He ran through cyberspace, in his arms was whatever he had managed to grabbed from Rockman before he dissolved completely into null-data...
He had been about to inspect the unknown element when (that useless whimp again.) had burst out of nowhere, attacking him.
Probably to try and avenge his friend.
Forte only had the time needed to wrap the remains of the cyber-God in his cloak before absconding from there...but not before shooting down the red maidservant on his way out.
If it hit, Forte didn't care, he was still shaken by what had happened.
Sure he may be the most powerful Navi in the world wide web. And growing ever stronger as days went by...but how is one supposed to deal with the death of his rival? A death that had happen in front of his very eyes.
The look of sheer pain and helpless terror would usually give great pleasure to Forte, but...it had looked so wrong on Rockman.
He tried to process what the hell just happened. A Navi never died like that unless a virus was involved, and as far as he knew, no Virus had corrupted Rockman.
it...scared him. He admitted.
Rockman was a super-powerful Navi once his useless brat would stop slowing him down and finally start using the good, barely legal chips. And what to say about syncing? And all the styles he had.
Saito-style was an absolute beast, and would Rockman so wish, he could make the entire web-society bow in fear at his awesome power.
But now... All that was left was the unknown element. Something Forte's i.d program could not even identify when in close contact.
'Maybe...maybe it's something that only attacks those at the top of the food chain...' A shiver ran down Forte's spine.
He knew he was a menace, and he knew he was the most wanted Navi because humans and other weaklings couldn't tolerate having a free-roamer besting them all. Forte's strength was beyond what a mere Navi could reach, and only Rockman had reached this height...and more.
And now he was gone.
'Maybe I could try to get Proto-bitch to get on Rocku's level...' The idea was unappealing, Protoman was a notorious stick in the mud. And his NetOp...
Oh, don't get him started in that.
Eventually, Forte arrived at his one safe house in the hospital domain.
It wasn't much, some fluffy programs to make a surface bed like a floor table he could sit at and a pillow. He had his stash of interesting read...mostly his favourite security schematic and some stuff from the human culture he deemed interesting enough to salvage and study. other pictures he saved from the net...you know the one.
Real Lady-navis were hard to get by...and Forte was better than the trash they passed as cyber-dolls.
So... pictures it was then. And while this picture was of a human woman, he'd like to think of her as his sweet girl, his Imaginary wife that would greet him with love and affection.
He had found this picture in one of the Banking Machine around town. The one with the card lifter.
It gave him someone soft to talk to...someone who didn't have a hidden motive or fear...
And while Gospel was an Ok companion...he was a Bug...a powerful super-bug that Forte had managed to gain as an applet after soundly beating the wolf to a pulp.
It had been fun, and both came to an easy partnership.
Still...it was a wolf, and Forte was not those types of weirdos...he was his own type.
He came to his bed and deposited Rockman's remains. Freeing it from his cloak.
What remained of Rockman was...some type of rig...Forte would call it an armature, but it features were too...human, too flawless.
It was not a wire-frame either... a naked Avatar perhaps?
It was...basically Rockman without his Navi skin...in other words, it looked like a naked young boy that was...semi-translucent blue and glowing.
It still had a piece of its old helmet stuck on his head, and the old, Navi crest and some of its skin on...but otherwise, it was naked and...anatomically correct.
Forte covered the nubile form...too close to that of a child.
A thin, weak, helpless, shockingly human looking child.
'He looks like Rockman, Saito-style but...way too small.' The black and gold Navi realized. 'did he just-?'
No...this didn't make any sense.
'Alright Forte, this is real life, not one of those crazy fanfictions...think, what could've happened?'
And then...it hit him.
"Rocku?!" he asked as he stared at what remained to the cyber-God in sheer disbelief.
Where was he?...he was on a soft surface...his body was cold...he was cold... and the tube going down his throat was clear...he could breathe again...
he didn't want to be there...
He wanted Papa...
papa... Mama...
it had hurt so much...his heart...his chest...his head...
he was cold...so cold... like cold fire...
he wanted Papa...but...who was papa?
And who was he?
"Roku?"
Roku?
"Roku, wake up!"
Oh...there was a man speaking...he sounded worried...
this must be his Papa...and her must be Six!
He was Six...and his Papa wanted him to wake up!
And thus, Six woke up.
