Author's Note: Back, explanation below.
Black Rock Shooter and co. belongs to Huke.
B RS and Dragon Slayer heard the voices of doctors and nurses as they stood outside the girl's room, leaning against opposite walls as they looked anywhere but the door. People passed by them without a second thought, given how they can't interact with anyone. There was so many questions flooding B RS's mind from what she saw, and given how Dragon Slayer was here with her, the answers weren't far away. B RS opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out since Dragon Slayer was looking at her, the intense stare that she had at the car accident keeping its power. Dragon Slayer removed herself from the wall and walked up to the door, phasing through it with B RS following suit.
When B RS phased through the door completely, Dragon Slayer started to speak, "I know you have questions, a bunch of them, but I can only answer those that are within my jurisdiction"
"What, can't you tell me-" B RS started before Dragon Slayer glared at her.
"Certain questions could be too personal, and only Geshumaru would have the answers to them," Dragon Slayer stated, looking back at the girl resting on the hospital bed, "But I can tell you about that girl..."
"Can you?" B RS asked, walking up to her.
Dragon Slayer didn't miss a beat after B RS asked and started to speak, "Her name was Kimura Naomi, about 14 years old and quite free-spirited"
"Unlike Geshumaru..." B RS noted.
"Yes, well, I'll get to that," Dragon Slayer told her before resuming, "Naomi met Geshumaru in an incident when she was in trouble, and from there, the two started to learn about each others worlds... despite their awkward friendship at first
"Weeks went on and they started to understand each others complications, primarily Geshumaru's lack of understanding on emotions and Naomi's casual dismissal of things potentially dangerous," Dragon Slayer explained, "I didn't intervene, but I told Geshumaru 'the best way to fix your problems is to take the role of the other,' turns out they took that to a different level than I expected"
"They took the life of their other?" B RS wondered.
"Yes, for about a few days," Dragon Slayer commented, walking up to the bed and examining the girl, "I didn't know there were issues, but I didn't need to - personal question, don't ask - and I resumed training Geshumaru and working on her guardian"
"Her guardian, do you mean the robot?"
Dragon Slayer looked back at her, apprehensiveness distorting her face, "Not quite... the dragon machine"
"You... you built that thing," B RS exclaimed, her eyes widening with shock, "I saw you, Geshumaru, and her partner get tossed around and beaten half to death..!"
"And every time I see that, I question where I've gone wrong," Dragon Slayer said, looking down at the floor, "It was originally designed as a safe-guard for the palace and aid Geshumaru when the distortions of the Otherworld is too great for even her to handle, but it somehow backfired in the end"
"Backfire... do you mean the attack?" B RS wondered.
"No, but it wasn't long till that occurred," Dragon Slayer stated before resuming, "It just wouldn't work right for some reason, so I decided to create a partner for her that would help her in battle and withstand heavy damage, that's where the second 'Geshumaru' comes in"
Dragon Slayer turned around and brought her hands up, forming gestures to show her explanations, "His design captured concepts on the real world culture of soldiers throughout the time: Japan, England, and America during those 'world wars', and I incorporated those aspects into his design while retaining the basic feeling of the Otherworld"
"And you did that how?" B RS inquired.
"I assure you, it was not easy, but poking into Naomi's head through Geshumaru was an intriguing moment," Dragon Slayer commented with disdain before snapping back to the main topic, "Anyways, I started to build him through materials through the ground and used my abilities as a sorceress to piece him together, what remained was the core"
"I'm guessing you used the core that was originally meant for the dragon?"
"Intuitive as ever, yes, I used the core," Dragon Slayer said, a grim expression upon her face, "And everything changed from there on end; the dragon activated by itself with a connection to someone else, someone with enough power to demolish her enemies without thinking twice"
"And that other self would be..?" B RS said, leaving the end loose.
Dragon Slayer stared at B RS with no expression as one word came out of her mouth, "You"
"That's impossible, there is no way I'm connected with that thing," B RS told Dragon Slayer, frowning at the witch's words.
