"Pod, where is this guardian located exactly?" Robin asked Pod 007 when they arrived back at the Tower.
She still opted to hang back a little from it, not knowing if this thing, whatever it was, would trigger at her presence, or at her weapon's magical energy. Or if it would at all.
She'd been pretty much everywhere during these past years in this area of the planet, but never she had encountered anything that weren't machines or androids, or anything that would trigger somehow, so if anything she supposed these guardians awakened only when a chosen one was selected, and made to wake them up like Emil instructed her to do at the temple.
If there had been another one that held these weapons before her, she didn't know.
Something told her there wasn't.
Emil would probably remember it, now that he could.
Still, it was hard to think that an archeologist like her put her hands on such peculiar, and old things, almost as if it was fate itself.
"Further below." her Pod spoke, pinging the exact location on the guardian.
It was way below where the remnants of the Tower were, almost as if it was hidden underground.
Or…
"It's on the same level of the alien mothership." she recalled that place well, not her favorite one.
And neither her favorite encounter.
"An alien ship? Those aliens that invaded Earth long ago?" it was Rose that asked. "Those ones, yes. Though that place can be better named as their graveyard."
"Robin, 2B and I found it, we encountered Adam and Eve who told us machines killed their own creators." 9S specified.
The irony of this all.
Machines killing their alien creators, and androids fighting for humans that were long gone.
And neither of them knew how to stop or how to do any better, until a few courageous people from both sides decided enough was enough, and to call a truce.
It was only then that things truly started to change, and evolved into what it was now.
"But looking at the signal, this seems to be more in the Copied City." Robin frowned at the boy. "What is that?"
"It's a clone city, made from similar materials to the Tower, actually, I would assume the structure may have emerged from it, since they're both of machine technology. Adam and Eve made this place as their own playground, so to speak."
As 9S spoke, 2B clenched her fists at her sides.
Last time she was there she had killed Adam for what he did to 9S, and to Robin just the minutes before…
She hadn't seen it but she knew it from A2's memory.
Also recalling 9S in the state that damn machine put him into… she did not want to think about it…
But still…
"It was where Adam held 9S captive." she said, turning to Robin. "I never apologized for falsely accusing you to have been behind it when we met in the Flooded City, after you just deserted."
"No need for that, it's long in the past now." the human replied. "Also, had it been A2 disappearing, I would have thought you guilty of it too, as I understand the thought behind what revenge means."
2B had believed she had taken away 9S because she had hurt A2, it really was that easy to figure out. Also, what she just said was the truth, had it been the other way around, she would have accused the two androids just the same way, as a way they could have had to hurt her.
"That bastard used his immunity to torture the people we loved, because they refused to collaborate and submit to what he wanted." A2 growled at the memory.
Robin's bleeding body in her arms… and Adam's mocking words…
"He said I would have never saved anyone because I was too weak…"
Same words he told her in the server too, right in front of everyone.
"Well he's dead, and look at us now." Number 4 shrugged. They were all still here, and if it hadn't been for Number 2 remembering them and coming back to where they died, they might as well have been lost on that island forever.
"He was just an ass with an ego bigger than this planet." Number 16 rolled her eyes.
"Don't let the words of that machine get to you, we know they hurt, but the truth is far different than what he ever said to you." Number 21 could not have said it better.
"This is a concept that applies to a lot of you, sometimes words spoken by strangers are just meant to hurt us, but we must keep in mind that things are not the way they say they are, they are just aggressive and ignorant on the lives, and the hurdles you've had to face to get the where you are."
Again, Rose's words were mostly directed to Robin.
She had seen what she'd gone through, or at least partially.
Saw the faces of the men and women that pointed their fingers and accused her, heard their words clearly. But they didn't know what kind of hell a mere child had been put through, and just hated her for the sake of doing so.
They were afraid of the unknown.
But of course, this could apply to Number 2 as well, and those other new YoRHa, even though Rose didn't know them well yet, she was aware they too were put through quite the number of hardships.