He was in a weird yet familiar place...it was cyberspace. He was on something soft and there was this big person with a finny black and gold helmet with a purple sharp cross on it.
He was staring at Six...he looked worried.
'This must be my Papa.' Roku deduced. Really, it made sense.
On the side of his Papa's face were some purple bands...and he wore a nice blanket.
His eyes were red...they looked worried and tired...
Six shivered, he felt cold. He curled up on himself and tried to smile at his papa.
His papa was worried, six didn't like seeing him worried.
"...Rokuman?"
His papa seemed confused, Six was just one boy, not six-man.
Not comfortable due to the cold water pressing on his skin, Six crawled onto his papa's lap and curled up under his cozy blanket. Holding onto his chest and his head to his papa weird badge thingy.
'It looks hurt.' The newly christened Six noticed as he ran a hand on the line that cuts through it. Making his papa flinch. 'poor papa.' He thought as he kissed the emblem better.
Six sighed happily...he still felt a bit cold, but now in his Papa's arms, he felt better.
"Ah...Rokuman?"
"Papa...I'm six...not Rockman." He sleepily stated as he snuggled closer to his Papa's heart.
He liked his papa...he was strong.
Meanwhile, Forte did his very best to compute what had just happened and what Rockman had just said to him. And did to him also...
He had felt this warm fuzzy feeling in his emblem...like...very warm, very fuzzy feelings.
And Rockman, his rival had...he had...
He had called him Papa...
Papa
"Who...who are you? Who am I." The newly activate Navi asked the man on the other side of the screen.
The bearded man looked tired and drawn, but also extremely happy.
"My name is Mikhail Cossack...But...you may call me Papa."
"Papa...you're my user?"
"No...not your user, my son. I'm your, Father, your Papa." Papa spoke with a strangled voice, his eyes seemed moist.
"What's a Papa? And I'm...a son?" He titled his head. The word sounded familiar somewhat. And yet, Son could not pinpoint form when it was.
"My son...A papa's someone who loves and raises a son...or a daughter."
"So...I'm your son and...you will love and raise me?" Son ask.
"And you...your named Ph...Forte." his Papa named him again. He seemed to be fighting not to sob. Water flowed from his eyes and nose and right into his facial hair.
Son Forte tilted his head, now more than confused. "So...am I son? A daughter or... Or Forte?"
Papa chuckled fondly as the water fell from his eyes and nose, dripping through his mustache. "You are my son, Forte...My precious son."
Forte closed his eyes...he'd thought he'd erased this particular memory.
He only felt hatred for the man...Nothing more.
He held Six in his arms...he had called him papa, his Papa...
In his core programming, Forte swore that he would...He would not make the same mistakes that poor excuse of a man did.
He would never betray Roku, he would love, protect him and raise the God back to his former glory. And together...
They would conquer the world.
"I see...so this is what happened." general Craft intoned. In front of him, forlornly sitting on a chair with his mother by his side was Netto. On the other was the other prodigy, Enzen.
The greying general made not of the youth's hair. It was clear he was maintaining the bi-coloured look with a bit too much zeal to be normal. 'Probably ain't aiming at being normal either. Poor kids got stuck in a job he doesn't want by a father...Nah, his old man doesn't deserve the title.' It was only years at training rookies and raising a few himself that the commander General of Netopia knew how to spot a future trouble teen.
But Enzen's understandable start of his rebellion was not what worried the wizened general...it was Netto and Rockman...
Or...Netto's reaction to Rockman's... Spontaneous Hard-reset.
It was not unheard of...but those Navi that suffered an SHR were the ones coming from a dubious source, and were practically mere A.I with a semblance of sentience.
Rockman was definitely more than that...he had true sentience.
Just like...them.
He had seen the duo work together and interact like a pair of brothers. Not like Enzen and his servant.
They had a bond...and, if Netto was telling the truth, this esoteric bond was still whole.
"So, did Protoman managed to scan what Forte was holding?" Craft spoke carefully, wary of Netto's reaction.
The poor boy had to report and review the last moment of his Navi... or whatever his PET had recorded from Cyber-space as Rockman got partially deleted.
It wasn't much, the little piece of amazing technology had managed to record until the blue bomber began to gasp for air, struggling to breathe -something a Navi should never do-and run as he sought medical assistance for a certain Maya (Zoya) Volnutt-Dei... a woman with no other previous paper trail save for a very recent Visa.
