Taken in Sin and Grace,
I reject my Self-fulfilling prophecy.

Chapter 9

When Kururu came around, he quickly recognized his surroundings. He was back in the 'mortal realm' and he was also back on the same plateau where he had left in Sepron's Face. He had fallen while he was with EXE, but was on his feet rather easily. He felt as if he had just taken a cat nap, not losing too much energy, and his head was a bit clearer having met with the answers he had been searching for all along. It was finally over. He had met fate, and he had defeated it.

However, when he looked down to check on his suits energy and oxygen levels he realized his suit was gone. "W-what....!?" he gasped. His hands were buzzing, or rather, humming, as was his whole body, covered in a layer of pure energy. He clapped his hands together to reassure himself that beneath the layer was still his normal self, which to his relief was still there. But what he didn't understand was how the energy wasn't burning him...or was it, and he just couldn't feel it? "EXE..."

EXE had shown him the monster he was capable of being. The rage and desperation released, fate itself in the process of manifestation was this monster. A monster of energy with every power to create, and destroy. This monster was what he had succumbed to fearing. For 'this monster' was Power in a raw form.

Power to create and destroy is what he kept telling himself. Or perhaps it was just destruction? In a world that EXE had created, a world filled with no room for further 'creation' perhaps that left only destruction. He had the power to destroy everything and anything, while making time irrelevant in the process. With this 'power' he was in control. Grinning, Kururu felt all the stresses from before leaving him. As his thoughts raced, realizing what he had become, his fears seemed to disappear, for he no longer had a reason to be afraid. As this monster, no one could stop him, not even a god.

"No one...no one at all!" he cried, though his voice was shadowed by a buzz of static. He was a monster, he was divine, and he was all-powerful. Rising off of the plateau, space no longer seemed to pose limits on him. Even the hellish enviroment of Sepron's Face appeared to bow down without his expense. EXE had surrendered to him, she had given him her life, and now he was her everything, and that meant all the power that she beheld. Chuckling, he was beside himself with this devastating realization. Yes, a god had chosen him, and for the longest time, he thought it as a means of being condemned. But no, he was wrong. So wrong, and yet, he was more than willing to admit his mistake. EXE had no intentions of condemning him but rather, condemning the world and his enemies. At the moment, he couldn't imagine living to regret the events that had passed, for who in their right of mind could? In his mind, EXE, or Fate, or Life, or perhaps all three combined, had just made the most worst mistake of all time, giving the power of a living, but nonliving god to someone like him. It was ironic, but the world already wallowed in a vat of irony, so perhaps the universe was no different than it was before.

The Garuru platoon, who had brought him to this, and who were truly responsible for what had happened to him, were in Kururu's mind, responsible for their own deaths. He was certain that EXE had taken their lives while he was with her; Or at least that's what he thought. For however long (he had no way to be certain just how long) he had been with EXE, he knew this monster was on a rampage. But what was the extent of it's damage? Looking around Sepron's face he frowned for nothing seemed changed.

He looked up at the ship, where Tororo had been tracking him and EXE and saw smoke pouring from the control room. Kururu felt himself drenched with power, and despite the thought that all of the Garuru platoon might be dead, he had so easily ceased to care. Realizing the heartlessness that came along with the monster, he chuckled. "As they say...the only difference between a president and a dictator, is moral values." he chuckled. Closing his eyes, he spread himself out, feeling through his mind for the extent of his power. If there was an extent.

He willed to know the secrets of the universe. From every planet, to the lives of every person. All the useless, useful, corrupt and divine information there was; information better left unlearned or information that should be known to the world; He wanted to know it all. The energy around him seemed to hum louder and began to build up, as if he was holding it back from explosion. "I'm not holding you back. You can do whatever you want." he mumbled, as if talking to his power directly. Though it seemed a bit cracked up, raging beams of energy sprouted from him whipping and cutting through the crystal masses around him. Kururu watched the destruction around him, then brought the beams bounding back to him. He could control pure energy.

Something he also noticed while taking a gander at his power was that apparently the tight vacuum of space and the freezing cold temperature no longer effected him. His suit lay in pieces in open space not far from him, and the proof that he was still...there, seemed to be proof of that. Getting an idea he held out his hand and concentrated. The remains of the suit disintegrated, molecule by molecule, atom by atom, till it completely evaporated into nothing. This process was slow, though to Kururu it only seemed that way because he did it for the sake of observing something like that, if he wanted, he believed he could do it faster, maybe whole giant masses in a matter of seconds.

Having enough with the experimentation he took off towards the ship. At first he didn't feel like he was moving very fast through space until he realized he had reached the ship in mere seconds, when it took him a good half an hour to get out there in the first place. He touched down on top of the ship, peering in through where the smoke was coming out. Instead of having to climb through the opening Kururu simply seeped through, disintegrating any part of the ship that was in the way. He made his way through the ship, not having to walk when he could simply glide or fly for that matter. He listened intently for any sight or sounds of the others, to find out if perhaps he were wrong and they were still alive. When he realized he was wasting time, he stopped to concentrate again.

