Mental Trauma

Stage 5: End Stage 5--Absence

WARNING: This chapter contains more suggestions of slight shonen-ai floofiness, and minimal humor. It's a little Angsty... Not a little... A lot...

The six had made a decision to step out of the house and… walk… around… the mansion… They walked in silence, other than Netto's mindless bantering about random things. Such as fake tales as how the sky was blue, or the clouds might be made of cotton candy, or perhaps how the grass was people's hair that fell out, and was dyed green.

Or perhaps that Netto had a liking for cheese imported from the moon.

Nonetheless the time was much appreciated. For the three to be able to step out into the world and look at the sky was a miracle. To touch the air that they could not see, and to look face to face with their operators. They didn't even care that the sky had been engulfed in clouds. It was simply a bonus.

Simply amazing.

Rockman had yet to take his eyes off the tall tale telling Netto. Though he saw the boy just about twenty-four seven for days on end as long as he could remember you'd think he'd get tired of seeing Netto's freaking mug. But he wasn't, in fact he was fixated with it. It was so much more different to look at him through a cam on the PET.

Blues had practically permanently latched himself to Enzan happily and humming along. Though the boy's arm was going numb, he seemed not to mind. It was almost comforting to him for Blues to be at his side. It was good to have him there, so Enzan would be positive that Blues was still around, and had yet to virtually combust. Had he ever lost the closest and oldest friend he ever had, he wouldn't know what he would do. The boy slowly began to lose himself in his thoughts, and blanked out completely, just walking with his friends in circles around the mansion. He was completely lost in dark imagination, and horrors of what could happen to his Red Navi.

"Enzan-sama?" Blues called, snapping the boy out of his thoughts. He looked to his side to see Blues there, with a worried look upon his face. "Why are you so quiet? Why don't you talk?" Enzan blinked, and then smiled graciously.

"What's there to say? Netto won't shut up!" He grinned, and looked at the brunette who turned and glared. "Tall tales are certainly not healthy for you when you're telling them to intelligent people, Netto."

"They're legends, not tall tales!" The net savior whined. He pouted. Laika and Enzan gave an amused chuckle. The two looked at each other for a moment. Enzan pursed his lips and almost glared, but controlled his… face? Laika just gave a cold look, trying to look natural. Blues and Netto stared at the two curiously. Netto shrugged it off. Blues had a sad look in his eyes, but as Enzan turned back towards him he gave the best smile he could. Rockman and Searchman simply groaned. For a while there was a continued silence as they just walked on, and made a left to head back to Enzan's mansion.

The red vested Net Savior felt Blues let go of him, and panicked for a quick moment, almost thinking that Blues had disappeared into thin air. His eyes lingered back and forth in panic, realizing that Blues had just went to visit Rockman for a minute he sighed in relief.

"If I may, don't be so paranoid." Came a voice, Enzan turned to his right to find Searchman walking beside him. "He won't go without warning." Enzan just stared blankly at Searchman, who didn't bother to look at him, making it even harder to figure out what Searchman was trying to say. "However…" the green Navi continued, "don't take your eye off him, he might just end up hurting himself." Enzan's eyes widened and blinked. Moments later he heard a scream from Blues, he looked forward to see Blues on the ground lying facedown.

"BLUES!" Enzan shrilled, and ran to his side. Blues slowly looked up, and laughed.

"I fell! Heehee!" Blues giggled, and pulled himself up. Enzan sighed heavily, and felt like playing dead.

"Not what I meant… but this way the point pulls through I suppose…" Searchman said quite numbly and awkwardly. Enzan chuckled.

"Don't do that to me… I thought I was going to die…" The white topped boy smiled. Blues gasped, and wrung his arms around Enzan's waist tightly, and buried his face into Enzan's shirt. "Wah?"

"ENZAN-SAMA! You can't die! No! I won't! NO! NO!" Blues shrieked—the other four stared in surprises at his reaction. Enzan blinked and panicked. He put a comforting hand slowly on Blues' silver head, and stroked the hair that ran along his back.

"No! No of course I'm going to be here! I'm not dying… " Enzan eased. "I am not going anywhere…" Enzan tried to smile as Blues looked up.

"Really?" came the voice of the whimpering Navi.

"Really…" Enzan laughed. Netto and Rockman sighed in relief. The panic was gone from Blues and all was well so far.

