21
~0~
After this declaration from the bold and shameless Phantom, he led her to his main safe house.
It was, once again, rather Asian but this time, shamelessly Japanese.
And Draupadi... had to admit that she was not against it. Still, what wouldn't she do for some spirited and ancient Vedic architecture?
There, he leads her to a hidden garden protected by the world's best Holographic display. If one would look down from a bird's view, one would only see a flat roof of a random, half-collapsed building and not an oasis of pure greenery.
There was not much in terms of flowers, but the Vaishnavi could easily make out different bonsai. And fully grown trees.
'I wonder if he could take care of a Tulasi plant.' Draupadi idly wondered as she walked through the secret garden, filled with Bamboo and an artificial stream. She can hear the rhythmical strikes of the deer chasser...
you know, those pieces of balancing Bamboo that would strike a rock and make sounds?
Yeah, that one...
the whole place was beautiful and green, and while it was not the same as Fenfir's Garden under Giriraja, Draupadi almost felt as if she was back at the Ashram, serving the lotus feet of her Guruma and keeping Archana in line with his mischievous nature would overwhelm everyone but her.
It hurt... but it's a good hurt, the type of hurt that makes you remember the good times.
"This way," Phantom said as he lead her to a small tea house surrounded by mulberry bushes. There, the shinobi had made an opulent yet simple asana for her to sit on. There was a zabuton with a backrest, and a white cotton cloth was draped over it, it was surrounded by what Draupadi could identify as fragrant flowers like Damaskus roses, lilac and honeysuckle (how did he manage to get that?) on the ground was an empty basin, flowers, honey, milk (where the hell did he manage to get that?) water, yogurt, something that may be ghee (How!) fruit juices and sugar syrup...
Once again, how the hell did he manage to get all that?
"I will tell you later," Phantom spoke with a mischievous quirk of his mouth. Gently and respectfully leading Draupadi to the Asana, the fallen soul also noticed an arati tray with pure incense, a lamp with five wicks soaked in ghee, a conch with argya water, a silken piece of cloth, a fragrant flower and a bell. On the side was also a yak tail wisk with a golden handle and a peacock feather fan.
Did Draupadi mentioned how both Chamara deers, peacocks and cows were instinked?
Well, maybe not the cows, but Draupadi had yet to find the barn and the slaughterhouse.
The shinobi helped her sit down and kneeled in front of her, honest to God tears streaming down his smiling face.
" You... You truly are the most beautiful woman in Neo-Arcadia." The shinobi spoke with unlimited adoration. Making his...
err...
"What am I to you?" Draupadi asked before Phantom could begin waxing poetically about the world's first and now only killer barbie.
"To me?" Phantom asked, his eyes kept sliding to the warbot's feet. The way he kept messing with his fingers indicated that he would love to hold them.
And thus, Draupadi lifted her feet and gave them to Phantom, knowing full well that this was his favourite part of people's anatomy.
The shinobi, the one who kills in the dark and who gave nightmares to the entire resistance just by existing took the two appendages as if they were a pair of golden murties. The fallen Vaishnavi could hear his audible gaps and... made those types of noise people do when the object of their fervent desire is handed to them on a golden plater after a very long time.
He looked like it too.
Embraced her feet to his chest, practically bathing them with his tears. It took him some time before he could find his words.
"You are my Master, birth after birth." He declared with a wobbly voice. "Please... please accept me back, I take shelter of your lotus feet."
...
"You... read my notes." Draupadi managed to choke out.
"We all did," Phantom spoke up. " Draupadi Prabhu. My brothers may want you as a mere pleasure doll but I... I know you're true value."
"No, you don't!" Draupadi snapped as she stole her feet away from the mad man. "You are a spy, you know what I'm doing every day." She hissed. "I'm not... I can't be your guru... I-"
"Jo-... Draupadi, in that case. Mind humouring this crazed doll?" The shinobi asked, his voice never rising above being pleasant to hear audio. " Why are you willingly cheating on X?"
Draupadi looked at the still kneeling man, tears had already filled her eyes as her actions demanded to be ousted.
"Because... If I don't, then all of your mental pains go back to him... and even if I could fix that-" She buried her face in her hands, screaming in them.
She could not keep her feelings in anymore... they were now bursting front and she didn't need to look to know that her Viral Aspect was also moving about like a storm.