"There are things you can't clearly remember, but you should remember that everything isn't black and white," Dragon Slayer scolded, turning to face B RS completely, "Your original color is, and always will be blue; your tampered memories is what's preventing you from realizing it all"
B RS could only stare at Dragon Slayer as her words coursed through her head, slowly understanding the witch's mood throughout the memory playing out for them like a film. B RS couldn't deny that there are holes in her memory, but they were slowly patching themselves up and if she was to believe Dragon Slayer for one second, then everything would make sense. In her memories, she sees herself completely different from the way she is now, but it doesn't help that she saw the same version of herself try to drown her within her mind-scape. Dragon Slayer is right about her memories, but where does she tie into the machine's existence and path of destruction?
"Is there any proof that I'm connected to that thing?" B RS inquired.
"No definite proof, but I've watched every single other self after that incident until I came upon you," Dragon Slayer admitted, "You certainly had the power to connect with it, but it appeared that there were contradictions between you and it"
B RS crossed her arms, staring at Dragon Slayer in irritation, "So, Geshumaru is going after me based on mere speculation?"
"Possibly, but the truth will always show itself in the end," Dragon Slayer told her as they heard a groan come from Naomi.
The girl was shifting slightly from side to side, her eyebrows and closed eyes scrunching as she was slowly waking up from her unconscious state of mind. B RS walked up to Naomi's side and looked down at her face as her eyelids fluttered slowly, her mind waking up. Dragon Slayer stayed where she stood, expressionless as she watch B RS examine Naomi's face. There was no reason for Dragon Slayer to react like B RS is, she already knew what happens next. As Naomi's eyes open, B RS started to back away as the girl slowly lifted herself and looked around the room.
Her blue eyes were glowing and they didn't resemble a real self's eyes, but they resembled an other self's eyes instead.
"Wh-what...?" The words left the girl's mouth, but the emotions in the words felt off.
B RS stopped as the girl was snapping her head all around the room, appearing scared and confused, as if she didn't know where she was. Actually, that made a lot of sense because the girl wasn't Naomi, there was no possible way it was her given her reactions and how she was analyzing her figure. Dragon Slayer walked up to B RS and seized her arm, gripping it tightly as they saw the girl's eyes flicker as her fingers raked through her hair. Dragon Slayer started whispering words, but it didn't matter, B RS wasn't paying attention to her. The anger that rest inside B RS shifted into pity; she started to frown as the girl's eyes widened completely and looked up at the ceiling of the room.
Before everything shifted, B RS managed to hear Geshumaru let out an agonizing scream.
Saya frowned slightly as she moved a fringe to the side, over her ear, thinking about the one thing that started to plague her recently: her hair. It wasn't that it was a problem, but the obvious conundrum behind growing it or cutting it is starting to damn her a bit. There were factors on both end that could make up her mind on it, and normally there wouldn't be any conflict if it weren't for that she was fine with either one. She could also leave it as is and not worry about it too much, but she rather have a second opinion on that before she made up her mind. Overall, she hates how one simple thing could affect her beauty, and the possible romances that comes with it.
"Ugh," Saya groaned, "I wish someone would just come and lay out their problems, oh wait, there's practically no one with any problems..!"
There was a knock on the door and Saya stared at it, wondering if it was pure coincidence as she walked up to the door and slide it open, "Ah, Mato?"
"Hey Saya, can I talk to you?" Mato asked, completely relaxed as the words came out of her mouth.
Saya nodded and moved to the side, letting Mato in as she closed the door and walked to the couch, trying to figure out what was going on in Mato's head. The way she said that they needed to talk was like it wasn't a serious issue. Given how she been hunted down, wound up in the hospital with burns, and the target of Kagari's justified beatings, it's a wonder what sort of thing is running through her head. In fact, the very first thing that would be running through Saya's mind is that the Geshumaru girl was still pestering her. Only problem with that, Mato's cooled and relax attitude debunked the thought way before Saya could even ask her.
"So, what is it Mato?" Saya inquired.
"Well, I was planning to go to an amusement park with Yomi, Yuu, and Kagari," Mato started off, her left eye subtly twitching, "I got my mom's permission, but..."
Saya blinked, "Uh, what?"
"She said that I need someone to watch over me while I'm out," Mato deadpanned, her head hanging down.
Saya blinked, wondering why everything just went silent in zero to sixty, directly after Mato said she needed a guardian to watch her while she went out with her friends. It didn't hit Saya that Mato was telling her that she needed her as a guardian while she went out, at least after a good minute into the silence. Once it clicked in place, Saya fumbled with her words a bit, causing Mato to stare at her like she was acting weird. It was one thing to help someone out with either social, school, or Otherworld situations - which were rare. It's another to have to watch that someone by heading out with them and keeping an eye so that nothing happens.
