Disclaimer: I do not own Phantasy Star Online, it the property of Sega and Sonic Team. All non-Sonic Team characters however are either mine or used with their creators permission.
'Whilst life is fleeting Death is eternal…'Our story begins more than a decade ago; our home world was dying, the very life being leeched from the earth beneath us. It was then the government of our world conceived of the Pioneer project, a plan that would see the whole of our civilisation to safety. The first stage was a series of probes sent out into deep space looking for a suitable planet for us to colonise, the planet that met the criteria was named Ragol. It was uninhabited with a climate and ecology similar to that of our own planet before the troubles had begun. At once a ship was dispatched to begin colonisation of Ragol and prepare the way for the other ships that would follow. The crew on board was made up of three groupings: Government personnel, civilians, and last of all; hunters.
The government personnel were a mixture of bureaucrats, scientists and soldiers. The bureaucrats would set up the infrastructure, establishing an impromptu government upon the planet while the scientists explored and studied the indigenous life forms of the planet and deal with them as the situation required. For the most part this would most likely involve initiating more detailed studies but in the cases of the more hostile inhabitants they would have to be purged, this would most likely be a job given to the hunters as opposed to the soldiery. The soldier meanwhile would be charged with enforcing the law, acting as a temporary police force until suitable civilian authorities could be formed following the second and third phase.
The civilian population on that first ship were almost mostly scientists although they were primarily freelance researchers as opposed to government lackeys. Most among them were architects and engineers, people who would be charged with the reconstruction of our civilisation on our new home world. It was intended that with the landing of each craft, it would be decommissioned, the raw materials used in the construction of our new homes. Thus, each Pioneer city ship would become a city 'dome', giving accommodation to those who had travelled aboard. Apparently the process of conversion would take no more than a matter of months, each new city should be ready by the time the next of the ships arrived.
The hunters were the last group; unlike the others the hunters served no clear role. As mercenary fighters it would be their job to provide a defence against any hostile creatures encountered, whilst this role could have been carried out by the military the hunters were chosen due to their greater levels of consummate skill and often better equipment than the standard military fair. This was not an entirely popular option, many of the citizenry distrusted hunters as unlike the military they were mostly unregulated and answered to no real higher authority bar the Hunter's Guild. In an attempt to alleviate this pressure the guild dispatched a contingent aboard Pioneer 1 with the intention of controlling the hunters onboard. As Pioneer 1 began its journey preparations were made for the second ship, Pioneer 2.
The passengers of this ship were mostly civilians unlike Pioneer 1, this would be the first real group of settlers for our new home. This time the contingent of hunters among the ships population was far higher, almost half of the civilian population were hunters and because of this there was a more than considerable presence made by the guild. During the time in space there would be little work to be done thus other entertainments had to be made available to ensure there would not be riots during the seven year voyage. Major civil unrest was avoided and for the most part the guild was able to keep illegal activities to a minimum. There were still illegal fights in some sections and one extremely odd fight that broke out, but for the most part everything was all right.
When Pioneer 2 finally arrived in orbit around Ragol a communication link was immediately established with the planet's surface. Moment's later a massive explosion erupted, focused on the Central Dome, from what the reports indicated afterwards, killing everyone inside. It wasn't long before the guild was contacted and all active hunters soon after. The principal issued us with a single goal, to find out what the hell had happened. Landing sites were established, teleport pods sent down to allow for travel between the ship and surface. The city teleporters were activated, but only for those with a valid guild card. Soon hundreds of hunters had started travelling down to the surface, looking for evidence of the fate that befell the people of Pioneer 1, not all of them seeking a reward for once.
The civilian populous were kept in the dark about it, no one was told exactly what had happened, for now it seemed the government on board wanted to try and stem the flow of information and avoid mass panic. The principal's office had spread some stories to stave of the more curious and carefully quashed any rumours. All hunters were sworn to secrecy and were only to report findings to the principal or one of his staff directly. Within three months we had started to get an idea of what had happened, one of the hunters aboard Pioneer 1 had left a series of message capsules detailing her findings. This hunter, the principal's estranged daughter, Red Ring Rico, had been leading the excavation team that had dug further into the planet's surface. It was she who had discovered the ancient spaceship that must have crashed there aeons ago; she was the one who got possessed by the living darkness, the Dark Force that dwelled inside.
