A/N: Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.
WARNING: ANGST, OOC
Chapter II
Theme 12: Parallels
"We rest here."
Argilla nodded; that was Serph.
She shook her head. No. Not Serph; Seraph.
She watched as she saw Seraph hover away. She could only look at him…or her with understanding eyes. Serph and Sera were meant to be; weren't they?
She smiled. She knew that. She knew that the moment she met the other girl. She had felt the love that had flowed from her leader towards their black-haired angel. And now, the two had fused together…as decreed by God.
Their union was something that had been preordained long before their births she wagered.
She sighed and turned away, not dealing anymore on that subject. She didn't know why; but she felt a slight prick as she thought of Serph and Sera being together. Sure, she had felt admiration towards her leader but that was it.
Wasn't it?
She shook her head and hovered elsewhere. They had just fought a series of tiring and challenging fights and they had worn her out. She was thankful that Seraph was considerate enough to notice her concern.
She smiled at that.
Her smile had suddenly vanished as she heard the distant sound of faint sobbing. She arched an eyebrow; was someone crying…?
She hovered closer and closer to the voice…She looked back and saw their passé was still halted and nodded, turning back to look towards where the sobbing was coming from.
She stopped as she saw the source. It was another spirit. She felt as though that she should just turn around and leave it alone when she felt…drawn.
It was as if she had met this spirit before…
She shrugged her shoulders; she really shouldn't be surprised. After all, this was where all the data of the slain, killed, of the dead were.
This spirit felt so familiar…It was probably someone she knew.
She hovered closer to it and realized that it had been female.
She cleared her throat and spoke, "Are you alright?"
The spirit, who was huddled, turned to face her. Argilla gasped and took a step back as she gazed at the woman in front of her.
"You're…you're me…?" she asked in total disbelief.
The spirit rose from her huddled position and stared blankly at the pink-haired woman in front of her with nonchalant eyes, "No. You are me. I am the original one."
Argilla cursed inwardly at that; she may not like it, but the blonde was right. They were originally modeled after them.
"You're…You really look like me…" the spirit said, eyeing her from head to toe, "But…how is it that you're here?"
Argilla blinked, "Excuse me?"
The woman shook her head, "This is for spirits…Not for AIs."
Argilla narrowed her eyes slightly; barely two minutes of meeting and she already didn't like this blonde.
"We had gained our souls…We had been able to escape the experimental program for the Junkyard and were transported…at Karma City."
"Incredible…" said the blonde woman. She then began to laugh. Argilla pouted; the other woman was laughing…bitterly.
"She must have been a real genius to have created such…AIs…"
"You mean Sera." Argilla deadpanned.
At the sound of the girl's name, the spirit frowned and cast her face down, floating in a sitting fashion. Argilla knelt before her; even if there were some apparent difference between them, there were still some ties that cannot be denied.
This woman was as much as a part of her as she was…of hers.
"What about Sera?"
The woman laughed again, "She…she got to him…Didn't she?" she asked with sad eyes.
"What…what do you mean?" Argilla asked, genuinely confused.
The woman laughed again and then abruptly stopped looking at her with piercing brown eyes, "You're me aren't you? You should know already."
Argilla blushed, "You mean…Serph then."
The woman nodded. Argilla shook her head, "Argilla…It is terribly awkward to meet you like this…It's strange to hear myself call another person my name! But…I have to ask you." She paused and sighed, "There are too many things that I want to ask you…"
"Like…why did…"
"Why did I do what I did?"
Argilla nodded.
The blonde woman began to sob once more at the mention of the question. "It…was…it was all for Serph…It was all for him…"
Argilla's hand flew to her mouth as she heard the other woman sob. Serph was involved in her past. That was why she felt…attached to him. But…how? And what did she mean that "it was all for Serph"?
"What are you talking about…?" Argilla asked.
The woman shook her head, "I had done…everything for Serph. Everything…even…even that…"
"That?" Argilla repeated, "What?"
"Everything…I…I betrayed Heat…I did all that with Serph…for Serph…!" she finished with a low and poignant moan, "Heat…I'm sorry…"
Argilla's cheeks began to burn. Heat was involved too wasn't he? It was no wonder that she had often seen him in her dreams. She knew that she had worked as a nurse for a hospital…with Heat. He was a doctor back then…
And Serph…?
She didn't know.
She knew that he was the lead doctor for Sera's experiments. But…she didn't know how Serph fitted in her life.
What was that thing that this woman had done that had Heat betrayed? She had done everything for Serph? What did that mean?
"You killed Heat." Argilla deadpanned coldly, "Why?"
The sobbing woman ceased and stood, facing her doppelganger and looked at her coldly, "Are you really that stupid?"
Argilla cursed inwardly but nonetheless said nothing.
"Don't tell me that you had never felt love before. Although if you didn't, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. After all, you are just a copy of me. What can I expect from one of Sera's AIs?" the blonde woman snorted haughtily, crossing her arms.
