Chapter 123 - Beyond Perfected
[Ishtar Sink | Campus-9 | Venus]
"Crap! Yuki!" Akio set her down gently, hearing her breathing labour while blood dripped from her wounds. He was panicked, knitting his brow. "Tekres, I need NARA purged from her stab wounds!"
To the Guardians' surprise, especially the one in white robes, who raised his machine gun to the appearing Fallen. Again, bewildered, when said Wolf Splicer knelt beside the girl, leaning closer to pull her barding back to show the state of the wounds on her torso. While all this happened, the red Guardian found her voice, closing her fist tightly. "Ghost, bring our Jumpship as quickly as possible."
"R-right, on it," The white shell with two red stripes spun to life.
"Zane, contact the Tower, get them to prepare medical... possible surgery too," Her voice was calm and sharp, and the Hunter, Zane, gave a curt nod.
"On it," He stepped away to speak while the Titan, Ceres, addressed her other companion eyeing Tekres the whole time.
"Morbin, keep watch, the Vex are still active, if they come near blow them away," She requested, and with a roll of his shoulders, and a grunt, the Warlock, Morbin, moved for the mouth of the cave.
"...Fine," His voice was taut but he did as he was asked while Ceres made her way down to them.
"Ceres..." Rayla stared at her for a time, wanting to say so many things but she dropped her astonishment and glared at the dead Vex portal behind them. "Please, don't let her die,"
"I won't, promise," Ceres replied in an instant.
"Tekres and Akio, keep her breathing, I'll watch the gate encase anything follows us," She lifted her handcannon, pointing it toward the back of the cave.
"I will scout the perimeter, I wish to know where we are first and foremost," Hana spoke curtly, stepping past Ceres.
"Wait-" The Titan was cut off when Akio's hand started to glow with two small seals around his wrists, creating a blue pulse over Yuki's wounds to stop the bleeding.
"It'll be alright, they probably have more fight in them out of all of us," He huffed, sweat dripping down his chin. "My magic's nearly tapped out, I can only stop her bleeding but..." He wouldn't admit defeat, not after losing so much already.
"NARA's damage is extensive, however, she appears to be combating the effects of the nanotechnolgy..." Tekres clicked, glancing up at Ceres who sat on her knees with her Ghost floating beside her. "You... who would have believed... the one who slew my Kell would be our salvation,"
"I..." Ceres paused, then, she procured what looked like a medical bag, propping it open. "...right now, her safety is more important than Skolas."
"Hrm..." Tekres agreed, another time.
"Once we're out of the fire, feel free to ask as many questions you'd like," Rayla tried to lighten the mood, shaking her head. "Think this tale might just blow Zane's mind."
"I'll take that bet!" The hunter yelled from the other side of the cave.
"Don't encourage him..." Beside him, his own ghost shook her purple shell with dark purple zig-zagging stripes.
The situation was hectic and confusing for both parties. But none of their questions mattered, until Yuki had escaped the clutches of death, they would keep their peace. The blue-haired girl was fighting for her life as they worked tirelessly to keep her stable. Her breaths carrying a single name over and over, 'Izuku'.
[Tower Medical Wing | Last City | Earth]
To say Yuki had a good understanding of other worlds beyond her own was like saying the sky was blue. The memories of the former Archon inside her gave the girl a good grounds to accepting that reality, but to travel between them? Nearly dead, mind you, left her feeling speechless when she finally woke up in a hospital bed. She laughed at that, how even in another world, it was the place she would ultimately end up sleeping in.
"So... after we travelled through the portal we arrived on Venus, in the world Rayla comes from? And I've been out cold for about... three days?" Yuki summed up nicely as the hunter, Zane, nodded. His hair was a unkempt mess of snow-white hair, with bright, ocean-blue eyes. His smile was welcoming, if not a little mischievous. Bobbing by his right shoulder was his ghost, Rika, a purple decorated shell with a few wayward stripes of pink and dark violet.