She hailed from Gauranga-land apparently, same as all of her family.
She had been extremely lucky Netto was not one of those spineless bitch to scared to approach a woman in labour. But still, it was yet another reason why Craft had given madam Hikari the number of a reputable child counsellor...again.
And that was where it stopped, for some reason...It seemed Rockman's connection to his PET had broken before the cascading failure. It was only due to Enzen's preemptive move to send Protoman to the Hospital server that had given the general...and the broken family a clue of what had happened next.
While Protoman had arrived on the scene after Forte, he had managed to catch the bastard doing something to a Hard-Reseting Rockman. And the next thing the red Navi knew...
He was holding a child...a glowing blue child that used to be Rockman.
In essence, that was the navi's core, what made him...him...but no really.
Rockman had died that day, deleted from his core. Whatever was left was but some aberrant Data...something that would act like a child and be easily killed.
And then, dazed, confused and pissed-off at Protoman (why hope for something different.) Forte had done something the general and the net-saver duo had never executed the proud Navi to do.
He fled to places unknown...with Rockman's highly dangerous aberrant data in tow.
"No sir... we're not even sure if it's even Rockman anymore," Enzen admitted, and from how tight he held his fist, it was clear he was barely holding his emotions in check.
Craft closed his eyes...this was why having kids enrolled as over-glorified mercenary guild just because they just so happen to be better then the so-called adult was a terrible idea.
Rockman and Netto were meant to have weird adventure for trying to get enough cash for the latest candies and toys, hunting for frogs and biking around Dedene town as they started to noticed girls...(or boys or whatever the hell they were attracted to.)...not save the world and risk their lives practically every month!
Fully trained man, able and willing to lay down their lives for others should...not two children.
They talked a bit more, planed for the unlikely retrieval, gave the empty promises to recuperate Rockman and sent everyone home...including himself after all the paperwork was done.
He missed his Neige...and his little Ciel.
Netto was back home...a home that always felt too big for only two.
His papa was never here...and Saito didn't exactly have a physical presence. Since he was, for all intent and purpose, a ghost in a machine.
And now...with Saito...Rockman gone and his mother busy with her friend...
He hated the place...
After they had arrived home, his Mama had held him close as he mourned. Sure, General craft and Blue had told him that not everything was lost, and Netto still felt the bond with his brother...but...
But what his papa had told him about Rockman and how unstable his existence was, kept replaying in his mind.
Right now... he had reset at being Saito...just Saito...and he was with Forte.
The black NetNavi could do whatever he wanted with him...even deleting him.
No Navi could return fully after being deleted. Even though backups and Data-recovery. What would be left was a husk with what amounted to a very basic and impersonal A.I...
He had seen so many of those in his home computer, like Fireman and colorman...moving, attacking, and that was it...just like mere programs.
'Is this...it happened to Rockman.' Netto realized as he circled up against his mother's side, taking shelter in her loving embrace. And since his deceased brother was beyond powerful...
Those rogue copies had the terrible habit of causing devastating damage to the net and those who existed there, their power double and sometimes triple what it had been at base state.
He curled up tighter... If Rockman's default style was that of Saito now...and if he had turned like those abominations...
They were doomed...Forte had a superweapon in his hands...
He hated Humans...
Netto Sobbed as his mama gently massaged his scalp...She would be dead soon, as were his friends and neighbour...
He knew of not Navi who could...who could...
'Papa...why didn't you let Saito die! Yous should've never...why did you have to make him my Navi!'
And thus he cried until he fell asleep in his mother's lap. Feeling powerless...
When he woke up...he was all alone again, in his bed.
It was night outside...and he knew he had school tomorrow, he could not afford to skip class just because...just because his Navi suffered a software failure.
Netto got up...and went to his mama's bedroom...only to find it empty.
He felt so alone...
The first time Rockman had seemingly died, his Mama had always been there for him, letting him sleep in her bed...and helping him deal with the side-effected of enduring enough radiation to kill an adult.
There had been no explanation for that, but Netto figure he just was that awesome.
But...he was not awesome enough to stay in an empty house...
he went down the stairs...the whole house was dark and foreboding now...as if filled with ghosts.
He went to the fridge, he was thirsty...and he wanted to drink some fresh water. He also wanted to check if his Mama had left him a note or anything.
