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.
It had been a week and I had already completed half a dozen missions without incident, already I had started to earn a reputation for myself, though this one, unlike before, was untainted with innocent blood. During that time I had encountered another of my kind, a HUcast named Kireek. He was of the same design as I, a front line battle configuration, yet that was where the similarities ended. While I found satisfaction in the thrill of combat but little joy in killing he seemed to revel in it. It seems strange to assign such a human behaviour as 'joy' to one of my kind but I never been any other word that suitably described the relish with which he dispatched the creatures we fought.
Perhaps the best example of this would be when we encountered one of the native creatures known as a Rappy. This portly yellow flightless bird attacks hunters who encroach upon its territory by pecking at them with its beak. Of little danger to a well-equipped hunter they can sometimes trouble an unprepared ranger or Force. Still, to our kind they offer no danger, thus I find no compunction to attack them further once they are defeated and flee. Normally a Rappy, on receiving harm will feign death for a moment, waiting until the danger is far enough away before dashing into the undergrowth. According to my knowledge at that time, no hunter had successfully terminated one of the beasts as they always seemed to escape and no hunter felt the need to track them…Kireek thought differently.
I have seen many things during my existence, many things have died both from my own and others hands yet none of them seemed so gruesome as watching Kireek burry his scythe into the belly of a Rappy and split the yellow bird in half. Perhaps, had I been human, I would have suffered from that condition they refer to as 'being sick'. I do not understand the mechanics of it but it is supposed to happen when they are either malfunctioning or on some occasions when they are upset by something. I saw it many times when I was Shinigami, most often during the more brutal fights, including a number of my own. Still, there was something disturbing about this seemingly simple act of violence and in the time that followed I found myself encountering for the second time in my existence a feeling of dislike.
When the mission was over we received our pay, Kireek pausing only to comment briefly that he was intrigued by my skills and would like to have the chance to fight me some time. For a moment I considered it, the thought of disassembling him strangely pleasing, before forcing it from my consciousness, aware that such things were illegal and that part of my existence was behind me now. It was no more than a day later that I was once again called to work with another hunter, this time a human male. When first we met he regarded me for a moment, before raising his shoulders slightly and exhaling air from his lungs. These gestures, a shrug and a sigh were signs of indifference or disappointment, obviously he did not approve of our pairing. To me it meant nothing, I thought only of the task at hand.
Thus, it was strange when the two of us found a strange synergy in battle, each of us somehow being able to read the others moves so that our strikes slipped passed the other's without causing harm or getting in the way. As we travelled we spotted another pair wondering about the forest, another human hunter with strange white hair, currently trying to lift a large Rappy of a male Newman Force garbed in green. The Rappy was chirruping angrily at the human, but remained in place, the Newman beneath struggling in a futile manner. Beside me my human companion made strange sound in the back of his throat before we moved on, then his face seemed to harden as we once more again continued with our mission.
We reached the target in the area of the forest surrounding what remained of the central dome, the local ape like creatures known as Hildebears had attacked a group of researchers and we had contracted to dispose of them. All in all there were eight of the beasts, each one standing at least one and a half times my height. They were in possession of considerable strength, sufficient even to crush the armour of an android, in addition to being able to spit fireballs in a similar fashion to the technique humans and Newmans used foie. They were formidable opponents in their own right and facing eight of the beasts would be a challenge…this was not the case however as we dispatched the beasts with ease, once again our movements and attacks seeming strangely synchronised.
We returned to Pioneer 2 to collect our reward, the grateful researcher paying us both handsomely for the work. We departed the guild, heading out into the city. At this point I intended to part ways with the human but was interrupted when a Newman girl ran up to him and flung her arms about him.
"Shin-chan!"
"I told you not to call me that Sakura!"
His cheeks darkened slightly and his eyes seemed to flicker with irritation yet he made no move to remove the female from his person. Slightly confused by this behaviour I simply stood and watched, remaining silent. After a moment the Newman girl seemed to notice this and turned to regard me for a moment before turning back to the human.
"Who's you're new friend Shin-chan?"
"Sakura! Stop calling me that! And 'he' is not my friend, he's just an android I was assigned to work with on my latest job."
The girl made a gesture I did not understand before releasing him and walking over to stand in front of me. She was no more than five and a half feet tall; she stood more than a head and shoulders below my full height. To my surprise she extended an arm in the traditional hunter's greeting.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Android. My name is Sakura. Thank you for taking good care of my Shin-chan for me."