"Then…" Blues started. "I'm not going anywhere either!" Laika took a breath. Enzan was silent for a moment, his expression going a little blank. "Enzan-sama! I'm going to stay with you forever!" He bit his lip. Searchman walked toward him. Enzan got up. He looked up towards the green Navi, a serious look now plastered on his face.

"Searchman…" Enzan started. "What is it that you're not telling me?" he was silent, and there was awkwardness as the two stared fiercely at each other, other than Netto's tralala in the background. The group continued to walk, and Enzan had an interrogative look on his face. "You need to tell me if you know something about Blues. Laika tried to say something, and now you are. So there's definitely something wrong!" Searchman sighed, and opened his mouth to say something.

"Enzan-sama!" Blues cried out "Enzan-sama, something's wrong!" The red Navi hugged his sides tightly, the chip latched on his shoulder was coming lose and was glowing red. "Ow…" Blues groaned, silver locks flying over his eyes. The other five had made a break to his side, and held him tightly.

"Enzan, what's happening?" Laika asked almost interrogatively. He looked into the boy's blue eyes, and saw a look in them that he just couldn't make out completely. It was a cross between fear and regularity.

"We need to take him back to the dimensional area." Enzan said strictly. "Blues physical structure is deteriorating; the emitter is running out of power." He put Blues' arm over his shoulders. "Laika, help me out here." The mint-haired soldier did as told and lifted the other arm over his shoulders. "Let's get moving quickly, there's not telling how long it'll be until Rockman and Searchman start feeling it." They made a quick sprint back to Enzan's prosperous mansion. Blues was limp and in pain. "Hold on Blues! I'm not letting you die!" Enzan mindlessly ranted.

"Die…" Blues repeated with question in his tone. That was impossible—Blues couldn't die. He was just data… just simple, replaceable data. And yet Enzan was terrified of the loss of this simple Navi… It didn't make sense. "Enzan-sama…" Blues whimpered, closing his eyes.

"Blues? Blues!" Enzan yelled. There was no response as they continued on their run. Moment's later Blues began to flicker. Laika and Enzan watched horrified as the red Navi slipped literally right through their fingers, and an electrical discharge running through them. The loss of weight on their shoulders sent them flying forward with a crash. Blues his the ground with his knees and landed hard on the cement after the two.

"Laika! Enzan! Blues!" Netto cried, not sure who's side to be at he kneeled before them.

"Laika-san!" Searchman lifted Laika to his feet, who soon shrugged it off, but held his left shoulder tightly from the pain of the shock.

"I'm fine," he turned around and gazed at the numb Red Navi, gently groaning and whimpering. Enzan crawled toward Blues quickly.

"Blues…" He groaned as he pulled the silver-haired Navi to his feet. "Keep going!" The boy snapped, nearly limping onward, but was pretty quick to continue. The four watched in amazement as Enzan soldiered on. Laika clutched his shoulder tightly and quickly made his way forward. Searchman began to wonder why Laika became so determined. Must be inspired by something he mused. Laika grabbed Blues' other arm, but before he could do anything Enzan cut in, "I'm fine," and just continued. "Everything's going to be alright Blues. I'm not letting you go…" Enzan chanted. "Everything's going to be alright…" under his breath he began to repeat the ancient magic, almost as if it guarded the Red Navi from the evil of 'death'. Laika stared for a long while, following the two right beside, and would catch them if either one fell, or Blues fell apart again.

They were close as after what felt like hours were actually minutes. They sighed in relief as from this point they were almost sure they'd make it inside without some sort of painful bolt of lightning. Instead, Laika felt something when hit his nose, he flinched. And another fell hard on his shoulder. "Ame…" Laika whispered. "Rain…" Another drop fell in front of his face, "Grand…" Moments later he heard a jolt and whimpering. He looked at the two beside him.

Enzan felt a charge on his shoulder as rain began to slowly come down. He looked at Blues, who was near sobbing in agony. He saw a quick movement of a droplet hitting the Red Navi, and he felt another jolt run down his spine. As the bare drizzle soon became downpour, he felt painful jolt after painful jolt. He flinched as one ran down his legs, and he hit the floor.

"Enzan!" Netto shrieked. He hovered over Enzan, who was giving of electricity and his entire body was twitching, and there was nothing he could do.