"That's the gist anyhow," He replied, pointing to Yuki's friends. "They wanted to fill us in when you were awake."
"Like we'd leave you outta this catastrophe," Rayla winked, no longer wearing her armour as it needed repairs too.
Yuki took stock of her situation, bandages wrapped around her torso, arms, forehead, probably her legs too, but what had her stare the longest was the new implants. Her right hand was completely metallic now, the black metal and wiring visible for all to see, no longer hidden with SIVA's implementations of skin, heat, sweat, and other bodily functions. Same for her left leg, and her right eye... it was simply given an eyepatch, half her vision gone once more.
It felt so alien to her. SIVA was dormant but Siva himself could still speak to her, that brought her some level of comfort when her whole world felt like it was crumbling. Did the others survive? What about Kovik and the villains, where were they now? Did they keep their word or is Japan falling apart as she sat here in a hospital bed, useless?
We shouldn't dwell on what we cannot see | For now, we must recover | Then, we steal back our power
"Always a way with words, Siva..." Yuki silently thanked her companion, then, bowed her head as far as she could to the trio. "Thank you... thank you so much for helping me, and for the new implants, I... I don't know what I can do to make it up to you!"
"Hey, what matters is you're okay, don't worry about paying us back," Ceres waved her hand. She was probably the most beautiful woman Yuki's seen, and her Mom was pretty good-looking herself. Ceres' hair fell to her chin, soft dandelion bangs parting above her gentle emerald eyes, a few faint scars on her cheeks, just like Yuki, yet it didn't detract from her looks. "I have to ask though... your hand, eye, and leg... well..."
"I've had implants for years, since I was nine I think?" Yuki tapped her cheek. "But I lost them in our fight that sent us here... I... lost my power, it's sealed within me, and..." She failed where Kovik didn't. He took SIVA and transformed it into something horrific. She had ultimately been the catalyst for NARA's birth, and now, she had her friends pay the price for her failure. "...sorry, just frustrated."
"We all are," Akio sat on a chair with his arms crossed, looking vexed himself.
"I must apologize to you, Yuki, if I or Velk had gone to your aid, perhaps this outcome would've changed," Hana replied with a small bow of her head.
"It wouldn't work, it had to be me, that's what he wanted, so it's not on you," Yuki smiled sadly, but before more could be said on the matter, the door to the large room opened to reveal a new face. It was a woman with dark skin and was bald with dark hazel eyes. She wore robes akin to Morbin's only purples with a grey collar and shoulders, a violet tunic beneath with dark pants tucked into her boots. A red sash around her waist and a glowing purple armband depicting the symbol of the Warlocks.
The way she carried herself was dignified yet graceful, she studied the new faces with curiosity and compassion behind firm eyes. Her aura made Yuki feel like she was looking at Jin again. Her eyes then landed on Yuki sat at the edge of her hospital bed. "Ah, I was informed you were awake now, Yuki was it?"
"Y-yes, Yuki Azuru," Yuki nodded to her respectfully.
The woman nodded back, hands held near her waist. "A pleasure, I am Ikora Rey, the leader of the Warlock Vanguard, your appearance, as well as the others, has caused quite a stir among the Guardians, especially those that brought you here."
"It was not my fault I swear," Zane raised his hand quickly, noticing Morbin was staring at him, even behind his helmet.
"This here's Akio Elnur-" The brunette gave a cheery wave. "-and Hana and Velk Yukino," The human girl bowed her head politely with her shadow expanding to briefly startle the Guardians as the Nightmare coated in frost and ice did the same.
"I apologize for my appearance, I can imagine your world has never encountered my kind before?" Velk inquired.
"Uh... no, just... think I just went through PTSD there," Zane blinked a few times rapidly. "Uh... you're not... from a group called the 'Darkness' right?"
"She's not, snowball," Rayla shook her head. "Sorry, I tried to explain you to them before this but... well," The results spoke for themselves.