"I'm guessing this has something to do with the hospitalization issue?" Saya asked, forcing down whatever snicker that was going to come out.
"Yeah, and I keep saying that I'm fine, but nope, I need someone to watch me," Mato groaned out rubbing her face, "So, can you Saya?"
Saya forced back a smile, wanting to toy with Mato, "Oh, I don't know~"
"Saya, please," Mato pleaded, "It's either this or I lie, and mom will know that I'm lying, it's like a sixth sense or something..!"
"But I got other things to worry about," Saya lied, the hints of a smirk appearing on the right corner of her mouth.
Mato stopped, just staring at Saya with a blank expression on her face, "You're joking, aren't you?"
"No, I..." Saya started chuckling a bit, she couldn't hold it in, "Haha, okay, can't blame me for having fun..."
"No, but I can blame you for doing it when I'm being serious," Mato deadpanned.
"Alright, alright, I'll watch over you," Saya told her before thinking, "Actually, why are you asking me?"
"Well," Mato said, pausing for a moment, "I guess between my mom, Yomi's mom, and you, you're the one with the most freed-up schedule"
"That's practically implying that I don't get out much aside from work..." Saya thought to herself, feeling a bit downcast, "Geez, I'll watch over you..."
Mato nodded and got off the couch, not seeing how Saya's expression changed slightly from her comment, nor feeling the gloomy aura that surrounded the woman. It was nice to have a break from something that's related to the Otherworld in some way. The amusement park was a bit far, but nothing a good train ride couldn't fix, not to mention it was coming up in a few days. It nestled perfectly in the weekend, a great time to relax and just enjoy your life. Before Mato could leave the room, she felt Saya stare and turned to look at her.
"Hey Mato, can I ask you something?" Saya questioned.
"Uh, yeah, what is it?" Mato wondered.
"Should I grow out my hair..." Saya started slowly, "Or should I cut it back down..?"
Mato looked up for a moment, thinking before looking back at Saya, "Neither, I think it looks fine the way it is now"
Mato left the room, leaving Saya to her own thoughts, "... I need some café au lait..."
The feeling of hollowness wasn't some concept that was far from B RS's understanding, she could grasp it, but never see or visualize it in any way. It's hard for someone like her to fully understand emotions, despite reacting to them without a single thought to counter it. So, watching Geshumaru sit up on the bed, staring down with no expression on her face connected that feeling, as well as making B RS feel something towards the girl. As far as she knew, it was the only feeling that she ever felt for someone else, a feeling that she never experienced: pity. Dragon Slayer walked up to her, looking out the window with a nonchalant expression, her body tense as if she was in a trap.
B RS bit her lip for a moment before looking at Dragon Slayer, "What happened to her..?"
"An overload of emotions, plus the realization that Naomi is gone from this world," Dragon Slayer told her, not missing a beat, "Think of it as a real self and an other self switching lives, but with one sacrificing their existence for the other"
"That's just..." B RS started, but stopped when she saw Dragon Slayer looking at her.
"Sad? Depressing? You don't even know what she has done to herself," Dragon Slayer said, her voice becoming grim with a hint of something: regret, "Every time I look at these memories, I watch her literally rip herself apart, tear at her skin; there's a reason why I skipped a few days ahead after that breakdown incident"
"You don't want me to see it?" B RS guessed.
Dragon Slayer frowned, "That is what happens to us Anomalies when something horrific happens to us, it rips us apart because of the strain our humane side causes"
B RS's eyebrows arched up, "Did it happen to you?"
"Such a basic question, but yes, it did," Dragon Slayer answered, "It wasn't as catastrophic as it was for Geshumaru, but it hurt regardless, and it still does at times..."
"But it means that we're still alive and living for that other person," B RS stated.
Dragon Slayer grunted, "It also means that regardless of who you are, real self or other self, we all suffer in our predetermined fates"
B Rs was about to say something about what Dragon Slayer just said, but held herself when she saw the door open and the little boy B RS saw from before came rushing towards the bed, crying a bit with a woman walking up to Geshumaru. It wasn't hard to guess that they were family of Naomi's, or rather, should it be Geshumaru's family now that she has Naomi's body? It didn't matter, there was no way she could question what she was seeing now, not after hearing Geshumaru's agonizing scream from before. The person who made herself B RS's enemy, the person who decided to manipulate anything to meet her goals, is nothing more than a broken person now.