Confused by her behaviour, this girl being the first person not to shy away from my presence in a long time, I returned the greeting, gently clasping my hand around her forearm as she did the same. Greetings completed I withdrew my hand and waited, not knowing what else to do, my interactions to this point had been strictly limited to customers or combat. At last the girl seemed to grow tired of the silence for she spoke up once again.
"You know, when someone tells you their name, it's polite to return the gesture."
I paused for a second before replying.
"Death."
She looked at me in what I believed to be confusion.
"Excuse me? Did you say 'Death'?"
"Yes. It is my designation. Dynamically. Evolving. Advanced. Tactical. Humanoid. Referred to as Death for short."
She paused for a moment once again before her lips moved upward in a smile.
"Well Death, as you already know I'm Sakura and this is my fiancé, Shin Akuma."
She indicated the now seemingly frustrated human male standing behind her.
"Now, since we've got through the introductions would you please join us for a brief meal?"
"I do not eat."
She simply waved off this statement.
"I know, but I wanted to hear what happened while you were fighting and Shin-chan has this terrible tendency of exaggerating."
"I do not!"
"Yes you do. So, would you please join us?"
Unsure of what else to do I nodded in agreement, never realising that these two would in time become my first ever 'friends'.
With Sakura leading the way I followed the two back to their apartment, although I could not eat I was still offered a place at the table to sit with them as they ate. Sakura reiterated her request from before, asking me to recount all that had happened while Shin Akuma and I had been on the surface. To this he made some small protest, stating that his account would be just fine. She turned to look at him, something different about her eyes; this 'look' immediately caused him to fall silent. Turning her attention back to me she urged me to begin and I began to recount all that had happened from the moment we had set foot on the surface to the moment we had return to the city.
I had been quite surprised at her reaction to one particular part of my account, the part where we had witnessed the Newman Force trapped beneath the Rappy while his human companion stood there, looking on in what Sakura explained was disbelief, as the Force struggled to remove the creature from on top of him. Sakura had begun making a strange sound and before long proceeded to fall from her chair, her arms wrapped closely around her body. Initially I believed that this was some kind of illness as I had seen others acting in a similar fashion after receiving injuries to their lower torso. Uncertain of what action to take I turned to Shin for guidance only to find him sitting there calmly as if nothing was wrong.
Feeling confused I queried his behaviour I questioned his actions, only to watch as Sakura stood from her position on the floor, seemingly uninjured and explained what I witnessed was something called 'laughter'. Apparently this was an emotion experienced by both humans and Newmans, normally occurring when they found something to be 'funny'. They could not give an exact definition of what this 'funny' phenomenon was; only that one would recognise it on sight. Apparently the incident with the Force had been 'funny' although I could not understand why that was the case. Slowly conversation shifted to other matters as Sakura recounted for me how the two of them had met.
The story took a quite considerable length of time to recount as often Shin insisted on interjecting, protesting that Sakura had remembered some point incorrectly which led to the two arguing for a moment before she resumed the story. Much of it I did not understand, the emotions they described were as alien to me as the concept of laughter, yet I did my best to follow the tale, nodding my understanding when it seemed appropriate. As moments stretched out it began to grow late and I grew conscious of the fact that it was some distance back to the Redria sector where my place of residence was located. Only a few moments later when Shin asked me if I would like some company on the way back.
"It is a long trip, and I live in troubled area. It would not be wise for a human such as yourself to be walking around alone at night."
I noticed a change in Sakura's expression as she turned to Shin, a time later I would learn it to be known as concern.
"Shin-chan…"
Shin nodded in reply to a seemingly unspoken question.
"Death, please stay with us tonight. Neither of us feels comfortable with you going back to somewhere like that."
"I do not understand. I am in no danger. I am a combat android, few people would be inclined to attack me as I am more than capable of defending myself."
He shook his head.
"That's not what I meant…it's a human, and Newman thing, ok? Please, just stay here for the night."
I considered this for a moment but relented, there seemed to be no reason for continuing to argue about it.
"Very well."
As I did not need a bed and conducted my 'sleep' standing up, they offered me a place by the wall near a power socket. That would allow me to recharge my secondary power systems while I 'slept'. Thinking back to the behaviour of others I had witness I thanked them, believing that to be the correct action in such circumstances. This was greeted by a shift of their expressions, their mouths moving into small smiles, signalling to me that I had made the correct assessment. They bid me goodnight and retired, leaving me alone in the darkness with my thoughts. Time passed and I slipped into standby mode, allowing my internal diagnostic systems to begin the process of evaluation and repair.