"If you're an ally to us we won't have any issues, speaking of which," Ikora addressed Yuki again, seemingly taking the revelation in stride. "I hope we can discuss the sudden return of one of our Guardians, as well as Wolf Splicer and yourselves?"
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry if this has been a big issue for your guys," Yuki quickly looked to Rayla. "Why didn't you explain everything to them while I was out?"
"Not my call, bluey," Rayla smirked, pointing at Ceres. "She suggested we hold off on questions 'till you were better, even spoke with Ikora and the others personally,"
"W-well, I felt like it would've been rude to proceed otherwise," Ceres added meekly.
"Your suggestion was the right call, Ceres," Ikora assured, a small smile plaguing her lips. "Although, Cayde has been rather jittery about meeting with all of you." She lost her smile for a formal frown. "Now, let me first say nothing will become of you, as it stands, the Vanguard recognizes your situation is complicated and we'll discuss the issue today if you're fit enough to stand."
"I should be..." Yuki felt her real bare foot touch the floor, using the bed to balance herself on her new leg, it felt off but she wasn't complaining, it worked, and she could walk and fight again. "...if I can make a request though? I know this is a little selfish but I... there's something I need to do before we talk, and..." She glanced over to Ceres. "I need your team's help, it's really important."
"..." Ceres looked to Zane and Morbin. The former smiled, nodding once, and the latter rolled his shoulders but didn't complain. "Sure, if that's alright with you, Ikora?"
"This actually will help us better prepare for the meeting, take as much time as you need, Yuki, and all of you, to get comfortable," The woman was very understanding, seeing the look in Yuki's eyes. She was lost, and from what Rayla and Solaire had revealed, her 'power' was stolen from her, hence her condition. What the young girl needed was time to adjust, they all did. "I will go to inform Zavala and Cayde of this, Ceres, I'm sure they will be safe in your hands,"
"You can count on it," Morbin grunted, "~I'VE YEARNED FOR NEW BLOOD MAKERS!~ Ugh... right,"
"Does that always happen?" Velk cocked her head, Hana doing the same to mirror her Nightmare.
"Time to time, split personalty, don't encourage him ~MY SOUL SCREAMS FOR YOU~ shut it," Morbin slumped a little while Ceres giggled behind her hand.
"You'll grow to expect it, part of Morbin's charm as Deus would say," Ceres added, then blinked, scoffing at herself. "Ah, sorry! This is Ghost, my... well ghost," She scratched her head a little. "Yeah, it's a little confusing for some."
The white-shelled ghost spun his shell at the lot. "Ceres had been quite worried when we brought you here, Miss Azuru, your injuries were so extensive we weren't sure how you survived,"
"What the dork is trying to say-" The purple ghost, Rika, nudging the top of Ghost's shell. "-we're glad you're not dead, and even have a pep in your step!"
A small flash exited Morbin's palm, an onyx ghost with bright orange spots and a '7' sprayed on the right side. He didn't speak, and instead, flew over to tap his shell off Yuki's hand, she stared curiously, feeling him push and pull as if to shake her hand before flying back. "Deus says 'hi'," Morbin relayed.
"Oh! He's sweet, nice to meet you," Yuki beamed back, much to the mute ghost's joyful spin. "He's like I used to be..." Thinking for a moment and looking at her new metal hand. Yuki did a gesture that made the dark ghost's eye blink, nodding along.
"What did you just say?" Zane asked.
"I'm not really good with sign language, I just made notes for years, but I used to be mute too, my vocal cords were damaged extensively, see?" She tugged her black choker down to show the white patch of skin around her throat. "Without my power I doubt I could talk this freely again,"
"Great, now he has a new favourite," Morbin pretended to look hurt, nodding to the bluette for Deus to fly over and hover near her shoulder. "Traitor."
"Well, not the first time someone's been nicer than you," Zane smirked, earning a metal tray across the head while Ceres sighed, pinching her nose.