"Naomi," Geshumaru didn't respond when the woman called out her real self's name, "When I got that call and heard you were in the hospital, I thought everything just stopped in that moment..."
Geshumaru kept staring at the sheets, never blinking as Naomi's mother continued, "Please, please answer Naomi..!"
"Onee-san..." The little boy sniffed, trying to wipe the tears away.
B RS felt her gut twisting all around inside her, it was starting to become unbearable watching Naomi's family react like this without knowing what happened to their real daughter. Looking at Dragon Slayer, she saw the older other self looking passive as ever, sparking a familiar anger within her. If it was possible, she would cleave Dragon Slayer head off her neck, just to remove that expression. As B RS entertained the thought, she saw Dragon Slayer's eyes widened slightly until a soft smile graced her lips. Turning back to Geshumaru and the family, she saw Geshumaru slowly ruffle the boy's hair, her body shaking slightly.
"What..?" B RS mumbled as she saw Geshumaru pull Naomi's family towards her, tears trickling from her eyes.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..!" Geshumaru cried, her emotion controlling her actions as she repeating her apology.
Dragon Slayer closed her eyes, "Let's move on, there's still more that you need to see"
"Hold on," B RS told her, gripping Dragon Slayer's shoulder, "Just... let me keep seeing this a bit longer..."
Dragon Slayer didn't move, but she responded to B RS's request with a brief nod as she continued watching the scene before her.
Gold Saw trudged through her home, her jacket slightly torn from her fight against Bone Sprout, or whoever was controlling Bone Sprout to have her attack in the open. The black markings that she saw on Bone Sprout before they disappeared terrified her in a way she hasn't felt since she fought against B RS while she was insane. Another thing about the black markings was that it reminded her of the other self she fought against weeks ago: Underworld Icicle. Gold Saw couldn't deny that there was something about her that made her fear the potential of death, or a fate much worse than that if possible. Gold Saw passed around the corner and noticed STR bending down, examining the ground as if there was something interesting about it.
Gold Saw walked up to STR, arching an eyebrow as she said, "What are you doing STR?"
STR jumped a bit and looked at Gold Saw, "Ah, I was passing by as I noticed a flower growing here"
"A flower..?" Gold Saw murmured, bending down to look at the supposed plant.
A red flower was growing from a small crack in the ground, small thorns appearing on the stem of the flower. Gold Saw wasn't sure on what it was, or why a plant would be growing in her sector of the Otherworld. As far as she could remember, that has been little to no vegetation in the Otherworld, it was a barren wasteland full of slashes, dunes, and bodies from many fights. If was any traces of vegetation, it probably died off no more than hundreds of years ago, through what means remained a mystery. Gold Saw got up and walked over to an overturned rock, sitting down as she removed her King Saw from her back and started to look at the blade.
STR got up and turned to Gold Saw, staring at the scuffed up jacket, "You went out and fight, didn't you?"
"The fight came to me, I merely defended myself," Gold Saw stated, running a claw along the blade.
STR frowned, "Who did you fight against?"
"An other self known as Bone Sprout, though, she wasn't in control of herself," Gold Saw told STR, "And that other self that's hunting down B RS appeared..."
STR arched her eyebrows, surprised, "What, did she..?"
"No, I got this while fighting Bone Sprout," Gold Saw dismissed STR's worry, "The only thing the girl did was threaten me, nothing more, nothing less"
"That's not good, why aren't you worried about her," STR inquired, frowning, "If you die, Saya will pay the price and you know how bad everything will become for her"
"You don't think I don't know that, I'm trying to find answers for us all so we can stop that weird other self," Gold Saw told STR, her expression a mix of frustration and dissatisfaction, "In the end, I couldn't find anything on what's going on, or what caused this whole mess to begin with"
STR stopped herself and looked away, thinking about what Gold Saw told her. No clues, no answers, nothing for them to use and benefit from. STR's thoughts lingered on it for a moment until she remembered someone who could have the answers. Dragon Slayer seems to know more than she lets on, but after dropping B RS into an abyss and kidnapping Yomi who was in Dead Master's body, it's hard to swallow the thought that she's probably the only person who could help them. Focusing her thoughts, STR's Ogre Arms appeared in place of her regular arms, preparing herself for her own trip. Gold Saw noticed STR's actions and got up as she walked away.