Indeed, his mama had left something this time.
Hey, my dear hero, Mama had to go to her friend again...my friends may have...they may be able to recuperate Rockman.
I will be back sometime tomorrow.
Don't forget your schoolwork. I already called the principal, you have a few days off, but don't waste them playing video games.
Plenty of love and kisses, your mama that loves you.
P.S you are the strongest young-man I've met in my entire life. I'm proud of you.
Netto took the message...And let it fall on the ground.
He wanted...He wanted mama...
He wanted to be with people...
he closed the fridge and exited the empty house from the back door, making his way to the Volnutt-Dei Family home. He went through his yard, a small drizzle fell on him...and it was cold. His barren feet finding each and every pebble and sharp stick that littered the ground.
He...his heart told him to get there...
He crossed his friend's yards, the grass was wet, muddy and cold, it seemed to take forever to reach the Volnutt's residence. And when he did... he met with a closed-door...
Should he let himself in? It was...so late at night. And Moiya just had her babies and...
Netto felt so stupid right now...and wet. And he had no idea how the fearsome four could play outside barefooted for so long.
Then...he saw and heard some movement from inside the house. 'Oh...uh...maybe I should leave?' He didn't want to leave...he didn't want to return to his empty house...he didn't want to remain alone.
The sliding door opened, and Bhuteshvara was there, staring at Netto with wide eyes. "N...Netto-Prabhu! What are you doing here?" The sickly young man asked, his eyes wide under his white glasses.
Now...Netto really felt stupid. He was a big, grown-up boy. Practically the man of the house, the saviour of the net, and the world! He could stay in the empty house...
He should stay in his house...
The next thing he knew, Bhuteshvara had grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside. And in his arms.
It was then that Netto realized how cold he felt, he was shivering...and tears fell from his eyes.
"It's alright Netto...Were all here for you." The shorter boy spoke soothing words.
Netto melted in his warm arms, he was shaking, whether due to the cold or from emotions...he didn't know, and he didn't care.
Suddenly, there was a hiss, and Bhuta gasped as he released his friend and grabbed the milk off from the stovetop. "He Yashoda, Yashoda!" He took the frothy pan and deposited it on the marble counter-top. He looked at the overflowing vessel, then at the closed altar...and finally at Netto.
The pale boy gave an amused huff as he grabbed the container of brown sugar and two silver goblets, he mixed quite a few tablespoons of the sweetener, gave it a stir and poured it in the two silver cups went to the altar of Gaura-Nitai and offered the milk...after putting a Tulasi leaf in it.
Meanwhile, Netto looked around the dining area and found a clock...it was a bit past midnight.
'Yesterday...this was my last moment with my brother...' It may have been the second time he had lost Rockman...but the feeling never changed, it was still as painful.
It still felt like half of his heart had been roughly yanked away...and thorn to pieces.
"Netto?" Bhuta called out to his friend. " Ah...Please sit down. I'm just offering the milk...ah...right!" He closed his eyes, clapped his hands and took the goblet laden tray, poured the content in two mugs, cleaned everything he had used and returned to Netto's side with two mugs filled with sweet, warm milk.
For his part, Netto didn't sit down...he was just watching Bhuta work...
He just...Netto just...
He was not alone anymore.
As quickly as he could, Bhuteshvara was back beside Netto, handing him the pipping hot mug of milk. "Here...drink it...when you can handle the temperature," Bhuta spoke as he sat beside his friend. His own mug in his hands.
Netto grunted as he leaned onto his Devotee friend. The spiritual atmosphere of the house, the warm milk and his presence chasing the cold feeling he had in his heart.
Neither of them spoke, Bhuta's presence was enough. Both young boys drank their milk in companionable silence. And soon, Bhuta left to clean the mugs.
Then he grabbed Netto's hand and lead him to his room.
He made the older boy change in Pajama...washing his feet of the mud he had gathered and apologizing for not thinking about doing this earlier and tucked him in his own Futon.
As the young, sickly boy was about to move away, Netto grabbed his wrist. "Stay, please." he weakly pleaded. "I don't...I don't want to be alone."
Bhuta looked at him for a bit, then he removed his glasses and crawled in the bed beside the older boy. Netto wrapped his arms around him, holding Bhuta close as he kept his ear on his heart.