"These dorks.../They never learn..." She and Ghost murmured, but the rest got a good laugh out of the bickering Guardians. It was odd, hearing from Rayla that they were heroes of the Last City, and yet... they were so goofy and... normal. Yuki knew it then and there, these three would help them... she hoped, once they knew the truth.
|Only one way to find out|
"Is this...?" The words left Yuki's throat dry, clutching the railing of the Tower as the sunlight refracted off her eyes. The others had already seen it while Yuki was out cold, so they understood the girl's reaction. But only they knew why she looked to enthralled, both her and SIVA were mesmerized. "I.. I've never... seen it like this before...?"
Across the massive city that never slept, over buildings and streets and industrial, residential, and commercial districts sat the floating, slumbering God. It's frame was that of a titanic, white sphere that shadowed part of the Last City. Markings lined its face, the bottom fractured from long ago. An almost ancient sensation filling the sky around it. The Great Machine, The Traveller.
I've... not been this close since... | How long have I stared from afar? | I... I can't...
"I know, I feel the same way, remember?" Yuki closed her eyes, taking it all in. "We're... really far from home now..." Izuku, Nana, Mom, her friends, teachers, all of it was so very far away now... but she opened her eyes, feeling a hand on her shoulder that belonged to Ceres. The strawberry-blonde held a comforting smile that put Yuki at ease.
"We'll find a way, just give it time," That was exactly what Yuki was worried about. How long would it take to return home? Will... they even have a home left by then? "It's really something when you first see it, isn't it?"
"Mmhm, Rayla talked about the G - Traveller a bunch, so did Solaire and Tekres," Yuki replied, seeing Akio staring at a kiosk with Zane, the two clearly discussing what to buy while Morbin broke down the intricacy of his machine gun to the others. Tekres kept to himself, hiding under his cloak. "Will Tekres be okay around so many Guardians?"
"I wouldn't worry-" Ghost perked up before Ceres could speak. "-for the last two years the Vanguard's worked closely with a Scribe from an old House in the Reef, and the House of Devils on Earth we've aided on several occasions,"
|So it's true, she did it...|
The way SIVA phrased that reminded Yuki of that particular memory, where he rejected the notion of aligning with the Guardians, before he got his hands on the nanotechnology he goes by now. Those two Guardians were Ceres and Zane, the connection between them and Aksis... it was something that Yuki couldn't put off.
"About my favour I know the place we need to go, and it'll tie in with what we'll be discussing later," That prompted a brow raise from Ceres but she held her tongue. "Rayla said she'd stay here with the others, it only needs to be your fireteam,"
"Okay... where to then?" When Ceres and Ghost received an answer from the timid girl, their bewildered expressions shot through the roof.
[Devils' Lair, Old Russia, Earth]
Deja Vu was the first thing Yuki thought of when she stood under the shadow of the old colony ship above, hearing the groan of metal and the occasional scream or chatter of the Fallen within. "So this is the Devils Lair..." She echoed, stepping through the old rusted doorway propped open into one of the ravines below the space shuttle. Banners of the Devils hoisted on the walls, old walkways lit up for Eliksni to wander in and out of the various complexes connected to the main 'courtyard'.
The metal catwalks were repaired and stairways were implemented to reach the lower floor underneath their feet. While Yuki's eyes were wide with wonder, before them stood an Eliksni that made her heart drop into her stomach, those old memories of SIVA burning in the back of her mind. A Captain that wore a helmet with four metal horns attached to the helmet, their blue eyes glowing in the afternoon light at the arrival of the familiar Guardians. 'She', did a formal greeting with her daggers in-hand, pocketing them after Ceres did the same action.
"Sorry for the sudden visit, Silvis, but our new guest wanted to stop by," She referred to the girl nervously playing with her ring.
"H-hi, it's nice to meet you, I-I'm Yuki Azuru, sorry for barging in unannounced," She quickly apologized but the new Kell of House Devils shook her head, speaking in a native tongue that Yuki understood.
"|Not a Guardian? Who?|" Yuki wanted to reply but decided against it as Ghost repeated her words for the rest.