"STR, you won't have as much success as I have," Gold Saw told her, "You have to realize that the answers-"
STR turned to Gold Saw sharply, "I don't care, there's somebody that can help us, despite what she done to us..."
"Who are you talking about?" Gold Saw inquired.
"Someone who is an easy other self to detest, but hold the answers that we need," STR replied before dashing away, her Ogre Arms lugging behind her.
Gold Saw narrowed her eye, her gut wrenching as she saw the sky being surrounded by iron-coated clouds: omens that something was going to happen.
B RS opened her eyes slowly, removing the last traces of sleep from her body as she got up, her bones cracking as she stretched. Dragon Slayer was sitting on the opposite wall, looking out the window into the star filled sky. B RS started to remember that she fell asleep after watching Geshumaru interact with Naomi's mother and little brother, and given how Dragon Slayer won't go on without her learning anything, she didn't shift anything. Looking towards the hospital bed, B RS saw Geshumaru sleeping, possibly for the first time in days after getting Naomi's body. Dragon Slayer tapped at the window, catching B RS's attention as she pointed outside.
"The stars out there exist for millenniums on in within the human perspective, but in truth, it takes many years before the stars disappear from the sky," Dragon Slayer explained, "Since they are far away, they probably died thousands, or millions of years before anyone was born"
"Why are you telling me this?" B RS wondered.
"Life is fleeting, don't let it disappear," Dragon Slayer responded, taking her eyes off the sky as they focused on Geshumaru.
B RS looked towards the resting Anomaly and saw her eyes flicker open before she slowly got up, looking out the window and staring at the glowing town before her. Geshumaru gripped her sheets tightly before letting go and reaching towards the window, unlocking it just like she had seen the nurses do. Sliding the window open, Geshumaru got out of the bed and got on her feet, stumbling a bit as she tried to regain her footing on the floor. Many different sensations were surrounding her, feelings that she never expected to feel. Climbing up into the window frame, Geshumaru looked around her as she examined the area outside.
Dragon Slayer got up, her ever so familiar smile upon her lips, "Well, time to get going"
B RS phased through the bed as she watch Geshumaru push herself off the window, aiming towards a building close to the hospital. B RS and Dragon Slayer phased through the wall and stood on the open air as they saw Geshumaru tumble on the rooftop of a building, grabbing her left ankle after making the landing. They saw her get up and shake the ankle a bit before she started running, her bare feet padding along the roof. B RS and Dragon Slayer dropped off on the roof and started trailing her, picking up their speed to keep up with Geshumaru. B RS wasn't sure where Geshumaru was going, but it must have been important for them to trail her without shifting through the memory to just see what it was.
They saw Geshumaru make sharp turns, high jumps that no mere real self could make, and rapid descents as if she was retraining herself. It wasn't an ideal type of training, but Geshumaru appeared as if she had something else in mind. Geshumaru jumped off to her right, straight down to the road and rushed towards the park. B RS looked at Dragon Slayer, but the older other self just head straight towards the park as well, causing B RS to follow close behind. When B RS entered the park, she went into the tress and watch Dragon Slayer track Geshumaru to a huge tree far off in the park. She stopped next to Dragon Slayer and watched her enemy stare at the tree as she grabbed a tree branch.
"Damn it... damn it all," Geshumaru mumbled, stabbing into the tree with all her strength, "This.. was never supposed to happen..."
B RS saw the branch implant itself into the tree, albeit with some difficulty, and Geshumaru started carving on it, digging the tree out with the branch. Tears slowly streamed down her cheeks as she focused on the carving, digging the branch deeper and deeper. B RS walked up to the tree and noticed Geshumaru making a huge "O" before stopping and stabbing the other side of the branch next to the carving. She started digging again and made and "S" beside the "O" she made seconds ago. Dropping the branch, Geshumaru backed away as she felt the tears drying up, her head hung low and her black hair covering her face. Dragon Slayer walked up to B RS and grabbed her arm, causing the girl to look up at her.