This entity had been the one responsible for the loss of all those lives and in the end it cost many more before the hideous creature was finally put to rest. Red Ring Rico was rescued, the only living survivor of the first vessel she returned to Pioneer 2 with a grave warning for everyone else. Soon, the truth of what had happened became public and there were multiple riots. The hunters were blamed for covering up what had happened, a misconception to which the government had no desire to make a correction. Fights broke out in the streets and in the end it was Ricco who ended the conflict, forcing both sides to negotiate. After a week of talks it was decided that the civilian population would transfer down to the surface, taking what material they needed to rebuild while the hunters remained where they were.
Time passed and the city on the surface began to flourish yet still it required hunter's services and so from time to time groups were deployed according to the treaty that had been established, while they were not allowed to enter the city itself there were provisions made upon its ground to accommodate for the hunters needs. Many hunters still resented this treatment, after all had it not been for the sacrifices of many of their comrades the reconstruction would not have been possible and everyone would have eventually had their souls consumed by the Dark Force. Unrest was brewing among the hunter populous, resentment growing like a storm, ready to fall upon the unsuspecting people below. Still, some of us did not agree with this sentiment and worked to prevent such a thing from coming to pass.
I awoke slowly; as my systems began to come online I looked around the barren apartment. An android has few needs, neither light nor heat, not even food nor sleep. I do not eat; power is supplied to me by the small reactor unit located in my chest, in the place where a human or Newman's heart would have been. At one time I had wondered what drove our creators to implement such a design, on looking through the seemingly endless archives that chronicled our history back to the beginning of recorded time, I found that their goal had been to emulate life and so they had made us in their own image. Everything about us emulated the form of humans, right down to the indefinable factor that separated us from the simpler, servitor machines.
Yet, despite the wishes of our creators there were others who sought to use us for other purposes. More often than not as warriors, soulless fighters who would kill without question, requiring no rest, no time off, we would simply battle endlessly until we were ordered to stop or destroyed. I was built as a war machine, initially programmed only for battle, during the final days before the great upheaval when those applications of androids were outlawed. The military constructed me as a front line combat model, equipping me with heavy armour and programs for all standard hunter type equipment. Only once I saw battle, a simulation exercise designed to test my abilities. The test was a success and more of my kind would have gone into production but the change came and I was gifted sentience.
In those first days I wandered the city, without orders, without purpose I did not understand what to do with my existence. I lived only for battle and that was denied, frustrated I had entered into the darker parts of the cities, seeking out the illegal combat that took place there. For days I simply stood among the crowd, watching as various beings, human, Newman and android alike battled each other for money or simply entertainment. Each was surrounded by great crowds of onlookers, many of them betting copies amounts of messeta, our currency, on the outcome. More often than not the fights ended in the death of one or other combatant as few of the people who fought here could or would accept losing.
Eventually the thirst for battle overcame me and I signed myself up for one of these tournaments. Having no money to speak of I was forced to enter the most brutal of tournaments, matches always fought to the death. No weapons were provided, fighters were expected to bring whatever they had, and if they had nothing then that was too bad. My match was scheduled to begin after the current one; a human male and a Newman female fought it out. The Newman female was faster and her daggers had left a number of wounds upon her opponent. He was bleeding heavily and his actions slowing, sensing victory she moved in for the kill only to be caught of guard when he sped up suddenly and buried his saber up into her chest, cleaving her heart.
She was dead before she hit the ground, her lifeless body dragged from the ring, leaving not even a trail of blood as the energy blade had cauterised the flesh when it struck. A bulky looking human called me forward and I stepped into the ring, regarding the human who would be my opponent. From what remained of his uniform he seemed to have been a hunter once, the tell tale section id marker glowing faintly in his chest. In his hand he held a basic saber, a primitive weapon but as I had witnessed, deadly in his hands. He smirked at me, raising his arms to incite the crowd; having won his past seven matches he was the current favourite. His eyes regarded me for a moment before he laughed loudly and spoke in a deep and gravely voice.
"So android, do you have a name? I usually like to know the name of my opponent before I kill them."
"I have no name only a designation."
"Ha! You androids! I don't know how anyone can consider you equal with humans! Even the Newman filth are better than you, at least they have names for themselves. So Mr. Android, why don't you tell me your designation."
"Death."