But they were all good people, despite everything. Their actions told her so, towards themselves, towards those around them, and towards them, that were still unknown androids.
So they always had to remember that.
It was another one of the reasons why she wanted to give them their own personal names too.
They deserved one as much as everyone did.
"Let's just head to this place, shall we?" Robin was the first to walk down the path in the crater.
She didn't feel like engaging in important conversations right now, there wasn't time for it.
"The sight in that city won't be pretty, Adam made it his home by sprawling android corpses all around. Just so you know." 2B specified, recalling all the bodies she'd seen the first and only time she'd been there.
"So basically another graveyard." Number 16 pointed out, yes, another graveyard.
"Is there anything that machine wasn't a complete and total weirdo about?" as far as Dahlia could have seen and heard there wasn't.
"He had a lot of unhealthy obsessions for sure, specifically with feelings and humanity." 9S recalled well how he played and teased him for loving 2B.
It wasn't a wonder he had gone out of his way to specifically target Robin too, once he learned what she was.
"Things he never had." and that he could never understand.
If only he had asked nicely, then maybe Robin could have tried to help him with it.
Machines were her enemy before because she didn't know what else to do but to answer the orders White gave her, she didn't know this world, nor a way out.
But he made himself an enemy of hers with his behavior, by attacking her, making fun of A2 and also of her friends later on.
Other than playing with her memories, and what little she had left of Ohara.
He had it coming.
Once the group arrived behind the Tower's remains they descended, but while the Resistance group opted for the small staircase, the YoRHa's descended with the aid of their Pods, much to the surprise of the trio of prototypes.
A2 already knew how to allow Pods to slow her descent, she had the aid of both 007 and 042 before, but her friends didn't.
Actually they never used Pods before.
Robin, 2B and 9S descended first, followed by A2, 21O and 6O, but the trio remained still, watching, as did some of the Resistance.
Probably they might have been curious to try.
"Just jump down and hold a hand up, the Pods will grab it and slow your descent, so you won't get hurt." 9S explained as the trio of Pods floated close to the girls.
With a shrug Number 16 was the first to throw herself down, aided from Pod 153. A moment later Number 4 followed with 042. Number 21 was a bit more hesitant, her less reckless personality made her do so, but eventually she allowed Pod 007 to accompany her down, as she, together with the others landed in the water puddle below.
"That looks like fun, can we try too?" Gerbera asked, putting a hand around Dahlia and Margaret's shoulders, who appeared just as curious.
"As humans say, be our guests." Pod 007 replied, as it hovered to them.
It seemed that being with them the Pods were learning to speak normally, or well more normally than they used to.
They also were constantly evolving.
And with their help the whole group could now head in the cave below, and reach the Copied City.
2B hadn't been lying about it not being a good sight, as the corpses of their similars were still there for everyone to see. Their dark clothing contrasted with the eerie white of the place, making things even more ominous.
The group headed further in the city, on the other side from where 9S had been kept captive, thankfully.
2B despised this memory as much as she despised Adam.
They eventually were guided to a clearing, but no signs of anything yet, which made Robin wonder if she had to do something to awaken this guardian.
Perhaps they should have taken Emil along after all…
The sword on her back glowed intensely, reminding her of something.
She did know one spell already, and maybe it was just like at the temple, that she had to use it to unlock something.
Robin took the sword in hand, staring at it for a moment.
"Where to?" she asked at the weapon, knowing now it could somehow speak to her.
She could feel it take hold of her arm, it was odd, since it never happened before that the sword would take over her so often, or not at all, after she acquired it.
Perhaps now it was different that she knew the truth about it.
It allowed it to shine.
The weapon pointed forward, so that was where she should direct her magic towards.
"Stand back." she told the others, not wanting them to get hurt.
Just like before at the temple, she summoned an orb of dark magic, like Emil taught her to do, and hurled it towards the wall in front of her.
This made her think that wherever or whatever these guardians were, they had to be covered from something, and activated manually through magic. Though it was just a supposition.
Must have been why no one ever saw them before.