He could hear a strong heartbeat... It was steady...unless he would breathe but otherwise, it was a very normal heartbeat.
" I thought you had...I thought you had HBD..." Netto murmured against the sickly boy's chest, letting the sound of life soothe his soul.
"I...I had." Bhuta revealed as he gently caressed Netto's tousled hair. "In my country, HBD's scary, but...it's only a bit worst than an appendicitis." He explained.
"Oh...but...I thought Gauranga-land was an underdeveloped country," he explained, lulled by the song of Bhuta's heart.
The Vaishnava chuckled. "yeah...we do not have big cars and factories, but that's because we care more about the environment and our people's spiritual growth and welfare more than economic development. We also have a pretty good cure for cancer; cow urine!" the young boy declared with undeniable pride.
"Uh..."
"And we also know how to cure death," Bhuta mentioned, goading his friend to ask more.
"You...can cure death?" Netto asked. Bot incredulous and hopeful.
"Oh yes...it's actually very easy." The younger boy nodded wisely. "You just have to chant the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra."
"Really? That's why you sing it?" Netto asked.
"Partly...this Mantra's so potent, anything you wish will come true if you sing it," Bhuta whispered to Netto conspiratorially.
Once again, hope grew in Netto's simple heart... "You mean...I could wish my brother to be alive and...and not a Navi and...it would work?"
"Oh, Absolutely Netto," Bhuta assured. "The Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra is literally God's phone number, and nothing's impossible for Him."
"...Can you prove it?" The young net-saver asked, he may feel tired and on the verge of falling asleep, but he knew when something was too good to be true.
"I'm alive..."
Those two words were enough for Netto...
"Netto...wanna chant with me?" Bhuta asked gently.
"Yeah.." Netto nodded, at this point, he was willing to do anything to Get Saito back. "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna..." He prayed to God for the impossible... on his back and with palms folded.
'O God...O Krishna...please bring my brother back, bring him back from the dead...I want Saito Back...'
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
And thus they chanted and prayed with all of his heart until the warm milk and the Maha-Mantra lulled Netto in an easy sleep...away from his alarm clock and the treat that was Saito-style under Forte's control.
On the Volnutt's family altar, Gauranga and His Brother exchanged merciful and mischievous glances. Taking their night garlands of dandelions, they threw it to the floor in front of the altar.
"So be it?" Nitai asked his brother.
"So be it!" The Supreme and most merciful personality of Godhead confirmed, his will spurring material nature, his maidservant to arrange for a miracle.
A few hours later, Ekachakra das woke up...it was morning this time.
He grunted...he had forgotten this part of the deal about raising babies...
speaking of which, his two new daughter were finally peacefully sleeping beside his beloved Maya.
He had forgotten how small newborns could be...and those two little girls were minuscule!
'Oh my lord, you once again gave us two souls...two of your devotee's to serve. I'm so small and insignificant. My wife is more powerful then me, I...Oh Lord Krishna, please give me the strength to protect your family, may my arms, by buster and everything I think belong to me be used is your service..." He meekly prayed to Sri-Krishna as he beheld the two little baby girl swaddled in their blanket. And his God sent wife...
He may have a Guru, but Ekachakra's wife was the one who thought him what causeless love and devotion truly was, something he would never have realized would he have stayed a mere brahmachari.
She would serve him without asking anything in return...simply because she saw him a servant of Krishna. And then , she bore him quadruplet...even after the disastrous first pregnancy. And now...just because they foster child challenged Krishna to bring his little sister back...
She did...Moiya had broken a few principle just to give two souls a chance to know Krishna and go back home, back to Godhead even if it meant becoming bloated and practically unmoving again. And gained the honnor of giving birth to an eternally liberated soul... the reason for this amazing and rare occurence was simple.
His wife's love for Krishna was such, that the Lord would send her good souls to help with the liberation of all the conditioned souls.
And he who loved God loves the world.
And then this love...this amazing amount of love his Maya had extended to their neighbour's curious sons, the Navis of her net protection Guild and...Ekachakra.
The husband that was rarely home, the one would could only bring a paltry amount of money since he could never find a steady job. The husband who had gone through some ordeals that made him...Shy away at her touch sometime.