Without any means of how, Kururu could sense any presence of life within miles, and if he concentrated enough, the whole universe. But he stopped at least a few miles. "1....2...4....hm..." Kururu reached out his hand once again, and within milliseconds, the entire Garuru Platoon ship disintegrated around him. The entire mass of the ship fell to dust and ashes defusing out into space. Following his quickening instincts he glanced out into the distance spotting an escape pod. Kururu grinned. "Trying to escape are you?" he asked in a cocky tone. He gave chase to them, and the thought crossed his mind that if he wanted, he could go faster than light itself, and maybe time too. He caught up to the escape pod in seconds latching onto it. He heard a number of horrified screams coming from inside. Grinning, he seeped through, this time, leaving the ship intact as to preserve the lives of those inside, if only temporary.

Inside he found all of the Garuru Platoon stuffed inside the little escape pod. Kururu tore the door to the control room open and peered inside. Garuru had heard him entering the ship and had armed himself, standing before his platoon, guarding them against his entry. Taruru and Zoruru were behind him as always, however, Tororo lay in bandages with Pururu tending to him behind the group. Kururu found it only too amusing. "Kururu!" Garuru roared immediately upon sight of him.

"KUUU-KU-KU-KU-KUUUUUU!!!" he laughed uncontrollably. It was too funny. Before they were what? Holding him hostage? Holding him against his will? And now they stood helpless against him! Kururu couldn't hold back his laughing fit, cackling maniacally. Garuru kept a hard, stern look on him until he could control his laughter. Half tempted to ask what was so funny, Garuru settled on a brief, "You're alive...?" However, it seemed to be the wrong answer for Kururu only burst out laughing again.

Though, he picked a good time to cut his laughing fit short looking up relatively pissed off. "No....but I certainly am not dead!" he growled taking a threatening step forward. "How was it you all seemed to escape while I died for your sins?" he growled taking another step forward. Taruru and Zoruru took a few steps back, frightened by the pure, powerful energy that resonated off of Kururu, however Garuru held his ground. Though, even Garuru had nothing to say to him. "How was it you escaped god's wrath? Or perhaps you're just that good? So good that you would defy a god?! You think you're better than me! You think you're better than everyone! Is THAT how it is?!" he growled, consumed in rage. "Ku-ku-ku-kuuu....that is how it is. Yes. You mortals make a stand, then run away from the consequences. You should know better,....GARURU!"

Rage began to consume him; though not only his rage. But all the rage in Pandora's box, all the rage of the world, collecting. The anger felt like a thousand fires consuming the world. Anger was all he felt, any fear, love, sadness, sympathy, deprived itself of him. He almost wondered if they ever existed, and that perhaps in his time as a 'mortal' he had tricked and convinced himself of possessing such qualities for they seemed to profusely far away. Kururu made a few more advances, his energy nearly exploding, threatening to rip apart the escape pod. However, Garuru still wouldn't stand down. This only served to enrage Kururu further. "I realize what Keron's done...What I've done." Garuru said dryly. "I take full responsibility for your condition and for the actions of my platoon as well as Keron's orders. They are innocent." Garuru finished, holding firm.

Kururu only chuckled. "...My 'condition'. Such a predictable word coming from you. This is no condition, and...there's no such thing as innocence. Why are you trying to protect them?" Kururu accused him. Garuru crossed his arms, holding himself more straight than he had ever stood in his life. "I am responsible! Myself, alone!" he shouted in his commander's voice. It didn't seem unlike him, a refined solider, undoubtedly the finest of his league, no more prepared to die for his men than his planet.

Kururu grinned. "Then you will feel god's wrath." He said reaching out a hand towards the purple Keronian. Garuru clenched his fists, staring hard at Kururu, afraid but unafraid.

"I see nothing but a yellow devil." he said.

"Your last words will follow you to hell."

Kururu grasped Garuru violently around the neck. However when his real hand touched Garuru's flesh, Kururu felt a burning pain searing his hand, that proceeded up his arm spreading to the rest of his body. At that very moment both of their screams rang out through the small escape pod as they both collasped. The light and pure energy that had been surrounding Kururu slowly began to sink below his skin, hiding itself away inside of him. All the while it burned him all over, a burn deeper than anything he had every felt before in his life. As if struck down by lightening but slowly, or being tortured by a demon. When it passed he laid on the floor of the escape pod, deprived of any strength and any thought capacity for the moment, and for the first time within a number of hours, he breathed.

Garuru had fallen back into Zoruru and Taruru's supporting arms. Garuru, despite a severe burn around his neck, was still breathing and alive. All of them seemed caught in the confusion of what had just happened, and a soul-breaking silence consumed them all as they waited for Kururu to get up, or to say something.

