AN.: Okay, this took longer than I expected, so I am afraid of how long the next one will take. Oh, also, I will joke around with the weird attraction the guardians have with Zero when the later appear.

Anyway, enjoy.

Sdarkynecro : Oh, no worries. I plan in having her, Vent and Ashe in the story. Though it will take a while for them to appear.

Disclaimer : I do not own Megaman or any of the characters here.

The start of things

I sigh very discreetly as my sister abruptly get up, loudly hitting the table we are sat with her open palms as she have a glaring contest with one of our brothers. My sister uses a blue armor and is the only one in the household who can actually swim properly and the brother who is glaring at her uses a red armor and carry his two big busters on his back.

I look with the side of my eye to our oldest brother, who is with his arms crossed and uses a purple armor and a white mask-like helmet, and he simply shrug to me as we watch our siblings' discussion play out.

" But we could just put them in a cell hold until we found a way to turn them back to normal! " Our sister argues, trying to make the red armored reploid see her point in why we shouldn't kill the Mavericks, and the gun user just sneer as he lean forwards, and narrow his eyes a little.

" Are you even using your CPU? Master X, along with his two partners, tried to find a way to make Mavericks come back to normal and they didn't manage to do that. " He hiss, annoyed, and I shake my head in resignation and get up, seeing that this would get nowhere, as Phantom, who is just watching with interest as they discuss, give me a glance and chuckle slightly as he sees me turning and starting to walk away.

If those two are going to keep discussing this the entire afternoon, then it will not be I who will watch them do so. It has been a very tiring week and I just want a little bit of peace before the enemies decide to attack once more.

" That doesn't mean we can't find the cure! " I process Leviathan's desperation to show Fefnir that she doesn't want to kill anyone, and feel slightly bad for her to have to go against her wishes, but...

" Are you implying that you are more capable than the three heroes of the Maverick and Elven Wars? " I take a deep calming breath when I hear Phantom joining the discussion, and very annoyed and indignant if his tone is anything to go by, but keep making my way to the door, with my step as steady as before.

" W- What? Of course not! " Our sister says, not believing in the statement she just heard aimed at her, and I reach the door. I stop near the exit, letting the automatic device take its time to open up, and turn half of my body to them, taking advantage that I had gained their attention by making the door open.

" We were ordered to kill the Mavericks by Master X. " I state simply, with an unemotional voice, and the red clad reploid turn a victorious smirk to the blue clad one, who is with her head lowered. The purple armored guy nod sagely to me and I turn my back to them as I look outside, pondering if I should or not say the next thing, but I don't think any harm will come from a simple phrase. " But I suppose that, if someone did find the cure and showed it to him, he would change his strategy. " I add, with a small smile on my face, before I exit the room, leaving the three of them to ponder about what I said.

I am sure our Master would change his orders if they found a cure for the guys going Maverick. He is, after all, very kind and caring. Though... The Copy that is in his place right now isn't like him. Should I even follow what- No. No, that is too far. I must heed his orders as I would with the original Master X. He is a perfect copy, so he must- is doing the right things.

I sigh as a headache start to appear and, taking advantage that I am in an area of our home that is full of windows; I open one of them and jump off. I turn my wings' energy on and swiftly get my balance right before I start flying to the place I wanted to go for the entire week but couldn't.

I fly over half of Neo Arcadia, since we live at the main tower of city which is right on the middle of it, and pass through some clouds, cooling down to not overheat myself in the blasting sun. In what seemed to be not even a minute to me, but obviously have been two or so since I usually take this long to get here. I hover down on the ground, which is covered by metallic plates on some parts because the normal ground is too bumpy and full of deep holes that were dangerous for humans, and let out a happy smile when a strong wind blows.

Sighing and finally relaxing, I start making my way to the small lake this place has and, once I am at its edge, I sit near it and carefully pick up a stone and, after aiming it, I throw the rock and start counting how many times it skips on the water's surface.

