Chapter VII:

Old World Waltz

Two weeks passed yet the storm carried on. It would occasionally fluctuate in its intensity, however, the rain would remain constant. There was never a moment in which one could look up to the blackened skies and not see a flash of lightning somewhere. Those intimidating funnel clouds still swirled about. Not a single one managed to touch ground, yet they were still present. They circled the ruins like carrion birds, waiting to wreak untold destruction upon the world.

Initially, 9S planned to barricade himself in a dark room on the other side of the floor. A quiet dwelling where he could finish viewing the memories he had already obtained. His plan fell through before too long. The vast majority of that time was spent with the twins. He found it surprisingly easy to lose track of time when he was with them. Whether it be watching Devola stubbornly try to fish in the midst of an apocalyptic super typhoon or simply scrounging around for whatever resources and spare parts they desired.

Their carefree behavior struck 9S as odd. They were supposed to feel constant guilt. 9S knew this first hand as he had seen the programming for himself while scouring their memories for any trace of himself during their repair process. He could see the results of eons of abuse as clear as day. Particularly in Devola who's abrasive attitude and protectiveness for her sister were made consistently apparent to him. However, they did not act as though they felt any form of guilt. Could the protocol in question be weak, or were they just adept at concealing it?

The twins took an instant liking to his pod. They were no less quick to defend 153 whenever 9S felt the need to yell at her for whatever reason. He hurled a few insults at her soon after her arrival. Devola, in turn, hurled more than a few at him. Begrudgingly, his behavior toward 153 improved drastically after that little exchange. Perhaps they saw a bit of themselves in 153 when he attacked her.

It was a challenge to tear himself away from his somewhat clingy, red-haired companions. Part of him suspected it to be Popola's doing. Anytime he expressed a need to finish viewing No.9's files; she would, without fail, come up with some new task for them to complete. He could not quite blame it entirely on her. His own motivation was being sapped. Most of the memories on offer left no insight into the type of android No.9 was. A majority of them did not contain a single spoken word.

On top of it all, he was not overly confident he would be able to locate more data. It was by dumb luck that 4S found this cache in the first place. The idea of finding another one was starting to seem impossible. The only hope he had was in the fact that memories already found were very clearly left behind deliberately by someone. Perhaps it was No.9's own doing. Whatever the case, unless he could find a clue to the whereabouts of the next cache somewhere within these files, his search may as well be considered over.

While the twins wandered off to explore more of the building's lower floors, 9S slipped away. He and 153 retreated to a dark room far removed from the usual areas frequented by the twins. He began the session with a few random, bland files. As one memory concluded, 153 scanned through the list to pick another file in need of viewing.

"Alert: Anomaly detected," the pod announced. "Abnormal header data discovered on one of the files present in this storage unit."

9S immediately perked up from his disinterested, slumped posture. "What's abnormal about it?"

"All files thus far were created on average eleven to twelve years ago. This was shortly after early YoRHa operations began. However, this file dates back to only nine years prior."

It was probably the most curious thing he had heard since 153 reactivated him. He leaned forward and pressed a quizzical finger to his chin. "That's weird. Do any of the other files show a similar date?"

"Analyzing... Negative. All other files listed in this storage unit were created within that eleven to twelve-year time span. This file is the only one to have been created at a later date."

"Well, play it. Maybe it has something useful on it."

9S tried to not get his hopes up. More than likely, it was another clip of No.9 taking in quiet scenery or performing some mundane mission. He knew this full well, yet the desire to see it for himself outweighed his reasonable assumptions.

"Loading data…"

Just as 153 was on the verge of projecting the memory for him, Devola barged into the room. The obnoxious shine of her flashlight destroyed his peacefully dark surroundings. 9S grumbled to himself as she called out to him.

"I thought I'd find you in here. Come on! You gotta see this!"

She rushed back down the hall. She seemed excited about something. A rare sight for him to see her behave in such a way. That fact alone left him curious. He got up and followed her out the door. It was not like he had anything better to do.

What the twins found or why it stirred so much excitement was anyone's guess. Fortunately, 9S would not be left guessing for long. Popola sat next to the entrance of the large room where most of their time was spent. In her arms was an old, battered string instrument. A lute. It definitely showed signs of wear and tear but appeared to be operable. He at least saw no broken strings.

Popola dragged her hand along the strings. A musical hum radiated from the instrument. "There," she announced proudly. "It should be properly tuned, now."

She looked up and smiled upon noticing the scanner. "There you are. Any requests?"

"You know how to play that thing," asked 9S.

"We both do," Devola informed. "Name a song! Any song!"

"Forgive us if we're a bit rusty at first," Popola shyly informed. "It's been a long time since we had a chance to practice."

9S decided to humor them. Hearing them play did seem far more interesting than being let down again by what was likely a false hope. The decision was ultimately not a tough one to make. He thought of anything he could request. Nothing came to mind. His disappointing response was accompanied by an almost dejected tone of voice.

