A/N
First of all, I apologise for the wait, this story was actually finished two years ago but I forgot to upload it while I was writing the next one.
Second, I am not happy with this story but I can't get it to sit right so I patched it as best a possible.
Third, I still don't own Black Rock Shooter or any of the associated media
Yuu and the heavy metal coffin containing her best friend fell aimlessly through the Void, the dull grey of iron drifting slightly ahead of her as she kept her eyes firmly closed. She attempted to ignore the sounds of gnashing teeth and the screams of universes being devoured, she forced herself to be calm as something muscular with wet, matted fur slid across her face making her shiver in fear and disgust.
Mato. A soft, calm voice said. Mato wake up!
Mato moaned and rolled over on the cold stone floor, half-heartedly waving her hand at the soft voice.
Mato, get up! The voice demanded.
She blinked, once, twice, in the darkness before remembering.
All those people, so many lives. She scrunched her eyes closed as she started to weep, images of death flooded her mind. Screaming until her voice gave out at the horror she inflicted across so many worlds.
Mato, you must get up!
"Why?" She croaked, her voice sore and rough. "Why does it matter?"
Because I need you. The voice responded.
"Nobody needs me" Mato whimpered. "Not after what I've done."
I need you, get up Mato.
"Who are you?" The teen asked quietly, as she continued to cry.
Someone who loves you, someone who would die for you. The voice said.
"Yuu? No, Black Rock Shooter?" Mato sniffled, correcting herself.
That is correct, I need you.
"But how? Why?" Mato whispered was a shaky voice, rolling over. "I-I… The things I've done… What we've done. All that death."
You were... Not, yourself. The void had taken over our mind... Black Rock Shooter said.
"Liar! You took pleasure in it just like I did." Mato cried.
What has happened in the past needs to stay there.
"That's easy for you to say, you don't feel like I do."
I still feel, I feel everything you do Mato. Share your burden with me, just like you used to before you knew about my sisters and I.
Mato's eyes fluttered open, seeing nothing but blackness with a few twinkling lights, she sat up.
"We're in your world." The teen stated dully.
No, we are inside your mind, I thought somewhere familiar would provide some comfort however.
"No chance of that, last time I was here, that insane bitch kicked the shit out of me!" Mato sobbed.
Are you talking about me? Said a voice, soft like Black Rock Shooter's but cold and threatening.
Mato screamed in terror, seeing the intimidating form of Insane Black Rock Shooter standing in front of her as she shakily stood up. She jumped slightly as someone gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Black Rock Shooter standing next to her, blue fire in her eye as she looked into Mato's soul.
This is it Mato. What we have always known would happen. Black Rock Shooter said, she placed a gloved hand on her counterpart's face. I am sorry this is happening so suddenly, but we are out of time.
Mato nodded in fear, understanding but afraid what the aftermath would be.
"Will I lose you?" She asked.
Not completely, I will be a part of you forever, if you succeed. But I will be a part of you, I will no longer exist as a separate entity.
Mato closed her eyes in defiance.
"No!" She screamed. "I can't lose you, you mean too much to me!"
I am just your Otherself, if you defeat her you will not need me anymore. Rock Said.
"I can't do this without you!" Mato cried. "I love you!"
You, love me? Rock asked with curiosity.
"Yes!" Mato said falling to her knees. "Is that so strange?"
We are aspects of you, created by your desire to help others. We are you.
"Even her?" Mato pointed towards Insane Black Rock Shooter with a shaky finger.
Even her. Rock confirmed. She is that small part of yourself that rages against the world and the injustice in suffering for the sake of others. The cruelty of those who ignore the pain evident on the faces of innocents.
The Otherself placed her hand beneath Mato's chin and tilted her head up as the armoured girl watched silently, her great purple flame blazing like an inferno in the darkness.
She has her place in your heart, just like I do. The reality anchor has fractured our mind back into individuals but we cannot remain like this, the constant fighting in our minds is what is turning your body into an Otherself quicker than Strength and Yuu.
"What does it matter?" Mato wept. "That doesn't bring back the billions we've killed in cold blood, I deserve to die."
Rock crouched next to her.
You do not, what happened then was out of our control, none of us could control it.
"Does Yuu or Strength know?" Mato asked hopefully.
It does not appear so, I can only assume it is the presence of her that allowed me to remember. Rock said.
"That explains why you didn't want to tell me. They must never know, it'll destroy them." Mato said, looking up at Rock through her fringe.
Rock shook her head.
