Chapter Twenty-One: Frailty of The Female Heart
After the group dropped off the remaining civilians, they took the shuttle back the Kukai Foundation's Launch Pad to check on MOMO and Shane, possibly to bring them back to the ship. When they got there, the two had apparently vanished. "Oh? How strange… MOMO and Shane aren't here. Where could they have gone?" Shion said to herself. The group proceeded to the Residential Area. There, Shion saw her subordinate and ran over to him. "Allen!" He turned to look at her and the others. "Have you seen MOMO or Shane!" He blinked at them. "Well, no, they're not back yet? I thought they were with you,'' he said. Ziggy shook his head. "MOMO stayed behind to treat the injured and Shane stayed to protect her, but they wern't there when we returned. We thought they might have come back on their own…''
"Damn, where the hell is she…? Some protector Shane is,'' Jr. said as he folded his arms. "All right, I'll get our 100-Series to start searching for them. They shouldn't have any trouble, being the same model as MOMO and all." The blonde cyborg nodded. "Thanks. We've eliminated the Gnosis within the Colony, but there isn't any guarantee they won't be back."
In an unknown area, Shane woke up to the dimly lit darkness and sat up, holding her head. ''Ow...geez, what the hell happened?'' She looked over to her side only a few inches away to see MOMO waking up. The pink-haired Realian sat up, holding her head. ''Where…am…I…?'' She mumbled softly. Her golden eyes met the darker hue of Shane's. She noticed that in the dim darkness, her eyes shimmered some. ''Shane...?'' The silver-haired girl crawled over to her as MOMO shivered and held her arms. "It's so cold… What happened…?" She looked up at Shane who had taken off her black overcoat, drapping it over her small shoulders.
''I dunno...but...'' She closed her eyes and remembered back at the Launch Pad where she and MOMO saw someone walking away from them. The pink-haired Realian stood up fast, her eyes widening in surprise. ''Nani, MOMO-chan, what's wrong?'' She stood up when the little girl followed after the man, saying, "Daddy! Daddyyyy!" Shane followed her to the alley where the man went. MOMO went inside only to find the man gone; the alley empty.
''...Daddy...'' Shane walked into the alley and took the Realian's hand. ''Come on, we should get back to the Launch Pad, okay?'' MOMO nodded as they began to walk out of the alley. The two stopped when they saw Albedo standing at the entrance/exit. MOMO trembled, hiding behind Shane's back. The silver-haired girl gritted her teeth as the flashback ended. "I…I can't remember,'' The pink-haired girl said. Well, I do... MOMO covered her nose with the overcoat sleeves. "What…is that smell? It's so…strange…'' Shane covered her nose as well. ''It...it smells familiar,'' she said to herself. "It's faint, but it's coming from somewhere…" The two jumped at a noise close to them, Shane taking out a .9MM handgun from the holster around her waist (when and where she bought it who knows), and pointed it down the corridor.
"Who's there!"
''...MOMO, don't say that 'cause something bad's gonna happen...'' The silver-haired girl walked forward along with MOMO to see a 99-Series Realian lying against the wall. ''Oh man...'' MOMO let the overcoat slip off her shoulders, running over to the dark-skinned Realian who seemed unconscious. ''MOMO...this girl...''
"No. 0097… My sister… That's it, isn't it…? This is Daddy's place…'' Daddy's place? "I finally get to meet you…and we can't even talk… There were so many things I wanted to ask about you, about Daddy…" In response, the 99-Series Realian moved a little. The pink-haired girl gasped. "…You're still alive! Are you okay? Who did this to you?" She asked with worry in her voice. The dark-skinned girl touched MOMO's face as she closed her eyes. Shane watched them for a moment then looked away when she saw the Realian's hand fall to the floor.
"Was that…your memory…?" MOMO asked as she picked up her hand and held it. "Thank you. Thank you for letting me see Daddy…" The dark-skinned girl's eyes went blank. MOMO looked up at a large door then looked back to the 99-Series Realian. "He's here, right…? Through that door…?" She placed the girl's hand on her lap and stood up, looking at Shane.
''Let's go.'' The silver-haired girl nodded as the two proceeded to the next area. What they didn't notice was that the Realian's left hand was moving after they had left..
Back at the Durandal on the bridge, the group looked at the monitors to see the Federation ships closing in. "The Federation fleet is surrounding us again!" Mary said as she looked at the radar screen on the console. "Now what're they up to!" Shion cried out. Shelley typed at her console as she brought up a screen. "I think I know. Look at the movements of the Gnosis." She pointed out several keypoints on the screen that showed the movement status of the Gnosis. "The pattern of the Gnosis gate-outs are near the center of the Foundation,'' she said.