One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... S- Oh. It wasn't even near my record. I guess I am really tired to not manage to get my average number either...

I pick another stone up, aim and, when I am going to throw it, my sensors pick up a weird signature, I jump up, with my hearing system functioning at its max, and I make my way to where the sound had come. When I see a weird grey, almost silver, haired kid with dark orange shorts, a weird thing around his neck and white shoes with orange and yellow adornments, I feel suspicion filling me as I give him a warning look just in case.

At that time, I was trying to relax and had that chance crushed by him and a Maverick, but it had never passed through my mind that I would come across someone so strong willed and determined as him.

I jump high in the sky when a berserk Maverick tried to hit me by throwing a boomerang-like blade and, before its weapon can go back to him, I fall on the ground, right in front of him, and bring my swords up in a crossed slash that cut him easily, since his armor wasn't that strong. As soon as I cut him, I promptly turn to the building that kid had just entered, which is being engulfed by the flames caused by the explosion of one of the enemies. Sighing, I duck to dodge the weapon coming back and it pass over me and end up hitting one of the Mavericks that Aztec Falcon, one of the best robots in my equip, is fighting.

I get up just when the copy-kid jump off the third floor's window with a kid and an elder woman on his arms. I get slightly impressed by how far he would go for people he doesn't even know before I dash to near him as he release the two, a human and a reploid, and tells them to go away, look for a safe place to stay.

Once he see they will go away, he turn back to the building and I can't help but ask him something. " Why are you helping people who you don't even know? " I question him rather quietly but his green eyes turn to me and he seem surprised by my question. Suddenly, he start laughing goodheartedly and I feel quite stupid when he does so, feeling that he is laughing at me, and I frown to him as I narrow my eyes.

" You know, a good friend of mine's asked me that once too! " The weird reploid tell me and I make my frown disappear as I raise my brows in surprise. So, he was laughing at the memory he has of his friend. " I'll answer you the same way. I don't need a reason to save lives. " I widen my eyes in pure surprise at his response and he just grin slightly to me before he turn back to the building and goes towards it, probably to save more people before the building collapses or they die of asphyxia.

" Master X, why do you go to such lengths to make sure humans and reploids are all living the best they can? You don't need to do that, you can just rest now that there is no war. "

" Harpuia... Why do you help your siblings? "

" Because I can aid them with what they need. Why would I just leave them there while I can do something? "

" There you are. "

" Huh? "

" You just answered your own question. ' Why would I leave them there while I can do something? ' "

I laugh lightly to myself when this memory replay itself to me and shake my head. This was a chat we had soon after I was first awoken, when I was still too young. To think that it happened so long ago...

I look at the building and dash in there, after the copying reploid, and I am surprised by the way the things are right now. I probably can't make my way to the third floor by the stairway. I look around, trying to see another way up, and just because of that did I see the ceiling falling near the far wall. I get alarmed by that fact and narrow my eyes as I exit the building before I activate my wings and fly to the third floor easily and almost circle the place until I find his signal. After making sure that there isn't a person near the wall, I bring my blades up and hit the wall with a good portion of my strength, bringing it down easily.

When the wall collapses, a giant cloud of black smoke and ashes come out, forcing me to cover my mouth and nose before I force the wind around me to move, using one of the features I used to clean the air and move the clouds around in my early days. Once the cloud dissipates, I enter the building and I get slightly smug when I see the kid's surprised face as he gape and a blond girl with lab clothes look at me with wide eyes and with slight awe and I widen my eyes when I recognize her.

" Miss Ciel! What are you doing here?! " I cry out, worried about her current health, and she give me a sheepish smile before a part of the ceiling collapses just before her, making my system stop for a second or so before I dash towards her as the copying reploid hold her waist with his left arm and hold her up.

" Excuse me, but can you two chat after we are out of the building? " The boy speak, distressed, and I compose myself again and nod, seeing his point, and he dash past me with a very surprised and interested Ciel on his hold, and I follow him as soon as he jumps, what makes the blond scientist grab his left arm as they fall on the ground.