"That's what we've been wondering," Morbin interjected. "Why come here to this place? You may have heard of it, but something about you tells me there's more to this than you've let on, girl," That tone alone didn't put Yuki on edge, it was the implications of what she was hiding that did.
"I said I'd explain, and I'm going to," She turned to the towering Guardian. "Look, I'm stressed, I've been forced out of my home, and I'm doing this for your sakes, so bare with me, alright?" She snapped at him, making the Warlock stand there in silence as Yuki sighed through her nose. "Honestly, you have the personality of a woodchipper, like someone else I know..."
"Oof," Zane tisked.
"Watch it, brat," Morbin glowered behind his helmet but Yuki rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.
"Ooh, I'm shaking, mirror-man," She dismissed, turning back to Silvis. "Again, sorry for this, but I needed to come here, if that's okay with you?"
The Kell watched the girl for sometime, then stood back, welcoming her inside the courtyard with an arm outstretched. With a breath, Yuki closed her eye. It was time, she wouldn't withhold anything from them, but this wasn't her battle now. "Good luck, Siva,"
The moment she opened her eye, the sweet, polite girl with a sassy lip was gone. Her eye now ice-blue, and the way she carried herself was far less wonderous and more cautious, considerate of her surroundings. Ceres was the first to speak, allowing the girl to wander further. "Morbin, I know you don't trust her, or any of them, but let's just give her a chance to explain," She tried to smooth over.
"She insulted me," He argued.
"So does Zane, you still put up with him," She berated.
"She's got a point," Zane waved a finger but Ceres shot him a look that said, 'not now'. "I'll... just keep an eye on her, love," He passed with a sweet smile and zipped away after 'Yuki'.
"Okay, now that Zane's gone, what do you actually think of Yuki?" Ceres rolled her eyes at him, Silvis sharing her expression at the grumpy Exo.
"I'm unsure, she's hiding something and it concerns us, but I feel it ties in with why she was bleeding to death when we found them, all of them looked battle-worn," Morbin stated, watching the bluette. "And just now, she isn't who she was a second ago, someone else is looking through that eye."
"Another personality?" Silvis spoke in a broken human tongue.
"We'll find out soon, won't we?" Morbin nodded ahead where Zane followed Yuki down to something tucked at the edge of the courtyard, a large, ruined creation left to rust over time, a dark omen of the Fallen's past.
Siva wandered his old home like an eerie nightmare, he had places in Yuki's mind that took him back through memories to such a place. But it was all just a glassy imitation, but this? He could feel the cold air at his cheeks, hear the groans and moans of the ruins of humanity around him. The chatter of his old kin in the walls, some watched the young girl sounder by with the Hunter, unaware their old Archon was watching them with a guilt-ridden eye.
Then, he felt his heart stop momentarily at the sight of the abomination before him. Zane spoke, but Siva didn't hear him, "Sepiks Prime, or Perfected I guess since a while back. He was the Machine God for the House of Devils, fed them Ether to say alive and grow, ah, sorry, bit of a lore junkie, hehehe...!" He smiled but noticed the girl wasn't blinking, she stared back at the dark, broken eye with... anger? "You all good, Yuki?"
"...twisted..." Siva ran his fingers down its husk, then pushed his metal fingers through the gaps between the optic and wiring, fishing around until the machine let out an audible 'snap', sparks died out as within his hand was a single, dead cluster of SIVA. It was burnt but he could feel it, if only faintly, that chilling ghost of what he was. The monster he became. "...all of this... and for what...?" He crushed the cluster between his fingers, overwhelmed with emotion as he rested his forehead against Sepiks' carcass. "I did this to us... I'm not Eliksni or Fallen, I'm nothing but a murderer," He rasped to himself.
"Come again?" Zane blinked, not quite following as Siva stood back, seeing Silvis, Ceres, and Morbin approach, now, it was his turn to take a fragile step. He had watched Yuki done the same numerous times, and all he did was watch. No more, he would stand on his own feet again, even if using hers to do it.