"What about the Zohars in the hangars?" Gaignun asked the blonde-haired sibling. She turned to him. "They're in stasis! Attract Inhibitor output is normal!" He lowered his head, looking to the side as he thought about it. "So if the Zohars in the Durandal aren't calling the Gnosis, then…"
"Gaignun,'' Jr. said in an uneasy voice. "…It's the Song we've been hearing, isn't it…?" The dark-haired man nodded slowly. "Indeed. It's faint, but there's no mistaking it. No one else seems able to hear it, though…" The brown-haired woman looked around the bridge then cupped her ears. "Hey, do you guys hear something? It sounds…like a…song?"
"A…song?" Allen asked as everyone looked at Shion puzzled. "I don't hear anything. You sure you aren't imagining things?" She shook her head some. "I don't know… I swear I can hear it,'' she told him. The red-haired boy looked at her then thought, She hears it? How's that possible? Gaignun looked at Jr. Why…am I feeling so unsettled? This image…just won't leave my mind…
You too? This darkness… I feel…like I'm being dragged down into an abyss… The red-head's eyes widened. "It can't be…!" As he said this, the gnosis appeared from outside, preparing for another attack.
(HA! All my hard work has paid off...finally, the scene you've all been waiting for!)
MOMO and Shane walked into a chapel-like area with candles lit around the dark room. They could still see, but it was difficult to. The silver-haired girl took the safety off the gun in her hands as she looked around. This place...why does it feel so familiar...? Her thoughts were broken when she heard MOMO's voice.
"I knew it. I knew I wasn't imagining it…" Her boot thudded against something as she looked down. She gasped, covering her mouth and stepped back. Shane looked down as well only to nearly gag. The bodies of 99-Series Realians--or Kirshwassers--laid on the floor against the walls and pillars; some on top of one another. MOMO fell to her knees, trying not to throw up as Shane did the same. Now the two knew what the smell was.
The smell of rotting flesh.
Shane let out a gasping breath, shaking. ''Oh my god, those kids...'' She felt tears streaming down her face as she gripped her eyes closed only to have a familiar male voice echo through the room. "Such tears… What beauty they hold…these tears of sorrow… Surely they are the most precious substance in the world." MOMO and the silver-haired girl looked at the center of the room to see Albedo sitting in a throne-like seat, holding the corpse of a Kirschwasser. He smiled when Shane glared at him. "But, are you both worthy to shed such tears? The act of mourning the dead belongs to the realm of humans,'' he said coldly.
"You did this…didn't you?" MOMO asked angrily. The silver-haired girl was shocked by the Realian's response as she pointed the gun at him. ''Of course the bastard did...he's the only one here. Noone...no human could've done this...!'' Albedo grinned at Shane's response then looked down at the Kirschwasser in his arms. He grabbed her arm by the wrist. "Ah, my beautiful little Kirschwasser… But still… Can you really call this a corpse?" He roughly pulled the Realian's arm as it made a cracking noise, scaring MOMO and making Shane wince in pain if she had felt it.
"Frailty, thy name is woman… No, that's not right. You little Realians weren't even born from a woman's womb,'' the white-haired man said. He stood up and threw the Kirschwasser to the side like a rag doll as he walked over to MOMO. Shane pointed the gun at him, stepping in front of her. ''Stay back, asshole!'' She froze up when he placed his left hand against her face. He grinned at her response, rubbing his thumb against her skin.
W-what the hell...why am I...I'm shaking...!
"The human race, fearful in its weakness, built this world in a futile attempt to elude the abyss they call mortality. Culture…civilization…all delusions created by a powerless race, and of little use, like a barren woman,'' he told the two as he took out a knife and trailed it against Shane and MOMO's faces. He circled them, continuing his speech. "But amidst all this, you continue to exist as an unfettered soul, free from the shackles of flesh and blood… A completely pure consciousness… An eternal spiral, undefiled by impurities… a fusion of fire, breath, and spirit… What can we call you…but angels? New, unadulterated psyches… But what you lack is reality. And that is what I shall provide you with…!"
Albedo stabbed himself in his left arm (above the elbow) with the knife and began to cut through the skin, blood dripping onto the floor. The girls' eyes widened as Shane pushed MOMO towards the door. The silver-haired girl flinched when he ripped off his own arm and threw it to the floor. The white-haired man stepped towards them, frightening them further. A burgandy/purple aura appeared around the stump. Slowly, the aura began to form the shape of an arm as made a motion to punch at Shane's face, saying, ''Boo!'' MOMO screamed and fell to the floor, pulling Shane down with her. Albedo let out a insane laugh.