"Sorry, but I don't know any songs. Unless the memories are just lost to me, I don't recall ever hearing music in person. I've only heard snippets from archives of the old world. Archives that I normally wasn't allowed to access."

"Wow. Guess fun isn't part of YoRHa's MO," Devola snickered.

"If that's the case," Popola added. "I'll have to make your first song is something special. Take a seat. I think I have an idea."

9S sat on the floor next to her and waited. She toyed with the lute before finding a basic rhythm. One that soon transformed into an elaborate song. 9S leaned back and stared into the darkness above. All the while he wondered where the music had come from. Was it a song of their own design or something from the old world? There was a strange harmony between Popola's performance and the rain outside. Could it have been intentional on her part?

If she truly was "rusty" in her ability to play then it was impossible to notice. He was content with simply listening to her play for as long as she desired to continue. A bolt of lightning lit up the room. The flash drew 9S's attention to Devola. She noticed the boy looking her way and extended a hand toward him.

"Wanna dance?"

The revelation that they, or at least Devola, knew how to dance was not much of a surprise. Given Popola's skill behind that lute, it would be odd if neither one knew how to dance along to the music.

"I don't know how."

"Learning's easy," Devola reassured. She almost spoke in tune with Popola's music. Surely they could not sing as well? 9S shrugged it off, assuming it to be the result of an overactive imagination.

9S checked his surroundings as if he expected something to jump out at him. He searched for another excuse. It was a tempting offer if for nothing else than to learn something new, but making a fool of himself was not so tempting.

"It's a bit dark in here for teaching me something like that, don't you think?"

Silently, Pod 153 floated off to the side and shined her light on Devola. The twin in question flashed a devious smile. "Problem solved…"

Thoroughly defeated, 9S took her hand. As she led him to the center of the room, 9S brainstormed methods to punish his pod for this betrayal. He was not given much time before he was forced to focus on Devola's movements. She did a poor job of explaining the process as she did not explain much of anything. His objective to simply keep up became top priority lest he fall or step on her feet. He made that mistake once early on only for Devola to stomp on his left foot in retaliation. It was possible that it could have been by accident, but he had considerable doubts.

It should be painful yet 9S felt nothing from the interaction. It was something he started to notice more and more. He could not recall the last time he felt actual pain. Every other sensation was of no issue to him. The pleasure of Devola's embrace. The cold sting of the rain. The aggressive force of tropical winds. 9S could process all of it. The only feeling which alluded him was pain.

Devola did not give him a chance to worry about it. Her movements were slow and simplistic at first. It was easy enough to keep track of her. When it became obvious that he was able to keep up without issue, she ramped up the speed. She gradually guided him into more complex performances. During one twirl, 9S caught a glimpse of Popola. She still sat in the backdrop, playing the lute with the same vigor, yet something seemed off. He had to wait until Devola twirled around again before he could get a better look at her.

Through the darkness, he could just barely see her glaring at them. She looked on with a sharp frown and cynical eyes. He studied her covertly. It looked as though that annoyed glare was directed more at her sister than at him. He eventually had to shift his attention back onto Devola. She went into yet another phase of moves which were even more intense than the last.

Devola slowed their pace. "You know," she murmured. 9S could feel her hand snaking up to the back of his head where her fingers intertwined with the knot that held his visor in place. "If you're going to dance with me, the least you could do is let me look you in the eyes."

9S blocked her arm and calmly pushed it back. "Not happening."

"Why not? I don't think I've ever seen you without that stupid thing on."

"No," 9S repeated firmly.

Devola relented.

They danced for much longer than 9S initially suspected. Devola seemed to have an endless amount of different moves to teach him. Each one more fanciful than the last. Never once did it become a bore for him. Neither he nor Devola was terribly eager to stop unless the music ended. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.

Popola stopped playing. An uncomfortable silence descended upon them both. The pair froze in place. All eyes turned to Popola as she stood up off the floor.

"Sister," Popola announced. "Why don't we switch places, now?"

Devola thought nothing of it. She released 9S. "Sure. Have at it."

Popola handed over the lute and approached 9S. She took Devola's place whereas her sister stepped off to the side and picked up where Popola left off. Devola had a distinctly different style of playing the same instrument. He did not necessarily know if he preferred it to Popola's, but it was a noticeable change.

"Take the lead," requested Popola. "Show me what you've learned so far."

"Y-you want me to lead!?"

Popola nodded.

9S grimaced but complied. He managed to mimic many of Devola's motions without messing them up. It took a few circles around the room for him to get in the swing of things. Popola did not move as aggressively as her sister. It took some getting used to.

After spending yet another considerable interval of time dancing, his eyes wandered to Devola. He found her grimacing at her sister. It was that same irritable look that he could have sworn he saw on Popola's face before they switched places. Perhaps it was merely his eyes playing tricks on him.

Similar to what happened with Devola, his time with Popola would not go uninterrupted for much longer. Over the music, a melodic voice filled the room. Both he and Popola slowed their pace and turned to Devola. She was singing. She was not exactly bad at it either. Her voice was almost mesmerizing.