It took a moment for the wall, barrier, whatever it was, to react, but when it did, the entire group was surrounded by a thick fog, Robin found herself calling and searching for the others, as she assumed they did the same, but she couldn't see nor hear them.
Yet they had been two steps from each other just before…
This must have been some kind of trick to separate them.
"Fear not, chosen one, your companions are safe." a voice reached her, and out of instinct she raised her sword in front of her, to protect herself.
"Now, no need for such hostility, I mean no harm." said voice replied, whatever or whoever it was, it was watching her from somewhere. "I just want to talk, you and I."
"What do you want?" she asked, keeping her voice as steady as she could, and reluctantly letting her weapon float on her back again.
"I need to test your intentions."
Her intentions huh?
It most likely wanted to know what she wanted to do if and when she acquired the sealed verses, and their power.
Well then, so be it.
"I will ask you questions, and you will answer honestly." not knowing what to say, she just nodded.
"Power or knowledge?"
"Knowledge." she answered, without thinking twice.
All her life had been about learning, first because she wanted her mother to take her along, then to keep alive the name of her island, and to achieve the dream for all those people sacrificed in the name of "justice".
Even now she sought the truth of this world through the stories of the people she met.
She, and they, wouldn't be here hadn't she tried to get to know their experiences, no matter how painful they were.
History must be preserved, that was what she'd been taught from Professor Clover, the first thing he ever said to her when she started studying. Even at the cost of one or many lives.
It was the same reason she wanted the sealed verses, so the story of the humans of this world would still live, power was just a bonus, even though useful.
But in the end, knowledge was power all the same.
"I see… very well then once you acquire the sealed verses, for what purpose will you use them for?"
"To protect my family, and those who deserve it, so tragedies may never happen again." never again another Ohara. It was why she joined A2's crusade against YoRHa and the world in the first place.
She never forgot about it.
What she'd gone through, no one else had to live that way.
It passed a bit in complete silence, before the voice answered again, as if it had been thinking about something.
"You speak the truth, I am pleased."
What else was she supposed to say if not that?
"I had no need to ask, I can read people's hearts and minds, I know why you are here, but I needed to test your determination. Your words have confirmed what I have seen."
She wondered what it was now.
"I see a lot of pain and sadness in your heart, you have been betrayed deeply on many occasions, you have conducted an awful life. Such experiences should have led a normal person to evil, even though justified, and yet… you still wish to put others above yourself. It is admirable that after what you've been put through, you still hold the strength to keep yourself on a good path."
Even though she would still hesitate to call herself a good person entirely.
But maybe it was like that symbol Number 21 showed them just a while ago, she was the black portion, with a little white inside of it.
"You underestimate yourself, chosen one. Perhaps with time you will realize it."
"I am the way I am because of the people that love me." it was only because of them that she was better than she used to be.
"And it is because of them you desire our power?"
"They're the family I never had, and I want to be strong to protect them, and I can only do so by knowing more than my enemies do." because the people on her planet were only her enemies.
For now.
"Only then, I will consider myself strong, and worthy."
"Your will is strong, very well, I will grant you my knowledge." a flash of red enveloped her and the sword, but it didn't hurt.
All the opposite.
And much when Emil did this, she knew she learned something new.
"I am nothing but an old tree that once knew everything, I watched humans disappear and androids wage war against those same machines, now I am just here to bestow my power on those worthy of receiving it."
And she was one of them.
"I must warn you, the other guardians were reincarnated in machine bodies similar to their original ones, and won't give their power away so easily, you may have to strip them of it with force, but it is part of the trials. Use this new knowledge I gave you to your advantage and you shall succeed."
More machines then…
Well, she supposed their bodies, along with android ones, were the biggest resource there were after all.
But machines could change appearance much more easily.
With those last words, the mist surrounding her disappeared as if it had never been there, and behind her there were all her friends, they never left.
A2 rushed over to her, wrapping her arms around her body.
"Robin, where did you go? We called you and you were just gone…" the thing A2 feared the most.