Ekachakra once again folded his palm and send his deepest, most sincere prayers of gratitude to the Lord. Knowing that Krishna was the one taking care of his dear and saintly Moiya and the rest of the nitya-siddhas that consist of his family. Then he gently kissed his wife, and his two new daughters... and while they were still unnamed, Moiya had called baby number one Croire. And the second one Pandora, for she was the last to come out of her blessed womb...
Ekachakra had argued that it would've been better to call her Espoire then, but Maya had retorted that it would help convince Prometheus that this little girl was indeed his returned sister...
She had a point.
Moiya stirred a bit and gave a sleepy smile. "Hmmm...Morning Prabhu..." she sleepily mumbled, a soft smile on her lips. "Sleep well?"
"Not really, Croire was fussy...or was it Pandora?"
"It was Croire, Pandora's quiet," Moiya stated as she got up and took up her old flip phone. "Hmm...it's three..."
"you can sleep more if you need. You just gave birth yesterday." Eka stated as he got off from the floor and stretched. "Your still contaminated...you don;t need to wake up at three until you feel ready." the dark-haired man gently spoke as he rubbed the sand out of his eyes.
His wife still looked extremely sleepy. "But...how ;bout my other kids...they want their mama too!" She pouted as gravity pulled her back to her pillow.
"Moiya...rest more, I'll take care of the kids today." He assured the mother of all his children...Krishna's children.
"Are you sure, Prabhu? After the attack yesterday the net will be in shamble."
"Yes...and there's enough Net-Saver to make sure those dummies won't attack the communication and the hospital again." He once again assured his beloved wife as he petted her silky soft hair.
It was so long...thank Krishna she had some control over them, otherwise managing such a mass would require a maidservant...
He barely made enough to ensure his family would have enough food, to add a maidservant to the mix...
'No, Eka...Srivasa Thakura never went to beg. And he was never a poor man...Krishna will provide everything...as always.' He reminded himself. From the house, the clothing on their back and the food they would have, they never ran out...
And this, Eka knew, was because of the Faith his saintly wife had in Sri-Krishna.
"Alright...if you say so..." Maya mumbled as she curled protectively around her two newborn, and fell asleep ...Eka knew this slumber would be cut short in either five of thirty minutes by Pandora...or maybe Croire...
He smiled at the sight and got up from the floor and to his feet, unbothered by the cold surface...but still planing to by his beloved wife and children nice warm slippers.
Amerope was a much colder country compared to Bharata-Varsa.
He climbed up the stairs, he could already hear Hari-Priya bickering with Lavanga about the role of woman in society...
Eka shook his head, this was still one of the hot topic debated by the Isckon preachers. But in the blue Netizen's opinion, all had a role to play, a Role Krishna had given them. Most woman were happier at home, playing the role of a housewife like his dear Maya...when she felt like it. While some other's would rather remain alone like his sister, who would rather focus on serving her Krishna then raising children, something she admitted would be terrible at.
Both woman were following their nature, and both woman used those nature at the service of God, Krishna. Meaning both woman were perfect.
Of course, His Maya was a born warrior, and, before her pregnancy, would go out on Virus busting spree in the Desire three server auxiliary servers.
She would also take this opportunity to preach there, but it was clear she was a woman of action. This propensity had somewhat diminished after giving birth and raising four kid.
...somewhat.
Eka emerged from the basement, the house, a gift from one of his client, was quiet saved from the aforementioned debate. And since Hari-Priya and Lavanga were talking in hush tone, then it meant either Partha or Bhuta were using the upstairs washroom.
The house had two bathroom and a water closet. One was in the basement, the other one at the upper floor and the water closet at ground level. The bathroom Maya had given birth in was Japanese style...as was the one at the top. And this one belonged to her until she could come out of her contamination period...in a month or so. After that, it would be the nursery and finally...it would be the girl only part of the house.
Once again, Ekachakra das praised the Lord for the magnificent house. It had everything his family needed... Save a Hare Krishna Temple nearby and a community of devotees.
when he married Maya, he had expected to have two, maybe three children top over the course of a few years.
He didn't expect her to attract four souls at once...and Eka didn't expect to have that much potency.
Well, her first pregnancy ended in tears...but, his saintly wife simply told her dear Prabhu that the body that came out had been her previous sins...and that she was now ready to host sages and eternally liberated souls in her wombs.