That single word hung in the air for a moment as the man hesitated. His eyes widened then narrowed, obviously he liked to intimidate his opponent. My glowing red eyes simply started back at him, holding no emotion. No fear, no sadness, no rage or joy…I felt nothing. My name was roughly scrawled unto the board that served as a record of the matches; obviously they thought it would not be there for long. A moment passed and the watcher signalled for us to start before stepping out of the place of combat. The man lunged at me almost at once, obviously intent on settling this fight quickly. This would be both his first and last mistake, my design had been for combat meaning my reflexes were far beyond those of any human, or Newman. He moved as if in slow motion, the last thing he saw was my eyes flashing.
His body dropped to the ground, his mouth hanging open and eyes wide. Even as he had charged I had deflected his weapon, breaking his arm in the process as my free hand closed around his throat before crushing his windpipe and spine. For a moment he hung there, neck broken, blood slowly being starved of oxygen as his mind struggled to understand what had happened before the silence claimed him. I dropped what remained of my opponent's lifeless form to the ground, waiting in the momentary silence as the crowd struggled to process this new development. Soon a new chant began, echoing all around me as more and more of them raised their voices in praise.
"Death! Death! Death!"
Time passed and others came and each time I killed them. Humans, Newmans and other androids fell, their empty shells carried off for disposal. My reputation spread and by the time the day was over I had racked up more than a dozen victories. Now, as I was turning to walk away a human male approached me, flanked by two bulky looking androids. I had seen him before, watching other matches, from what I had heard others saying he was a promoter, one of the individuals who managed fighters in the bigger tournaments, trawling the death matches for new talents. In truth I had not noticed his presence previously while I was fighting yet in truth I had no interest in anything other than the combat.
"You fight well, Dagekiou was the champion here for nearly half a decade."
He held out a sweaty hand.
"I am Kasu, I manage some fighters here. I would like you to come and work for me."
I regarded his hand for a moment before shaking my head as was the human custom and turning to walk away.
"No"
He moved up along side me, matching my pace. Obviously he was not quite ready to give up yet.
"I can make it worth your while."
"No."
Once more I started to move away but this time he reached out and grabbed hold of my arm; despite the fat there was a great deal of muscle on that arm. Kasu was also not what he first seemed to be. I turned to look at him, noting something flashing deep within his dark grey eyes.
"However if you choose not to accept my offer I can always ensure that you never fight again…here or anywhere else."
He left the threat hanging there, gauging my reaction. For the briefest of moments I wondered if he was aware I could kill him, tearing his arm from its socket and beating him to death with its bloody remains.
"I could kill you right now."
He grinned at me, golden teeth glinting in the light.
"But then you would be dead before my body hit the ground, and that would be such a waste of good material."
For a moment I regarded the other two androids, well aware they were older models that if I choose to I could reduce them to scrap metal. His threat was empty yet for one reason or another I accepted his offer…
By the next morning Kasu had another fight scheduled, this time in one of the better-established underground tournaments. However, before he would allow me onto the field of battle I was brought to his place of business, a shady looking bar in the Whitill section, called the White Lotus. I was led to what was referred to as his 'office', a large room filled with expensive furniture contrasting with the assortment of weapons that lined the walls.
"My trophies, once upon a time I was a fighter myself, these are just things I collected from those that I killed."
There was quite an expansive collection and while the majority of weapons were those used by hunters there were a few guns and staffs from rangers and forces. As I catalogued each of the weapons Kasu stepped over to his desk, pulling out various data crystals and mumbling to himself.
"Death…Death…Death…ah ha! I have it!"
Suddenly a holographic display lit up, the image hovering only a few feet above his desk. There was a tall dark figure, dressed in robes of black, holding a great scythe like weapon in its right hand as eyes like twin balefires shone out from the darkness within it's hood. Walking over to stand beside me, a hand now upon my shoulder as the other waved at the figure on screen.
"Shinigami, the god of death. Long ago it was believed that Shinigami ushered the souls of defeated warriors into the next world. To look upon him was to know your death."
Kasu began to circle me, one of his thick hands stroking the fresh growth of dark hair that extruded from his chin. Stopping once he completed a full circuit, moving to stand in front of me.
"Yes, I think that will do nicely."
He once again waved in the direction of the hologram.
"So, what do you think of your new costume?"