"Now this is when things gets interesting..." Dragon Slayer told her.
B RS stared back at Geshumaru as the Anomaly raised her head, her eyes glowing a bright azure with violet undertones as she gritted her teeth in anger. Before B RS could react, the scene distorted itself until all three of them were standing outside of a broken down palace, Geshumaru dressed in the Otherworld clothes. She dashed towards the broken down palace, forcing her now human body to break through physical limits. B RS and Dragon Slayer dashed after her, watching her summon her katana and pull it out of its sheath. As they rushed towards the palace, a mechanical roar came from the top floor of the palace; the mechanical dragon's head snaked around one section of the palace, the machine eying Geshumaru.
"What's happening?" B RS shouted to Dragon Slayer.
Dragon Slayer looked at B RS, "She's going after it, that damnable girl is going to fight that Spirit Eater..!"
As B RS and Dragon Slayer rushed inside the building, Geshumaru launched herself off the ground and rushed upwards as she blasted herself from wall to wall, a spark of energy trailing her. The Spirit Eater roared before firing beams at Geshumaru, trying to incinerate her. Geshumaru roared and slashed at the air, sending a wave of energy crashing against the beams, causing an explosion between them. The Spirit Eater looked around, the three gears around its neck spinning as it let out a mighty roar. A second later, Geshumaru passed through the smoke, yelling at the top of her lungs as she delivered a punch to the Spirit Eater's head. The machine let go of what it connected itself to and crashed down to the fifth floor.
Geshumaru landed on a rooted chain link, glaring at the creature, "It's all because of you..."
The Spirit Eater looked at her and roared before firing the laser that incinerated her before, causing Geshumaru to jump away as the laser blasted away a chunk of the palace. Flipping backwards, Geshumaru landed against a wall and pushed herself against it, launching herself towards the Spirit Eater. Geshumaru landed on it and started slashing away on its body, trying to break through its armored body. The machine roared as Geshumaru stopped slashing and started pounding her fist against its body, breaking through its armor and ripping out various parts. The Spirit Eater stumbled around until it crashed against the cylindrical part of the palace, causing the both of them to fall.
B RS and Dragon Slayer got into one of the circular inner halls and saw the Spirit Eater and Geshumaru battling against each other, Geshumaru using a chain to pull herself towards the machine. Energy flowed through her katana as a phantom blade appeared around it, the color mixing between azure and violet. Geshumaru started parting any attack the machine launched at her as she stabbed and slashed the Spirit Eater apart, the ground appearing closer the further they dropped. Geshumaru slashed again and broke one of the gear-like wheels around the Spirit Eater's neck, causing it to roar in pain as they hit the ground, forcing a crater to form. Geshumaru pulled herself up and walked towards the Spirit Eater's head, her eyes almost violet as she raised her katana above her head.
"What..!" B RS nearly shouted.
"Well damn, still gets me every time," Dragon Slayer mumbled.
"Geshumaru, stop!" A voice resounded down below.
B RS and Dragon Slayer looked down as a beaten Dragon Slayer rushed towards Geshumaru and restrained her arms, "Enough, you have to calm down!"
"It's all your fault..!" Geshumaru said again, trying to strike the Spirit Eater.
"Geshumaru, listen to me, you're going insane, you can't lose sense of yourself," Dragon Slayer warned, "You'll rip yourself apart if you let anger consume your existence, please, you have to stop"
Geshumaru's robot walked up slowly to them, "Hear Dragon Slayer out..."
Geshumaru kept glaring at the Spirit Eater, "It's all your fault!"
"Geshumaru, if you go insane, I'll have no choice but to kill you," Dragon Slayer told her, "I know how hard it is to lose your friend, but doing this will destroy everything, do you really want to ruin what Naomi did for you?!"
Geshumaru stopped trying to force her arms down, the phantom blade disappearing as her glowing eyes dulled back into their basic blue eyes. She felt her legs shake as Dragon Slayer let go of her, causing the girl to drop to her knees. Tears started coming out, but they didn't spill across her face, she couldn't will herself to cry completely. Dragon Slayer stared at her in complete pity as she looked away, gripping her arm as her amber-colored eyes stared at the ground below her. Up above, B RS and Dragon Slayer stared at the scene below them, silence covering the air around them save for Geshumaru's sobs.