"I apologize, Yuki is not here, she selfishly requested you take us here for my sake, all so I could say this to you," His eye locked with Ceres. "Tell me, Guardian... why did you cry for your enemy?"
"What?" She squinted as if she had misheard him, so, Siva spoke again.
"You asked me while I died if all this pain was worth it?" He rephrased, staring straight ahead with a haunted eye. "You said this, and told me to rest, despite what I've done."
Then it struck her like a hammer through her chest. Her gasp hitched, and her pupils dilated. It couldn't be, could it? She heard those words before, only the Guardians with her knew what she said, and... one other... "...you're... you're still...!" She couldn't say it, covering her mouth as if she were about to throw up.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself," With a hand to his pounding heart, Siva looked to his murderers without a shred of fear. "I am Aksis, former Archon Prime of the Devil Splicers, although, I now go under the name of Siva."
While Ceres stared with trembling eyes, Zane looked to visibly pale, watching the young girl admit to a name he never believed he hear again. Morbin was as still as a statue, but his hand rested on his hip where a knife was, Siva expected as much from the ill-tempered Warlock. And Silvis? She was as much in shock as the Titan.
"How... how did you...?" Ceres was still unable to form her sentences, lost in the horrors of the SIVA Crisis.
"Because... Kovik is alive," Siva said his name with venom.
"Ugh, not that guy again!" Zane groaned to the high heavens.
"But we destroyed him." Morbin protested.
"I wish you did, you are good at killing Fallen," Siva commended with more honesty than his feminine tone allowed. "Because of him, my consciousness was imprinted on the SIVA he stole away to Yuki's world, and in an altercation, he lost SIVA to her, and I reawakened as a fragment of who I was. She lost everything because of Kovik... because of me... so she learned, harnessed SIVA to do better than me, and... Kovik pursued her, and SIVA," He closed his eyes, letting out a small, dry laugh. "In my anger to be rid of you, I drowned my House in despair and infighting, I twisted their bodies into machines of horror, I... wasn't even flesh and blood anymore." He stared at his hands, one was human the other a machine tugged on wires.
"You asked me was all that I put them through worth it?" Now, Ceres looked to the Archon Prime, and what replaced a mangled beast wired to the wall by cables and SIVA... now she saw a broken Eliksni who hid away inside of an equally scarred girl, his eyes were drowning in guilt and remorse. "No... none of it was worth their lives, I dragged them down into hell with me."
"So you were helping them by giving Azuru SIVA?" Ghost surmised.
"Yes, because she lost her family to Kovik, her organs scarred, losing an eye, hand, and leg, unable to speak or cry, I... I had to do something, anything to keep her from falling as I did," Siva grit his teeth, and lowered his head into a deep bow. "I have no right to demand anything of you, and I have no right to set foot inside this House's lair again, but please, I'm begging you..." His voice broke slightly. "...please help them return to their world, so I may help them finish what I started,"
Of all the people present, even the Eliksni Devils that watched from afar at the ordeal, it was ultimately Ceres who stepped forward. She passed Zane, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before turning her attention to Aksis, or Siva, as he now referred to himself as. He didn't raise his head, but her presence was so familiar. A tempered flame, it danced and gave off a warmth that was both a gentle wave with a storm ready to break free.
"I will never be able to forgive you completely for what you've done. To my friends, Silvis, the House of Devils, all of it..." He accepted tha- "But," He saw it, her hand lowered to his view. No weapon, no flames, just her black-gloved hand to welcome his. "You've given so much to Yuki, I can tell she means a lot to you, all of them are, you feel obligated to give your all to their cause, to finish what we couldn't,"
He raised his head, staring up at that gentle smile as the wind brushed her locks to one side, the sunlight catching her green eyes. "But why... why did you pity me?"
"Because we all lost something dear to us, it haunts us, and it can be so, so cold," Her voice trembled slightly, but she remained absolute. "But I will always take the risk to do whatever it takes to see another day where people can just live, isn't that what we both fought for?"