He clapped his hands twice and servants came rushing in. Now was the time in which Shinigami would be born…my first opponent was a Fonewm, a champion of one of the other circuits he had come to face the warrior who had taken apart Dagekiou with such ease. As I observed him from the sidelines I noticed how cocky he was, more than sure enough of his abilities. I had heard he had burned two of his opponents alive, another frozen in their tracks before being summarily shattered. Many other fighters in the higher tournaments refused to fight him, claiming that he was a sadistic bastard. To me, such things meant nothing. I feel no pain, only register damage. The concept of dying holds no fear as that is something I cannot experience, just like any other emotion.
He walked into the ring as if he owned everything around him, his long purple hair sweeping about his body as he gestured to the females in the audience, many of whom swooned at his glance. He was shallow and vain yet none the less a deadly foe, a powerful force he could best even the most experienced hunter with his mind…yet in a way that would be his downfall. As I made my entrance silence swept over the crowd…Kasu's vision had become a reality. The great black cloak concealed my features and I remained silent as instructed. Only when at last was I in position did I unleash my weapon, the energy scythe unfolding as I raised my free hand, extending a single finger.
It seemed that the desired effect was achieved as the once cocky force recoiled slightly, obviously unsettled by my appearance. Rather more hesitantly he took up his position, waiting for the watcher to announce the match up.
"To my right, from the Jizen league is Terau, champion for the past two years!"
The crowd roared in exhilaration, lending courage to the disheartened Newman.
"To my left, a new comer, Death, the Shinigami incarnate!"
Now a second roar went out as many of the audience called out in exhilaration, it seemed that word of my victories had already spread. Now at last I allowed the robe to part and fall away, dropping back into the hold space that my scythe came out of. As my opponent realised I was an android his confidant smirk returned, obviously he like my first opponent thought little of the skills of the machine kind. The watched stepped back to the edge, calling for silence before letting out a great roar, reinforced by the voices of the crowd.
"FIGHT!"
At once Terau launched a rafoie straight at me, one I made no attempt to dodge. I felt nothing as the flames swirled about me, their heat far from sufficient to damage my armour. Even as I stepped from the flames untouched Terau's expression faltered as he hurried to summon a second technique. He never had the chance as I swept my scythe upwards, splitting him up the middle. For a moment he started at me in incomprehension, right before his entire body flopped into two perfect halves. Once again I felt the customary silence, broken only by one or two of those with weaker stomachs retching violently and the spilled innards until at last the cheers began and drowned them out. It seemed that I alone had heard his final words, the final sound that had escaped his lips before his body came apart.
"How…?"
That victory was the first of many, more than I can even count. Opponents came and went, all of them dying beneath my blade. Soon I had earned a terrifying reputation, it was said that no-one to whom I pointed would walk away alive and soon only the most die hard or suicidal fighters would agree to a match up. The bets were staggering now, millions of messeta were put up for wager as other promoters brought their champions to try and topple me from my mantle. Each time they failed, their champions reduced to lifeless corpses. Kasu was making more money than he could count and almost constantly offered me upgrades or new weapons, all of which I refused. I had what I wanted and needed nothing more.
It seemed that I would remain there forever, killing for the entertainment of others, but as luck would have it one day I found myself faced off against an opponent I could not kill and in that moment everything changed…this time my opponent was a female Newman child, no more than perhaps twelve years old. The girl was barely able to hold her weapons, let alone put up any kind of resistance. I looked questioningly at Kasu and he nodded, confirming that this child was to be my opponent. Turning my attention back to her I looked deep into her eyes, finding no fear there only, only absolute determination and resolve. She knew she would die here, so what was the point of the fight?
"No."
I withdrew my blade; the blood of many stained my hands yet I would not add this child to them. Kasu screamed and raged at me, demanding I fight her but I ignored him. I began to walk away, ignoring the crowd, as they grew angry, not acting until at last they got out of control and rushed me, angered by my denial of their sport. Once more my blade came out and death was served, in a frenzy I cut them down like fields of wheat, each stroke of the blade ending another life…finally all lay dead bar one, Kasu stood amidst the field of butchered bodies holding the child. A twisted smile spread across his face as his grip upon the girl tightened.
"So it seems our time together has come to an end…."
There was a mocking edge to his voice as his other hand shifted slightly so that now it was at the girl's back.
"…And all for nought."