Argilla gritted her teeth as her eyes flashed dangerously at the blonde, "You killed Heat for Serph. You loved him."
She shook her head, "You mean 'we'."
Argilla blinked, "We?"
She nodded, "I am you and you are me. Of course I meant we. You love him too…don't you? You love Serph too."
Argilla narrowed her eyes, "He is my leader. That's all." It was a lie. She felt something for Serph…but what it really was, still continued to elude her. And now that they were within the sun, with him and Sera unifying to form Seraph, she had felt that feeling slowly dissipate…But not an ounce of admiration and respect that she felt for him then dared dissolve.
No; she felt them then and she felt them now for him…
Nothing would ever change that.
The woman shrugged her shoulders and turned away, "Do what you want. Say what you will."
Argilla watched as the woman hovered away from her. She cursed; she had so much to ask her, "Wait! I want to know about Heat! Who is he…?"
The woman stopped.
"Who is he…to us?"
The woman looked back at her sadly, "He was…the love of our life."
"How…?"
The woman who was now standing beside her shook her head, "He and us…We went way back…He and I, we fell in love…we wanted to get married and start a family…"
"Sounds perfect." Argilla commented, "What happened?"
Although she was almost barfing at that notion, she remained calm. She…had a past with Heat!? Of all people!? But still, she shouldn't interrupt her other self.
"There was something wrong in 'us'…"
Argilla blinked, "What?"
Her hazel eyes turned to her pink ones and she let her cheeks droop, "We…we can't have children…I…I…'we' always seemed to lose the baby…"
Argilla was taken aback…She had no idea…She had no idea that they had this sort of problem…
The woman closed her eyes and sighed, "We kept trying but it was all the same. Then…after that…I…I met someone else…"
Argilla raised an eyebrow, "Serph."
The other woman nodded, "Yes. Him. He was…he was Heat's colleague…"
Argilla glared at her, "You…you cheated on Heat with his colleague!?"
The woman glared at her in return, "What was I supposed to do!? Heat and I were having problems…! He…He…"
"He loved you!" Argilla yelled, "He…he trusted you." she finished in a low whisper, her eyes dilating as she remembered…
The woman looked at her other self gravely, "You remember now…don't you? Of how much 'we' loved him…Of how much we loved them."
"…" Argilla couldn't say anything. She didn't want to condone what this woman had done. By all laws…she had been unlawful. But at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to completely hate the blonde woman either.
She had not used Serph to spite Heat…or to intentionally hurt him…She had genuinely fallen in love with him…
"And in the end…I couldn't choose between them…! Heat…though he didn't have much time for me because of the Cyber Shaman project…I still loved him…And Serph…Heat was…Heat was going to kill Serph! He was going to shoot him…! I…I just knew on that day…that that was what was going to happen." she said, going almost hysterical.
Argilla's chest tightened, "You shot Heat…" she choked out, feeling horrible all of a sudden.
"I didn't mean to! I didn't! I just…I had no choice! I couldn't let him kill Serph…!" the other woman yelled, her hands outstretched in front of her in a mad and frantic gesture.
Argilla could feel her insides churn. Her intestines were in knots and her heart burned painfully…She felt her vision blurring and spinning.
She had had enough.
She had heard enough…She had remembered the rest. Serph…even if she had given everything up for him, he had only used her…He had turned out to be evil.
Hence, he had been punished by God…
And her…? The scarlet woman…? God had dealt her a fatal blow. It had been quite ironic to die a gruesome death at the claws of the very man she had saved…the very man that she had chosen…the man she had betrayed Heat for.
'So…' Argilla thought, now realizing, why she did the things she did at the Junkyard, realizing why she acted the way she did at the Junkyard.
She had been emotionally unstable…
She did not wish to kill needless…
She sneered at that; now she knew why. She didn't want to kill needless because she was killed needlessly.
She always found it hard to contain her tears…because…
Because she had died…with an aching soul…a suffering soul…
She had betrayed a loved one only to be betrayed by the person she had betrayed her loved one for.
She had died carrying an exceptionally large burden upon her shoulders that even if she lived her life at Purgatory without any memories, that they still plagued her like a disease…stalking her from the deepest and darkest crevasses of her mind and heart…
She felt sickened at that moment.
She…she wanted to leave…
"Argilla!"
She was torn from her nightmarish experience as she heard someone's voice. She turned and looked up and saw Heat, "Heat…" she as well as her counterpart said in unison.
She looked at the blonde woman and saw the hurt but hopeful expression in her eyes. Argilla could tell…that her other self…was still in love with Heat. She also knew that she was still suffering…
No sooner that the blonde woman had laid eyes on the redhead did she abruptly turn around, not wishing for him to see her…No…She couldn't be seen…Not by him.