I hover to the ground as the building we were in start to fall and I twist my nose in disgust at the smell of smoke and ashes before I fly to the duo. I take a hold of weird reploid's neck thing, which have something that look like two plug-ins, and pull him up a little, earning myself a startled shout from said reploid, and take us away from where the cloud of smoke was raising, being careful to not be too far from the ground.

" -cough- Hey! -cough-hack- Where are you taking us?! " I ignore his cry as he bring his right hand up and cover his nose and I widen my eyes when I feel a difference on the air current near us, what makes me, ungracefully, drop all of us on the ground as an energy arrow pass through just where we were.

I easily hit the ground standing, by duking my knees to not damage them, as the other two hit it on their side, seeing that the copying reploid let go of Ciel when they were falling, and I promptly look up to see who attacked us.

When I spot a crow-like maverick flying over us in a circle-like motion, I narrow my eyes and turn to the other two, who are sitting up, and raise my right hand above my shoulder, to get my saber. " You. Take Miss Ciel away from here and keep her safe. " I warn the copying reploid and he open his mouth slightly, probably to ask something, before he narrow his eyes slightly and look up. Once he spot the maverick, he close his mouth and nod.

" Leave that to me. " He answers and I turn my attention away from him as I grab my other saber and pull them out of their scabbard, promptly lightening them up as I activate my wings and propellers. Once I am high enough, the enemy laugh maniacally as he stop flying on circles.

" Well, well! Look who we have here! " The Maverick speak with a very crazed look on his face and I narrow my eyes a little bit as I, careful to not get his attention to this maneuver, start clearing the air around us, so I can see him better than just a different colored blotch on the black smoke. " To think that I would be the one to retire the Commander of the Rekku Gundan! Hahaha, the others will seethe in jealousy! " He cracks out and I huff, annoyed by his voice and conduct.

" You seem sure of yourself. How can you tell it isn't going to be the other way around? " I retort, with a neutral tone, and he seem to get his feathers ruffled by that as he ready his arm again, transforming it into a bow and he start storing energy in it, forming an arrow that look just like the one I dodged earlier.

" Don't you dare look down on me! I am the strongest one of my division! " The crow cry out, with his bow-arm trembling, probably in fury, and I smirk slightly when I notice I managed to destabilize his mind state with a simple comment. It seem that Phantom's technic does work very well with certain enemies.

" That is a relief. Since you don't seem that strong, I suppose my squad can take care of the rest with no problems whatsoever. " I speak clearly more relaxed and, to my small delight, he let out a battle cry before he adjust his propellers, flying straight to me now and not just hovering where he was.

I easily dodge his tackle with simply flying higher and he just manage to stop some good meters away. I turn to face him again, still not having to lift my blades, and he seethe to me before he turn his other arm on a bow too, making me raise an eyebrow. So, that is why his arms and wings are two separate parts, so he can attack more often, unlike Aztec Falcon who has to top and transform his wings into his weapon.

" I'll make you eat those words! " The Maverick cry out to me and I sigh, exasperated, as I propel myself towards him while using my full speed. Before the guy can lock his arms on me, I am already in front of him, with my arms poised for a dual-diagonal slash. Using my momentum, I spin on my center of gravity, when a normal fighter would have stopped fully, and turn the attack much stronger than it should have been.

With a cry of pain, the Maverick lose a bit of height and I promptly aim my blades to him, preparing to stab him with both of my swords. Juts when I would dispose of him, a weird current of air hits me before I reach the enemy, throwing me off balance and hurling me to a nearby building, which is in flames but luckily still with its base firm.

I wince when my right side connect with the wall of the metallic structure and that almost forces me to let go of one of my blades. I separate my right side from the wall easily, leaving some dents in it, as I balance myself again in the air and turn to my opponent, just to be surprised by three arrows coming straight to me. Before I can move, I see a lightning bolt come downwards from the clouds and I widen my eyes when I recognize that move as mine, even though I don't use it that much, and destroy all of the arrows when they touch it.