"Netto-kun!" Rockman cried. Netto turned around, and looked in horror as Rockman hugged himself tightly, beginning to charge out as well. He looked at Searchman, who began trembling under the strain of standing. The brunette tried his best not to panic, and took deep breaths as he took off his vest and held it over Rockman. The blue Navi twitched from the jolts as they began to subside. "A-arigato gozaimasu… Netto-kun…" Rockman whimpered, holding himself where his ribcage should be. Laika incorporated the idea. He took off his tunic, and put it over Searchman, who sighed in relief from the pain.

Netto whirled toward Enzan, who now lay motionless on the ground. "Enzan!" He took a leap toward the older boy. He kneeled down, and as he reached his hand was assaulted with a massive jolt the second he touched him. "Ah!" Netto paused and stared at Enzan, and continued to reach for him. He clutched Enzan's shoulders and let the electricity hit him. He gritted his teeth and let it subside, up to the point it was only slight conduction. Netto panted from the agony. He pulled his friend close to his face. "Wake up! Wake up!" He shook Enzan hard, up until the point he saw the boy mouthing out words. "Enzan!" His slits slowly widened and became eyes that peered through. "You're okay!" the boy wiped a tear out of his eyes. "You scared me to death!" Enzan mouthed out words again, the pounding rain upon them drowned out the sound. "What?" Enzan lifted his hand, and urged Netto to come closer. Netto did as told Enzan brushed the soaked brown hair out of his face as it fell.

"Where's Blues?" He whispered. Netto looked up and around and Enzan's eyes trailed the eyes until they focused on one spot, and the brunette eyes widened in horror. Enzan thought the worst and turned to see it was exactly as predicted.

Blues was fading away.

As the rain continued to pound him, he felt the shocks and jolts of himself malfunctioning and vanishing. His strength had weakened greatly as he fell to the ground, twisted in agony. Blues looked at his fading hands, as Mother Nature paid no mercy to the unnatural. He began to feel lightheaded, and the hands slowly became blurry to him. He felt parts of himself floating away from him and in time, he knew he was going to be nothing.

His existence would soon end.

He reached what was left of his hand in the direction of Enzan. His Enzan. "Enzan…Sama…" Blues whimpered. "I'm scared…" Enzan's eyes widened with madness and fear, as the red Navi's entire body began to glow. "Enzan-sama! ENZAN-SAMA!" Came a scream, as his entire body blinded into a white silhouette, and changed it's shape into something smaller, something familiar, and it hit the ground with a jolt. A strange light flashed and shot up... soon after... there was nothing...

"Blues?" Enzan's lips trembled and his hands reached toward what was left of his partner, but felt no energy run through him. His stomach writhed and twisted in remorse, and let tears cascade freely down his face, merging with the rain. His body grew limp as his mind began to swirl. "Blues…" he mouthed. Netto pulled the soaked body close to his own.

"Enzan…" Netto whispered. "I'm so… sorry…" He looked into the blue eyes of his friend, and gaped. As he stared into them, they began to change. His eyes had changed, and were nothing… Nothing at all… "Enzan?" He shook the boy hard, and the eyes had yet to change. They remained blank and lifeless, tears still running down the drenched face, and his breath was deep and long. "Enzan! Snap out of it!" Netto's voice cracked and he cringed in anger and new uncertainty as the dank azure eyes looked at absolutely nothing. "Enzan…" Netto was tired, and all he could do was prop the other boy up and cry into him. "Enzan…" he whimpered in a chant.

Inside of Enzan was nothing, as he heard distant screams of the brunette.

Millions of thoughts obscured him of deciding what he was feeling at the moment, as all would be in such shock. How had this happened? And why couldn't it have been him instead of Blues? Anxiety, contempt, horror, surprise, denial…

Reality…

Laika gritted his teeth and shut his eyes tightly in frustration. Searchman looked away from the sight. Regardless of how many times the two had seen such suffering in the fields, their feelings would never change. They would always think they could have done something, could have made that much of difference and stop things from happening, regardless whether they really could or not. Rockman shuddered at the sight and pulled the vest over himself closer. He saw a gleam in a slight distance, and walked toward it. As he got closer to it he began to make out what it was. He picked it up in near slow motion in horror. He held the drenched PET in his hands, ignoring the electricity running through his palm. He gazed sadly at it, and digital tears streamed down his eyes, vanishing into pure data as it hit the ground. He jumped as something came out of the PET slot… something dark and familiar. It was the blank chip that had previously been on Blues' shoulder.