She'd been on this side of things before…
"You aren't hurt, right?" even though she asked, she could already see Number 21 looking her over with her eyes.
"I'm alright." Robin nodded. "Nothing happened. Apparently this guardian is pacific, it just wanted to put me through a trial, to make sure its power is in good hands, by testing my heart."
"And from your face I assume you were successful." again she nodded as Rose's words. "So then I assume we can go back, and continue on what was decided before."
That from now on they would separate, and each group would work on their own thing.
"Are you sure you'll be okay without us Scanners?" 9S asked, after all they had been a key to make the projects in the first place.
"Positive, Gerbera and Jackass know their way around, but if we struggle we can always ask for aid." it's not that Rose didn't trust them, but there was more to it as to why she preferred the two S types to go on the journey with the other YoRHa.
Something White wanted them to do.
She was just carrying her will, since at least a few of them wouldn't have listened had she asked herself.
But it was for their own good.
Once back outside in the crater the group was joined by someone they didn't think to see so soon yet, as he called over to them.
Above them, floated Emil's new figure. He was pretty much a machine skeleton, but much better than being just a head like before, he could move around by himself again.
On one hand he had a staff that was probably useful to channel magic, much like Devola and Popola. Thinking about it, even Scarlet Despair, even though a weapon, served as a channeling item for Robin.
But on his back there was… something else.
Another weapon.
Why?
"Hey guys! Were you successful?" he asked as he approached Robin. "I believe I was."
But still…
"But let's give it a trial, I haven't actually used the spell."
And now she was in a big space so she wouldn't risk harming anyone, but for safety she still had them step away from her, and she too moved far from them and The tower too, to not risk damaging anything or anyone.
Letting the new words she learned flow through her, as red energy flared around her, she launched the new spell she learned.
Out from the ground stood out a number of red and angry spears, probably this was meant to impale whoever came in contact with them. Quite gruesome.
"It's called Dark Execution." Emil told her and she gave a small chuckle as the spears disappeared moments later. "Suits me."
And it was true.
How ironic that this had to be just the first verse she would find.
Once an Executioner always an Executioner.
But she was interested in something else now, meaning the weapon Emil carried on his back. It was a sword, a large sword of the size of Virtuous Treaty, with a blue hilt and the blade shining like an aurora borealis.
"What is that?" she pointed at it, and she knew the others were equally curious to know.
"Oh this? It's a gift from the machines, apparently they found this in an abandoned place, but they say they have no use for it now, and they would like you guys to have it, for offering to take them away from this planet."
So that was why.
But as Emil took the weapon extending it towards her, she knew this was not for her.
"Number 4, you still don't have your own sword, right?" she'd still be using the one she borrowed from her, that old YoRHa Blade that served her in the early days, and that aided them to bring back Rose from the dead.
But it wasn't her own weapon, and the Attacker was made for bigger swords entirely.
"You'd give this to me?" the albino asked, as if unsure, but Robin pushed the weapon towards her, so she may take it.
"Of course, it is yours."
Immediately as Number 4 took the large sword she could feel so much more at ease holding it, than she'd been with the smaller one that she gave back to its owner.
The blues, greens and purples of the blade shone in the light of the sun.
"It's very pretty." she smiled brightly.
She hadn't been wrong about Robin after all, she was a good person.
"The weapon's name is Unwavering Faith." Pod 007 chimed in.
It couldn't be more perfect for someone as determined and trusting in the people around her than Number 4.
It was made for her.
"I guess I'll get to try it out on this next guardian."
"Right, the guardian told me a fight, or more than one is awaiting us, we just need to decide where to go." as she said so, Robin had her Pod display the other locations.
"Well, for one I don't quite feel like another trip in the desert again." A2 shrugged, she hated sand, and she found the approval of Number 16 on it, and the desert was not one but two locations too.
"So either the forest of the factory, and if I may vouch for it, I haven't been at the factory much at all, so probably I prefer getting rid of the one guardian in a place I know the least."
Number 4 placed her newfound sword against her shoulder.
"Well then let's go."