How can it be?

" You okay there? " A voice asks me from slightly below and I look down, just so I can see whom it was, and I almost gape when I see myself there. W- What is this sorcery? With a grin, my double fly up and stop besides me as he take his blades out and lighten both up. " Let's finish them! " He tells me as he turn his face to me and give me a grin I recognize quite easily, what makes me relax a little and ponder when he managed to copy my data. Maybe it was while we fought.

" And Miss Ciel? " I question him before we do start fighting and he give me a look before he sighs, probably expecting my inquiry, as I turn my attention back to my enemy, who is with a small crow robot besides him and I finally know what changed the current of air. That small robot must have a strong pair of propellers in its wings.

" Safe with someone called Fefnir. She said you knew him, so it was okay to come back. " I huff, slightly humored, and feel more at ease with that reply, knowing that the win is already ours if my brother is already here. Smiling slightly, I adjust my balance again start hovering besides the copying reploid, who seem to be analyzing our enemies and I do the same.

The guys is aiming his arrows to us and the crow robot come towards us like a torpedo, but I easily manage to see his movement because I can fly faster than that if I want, and I just propel myself a bit to intercept him as my double fly towards the main enemy.

I, without hesitation, let one of my missiles out, where I am, and fly higher, allowing the robot to go straight to it and receive a high voltage shock and be retired immediately. Taking advantage of the fact that the air is cleaner now, I watch as the copying reploid fly around the Maverick, seemingly still getting accustomed with my propellers, and I sigh a little amused as he manage to dodge one of the arrows, by pure luck if his surprised face means anything.

Taking advantage that the enemy seemingly think he is fighting me, I start gathering my energy at the tips of my blade. When I feel there is enough stored on them, I make a crossed slash in front of me and a purple wave of lightening, with the form of an X, make its way to the Maverick as the copying reploid shine and his form change slightly. I watch as the other green armored reploid hover near the enemy and, luckily to him, out of the range of my attack, as the lightening hit and the Maverick is cut in four parts.

" W- What? N- No! This can't be it! I... I...! AAAAAAAARGH! " I barely manage to hear the Crow Maverick saying this before he start exploding and the other green reploid look at me, with his red eyes wide in surprise, and I let a small proud smile on my face before I get serious and look around, taking in the state of things.

At least five buildings have been burnt to the ground, several are still burning and some are almost giving in. I take a deep breath as I turn my head towards the sky and spread my arms a little, as I make the wind movements change, not really worried about the copy-kid since he is probably on the ground or near it already, and start bringing dark rain clouds here.

I close my eyes when I feel that the number of clouds is enough and, letting out a deep sigh, I lower my arms as it start to pour and soak me, no strong winds though since it would only make things more difficult for the people and robots down there, since they are still evacuating the place. Slowly but steadily, I start hovering down to the ground as the rain hits my already soaked form and smile slightly when I hear some thunders here and there.

If only I had done this before, that last fight would have been much faster. What is done is done, though.

I turn around on the air just before my feet hit the ground and almost drop on it entirely when I see my purple armored brother with his kunai on the throat of the copying reploid and the later looking really pale, something his red eyed form right now highlight.

" Who are you and for who do you work? " Once my feet touch the ground he asks this to the kid and, in response, his form shine and the green-eyed non-armored form I first met comes back as the weird floating device he carries appear besides him.

Speaking of which, where had that thing gone before?

" I- I am Grey. And, uh... I work for the hunters...? " The white haired kid speak with a strained tone and seemingly hesitant, probably afraid of how his answer will be taken, and I raise an eyebrow. The Hunters? The Maverick Hunters? What is this kid?

" Hey, get that blade away from him! We helped saving this place and that is how we are repaid?! " The floating thing protests and my brother just narrow his eyes to it before he turn his purple eyes to me and I sigh, feeling that my time to step in has come.