"You can sing too," asked 9S.

Devola paused. "Of course!"

"I can sing as well," Popola added.

9S glinted her way. She spoke softly, though, that alone was not unusual for her. What was unusual was the somewhat annoyed look in her eye.

He heard Devola laugh from afar. "Yeah, Popola is way better than me. She only ever sings when she's plastered, though."

"It's true. I'm a little shy when it comes to my voice."

Devola resumed her singing and after 9S picked up the pace again, Popola's harsh expression eventually relaxed.

While he could not prove it, 9S began to suspect that Devola only started to sing for the sake of one-upping her sister. It was the strange looks they gave each other that spawned such a theory. A theory that was reinforced the moment Popola abruptly took the lead. She started displaying a plethora of dazzling moves. Dances far more advanced and impressive than those Devola had shown him. Likewise, keeping up with her was an even greater challenge.

During it all, 9S caught another glimpse of Devola. She was staring directly at him as if she were singing to him alone. Devola gave him an odd grin. She sang lyrics of which he had no hope of understanding. It was nothing like the gibberish she and her sister would occasionally engage in. Her lyrics sounded much more coherent even if he could not fathom what was being spoken about. They resembled an actual language of some sort. Likely a very ancient one.

His cheeks turned as red as his veiled eyes at the sight of her.

"Alert," Pod 153 interjected. "Vitals of Unit 9S show an abnormal rise in heart rate."

"Quiet," demanded the scanner.

The twins' laughter at his expense did not help the matter.

Like all things, the festivities came to their inevitable end. 9S could only hope it would not be the last time for such an event. Though, he could do without the weird competition between the sisters in the future. He and his pod returned to the privacy of their room. 9S reclaimed the same spot on the floor and his pod floated around to the front of the room.

"Pod 153 to Unit 9S. Did you enjoy yourself?"

9S scratched at his silver locks as he fought back a smile. "I suppose. On a more important note. How about you play that memory we found? I'm curious about what's in it."

"Loading data…"

The usual holographic projection appeared in the space between himself and his pod. Visual static cleared from the image. The footage in question immediately drew 9S's attention. It was an odd scene to behold.

He was immediately greeted by No.9's face reflected through a hand-held mirror. It was the first time he had been granted a proper view of No.9. He saw occasional glimpses of the prototype scanner through less than detailed reflections on the surface of water or in the darkly tinted windows of the Bunker. Until then, he had yet to see it so clearly.

No.9's features were identical to those of 9S. They had the same head of white hair. The same lips, cheek structure, all of it. The only difference was in their eyes. No.9 did not bother wearing a visor if he had one at all. No.9's eyes were a clear, vibrant blue. He smiled at himself in the mirror. A cocky, knowing smirk.

The prototype scanner sat at a half-rotten table. The backdrop was familiar. It was a struggle to see the walls around him, as No.9 did not take his eyes off of his reflection. Eventually, 9S started to notice the endless number of pictures posted on the surrounding walls. The pictures alone communicated the exact location this memory was created in.

"What," 9S exclaimed aloud. "That's Amos' hideout! What's he doing there!? Where the hell is Amos!?"

Any doubt 9S may have had about his own theory was quashed the moment he caught a glimpse of a large sword propped up against the wall in a nearby corner. The same black and blue blade that Amos kept in his dwelling space. It was not the only sword in the room. On the table in front of No.9 laid another sword. One 9S had not seen before.

The blade was jagged in shape. It looked like a painful weapon to impale someone with. The hilt was the most eye-catching area of the weapon. It was solid gold. The cross-guard was notable for its weird, geometric shape. At its center rested an enormous emerald. The perfectly cut gemstone sparkled in an otherwise dreary environment.

Near the sword was a pistol. 9S recognized it. How could he not? It was the very same weapon Amos nearly used to blow his brains out. The rust patterns and pitting were extremely similar.

"Nine," a feminine tone sounded off from somewhere in the background. 9S frantically searched for the source of the voice but he had no hope of finding it.

The voice was recognizable yet 9S could not attach a face nor name to it no matter how hard he tried. Whoever was speaking, she sounded as though she were in severe pain.

"Are… are you almost finished?"

No.9 frowned but he did not take his eyes off of the mirror. "Patience, you two. I will tend to you in a moment."

The whole scene was unsettling. 9S wished he could get a look at whoever No.9 just dismissed. He wished that he could find at least a hint about Amos's whereabouts during that period of time. Wishes that would likely not come true anytime soon.

No.9 regained his confident composure almost as quickly as he lost it. He cleared his throat and his grinning lips parted once more.

"To my future self…"

Note: I feel like now would be a good time to bring up the fact that Devola and Popola were not always meant to be featured as main characters or even at all, for that matter.

However, when I opted to include the twins, I wanted to steer them back to their bardic roots. I decided very early on that I wanted a chapter to act as an introduction to this change.