"... Is it over..?" B RS asked, her eyes never leaving the scene.
"Not just yet," Dragon Slayer told her as she flicked her wrist, "We have to cover something that occurred three weeks later..."
The scene changed from the ruined palace to a circular styled room, a shelf up against a wall and a table in the center of the room. Geshumaru had a black cloak over her Otherworld clothes, putting books away as her partner walked in with more books held in one hand. It was completely repaired and appeared to have a strange aura of protectiveness around it, probably developed after the fight with the Spirit Eater. It placed the books on the table before sitting down on a chair specially made for it. Geshumaru took the books on the table and started placing them on the shelf as well.
"I see you're doing well after three weeks," A voice said from behind them.
B RS and Dragon Slayer turned around to see Dragon Slayer, now appearing as herself, leaning against the door frame, "Of course, you did need help removing this sector from the Otherworld, as well as developing this new palace..."
"Dragon Slayer, what brings you here?" Geshumaru inquired, never looking back once, "You still going to try to have me change my mind..?"
"That machine deserves to die, I honestly wonder why you would want it dormant in that hell you had me create," Dragon Slayer told her, frowning, "Its existence is nothing more than a plague for the Otherworld, it's nothing more than a spirit eater"
Geshumaru sighed, "As long as it remains dormant, then everything will be fine"
Dragon Slayer narrowed her eyes, "You naïve fool, I teach you everything I know, from basic understanding to sword combat, and you think that leaving it like that is fine..?"
"It won't do anything as long as its counterpart is unaware of its status," Geshumaru told Dragon Slayer, turning to face her, "Have you ever heard of Black Rock Shooter?"
Dragon Slayer didn't react to the question, "No, why should I?"
"I went to the real world as part of me living Naomi's life, and as I walked towards school, I felt a presence unlike any other real self," Geshumaru told her, "It was the feeling of an antithesis, or rather, the feeling of an antithesis' real world counterpart"
"So what?" Dragon Slayer inquired.
"In the Otherworld, she is the only one other than me who was born with similar power and colorization," Geshumaru informed Dragon Slayer, "There's no way that is a coincidence, she's connected to that creature"
Dragon Slayer visibly frowned, "I know where this is going, don't prosecute someone when you don't have all the facts straight"
"The truth is right in front of you and you're refusing to see it!" Geshumaru shouted.
"That's because I'm not thinking like you are," Dragon Slayer stated, "Everything isn't in black and white"
"Tch, you're a fool who only believes in things that aren't absolute," Geshumaru said.
"Ha, a fool you say, and yet you're going to prosecute someone who you don't even know or understand," Dragon Slayer scoffed as she walked up to Geshumaru, "Listen to me, because I'm not going to repeat myself, you lost sight of who you are and now, you're planning to kill someone who is probably unaware of all of this, so if you try anything, I won't hesitate to retaliate"
Geshumaru sneered, "I highly doubt you can do anything"
"Very well then, you can forget about me then, because I'm not your teacher anymore, nor am I your caretaker," Dragon Slayer said, "Even if you plan this within a week, a month, or even a year, I will still be ahead of every step you try to take, and I'll make sure you learn your lesson"
"Such a hollow threat from a hollow out person," Geshumaru noted.
"Don't mistake my words for something else, and if you do something to this... Black Rock Shooter, I'll make sure you pay for it," Dragon Slayer warned, "And I'll be there watching you break down until you realize it all again who you are"
Dragon Slayer turned around and exited the room, walking away from Geshumaru as her amber eyes flashed gold for a moment. B RS looked at Dragon Slayer, who gestured with her thumb towards the hallway, sending a complete silent message between each other. They phased through the wall and started walking down the hallway that Dragon Slayer traveled. They managed to catch up to her, watching her lean up against a wall as Geshumaru's robot walked up to her. Dragon Slayer looked at the robot before pushing herself off the wall, staring at it with a neutral expression.
"Listen, nothing is going to change my mind, it deserves to die," Dragon Slayer stated, "But no one deserves to suffer from whatever happens.
The robot's head tilted down, "That won't stop the suffering"
"Then I'll orchestrate everything to become so," Dragon Slayer said, waving her hand, "I'm not one to sit back and wait for someone to do it for me"
"Then I suppose we're enemies then," The robot mused.