His eye widened, and without thinking, his hand fell into her own, feeling the Light, the Great Machine's warmth envelop his metal palm. "So this is your power..." He marvelled at her touch and she giggled, helping him to stand upright. "I do not know what my future holds, but-" He closed his fingers around her palm, and his eyes stared into her own, slightly misty with a small smile. "-I will take that risk too, if you will trust me."
"Of course," Ceres nodded, and in a flash, Yuki reddish-blue pigment returned, and her easy-going smile returned to normal.
"There's alot we need to discuss, but thank you... for hearing him out," She thanked them all.
"This day's just a rollercoaster, huh?" Zane blew a raspberry, clearly mentally exhausted.
"For once we agree ~THE MAN IN THE WALL SPEAKS OF RITES!~ ... yeah, what he said," Morbin coughed. "But I won't shoot him, for now."
"Please don't, you'll shoot me too," Yuki sweatdropped, then whispered to herself. "How does Ceres put up with this guy? He's worse than Katsuki."
|I believe practice plays a role|
"I'm a little unsure myself, but if Ceres trusts you, then I will too," Ghost nodded, earning a little pat on the shell from his Guardian. "I'm serious, that guy just gives me a weird feeling."
"He's just worried," Ceres cooed.
"Sounds like Siva, he can be so protective at times," Yuki snickered with the strawberry-blonde.
|No Comment|
"Aw, he denied it too~" Yuki prodded further.
"Seems you two will get along just fine, Ghost," Ceres gave him a smirk.
"Stop that," He lowered his shell to glare at her, but against two teasing women it was a losing battle.
"Face it, Ghosty, this ain't a fight you'll win," Rika chimed from Zane's head.
Before they decided to leave, Silvis approached the girl, speaking in Eliksni. "|I assume you can understand me?|"
"Yeah, Siva's memories are merged with mine now, so I also understand what's happened between you both," Yuki passed the Kell an apologetic look. "He feels ashamed for what he's done, even if it won't make up for his actions."
"|Aksis was proud to be a Devil, too proud to change, I understand, I was too|," She then turned to the Guardians she called her friends, then back to the bluette. "|However, if he wishes, he may speak with me again when you aren't held up. I too wish to amend what little threads of our kinship are left|."
|I... I would like that|
Siva stuttered but Yuki passed it along, "He'd be honoured, Silviskel," Yuki shook the Kell's hand, the Eliksni clicking her throat as she accepted the gesture.
The first day of Yuki's time in another realm wasn't as she expected nor anticipated. There was still so much more left on her plate before the day was over. Thousands of worlds away, she could tell, her friends were still fighting. In this world, Siva was too, and following their example, Yuki wouldn't let her sorrow defeat her either.
To Be Continued...
Oh it feels weird writing Ceres and the gang again! Been like over a year but man have I missed it! So, in this timeline, Rise of Iron has passed and Fireteam Horizon have now met Aksis once more, or a ghost of who he was. There's still a bunch to discuss for the plans to retake SIVA and return home. It's a bit of a theme for these two stories. Izuku's is Desperation and Yuki's is Determination. Just how far will Yuki go to find their way home?
And I apologize if I'm a little rusty writing my old characters and existing ones like the Vanguard, I'll do my best! And to help with clarity moving forward, should've done this sooner; 'SIVA' references the nanotech, 'Siva' the consciousness of Aksis within it. I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Guardians!
Next Chapter Intermission: Monsters
"That was... tense," Siva sat with his legs crossed, mulling over the ordeal.
"Well, Ceres thinks you're good, so that's a start," Yuki assured him with a pat on the back. "Though the Vanguard... that'll be an uphill battle."
"They aren't known for their kindness towards their worst enemies," Siva affirmed, then he faced the camera. "Up next; Monsters."
"Bit on the ominous side there, bud, but yeah, stay tuned everybody!" Yuki put her arms over Siva's shoulders, holding up peace signs with her chin between his horns. "Rise Up and Fight On!"