I woke to find myself no longer in the apartment, but rather on the planet's surface once more, but this time instead of the native creatures I faced more familiar opponents, each of them among those I had killed in my other life, Kasu standing at the head of them, his severed head seemingly held together by invisible bonds, yet the blood marks that divided it still clearly visible down his face and head. His mouth opened, revealing the cavernous blackness within, an absence of sound signalling the others around him to attack. They came at me, all at once, an endless tide overwhelming and consuming me, forcing me downwards even as I fought bitterly, using nothing but my bare hands.
Even as they continued to fall upon me, slowly blotting everything out, all light, all sound save for the wails of the damned, I looked up to find the darkness was forming into a familiar shape, a great black cloak holding a glowing scythe in one hand.
You cannot escape me. No matter how far you run I shall always be beside you. You cannot escape your past. You cannot forget who you are!
I returned to full alertness, my internal clock telling me that a considerable amount of time had passed. I was unsure of what had happened…the experience had seemed so real. Experiencing the feeling humans describe as confusion I stepped away from the wall and sought guidance as to what had happened. I found Shin and Sakura in the kitchen; they were seated at the table from the previous night, eating another meal. They greeted me as I appeared, Sakura signalling for me to sit down. Still feeling uncertain I complied with her unspoken request, seating myself at the table and watching them eat in silence. As Shin finished the last of his food and pushed the plate away he turned to look at me, a question on his lips.
"Did you sleep well?"
"I…I did not. I experienced something strange…I found myself in a familiar place, assailed by ghosts of my past and haunted by a voice that was not my own…"
After a moment Sakura spoke up, answering calmly as if the experience I spoke of was a commonplace occurrence.
"Oh, you had a dream. Although, it sounds more like a nightmare."
I recognised neither of these words, but having no expression as such I could not convey my confusion. Thankfully it seemed that Shin realised this, and elaborated further.
"Dreams are something that happens to humans and Newmans when we sleep. No one is exactly sure how they come about but they believe it has something to do with the way memory works. Nightmares are a type of unpleasant dream, often involving memories of bad experiences of fears."
"I do not fear."
"Then I don't know…but still I've never heard of an android dreaming."
We talked for a little longer before Shin and I departed for the Guild, Sakura had asked that I go with him as she felt at ease knowing I was with him. I question this and she simply explained that she felt that nothing bad would happen to him while I was around. At the time I did not fully understand, but simply nodded and followed Shin out. It was not until a long time later that I finally came to understand her words, not until the passing of many great and terrible events. As the days progressed we took more and more missions together, eventually we were approached by members of the military and asked to join a large exploratory force being sent to examine the inner area of the Central Dome now that an access route had been found.
What we encountered inside was a creature like no other; one that afterwards I was told had been seen only in legends. Even as we had materialised inside the hollowed out structure the great beast swept down from above, its fiery breath declaring its challenge. The battle was difficult and many hunters fell, burned by the Dragon's flaming breath or crushed beneath its claws…finally a number of us rallied together, making one final stand. The first group, made up of all the remaining rangers shot at the great lizard as it swooped above us, photon bullets tearing through its wing, forcing it to the ground. Even as it dropped the sky the second group, the Forces stepped up. They threw a barrage of ice techniques at the beast's underbelly, the extreme cold weakening the armour there.
Then, finally the third group moved into place, the hunters. Shin and I stood side by side, raising our blades above our heads and driving them into the frozen armour and the soft flesh beyond. The beast screamed, thrashed about in its death throws as it began to collapse. The hunters scattered, desperately trying to escape being crushed beneath the beast's bulk. Shin and I leapt clear just as it impacted the ground with such force that the ground shook. There was one final great wail as the beast expended what little breath remained in its lungs before falling forever silent. There was little celebration, too many had died or been badly injured for mirth. But still, we had prevailed and now the way was clear for the investigation to move forward.
The next few days were uneventful; there were few jobs available, as rumours had spread to the populous of the happenings on the surface. A journalist had, in fact, managed to travel there in the company of a hunter and the account they gave stirred the unrest even further until the government suppressed the broadcasts. It was during this time that Sakura returned to her and Shin's apartment one morning having found a job.
"They discovered a network of caves beneath the dome; they were looking for hunters to join the exploration team so I signed up."
She explained. Shin frowned at this, what I now know to be an expression of disapproval.
"I don't like this Sakura…after that thing under the dome…I won't let you to go."
Her expression changed, shifting to irritation even as her hands moved to rest just above her thighs.
"You won't let me go?"