"So, what you are saying is that you are stuck in an impossible situation?"
Draupadi dragged her fingers down her face and took a good look at the oblivious mad man. And huffed, leaning back in the chair as she held her forehead. " No... It's not... If I follow the Vedic laws and push you all away, then X will suffer and you will all start a war... oh, don't you dare look at me like that, I know you guys, and I know you would all fight for me, Max included... and then guess what would happen to Neo-Arcadia."
"It would be left defenceless."
"Yeah, it would... and at the state the world's in right now, the last thing we want is the last bastion of peace to devolve in chaos because the four heads of the defence department and their king started a war over a single bitch... and ancient war model who just so happened to be Patient Zero for the Maverick virus, Robo-Typhoid Marie... Maverick Zero." She finished with a frustrated huff. "And I don't even know why X is still attached to me! It's not like... I've been practically dead for over a hundred years! Why didn't he move on?"
"Because... It was by God's will." Phantom tried. " Draupadi, what would've happened to the world if X was also gone and you had no reason to be exhumated?"
The Blond Vaishnavi thought about it for a bit and grimaced. "It... wouldn't be good. I would still be stuck in the Ashram's remain... and the holy scriptures would not have been... they would still be stuck with me at the bottom of the web."
"Yes... and as for your perceived adultery."
Draupadi cringed.
"Jo-o, for what purpose are you playing with Fefnir and Leviathan?" Phantom asked as he gently took hold of his Guru's feet.
"I'm doing this to prevent a Goddmaned war... how am I supposed to preach God's glories if a war happens. And how am I supposed to preach if I have five lusty men gunning after my ports? It would be impossible unless I kill you all, but if I killed you all, then I would be a murdered, and thus... my words would lose all power and I would be hated and Ciel, or whomever the hell she is would be able to go forward with her plan and-" Draupadi threw herself back as she covered her face, letting her tears of frustration flow out like a pair of rivers.
Phantom remained silent as he removed Draupadi's flip-flops, depositing them on a pillow and covering them with rose petals.
"I didn't have a choice... and I... how can I even broach the subject with my Husband? 'Hey, Yo. I love you and I could easily give my life to you again, but thing is, your brothers and sister also want a piece of me and will start a fucking war over me if I don't bend over for them also.'"
"You don't have to be so crude about it, and I'm sure X will understand your dilemma and why you did what you did." Phantom explained gently as he called a Cyber-elf and had her shine her light on Draupadi's feet. Looking at them from all angles, and testing them for flexibility. He went as far as to cover his eyes with specialized glasses. " Hmm... when was the last time you got your feet maintained?"
"The last time the rest of me was," Draupadi answered as she watched the surprising reploid scrutinize her filthy piece of hardware.
"But... when were your feet specifically worked on?"
"..."
Phantom sighed, and despite his frown, the tender quirk of his lips told Draupadi that this was something he enjoyed doing despite the hours to be put in.
" I see... more for me then!"
The way he said it... Draupadi realized Phantom was exactly like Max.
"So... there's really is no other option to achieve peace, and war is not an option."
"No..."
"So, if I understand correctly, you're not doing this because you grew bored of X and we, the guardians are, in your eyes better. You are doing it for everyone's sake but your own."
Draupadi sighed as she sank into her backrest. " Yes but... is it wrong that... That's I'm also enjoying my time with you all?" she asked, her voice wavering. "Like... I thought I would hate Leviathan the most since she's the one who's the lustiest of you all but... She just doesn't know any better, for her, she expresses her affections with sexual acts... but... but she loves to learn, she's still growing and learning about emotions. Phantom, when... When that happened, Leviathan was also grieving, but she had no idea what it was."
"Yes, the council elected to keep us sheltered from pain..." Phantom stated sadly. "Unfortunately... it made us ill prepare for the pain X felt. I and Fenfir managed to get patrols out of the towers, it helped us mature as we learned of the world."
"But Harpuia and Leviathan didn't and the two are emotionally stunted."
"Yes... needless say-"
"It made Max's mental situation worst." Draupadi sighed. "That's it... I want all of 'em dead."
"Noted."
No, Draupadi didn't feel any type of remorse about that, beside, all of them were close to death anyway.
"So... If I understood well. You cheated on X to protect him."
