Moonlit Destiny
Author's Note: Wrote this eighteen years ago. It's full of cringe and OOC moments, but I'm preserving it for posterity. Enjoy the story and R&R.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Rockman EXE series.
Pairing: Established Netto x Tohru.
Summary:
Dark Chip Syndicate Nebula begins production on a reality-altering weapon. Amidst the chaos, Hikari Netto and his friends must battle countless Darkloids and creatures of another world to save their own.
Chapter 23: Demonrise
Samael stood in the center of the Mark of Paradise, his wings rising and falling in the rancid wind. The demonic god spewed forth words of death and sin.
When I beheld the Poet blind, yet bold,
In slender Book his vast Design unfold,
Messiah Crown'd, Gods Reconcil'd Decree,
Rebelling Angels, the Forbidden Tree,
Heav'n, Hell, Earth, Chaos, All; the Argument
Held me a while misdoubting his Intent,
That he would ruine (for I saw him strong)
The sacred Truths to Fable and old Song
The World o'rewhelming to revenge his Sight.
Yet as I read, soon growing less severe,
I liked his project, the success did fear;
Through that wide Field how he his way should find
O're which lame Faith leads Understanding blind;
Lest he perplext the things he would explain,
And what was easy he should render vain.
Or if a Work so infinite he spann'd,
Jealous I was that some less skilful hand
(Such as disquiet alwayes what is well,
And by ill imitating would excell)
Might hence presume the whole Creations day
To change in Scenes, and show it in a Play.
Pardon me, Mighty Poet, nor despise
My causeless, yet not impious, surmise.
But I am now convinc'd, and none will dare
Within thy Labours to pretend a Share.
Thou hast not miss'd one thought that could be fit,
And all that was improper dost omit:
So that no room is here for Writers left,
But to detect their Ignorance or Theft.
That Majesty which through thy Work doth Reign
Draws the Devout, deterring the Profane.
And things divine thou treats of in such state
As them preserves, and Thee, in violate.
At once delight and horrour on us seize,
Thou singst with so much gravity and ease;
And above humane flight dost soar aloft,
With Plume so strong, so equal, and so soft.
The Bird nam'd from that Paradise you sing
So never Flags, but alwaies keeps on Wing.
Where couldst thou Words of such a compass find?
Whence furnish such a vast expense of Mind?
Just Heav'n Thee, like Tiresias, to requite,
Rewards with Prophesie thy loss of Sight.
Well might thou scorn thy Readers to allure
With tinkling Rhime, of thy own Sense secure;
While the Town-Bays writes all the while and spells,
And like a Pack-Horse tires without his Bells.
Their Fancies like our bushy Points appear,
The Poets tag them; we for fashion wear.
I too transported by the Mode offend,
And while I meant to Praise thee, must Commend.
Thy verse created like thy Theme sublime,
In Number, Weight, and Measure, needs not Rhime.
The circle was lit by fire, the scent of scorched earth filling the suffocating air.
"It is time. The seal is broken."
In the distance, the fog began to lift. It tore away from the blackened world, searing into the flesh of the other. Samael's servants bowed before him, his presence insinuating the psyche of the living, and uplifting the dead.
…
"Netto-kun, wake up!"
"Ro-Rockman?" Netto opened his eyes, removing himself from the sickly ground.
"Netto-kun, you're all right! I'm so glad! Where are we? What's going on?"
He punched a dead tree.
"Netto-kun…" Rockman whispered, afraid his operator might suddenly start yelling at him.
"Tohru-kun, I promise! I promise that I'll defeat him! I'll do my best for you! Let's go, Rockman! I'll fill you in on the way!"
…
In the Memory Scape, a boy paced back and forth. He smiled through his hood, looking up into the now red sky. His brown hair blew against the soft gale, everything around him seeming out of place. The clouds whirred around a celestial sphere, as if a fiery whirlpool was forming to cleanse the world of its inhabitants.
"You've done well, Netto-kun. I can finally rest my fears." Tohru sank back into the shadows.