower, drenched in starlight, in her lover's arms. For this innocent moment, for this one night, she would challenge destiny.
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Oohhh, bet you didn't expect that kind of prophesy, did you? I bet you're all shocked and amazed aren't you? No, that obvious, huh? Well, just say it to yourselves, you're all shocked and amazed!
So anyway, this is not the end, in case you were wondering. You think I'd just end it like that, all melodramatic and fluffy? What kind of a sap do you think I am! Fluff is for losers anyway unless there's angst or sex in it (and since this is and not we won't go there...) Expect more shock and amazement in the next chapter, while I go search for new nouns.
Copyright stuff: Nepos Rigas is an actual boss from Xenosaga Episode II. All of his italicized quotes come straight from the game. I don't own him.
I rewrote parts of this chapter a few times and I'm still not thrilled with some of it. I don't know, maybe I'm just being anal about it as usual, ergo you must review or else I'll become sad, and nobody likes a person who's anal and sad. I mean, could you imagine Macbeth with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? That could be me, so please, R/R!