" Peace, Phantom. They truly helped us and even saved Miss Ciel. " I attest for them and, with a narrowed gaze, my brother take the kunai away from the kid's throat and set a hard look on the floating object as the, now free, reploid almost slump on the ground and I huff humored at the sight.

I start making my way to the copying-bot and he take a step away from the purple armored reploid just for precaution as his... partner start a discussion about bad manners with Phantom, who is looking slightly annoyed as he crossed his arms and pretend to be hearing it over the pouring rain. My brother is probably trying to take in all of the destruction of this area, which is why he didn't walk away yet.

I put my sabers back into their scabbards and reach the copy-kid, who is as soaked as I right now, and he give me a smile as he brush his bangs away from his eyes. " You are really fast. " He comments, what sounds more like a compliment, and I feel pleasantly happy to hear it since it doesn't seem as forced as the ones I hear from the Neo Arcadian judges'.

" And your adaptive skill is very outstanding, seeing that you managed to use my form quite well for a first timer. " I sincerely compliment him with a smile, something I am not really accustomed with doing since I usually don't have anything to compliment people for, and the copying reploid blush a bit as he lower his head slightly and seem to get bashful, what makes me chuckle lightly, what surprises me a bit.

I make my smile disappear when I remember that this kid is a stranger, who is probably with a malfunctioning memory chip since he asked me which year we are in, and I take a deep breath before I sigh and feel more tired than I should be.

I need to take this kid back with me. I can't risk having the mavericks brainwashing him with their talk about killing humans to get more E-Cristals.

Straightening my posture, I lock eyes with the kid as Phantom turn his back on the floating device and start walking away. " Grey, right? " The green eyed reploid in front of me nod, slightly surprised, and I nod back. " Grey, I need you and your... device to come with me. " I request this of them and the white haired reploid frown slightly before he turn around slightly and his device come over and float besides him.

" ... You are seriously going to say okay? " The device asks, seemingly resigned but indignant anyway, and the reploid smile sheepishly and the device shake itself from one side to another and I raise an eyebrow at that. Did it just... Shake its head? " You are unbelievable. "

" But, Model A, I feel like I can trust him. " I perk up a little at that and feel heat flooding my cheeks at that. I had never been called a trustful reploid before. Just then, he turn to me and I will the heat away, with the help of the cold rain still falling on us, as he smile to me with sincere happiness. " So, okay. We will go with you. Maybe you can even help us go back. " The last part of that statement confuses me profusely but I hold my questions in for until we reach my home.

" Good. " I speak, pleased by the easy agreement and I start walking back, passing by him on the way, and I soon hear his footsteps behind me. As we walk, with only the rain's sound and the thunders breaking the silence, I finally take my time to think through things.

The Mavericks are attacking more frequently, ever since we... retired the reploid that was said to be their leader. Maybe they are at a loss of what to do now that they do not have someone to follow. This attack was harsher too, they did not care that some of the few reploids allowed to live in Neo Arcadia were here too.

On the other hand that may be why they attacked this place? Because the elderly and child-like reploids were allowed to live here and they weren't? Fefnir need to keep an eye in this place now, since it is under his protection, but all of us need to keep a close eye in the movements of things around the places the reploids live.

The fight today could have ended very badly, with many losses. Good thing the co- Grey was here, since he was the one who saved most of the people in the buildings that collapsed. I wonder from where he came, since I couldn't feel his presence when I arrived at the lake and I didn't hear his footsteps entering the area either. It was as if he just appeared out of thin air, as the humans say.

" Uh... Hey. " I almost jump in surprise when my train of thought is broken by the voice of the green eyed boy behind me and I stop, compose myself and then turn around, with my normal, serious, face on. The copying-reploid's green eyes are full of curiosity and I notice he is with his hands cupped together, with his palms turned to the sky, and the device is resting on them. Quite literally. I am pretty sure it is turned off right now. I am betting it is waterproof, since it is almost in a small pool for its size.