"But… He was just there…" He whimpered, and looked at the spot the Blues previously was. "He's…" He looked at the grave sight before him. Enzan smothered in a dreamified darkness of loss, and Netto holding the lamp of hope that began to die. Rockman let the vest hang over his head and take the downpour, as his other hand grazed the symbol on his chest that represented who he was, and that he was still there. He grazed over the red PET his hand over the blank screen where Blues should have been, and trailed downward to where the symbol…

Should have been…

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The thickness of the silence as Enzan sat there; blankly staring at the cup of hot chocolate in his hands was painful. Laika and Netto could only watch him… they couldn't get through to him. He couldn't hear them. All they heard was a big empty nothingness as Enzan was lost in his thoughts.

/Enzan-sama! You said area/ He recalled, and felt the rhythm of Blues' previous psychotic laughter.

He was just there.

/Enzan-sama. I'll never let you down…/ Blues had whispered one night, when Enzan had begun to lose faith in everything… he had been there to comfort him.

He would do anything…

/Enzan-sama! I'm going to stay with you forever/ Enzan bit down on his lip, and let it bleed.

/Forever…/

/Enzan-sama/

/Enzan-sama/

/Enzan-sama… I'm scared… / He stared blankly into his cup, and let a tear fall into it. His face distorted, and his eyes widened as the image of Blues reaching out to him and vanishing appeared.

/ENZAN-SAMA/ He felt a light shatter, and could see Blues falling into the darkness… Darkness you could never return from…

Death…

"Blues…" Enzan whimpered, and he slammed the cup onto the counter. Laika and Netto straightened up. He buried his face in his hands, and let a puddle of tears fill his palm. "Where's Blues? Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!" He tugged his hair, and mixed the tears into it. "HE WAS JUST HERE! WHAT HAPPENED?" Netto and Laika went to sit beside him. "That wasn't supposed to happen! I knew he had more time than that! He HAD MORE TIME!" Enzan shrilled loudly and painfully. Netto flinched and gritted his teeth sadly, tears streaming down his eyes. He felt so much for Enzan, but didn't know what to do. Laika made a strong face and reached for Enzan's shoulders. He didn't make it in time before the boy turned to him. "LAIKA!" he shrilled, making the mint-haired soldier straighten up. "YOU WERE KEEPING SOMETHING FROM ME! Whatever it was could have stopped Blues from DYING!" He grabbed Laika by the collar. "I COULD…" He paused with a fierce and deadly look in his eyes. "I SHOULD…"

"Enzan!" Netto pleaded. "C-calm down!" He grabbed Enzan at the shoulders. He turned around and glared at the brunette right in the eyes. Netto gulped. The two looked at each other for a moment; Enzan's face twisted and filled with a fresh new batch of tears that fell down his flushed cheeks. He dove into Netto's chest and let the tears fall at an amazing rate. Enzan screamed with sadness and discomfort. Netto slowly wrapped his arms around the boy, and patted him on the back as awkwardly as possible. Laika just sat there, slightly shocked—knowing that he possibly had made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. "Don't cry, Enzan… Everything's… going to be okay…" Netto couldn't think of anything else to say. He shut his eyes tightly to stop himself from falling apart. If he was going to console someone, he kind of figured he'd at least have to try to do it right.

"Netto…" Enzan whimpered horribly. "Where is he…" Netto blinked away tears. Enzan looked up. "He has to be somewhere… He can't be gone… Because… He's here…" He held his hand to his heart, and had an almost innocent smile graced on his lips. Netto's lip trembled, and was overcome with sympathy.

"Enzan!" He whimpered, and pulled him into an embrace. He never expected him to be like this. He never thought how badly Enzan would take it… How badly…

Everything could turn out…

End Chapter

Oh crap that was so angsty wasn't it... I had to set myself into a mood... Please note, that I'm at the point where I'm conflicting whether Blues is really gone or not... I'm really sure that I'm going to keep Blues alive and well. Someone help me out! I want to figure out a way to keep him coming! Review with ideas! OO