Well...it seemed the Lord deeply appreciated her undying enthusiasm to be the mother of His children, since he gave Maya four in one shot...
And Ekachakra das would never had it any other ways.
He went up the stair to the second floor bathroom, their he saw Hari-priya talking to Lavanga-Manjari in a quieter tone, it was clear they had given up on their hot topic and went to something safer and nicer to speak during the early morning hours.
Like how they would pray to Krishna-Balarama so that they may be able to rescue Rockman from Forte's grip...and how they would sneak in the web and personally go and look for the sixth son of the Volnutt-Dei family.
Yes...Netto and Rockman, as the per the decision of his children, were now part of their family. Meaning both boys now had eight guardians who would look after them.
Still He could only pray himself for God to protect his adventurous children. For the net was not a safe as it used to be.
Eka could not see either Partha or Bhuta...usually, Bhuta would be the first in the shower, for his heart could not handle the thermic shock. But he didn;t see his little ghost in the living room either...
And Prometheus was also missing...
"So...planning a rescue operation already?" He broke in, surprising his two scheming daughter.
"Ah! Pitha! Hare Krishna!" Both of his daughters exclaimed as then went to touch his feet.
Ekachakra picked up both of his precious little girl of the floor...Krishna precious maidservants , and smelled their heads a few time.
It was supposed to be three...but really, he could keep Lala and Priya in his arms forever, protecting them from the big dangerous worlds they live in until they would return back home, back to Godhead.
Of course...he knew their destiny was not one of peaceful practice, for they were like their mother...And Hari-Priya had practically been her spitting image before her first trip into the net.
"Dad! Let us go!" His green wind fairy pushed his face away. "Your beards too ruff."
"Your a beard monster!" his sweet mermaid piped up. "Shave! It's not Chaturmasia yet!"
Ekachakra chuckled...His Hari-Pryia and Lavanga-Manjari may be net-warriors...but they would always be his little baby girls...
'Oh Krishna...I don;t deserve them...' He thought as he released his daughter's...Krishna's devotee's sent to deliver him and his entire family.
Then...he asked the very important Question. "Lava...where's Bhuta? Is he-"
"He's fine Papa." His blue mermaid assured him. "Gauranga wanted some warm milk last night, so he went down and Netto-Prabhu was outside in the rain."
Ekachakra's brows went up to his hairline.
"Basically, Doyal-Nitai and Vijaya-Chaitanya knew Netto was coming in disturbed, so they had Bubu make him some sweet warm milk. He's still sleeping with him." Hari-Pryia finished just as he brother opened the door and also paid his obeisances to his father.
Ekachakra proceeded to to the same procedure with Partha-Sharathi that he did with his two daughter.
"Hey dad...Netto's sleeping with-"
"I know Pandu, your sister already told me." Ekachakra spoke with a smile at the fallen expression his youngest son wore. "Alright, you girls go and take your shower, I will check with Bhuteshvara...and how about-"
"Prometheus went to Netto's house before you woke up." Lavanga piped up. " I thought he would be back soon but...well, i think he may be sniffing around their stuff."
"That, or he's looking for Netto-Prabhu's tooth brush and extra-cloth." Hari-Priya pipped up. "and his homework."
"I see." Ekachakra murmured. "Alright...another interesting morning then." he mumbled more to himself as he made his way to his Bubu's room. In front of the close doors, he could hear his more 'fragile' son recite his Japa.
Now, usually, when dealing with a deities, prayers and Mantra, bathing before performing those sacred act was mandatory. But not with the Maha-Mantra. For the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra was to be chanted in any condition.
Whether clean or unclean, saintly pure or the most sinful, with a heart filled with material desire or completely liberated. It mattered not, for the Lord in his sound form would always bestow his blessing upon the chanters.
And after waking up from sleep, the body was certainly filthy, for night was the time it would clean itself, releasing toxins trough the pores.
Ekachakra gently opened the door of his eldest son room, the smell of sleep was prevalent, something rare for his Little Gudakesha. Having being blessed with the need of practically no sleep...and no adverse effect either. Peering in, he saw that his eldest was on his back, his Japa-bag on his left hand and Netto's tousled head on his heart. The overly young Net-saver was deeply sleeping, holding Bhuta like one would a body pillow.
Ekachakra gently slid into the room, careful not to make any sound as to not rouse their super heroic neighbour. But he made sure his little ghosty knew he was there.