Dragon Slayer smirked as she turned around and walked away, "We were never enemies, my friend..."
B RS wasn't sure why, but she felt everything start to pull itself away from her, like someone was ripping her out from a memory. In an instant, B RS's back arched as she gasped wildly, trying to organized her head as Dragon Slayer rushed towards her and pressed her down to the floor. B RS started to regulate her breathing and calmed down as she looked around, noticing she was back at the Palace of the End. Slowly getting up, she looked at Dragon Slayer and tried to figure out everything that was roaming around in her head. She didn't know what to think or feel, but perhaps it was best saved for some other time.
"So, does that answer your questions to some degree?" Dragon Slayer asked, smiling.
B RS stared at Dragon Slayer before muttering, "Y-yeah..."
"Good, because that's all you're getting," Dragon Slayer told her, walking towards the hall, "If you want to leave, I suggest you come with me"
B RS trailed behind Dragon Slayer following her out of the ruined palace and on a path that Dragon Slayer created herself. Dragon Slayer started to explain how she needed to create a path that would only open and close once she enters or exits the area. It was the only way she could safely travel though without having to cause any unnecessary conflicts while traveling. She also started to explain that the abyss was where Geshumaru once settled in place, but after the incident, it got removed with difficulty and the abyss became a gateway for the Palace of the End. Walking on with Dragon Slayer, they reached the end of the path and entered the outside world, the mouth of the abyss behind them.
Dragon Slayer pointed towards the north-east, "I suggest you go that way, you still need to collect your memories, right?"
"Yeah, I do," B RS said, walking towards the direction Dragon Slayer pointed towards before stopping, "Why are you harming me, just to protect me?"
"In a sense, you have a lot more in store for you," Dragon Slayer replied, "Now go, you got your answers, what you with them is up to you"
B RS nodded and took off towards the next step in her journey, preparing herself for what comes next.
STR walked through the forest, passing through the trees as her orange eyes zipped around the area, making sure she wasn't ambushed. It was hard not to keep yourself guarded at all times, especially after all that happened since B RS's death. It's been one disaster after another, and being at wit's end is never a pleasurable feeling for anyone who wants answers. As STR walked on, she felt the wind shift slightly to the east, then south, before settling to the north. Turning around, STR started firing at the mechanical wolves that came charging after her, the bullets dropping to the ground in swarms. The beasts fell to the ground dead, but STR felt as if there was something more to it.
"Come on, show yourself!" STR shouted.
STR kept turning around, her eyes darting back and forth as she watched the trees all around her, expecting someone to come out. As STR started loosening up a bit, she felt the katana piercing through her back and out through her ribs. Turning her head around, she saw Icicle staring at her as she slowly came out from STR's shadow. STR coughed up some of her blood as she glared at Icicle with whatever hate she could muster towards her. Icicle stepped away as she slid her katana out from STR, causing the girl to fall on her knees, orange blood dripping from the wound.
"How annoying, it seems a little cat got too curious for her own good," Icicle remarked, Her eyes and voice hollow and distant.
STR stared at Icicle and tried to launch a punch, but Icicle avoided and kicked her away, "Far too curious..."
"Screw you..." STR grunted out.
Icicle walked up to STR, looking down at her, "You're a nuisance in your own regard, but other than that, you don't have much of a use... until now"
With a flick of her wrist, Icicle started manipulating STR's shadow, causing it to distort and get a physical feature. STR watch it come at her and tried to blast it away, but the bullets fazed through it like there was nothing there. As it neared, STR tried to punch it away, but it just wrapped itself around her, covering her Ogre Arms. More tendrils came out of her shadow and started wrapping around her like a cocoon, encapsulating her within her own shadows. Icicle walked up and STR spat at her face, earning her a glare from the unnatural other self.
"Believe me, you'll be more of a use than you think..." Icicle told her before snapping her fingers.
Before STR could utter a single scream, her shadow enveloped her and the black cocoon dropped to the ground, resting there as Icicle walked away, a tail growing from the end of her spine.
Author's Note: I don't know how I pulled this out of my ass, but I did and I must say, this is quite an emotional roller-coaster of a chapter. I just enjoy creating something that can have a powerful effect on some people. Plus, this has some life lessons, so I hope you readers can pick up on it. Please review and I'll see you all when I can.
P.S: I'm graduating BTW, just so you know.