" Yes? " I show him I am paying attention to him as he catch up with me and I start walking again, though this time besides him and not in front of him.

" I forgot to ask your name. " At this, I raise my brows and give him a surprised stare, what makes him shy away slightly before he take a deep breath and straighten his posture again. He truly have a malfunctioning memory chip. No one, in and out of Neo Arcadia, have never heard of my siblings and me.

Smiling sympathetically, I turn my eyes front again as I answer him. " I am Harpuia, one of the four guardians of Neo Arcadia. " My smile disappear from my face when I finally see the ground entrance of my home, of Neo Arcadia's main tower, and see Co- Master X there, conversing with Fefnir, Phantom, Leviathan and Miss Ciel. " Stay by me, I fear something bad will happen if you do not. " I tell the copy-reploid besides me and, ignoring the weird look I am sure he is giving me, we finish our way to the four, earning ourselves their attention.

" Oh, Harpuia. " The first one to speak is Master X, to whom I bow slightly before I straighten my posture again and notice his red gaze turned to the reploid besides me, with a small curious shine. " Is this the reploid who saved you, Ciel? " The blue armored male turn his eyes to the blond scientist and she tense up, almost imperceptibly so, and nod.

" Yes. It is him, Master X. " She answer with a small smile and then turn to him and I follow her eyes. Oh, he is drying the device off now. I suppose he is going to put it away then, since it is turned off. " Thank you so much. " I let out a small sigh and close my eyes at her sincere tone. It seems he already has a fan.

" Oh, sure. " I can't contain the slight snicker from coming out of my lips, because the awkward filled tone he uses in his answer, then open my eyes, and turn my attention back to Master X, ignoring the surprised looks my siblings are throwing me.

" Master X, I will take this reploid with me to the repairs room. He aided me in destroying the main Maverick of the raid, so I wish to see if he was damaged in anyway. " I speak this, what is not a lie since I don't know if he was hurt and the rain washed the oil away or something, and the red eyes reploid's gaze get slightly gentler as he turn to the one besides me and he smile slightly.

" Alright. Ciel, go with them so you can look them over too. " Seeing this as a dismissal, I turn to Grey and nod toward the door so we walk into it, what he seem to understand since he started making his way over before I do and Miss Ciel soon start going over to it too.

Once I see both entering the building, chatting, I start making my way there. It seems I was a little too wo- " Harpuia. " -forget it. I stop walking when I hear Phantom's voice and turn to the four of them, but keep my attention in my brother. " I hope you know what you are doing. " He warns me and I close my eyes slightly, narrowing them.

" Yeah. I mean, he may have Master Axl's power and all but... He isn't him. " I turn my attention to Fefnir when he speak this and dully note the surprise in my sister and in Master X's faces at that before I sigh, tiredly, and pinch the bridge of my nose with my right hand as I rest my other hand on my hip bone.

" Yes, I am well aware. I thank you for your concern. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to keep an eye in a reploid who has a malfunctioning memory chip. " With that, I turn on my heels and enter my home, walking fast as I usually do when I am tired and nervous.

Not even once, did I ever think of him as Master Axl. If you stay some minutes with that boy, you can already feel the difference in the air around the two, so that had never entered my mind. But... The air around him is so... Calming, relaxing, and full of hope... Hmm, I suppose I did lower my guard with him quite a bit for my brothers to misunderstand it like that. I must be careful.

In the blink of an eye, I reach the door to the repair room and open it, ready to just lie on the bed there and turn off until tomorrow, and enter the room.

" Wait, are you saying that you are from the future and came back with the help of Doctor Light? " I stop dead on my tracks when I hear Miss Ciel's surprised and interested tone as the door behind me close and I stare at the only duo here and watch as Grey nod his head, confirming her statement.

... Why did I even go to that lake today again...?