"Oh...Pitha, Hare Krishna." Bhuteshvara whispered. "Look, Netto's back..."
"I can see that." Ekachakra whispered with a fond smile, really, this young saviour had wormed his way to his and his dear wife's heart. And it was clear what had happened to his cyber-fae had left his brother in shock.
Still, while it was selfish of him...Ekachakra would never say no to another son, even if he was of another family and sub-species entirely.
A soul was a soul, after all. The vessel was but an external feature.
He knelled beside his sons bedding. Netto looked tired, and it was clear he had cried to sleep. Clutching his first born as if he was a lifesaver.
"Pitha...Netto...he told me his brother...like his actual blood brother in Rockman." his Bhuta revealed in a whisper. "Their something going on with his Family...something...that may have to do with the...with them."
Ekachakra frowned. "So...commander Elipzo was right, Mister...or miss Hikari may be have some link with the cyber-fae trafficking ring."
"I think it may be mister Hikari...Netto's Grandpa...he has a lot to say, but he won't speak." Bhuta yawned. "He...he's mad at his son but...but he still want to protect him."
His little ghosty may not need to sleep, but he still needed to rest.
"Alright Gasper. I'll check onto this. I think you can stay were you are until Netto's ready to wake up...does he have school?" Eka asked.
"Yeah, he does..." Bhuta grumbled. " but you know how bad the educational system is, right?"
Their Acharia had called schools slaughterhouses for the souls. For they only taught dead subjects like sense gratification, atheistic science and useless labour for a box and an empty plot of land with a stone on top...and it neglected the real part of education.
Character building, morality and most impotently; Krishna Consciousness, the supreme goal of eternal life.
"You know what? I'll ask Prometheus to get me his homework, I wouln't mind adding him to our little homeschooling program."
Bhuteshwara gasped in great joy, causing Netto to stir. His eldest clamped his mouth shut as he gently petted Netto's head, and soon enough, the pre-teen was back to his slumber.
"I'll take that as a yes. And if he likes it, we could...I'll talk to his mother about it." Ekachakra promised his beloved son, getting up from his crouch. He walked out the room and closed the door as quietly as possible. When he turned around, he managed to catch his two precious daughter exiting the bathroom together.
"Ok dad, your turn...by the way, Prometheus is back." Lavanga piped up, swaddled in her gamsha.
"Yeah...he should be assisting mom with Croire and Pandora," Hari-Priya informed her father as she also returned to her shared room, Holding hands.
Unlike the frost resistant Lavanga, his Harini wore a warm and fluffy bathrobe and slippers.
"Alright, thank you. I'll see you soon." And with that he also entered the bathing facility, more then ready to wash of the dust and grim he had accumulated as he slept upon the cold basement floor. And after that, he had an adopted son to speak to, and a very secure home computer to break into...
A he removed his dirty cloth, Ekachakra das could only pray to the Lord that He wouldn't find incriminating evidence. He would hate to see Netto's family life get worst then what it already was.
Suddenly, he heard his Hari-Priya yelp in surprise, obliviously waking up the two newborns.
"Harini!" and that was his wife. "...no, ok...sorry I yield." she then apologized. Ekachakra could just hear her shame and grogginess.
It was clear Maya was still struggling with, as she and all the other women at the new mother's group would call pregger-brain.
Then came the sound of two of his progeny running down the stair and clamouring how Gaura-Nitai had thrown their night garland on the floor.
He sighed...there was no way Netto could sleep through that.
In sci-lab, Yuchiro sat in front of a computer...it was not in his main lab, it was hidden from few.
The particular lab he was in...was one of those few the government would say didn;t exist. It was were, in its propitiatory Ethernet that Yuichiro, with his father's hint, had found Saito...
No...this was wrong. He didn't find Saito again...He always knew his son was there.
His father had simply given him the order to release his son...for the experiment had to continue, the next step had to be taken.
Saito had always been there...sleeping...dreaming of his numerous adventure in cyber-space.
In the dark lab was a sealed thank, in there..the Hikari's sin slept on. Not quite alive...but not quite dead.
The best scientist in sci-lab sighed as he gently laid a hand on the tank. He was still not ready...still not ready to let go...to make Saito go to the next step.
But one day, he would...
for the earth...for humanity at large.