Kururu's head spun faster than he could realize. So fast it felt like it was standing still. Had EXE done something? What happened? Where was his power? Where was the monster? These questions seemed to answer themselves when Kururu opened his eyes again. His glasses were long since gone, but when he managed to sit himself up, he noticed the symbol on his chest was glowing with the energy he had possessed. It had hidden itself inside of him, hiding in his very being, the only thing that he didn't know was, and not to his surprise, 'why?'.

Garuru, with the help of his subordinates, was back on his feat, though he felt as if Kururu had nearly sucked the very life out of him. Seeing Kururu relatively back to normal came as a relief to him, and he managed a weak smile. "You're out of your mind." he coughed.

Kururu didn't know what to say. He was going to kill him. Nothing was holding him back. So why did his power run away from him when he was going to use it? Wouldn't that just be self-defeating? "No...no....NO!" Kururu gasped getting to his feet. "No- h-how-!"

"It didn't want you to hurt your friends..."

Kururu looked over at Tororo whom was the speaker, and who stared at him with one eye, since the other was bandaged. Kururu frowned at him with the installation of desperation amongst his face. "What do you mean!?" he yelled, furious, and confused. How did EXE get to judge who he considered a friend or not? But the rage, the rage was beautiful, and by god it was untouchable in purity, but where had it gone? He nearly tasted the relief to wash over him when he had reached out to strike Garuru down, reaping his revenge. Tororo said nothing but closed his eyes leaning on Pururu who did her best to shield him from Kururu.

Kururu wouldn't have it. He attempted to rush over to Tororo and beat the answers out of him when Zoruru's blade blocked him. "Calm down-!" Zoruru warned.

"TELL ME WHY!" Kururu raged, suffering from the extremes of his emotions. The pain in his heart matched the pain in his head. If anything could stop the screaming, if anything could stop the burning, the passion and the hatred.

"Then kill me....You don't deserve E.X.E.'s power. NO ONE DOES!"

The memory passed over his eyes like watching a television in fast motion. Kururu crumbled where he stood, everything he felt shattered. Zoruru had caught Kururu, lowering him slowly. "Hey- stay with us here!" he heard his voice call to him. Drawing away from the world, Kururu felt exhaustion take over. It was nice.

Closing his eyes, he gave up. All at once he gave up on wanting power, on wanting revenge and pride. He was tired. Tired of the struggle, and tired of the pain. He wanted it all to end. To descend into the darkness and not have to do anything. Just to be, and just to rest. It didn't seem like much to ask for. Because when Kururu realized the root of his own hypocrisy, his humanity seemed to find it's way back. That boundary that separated people from the insane, animals from the beasts that know nothing but rage and destruction.

EXE had mourned those who turned away. And when Kururu had accepted her, everyone turned away from him, trying to escape from him. And in the process he forgot who he was. Seargent Major Kururu of the Keroro Platoon: The Information Officer and Technician. Those titles seemed so simple, yet so precious. Life was so simple then, and so easy. Sure there were always limits, but, in a world of limitlessness, there was nothing but chaos. Morals, and Humanity itself kept mortals chained, and set them free. He was free from the threat of losing himself, but chained from what he was limited to. EXE had granted him the power to step beyond those borders, but he would be too unstable to do anything, and in the end, inflict nothing but pain upon himself. And what kind of life was that? These chains of simple fear, would forever bing him to sanity. But for him, he'd never again think of it as being chained up, but rather, a happy medium of mentality.

Sighing, he waited for something to destroy him. Maybe life would've been better if he didn't have that power. If he didn't accept EXE. He regretted it so horribly, so quickly, but no matter of wishing could take it away. He had become a monster, and could only wonder if there was any means of changing, or going back.

Yet time still passed. Kururu lay in the hands of his presumed enemies, waiting for a end that would never come. For time still passed, and he was still living. He didn't know if he was unconscious, or just having an inconvenient out of body experience, but either way, he woke up a few minutes later. And the pain was gone.

Garuru and his company all stood over him, wondering if he was lost to them or not, but when he came to, they seemed a bit happier. As they helped Kururu up, he wondered whether that meant they were really his friends, or at least his comrades in arms. He wondered if they really did care about him, for it seemed so. Taruru and Zoruru supported Kururu on either side of him, holding him up to face Garuru. The purple keronian smiled at him weakly, a smile that looked more like a congratulations than anything else. But for what?

"Welcome back solider. Are you ready to go home?" he asked him at last. His voice was a bit stratchy, probably form the burn and the screaming, but still firm and commanding. That was just like Garuru, never to break the persona of a true militant leader. He would never falter to be a man of honor, character, and dignity. Kururu nodded to him.

"I want to go home."


AN- Perhaps I've nothing to say to this other than my surprise that it's still being read. I've done nothing than what has always been me lol. Taking a year or so just to upload a story that's already finished. Thanks readers, you never cease to amaze me~ I guess I could also say something along the lines of, "Oh...oh dear...where in the world would I be without spell check....?"