Shin seemed to realise his mistake then for he quickly tried to backtrack.
"Well…that is I…"
"Oh no! Not this time mister! I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself. Besides, I'm fed up of sitting around taking simple missions here on ship, after that one with the woman and her weapon fetish husband I've had enough. I'm going down there and you can't stop me, now deal with it."
Shin hung his head and sighed in defeat.
"Alright."
Her expression calmed and she smiled at him, much later he would tell me that she had mischief in her eyes.
"Now, you be a good boy and wait here with Death and I'll make your favourite when I get back…"
She pressed her lips against his briefly in what they called a 'kiss' before walking out the door. Shin collapsed onto the couch with a 'sigh' before closing his eyes and 'humming' softly to himself. Not understanding his behaviour I simply stood and watched, waiting to see what would happen. Time passed and Shin stood up, motioning for us to depart. We journeyed to the Guild as normal, only to find people running about, evidently something was wrong. Showing signs of concern he caught the arm of one of the staff.
"What's going on?"
"There was a problem with the team that got sent down to the surface…we're assembling a second team right now to go after them."
Shin's face turned 'deadpan'.
"Where do we sign up?"
I followed Shin as he walked to the counter; we both signed up and within moments were being directed to where a number of other hunters were gathering, among them the pair we had seen previously on the surface, Shin seemed not to notice them; his thoughts were on other things. Before long we were led over to the main teleporter, the coordinates set for the site where the first team had gone in. Orders were called out, telling us to search for survivors, I had no doubt that Shin was only interested in one…Sakura.
The creatures we encountered were unlike those we had fought on the surface, they were considerably stronger and more numerous. The creatures called Evil Sharks swarmed around us, slowly driving us back. It was then someone uncovered a series of supply crates, re-equipping ourselves with better weapons we struck back, slowly but surely dispatching the creatures. We advanced onward, encountering stronger versions of the Evil Sharks along with a large insectoid creature whose venom bound our feet to the floor for a short time. The creature, which we later learned had been named a Grass Assassin, reared up and began to charge after a volley of photon bullets tore into its side. Shin and I attacked it from either side with out weapons, sending it crashing to the ground.
Even as its body caved in on itself a horde of tiny creatures fled out from the corpse, most likely offspring we squashed as many as we could. A few more caverns and we located the remnants of the first team, there were strange plants all around them, it seemed that they were able to spit poison and paralyse any human or Newman who was foolish enough to get too near. Along side the other androids we dispatched the plants, undeterred by the strange shrieking sound they made when we cut them down. Soon the path was cleared and the humans and Newmans followed along, moving to tend to the dead and wounded and carrying them into pipes back to Pioneer 2 above. Shin silently searched, looking on for one face among the many.
His eyes lit for a moment when at last he found her, but darkened as he took note of her condition. Her clothes were dark and heavy with blood; it seeped from a number of open wounds and crept from the corner of her mouth. She was awake, and aware enough to recognise him when he moved over to her.
"Sakura!"
She looked up at him, forcing a smile…he tried to use a healing technique, Resta, but it had little effect. Over and over again he tried but each time the technique failed, the wounds were too great. I gripped his shoulder softly, reminding him of what had to be done, he looked up at me, eyes clearing for a moment before the familiar light pillars of a telepipe formed around him and with a flash they vanished into the light, transported to Pioneer 2 above. I did not follow at first; I simply stood looking among the bodies, searching for others that still might be alive. Among them I spotted a human girl, she looked similar in age to the girl who I had carried what seemed like an eternity ago.
A strange feeling formed inside me and I found myself determined that this one would not die. I lifted her into my arms and stepped forwards into the pipe before vanishing into the light. When I emerged upon the ship once more there were already medics waiting, one of them moved over to me, inspecting the girl held securely in my arms before motioning for me to place her on a waiting stretcher. I gently lowered her down onto the bed, and for a moment her eyes opened and looked up at me, for a moment I looked back at her with emotionless red eyes, for the first time in my existence being offered a silent gesture of thanks. Even as she was led away the medic assured me that she would be fine, perhaps the life I had saved today would wash away some of the blood on my hands.
My task completed I went in search of Shin, asking a medical android I was directed to the intensive care area where Shin sat. Sakura lay in one of the beds, various machines surrounding her, monitoring her vital signs. He didn't even look up as I approached; his gaze was locked upon her silent form, his lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes dead. When he spoke his voice was a shadow of what it was, hollow and devoid of emotion, reminiscent of my own synthesised tones.