''How could you...you're a fucking monster, man!'' Her guess was proven right as the crazed man immediately stabbed himself in the neck, cutting through the thick skin; blood spraying onto the floor. Some of the blood sprayed onto Shane's face and shirt sleeves. She looked away and covered MOMO's face, hiding her eyes from the intense display. ''Don't look, MOMO!'' The silver-haired girl said. The two heard a moist thud hit the floor in front of them as Shane glanced to look. Her eyes widened along with the pink-haired girl's when they saw Albedo's crazed grin on his face. He made a 'tsk' noise as he looked at the girls. "Ah, ma belle pêche…there's no need to tremble like that. Else you'll make me feel like a péché myself,'' he told MOMO who was horrified by his gruesome action. His eyes focused on her then grinned. "Was that a glimpse of a man that I caught in your heart? Who is it, this red-haired…? Red-haired…Rubedo… Ah, it's Rubedo! Oh, that's just perfect…!"
The white-haired man let out another insane laugh as his still headless body placed a foot on his head, stomping on the skull and crushing it. Blood splattered on the ground when Shane covered MOMO's eyes again. She glanced to see the blood pooling in a small puddle. Her eyes traveled up to where his head used to be only to see the same aura she saw when he ripped off his arm appear and take on the form of a head. Albedo's hands went up to his newly formed head, loudly snapping his neck in place and sighed in relief. "Do you know what he said while he coughed up his lifeblood? "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone." Wheat, eh? There's enough of it, we can afford to waste as much as we want. Like my head, you see!" He said to the frightened girls. He moved closer to them and touched MOMO's face, a grin appearing on his dark-skinned face.
"What do you think, my beloved pêche…?" The pink-haired girl let out a cry as she fainted in Shane's arms from the intensity of what she saw. The older girl shook her small shoulders. ''Ah, MOMO! MOMO, wake up! We have to get outta here!'' She glared at the white-haired man who laughed maniacally. ''You bastard,'' she said in a seething voice. ''I'll fucking kill you!'' She shot him twice in the chest then once in his head, making him reel back and fall to the floor. She laid the unconcious MOMO down then stood up. She walked over to his motionless body and kicked his side. The silver-haired girl turned around, running her fingers through her hair. I shot him...I shot a man... She covered her mouth with her hand. ''I shot him..!''
''But you didn't kill me, my little Kirschwasser.''
Shane turned around, pointing the gun at the newly risen Albedo who wiped the blood from his forehead. He chuckled coldly as she shot him in his hand when he made a grab for the gun. He snatched the .9MM out of her hands and threw it towards the door. ''Bastard!'' She yelled as she punched at his face only to have her fist caught in his bloody palm. He narrowed his violet eyes at her then got into her face. ''Who is that I see in your eyes, Kirschwasser? Red hair...is it Rubedo? No...it's--''
''I have a name, you bloody pedophile! It's Shane!''
Albedo chuckled and grabbed her neck with her free hand, lifting her off the floor. ''That was a costly mistake, Shane,'' he said coldly. ''You may look like one of my Kirschwassers, but you have a soul; a will to stay alive. You survived outer space, even a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Maybe it's that ''other soul'' residing in you that's given you power. But answer me this, Shane: Why are you so reckless, hm?'' He tightened his grip on her neck which made her cry out in pain. ''And you can feel pain too...'' She gritted her teeth as she grabbed his wrist. ''Unlike them,'' she began to say. Her grip tightened and crushed his wrist, making him drop her onto the floor. She gasped for breath then glared at him. ''Unlike them, I fight back against the men who hurt me!'' She stood up, holding her hand out as the blade formed in thin air. She grabbed the golden hilt and went into a sword fighting stance. ''I'll make you pay for what you did to those Realians!'' Shane let out a war cry, rushing at him. He grinned widely when he felt the blade go through his stomach and out of his back.
''I'll break you,'' he told her in a cold but husky voice. She tried to break away from him only to have her arms grabbed tightly. ''Let me go, you obsessed pervert!'' She yelled. Shane froze up when she felt him embrace her almost lovingly. ''...You...are that something besides ma peche that will complete me...'' She felt a sharp pain go through her body as she screamed in anguish. He let her drop to the floor, watching her hit the floor with a small thud. He grabbed the gold hilt of the longsword and stabbed it in front of her face. ''Sleep, Kirschwasser Shane. I'm sure Rubedo will join us soon...'' Albedo laughed, walking over to MOMO's motionless body. The silver-haired girl tried to turn her head, groaning in pain. She felt her head become dizzy and hazy as she laid her head down back on the floor.
My head...what the fuck did he do to me...? She watched him carry the pink-haired Realian back to his makeshift throne, reaching for him. ''N-no...don't...hurt her...'' She blinked a couple of times to see images of an open field with a blue sky and the sun. She saw three--no, four children running through the field, laughing. Those kids...they look...familiar, Shane thought to herself. The children all wore the same uniform--a blue jumpsuit with dark blue lines along the end of the sleeves, zippers, and pants leg. All of them held hands as they ran. She noticed that out of the four was a red-haired girl with burgandy streaks in her hair..
Rukia?
Chapter Twenty-One: End (Interesting stuff, ne? What was that vision Shane had? Why was Rukia among the four children playing in the field? Please R&R to read on and find out!)