A blade emerged from the child's chest as he stabbed her, the sight bringing back memories of that fight long ago, of the Newman woman I watched being killed. A flash of recognition flared in my mind as I read the girl's features, my memory comparing them to those of the woman from before. In that instant the realisation struck me, that this girl must have been her daughter. Driven by an impulse I could not understand I withdrew the cloak once more, using it to wrap her body as I lifted her into my arms and made a dead run for the closest medical centre. Despite my analytical functions telling me she was on the edge of death, that she could not be saved I went ever onwards, driven by a desire which I could not describe in words.
I pushed her into the arms of the first nurse I encountered, the shocked woman rushing the girl into the treatment room, crying out for someone to help her. I still do not know why I stayed, standing silently like a guardian at a grave. Time passed and the nurse returned, her white and pink uniform now stained crimson with the child's blood. When she looked at me it was with moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes, the gesture humans and Newmans call crying.
"I'm sorry…we did what we could but…there was too much damage…"
She broke down, her shoulder shaking as her tears rolled down the smooth surface of my armour. Even as I stood there, listening to her I once more found a strange sensation passing thorough my mind and for a moment my sensors seemed to register a single drop of moisture moving across the surface of my faceplate.
For three days and nights I watched and waited, standing in the shadows across from the Blue Lotus, planning my final act of vengeance against Kasu, payment for taking the child's life. I managed to infiltrate the bar without incident, the bloodied remnants of my cloak concealing my face and form from sight. At last reached his private office, disabling his two android bodyguards took only a moment as I ripped out their central processing units and crushed them in my hands. When I entered the office I found it empty, following the faint sound of laughter I approached his private space, the rooms where he bathed and slept. I found him sitting in a spa with two females. As I entered they screamed and Kasu reached for a pistol…the barrel fell into the water as I carved through it with my scythe.
A single glance and the two females left screaming, no doubt they would summon guards but by then it would all be over…Kasu took that instant to lunge at me, that same dagger he had used to murder the child grasped in his hand. The scythe blade tore through him, severing him up the middle as had done to that force long ago, a second slash cleaving off his head, separating in mid air so that his brains were splayed across the walls of the bathroom. The guards came then, the first gagging at the sight and stench; he died an instant later as I took off his head. Others followed and all met the same fate, soon I advanced into the main bar, killing all those who dwelled there. When at last it was over they all lay dead, bodies laid open to the skies.
As I made my way through the carnage I stopped only once, pausing to tear the reactor from a downed android. As I reached the entrance I pulled off my cloak and used it to tie the reactor to the scythe whose bottom I had driven into the ground. I set the reactor to overload, the resulting explosion should be enough to level the place, and walked outside. No sooner than I had moved ten paces did the whole building erupt into a pillar of flame, countless other explosions signalling other reactors and weapon stockpiles detonating. For an instant, among the flaming wreckage I saw a figure floating, a dark cloak billowing out as the scythe stood at its side as if held by a non existent hand. To the other side an apparition of the child stood, look back at me with innocent eyes, silently giving her thanks.
The apparitions faded ad I was alone once more as the fires died down. Nothing left for me there I departed the Whitill section, travelling instead to Redria, the place where I had been created. Stepping across the threshold of the Hunter's Guild I began my redemption, my atonement for all that I had done. An hour later I stepped through those doors once more, the Redria symbol glowing brightly on my chest even as my knew mag chattered and bleeped, excited to finally have a master. Looking down at the small card and the details printed there I swore to remember and never allow myself to fall so far again. I travelled across the section, to the main storage, ready to open my locker, the woman at the counter greeting me politely as I approached her.
"Good morning, name and designation please."
"Death. Hunter - HUcast."
And with those three words my new life began.
Stepping out from the diagnostic engine where I 'slept' I exited my apartment, journeying out into the city. So many things had changed since the battle had ended; yet for me the fight would never end. Finding myself once again finding myself standing before those same doors I wondered what new challenges this would bring, what new foes I would face and comrades I would meet along the way. Had I been human I might have smiled yet as it was my metal face remained blank as I stepped inside, ready to see what the future holds for me now.
AN: After four years I finally sat back down and revised this story, as it hold a special place in my heart. It was my first major fan fiction project and remains a personal favourite. I know, it's not a new chapter of the others but this remains my pride and joy and I though it was time to dust it off and give a lick of paint before unleashing it on an unsuspecting audience.
Thanks,
Hououza
Chapter preread by That Other Guy