"She's in a coma…they don't know when…or even if she'll ever wake."
I felt a strange tugging sensation then, an unfamiliar feeling, and one that I could not understand. Had I been human I would have said it was my heart yet I am an android and posses no such organ…another occurrence that I could not understand. My attention turned back to Shin, to his now silent form. Where it not for the slight movement of his torso signalling his intake and expulsion of breath one might have mistaken him for one of the dead. What had happened to Sakura had broken him, this much I understood. He was a broken puppet, an android with their power core torn out. Knowing almost nothing of what humans did in such situations I could only stand there and watch, empty red eyes regarding him unblinkingly from moment to moment.
I do not know how it happened but he was there one moment and then gone the next, when I went in search of him I found no trace. A medical android told me had left, although she could not tell me where he had gone. I departed the medical centre, going in search of him; first I travelled to their apartment thinking he may have gone there. When I arrived the lock was damaged, the door wedged open. I used my strength to pull it free and it slipped open allowing me to step inside. I searched for signs of what might have happened, of who could have done this to their home. As I searched the room I found that nothing appeared to have been taken but a number of items were broken and Shin's weapons were gone.
It was then I felt it, an unfamiliar sense of danger, and a dread foreboding…another human affliction. Uncertain of what it meant I headed in the direction of the teleporter, operating on what humans would call a 'hunch'. I made my way through the crowds of civilians towards the main gate, pausing only to question one of the guards. Trying to ascertain whether Shin had passed through there or not. The man gave his ascent; Shin had passed by a short while ago, apparently heading for the planet. I interfaced with the primitive computer that controlled it, seeking the destination. As soon as I saw it I stepped into the field and vanished…following him down into the Caves.
When I emerged from the teleporter my sensors almost immediately picked up the 'scent' of blood in the air. I followed it, tracking it through a series of caverns, each filled with the rotting corpses of the creatures that dwelled there. Mixed into the splashes of green ichor there were small red spots, traces of human blood. I hurried through the empty rooms, each time the splashes grew ever larger. Faster and faster I was moving, without even realising I had broken into a run…I tore through a door and found him there. Standing above the remains of a Grass Assassin, blade slack in his grasp, his clothing was slick with his blood. I could only watch as he walked over to the edge of the lava, staring down at the molten rock.
Too late I realised what he was planning to do…I ran faster than I ever had, leaping forward, catching him in my arms as my body contacted the surface. Feedback flared as my system registered considerable damage, the heat was already starting to melt my armour and already was affecting my internal systems. Forcing myself up with strength I never knew I had I pushed myself up, holding Shin with on arm as I did so even as molten armour dripped off my back. Shifting him into my arms I walked across the burning ground carrying my charge. Even as my internal repair systems fought to minimise the damage, to force me to shut down I kept on, never stopping until I was once again standing on the teleporter pad.
When I 'woke' next I was back on Pioneer 2, as I took in my surroundings I realised I was presently in the medical centre. I could hear voices to one side, one familiar one not.
"Mister, will the metal man be alright?"
"He'll be fine little one."
"That's good."
I finally sat up to see Shin sitting there, the human girl I had saved standing beside him, looking far better than she had before. She smiled at me and I once again felt an odd sensation beneath my chest plate, but unlike before this one was not bad. Having no way to express what I felt through my expressionless mask I simply bowed my head in response. The girl giggled and ran off leaving us alone. I turned my attention to where Shin sat, almost at once taking note of the scar that now adorned his face, a thin line of scar tissue running from just above his eye brow to about halfway down his cheek. The eye itself seemed undamaged, but for some reason the scar had not been healed. It seemed he noticed my scrutiny for his hand moved up to brush against his face, fingers tracing the length of the scar.
"My punishment. I promised her I wouldn't get myself killed…it looks like this is a permanent reminder…"
There was silence for a moment as neither of us said anything. Then, suddenly he slumped forwards, water leaking from his eyes as he 'cried' for her, all of the grief he had buried within himself coming out. When at last he wept no more he looked up at me, eyes red from the tears he had shed even as they glistened with a look of thanks. It was in that moment that I finally learned an important lesson…the meaning…of friendship.
AN: Until further notice the delays between chapters will be variable and potentially large. My job is currently making some fairly major demands on my time, which leave me less time to write, and mentally exhausted so I keep being unhappy with what I do come up with. I know a lot of you have been very patient and I appreciate the lack of reviews and e-mails begging for updates. I will do what I can but no promises…thank you all for sticking by me.
Thank you all,
Hououza
Chapter preread by That Other Guy