"Come on; we gotta move." He raised an eyebrow as he saw the spirit who apparently hid her face from his sight and glared at the pink-haired woman instead, "Quit foolin around with that person!" He then turned around and walked away, "Move your ass woman!"
Argilla looked at her blonde companion with sympathetic eyes, "Well, I'll…I'll see you around." That was lame and she knew it. But what else could she say to her?
She didn't even know her!
Well, technically, she did…but…
But nothing! She still felt estranged towards her other self. And now, there were other pressing matters that needed her attention. The world was going to be destroyed unless they could convince God to do otherwise…
She began to hover away when the sound of her own voice coming from the other woman stopped her, "Wait."
"What is it? Make it fast." she replied curtly, almost coldly…
The woman cast her face down, "I know…that whatever I told you wasn't what you wanted to hear…You…you have a family now…your friends. While I…" she sighed, paused and then continued, raising her head to look at her AI's back, "I wanted to say that I'm sorry…"
Argilla shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and turned to gaze at the other woman with grave eyes, "Why be sorry? You said so yourself, I have family now. I have my friends. I…What you had done in your life…in our past…is yours alone. It has nothing to do with me. I'm not you…Goodbye."
"Wait!"
Argilla was beginning to feel vexed.
What the heck did she want this time!?
"Please…tell Heat…that I'm sorry…"
She arched an eyebrow and turned to face the blonde once more, "What?"
The other woman nodded, "Please…do this for me. I want him to know…that I'm sorry…for all that I had done."
Argilla's vexation slowly ebbed away as she understood the nature of the woman's request…By letting Heat know…she was freeing herself…
"Don't you want to tell him that yourself?" Argilla asked, raising an eyebrow.
The woman shook her head, "The Heat I knew…is gone. But his soul lives on…in your friend. He does not know me…but he does know you. You are me and I am you…Just as Heat is him and he is Heat. If you…tell him that for me…he would understand…He himself may not, but his spirit will…"
Argilla nodded, understanding, "Alright."
"And tell him…" she paused as bit her bottom lip, "Tell him…that I've always loved him…and I still do…"
Argilla nodded and so did the other woman. Argilla watched as the woman turned and left. She nodded; yeah, she'd tell Heat.
If she herself had remembered bits and pieces of the past…then, there was no doubt that he too had remembered…no matter how small the amount…
"God damn it woman! What the hell is taking you so god damn long!?" a voice thundered behind her.
She turned and grinned; it was Heat. Just the man she wanted to see.
She hovered close to him and there, they left to follow the others.
"Heat. Wait. I need to tell you something." she said as they hovered. Heat stopped and sighed, "What?"
Argilla blushed and so, turned her face to the side, closing her eyes so as to minimize the effect, "My…my friend wanted to tell you something."
"What?" he asked gruffly.
"…"
Heat rolled his eyes and there began to move away. Argilla opened her eyes and saw him, and there rushed back to his side, grabbing his arm, "She wanted to tell you…"
He turned to look back at her with impatient eyes, "Well!? What is it!? I'm not a damn mind-reader woman!"
With the blush creeping up her cheeks, she nodded and looked at him with outmost confidence, "She wanted to tell you…that she was sorry."
"Sorry…?" At the sound of the word, Heat felt his chest soften. He didn't know why…but something within his soul…suddenly felt…lighter.
He didn't know why this friend of hers was sorry or why he should accept her apology…But he just did. And because of that, a part of his chest felt…free.
"…" He could say nothing…He couldn't say anything; even if he wanted to. So, he merely nodded, sparing only a gruff grunt before turning away and moving forward.
He stopped once more as Argilla spoke once again, "And she told me to tell you…She loved you. That she still does…"
Again, Heat felt a familiar prick in his heart. She loved him…? Granted he really didn't know who this "friend" of hers was…but somewhere deep within his soul, he thought that he had a fair idea of who it might be…Not him per se, but his spirit.
He found a small smile curling up upon his lips…But knowing where and who he was, he shook his head and resumed his movement.
He surprised both himself and Argilla as he found that he had slowed his movement, waiting for her to catch up to him. When they had hovered side by side, he spoke slowly, "You know…after we kick the crap outta God…and when…well…you know," he said stammering in his words, "when He decides to…you know…throw us at some weird place, I er…it would be nice to see you there."
Argilla smiled; it may not be much…but that was Heat's way of telling her…that he wanted to be with her.
She found herself smiling…because she knew that she wanted to be with him too…
With a silent deep breath, her hand sought his…To her surprise, his hand grasped hers in return…holding its small and petite frame firmly…
Argilla felt her heart at ease now.
She knew that her other self had been freed as well.
"Thank you…"
Those were the words that seemed to echo through the air. Actually, she should be the one who should be saying that. If she had not met her…she would not have been able to figure out her own past. She may not have been able to accept her future…
Argilla smiled, "You're welcome…And thank you."
xxxxx
FIN