It is not up to me anymore. She said, guiding Mato to her feet, the girl shaking with emotion.
She hugged her human companion as her body dissolved into a bright blue light which spun around them.
I love you, very much.
The light entered Mato as she sobbed, engulfing her she changed, her hair grew much longer, her waist narrowed and the silvery scars across her body and face faded.
Blue fire erupted from her left eye as she stared down Insane Black Rock Shooter.
"We have been in this situation before, have we not?" Mato said, with newfound confidence and strength, one final gift from Black Rock Shooter to help with the immense grief and sorrow and guide her through this fight.
The Otherself gave an evil grin as she raised the Insane Cannon Lance.
No one to help you here. She smirked.
"I do not need help." Mato stated as she summoned her Rock Cannon.
Universes died from heat death in seconds as Yuu and the coffin drifted, new realities exploded from madness, expanding rapidly over aeons that passed in moments. Piped fluting and insane drumming pummelled Yuu's ears, each note and beat taking thousands of years to perform.
Only the girl in the coffin was protected from the Void, her own little bubble of reality in a realm of madness.
You cannot beat me. Insane Black Rock Shooter snarled.
"I will not allow you to roam free!"Mato hissed, as their swords met, the two cannons lying in pieces around them. "There has been too much death already!"
They pushed each other away and attacked again, Mato hopped over a low swing of the Insane Blade Claw as Insane Black Rock Shooter sidestepped a thrust to her abdomen.
The two teens fought relentlessly, every movement a blur to the human eye. The deadly ballet continued as minutes crawled into hours, into days, into weeks.
In a rare few seconds of respite, Mato silently praised Black Rock Shooter for gifting her the power and abilities of an Otherself. Then pushed herself back into the bloody fight.
Yuu's mind broke from centuries of howls and screaming, the sickening crunching of bones and the moist, sticky squelch of her body being abused from the Void. An eternity later she would have no memory, believing herself to have always existed here, a denizen of this place. Her one and only instinct was to keep her eyes closed.
Mato stood over Insane Black Rock Shooter, one foot on her throat and the Black Blade pinning her thigh to the ground. Both of them were torn and drenched in blood, strips of skin and muscle hung off the armoured girl's face as both her arms lay several metres away, while a large portion of Mato's ribcage was exposed to the air, her jacket ripped to shreds a long time ago.
"It is time." Mato declared, kneeling down on the armless Otherself.
The crazed teen looked up at Mato impassively.
"I have accepted who you are, I know, truly, you are a part of me. And I love you for it." Mato smiled, pain making her body quake.
She extended a hand and gently pulled off the armoured ring around the Otherself's head then rested her hand on her cheek.
"I created you in grief and confusion, I needed you then. You taught me how to accept the world, accept that pain is a part of life and that sometimes it is unavoidable. I need you again now."
Mato closed her eyes and concentrated, her hand glowed softly as Insane Black Rock Shooter slowly crumbled into pale purple specks of light that drifted lazily in the air, bobbing towards Mato.
The light swirled around her, in a loose circle before entering her body. Energy filled her as she was lifted off the ground, the pale girl felt changes happening through her body. Thick, black metal gauntlets engulfed her hands and forearms as black sleeves grew down from her biceps and flared out towards her hands.
Her ripped bikini top expanded into a black tank-top with white edging and a zip on the back, partially pulled down exposing a tattoo, a crowned coat of arms with a chequered star and two swords crossed below it. Her shorts billowed outwards and became a pleated skirt, a pair of long white socks reached up and covered her thighs almost to her tiny skirt.
The most noticeable change were her boots, rapidly changing into thigh-high, heeled, metal greaves. Blue energy flowed out from the rear and spread out behind her and fiery, glowing horizontal buzz-saws elevated her a few centimetres off the ground.
Her flame fanned out and encircled her head, creating a wide crown of fire over her spiky hair and pigtails which became much shorter.
Across her back an immense, black, semi-translucent, two handed sword appeared in a blue mist, with the word BRSBLADE in white, angular letters down the middle. The edge of the sword glowed slightly as it emitted intense heat.
Mato opened her eyes and saw only darkness, she tried to move only to find herself chained into a metal box barely larger than her.
Fuck.
A heavy thumping pain in her head made her wince. With a sigh of frustration she closed her eyes again and waited.
Eternity passed, then another and another. Incredible sights, unknown to the galaxies of universes bloomed into existence, cathedrals of sound, music made from light and emotion. The cyclopean webs of light flexed and sparked over time-spans so large that 'forever' was barely a footnote in their movement.