"Yeah... that's the gist of it." Draupadi sighed as she leaned back on the cushion, letting Phantom work on her neglected feet. " And... I swear you all have an aspect of my X that makes my heart flutter in my chest... Fefnir's a gentleman... like, they don't make them like him anymore. He's so romantic too, like... X but more intense."
"Yes... and he loves you too."
"I know... I know." Draupadi sighed. " Your not that bad either."
She felt Phantom's hands freeze before he resumed his work. "Thank you, Guru-ma."
"You still want me to be your Guru?" Draupadi asked as she opened one eye to stare at the reploi- robot master at her feet.
"Yes...unlike the rest of my siblings, I have no interest in sex life" he admitted as if he was talking about the weather. "I just want your Lotus feet." There was the blush... he gently squeezed her feet to his heart.
'Oh God, he looks so cute.' "You like feet, don't you?"
"I do, but... not all of them." He admitted. "They have to belong to pillars... to those who used them for good." He then took a stiff brush and began to clean out the seems of her synth skin and other nook and crannies jammed packed with sand and oil. She hissed as she fought to rip her foot away.
"Sensitive?" Phantom asked as he paused his well-meaning torture.
"Yeah..."
The shinobi granted as he gestured to the elf, Flash, to move closer. "Hmm... no wonder, your peedal synth-skin is brittle... any other place on your body that you feel pain?"
"Ahh... Define pain?"
"..."
"Phantom, I'm a warbot..."
"That can still feel pain."
"That can still feel pain, but somehow, my systems have some funny algorithm that-"
"You feel the pain, but you go through it." His tone was mildly disapproving, causing Draupadi to automatically lowered her head in shame.
"Yes Sir..."
Phantom's face soften as he placed a gentle kiss on her feet. "You, Draupadi-Zero, are an amazing person. A warrior in the true sense of the word, and a saint."
"Please, Don't say that."
"Then stop being amazing." He deadpanned with a crooked, oh-so X-like smile.
"But I'm-"
"Draupadi!" Phantom explained. " I am not... I'm not easily impressed by people, no matter how nice and perfect their feet maybe. And, while I can feel X's love for you and his attachment... that's not what attracted me to you."
The shinobi took the jug of water end began bathing his beloved's feet. "You... your dedication to X, and To your Guru and God, the love you have, your patience, your humour... you... You are like a pair of feet."
Draupadi elected not to balk at this statement, willing to let the shinobi explain himself in more detail.
"feet or often forgotten and seen as something filthy, dirty and gross. Their smell and dwelling making them worst.
"But... without one's feet. One cannot move, one cannot fight." He raised his tear-filled eyes towards the love of his life. "One is stuck crawling on the ground like a magot, unable to do anything but lament his position.
"You, Draupadi Devi Dasi... are X's. no... You are all of our feet. Without you around, X is a man waiting for death and we are his clueless followers. We have no goals, no aspiration save for the next big fight. But now... X has his footing back, he's not crawling anymore, he's dancing."
"Phantom." Draupadi's voice was choked with emotions... and those emotions...
were rather strong.
"Draupadi... I know what you are doing. I know the intimacy you've shared with Leviathan and fefnir... but just like feet, you are willing to step in filth, thorns and other nasty things if it means that the rest of the body will not have to deal with it as you bring them to safety.
"You... you are filthy, bruised, cut, covered in blistered from your numerous wars and sacrifice and yet... you still support us. You still walk forward, you are walking us towards a bright future and now, you are also carrying the ancient scriptures, looking for a way to give them to the world at large while stomping on whatever fire may spring from the dried needles of modern culture and whatever else Light had left behind... and if you want to know my honest opinion."
"If you want our honest opinions, Draupadi... you're doing a pretty amazing job. And this one, from the Zeroite, would be extremely honoured to help you carry your numerous burden. Please, oh, owner of those lotus feet, let this wretch serve you... let us all assist you." was Phantom's heartfelt begging.
Draupadi stared at the saintly soul at her feet, a person who had to be sent by Krishna.
Phantom... Phantom was...
He was...
She pressed her lips together as she tried to keep the waves of emotions in... only to have them overwhelm her control and spill out as sobs and tears.
~0~
Eventually, Draupadi managed to calm down, his heart feeling lighter now that she knew she had an ally alongside her. An ally who would listen to her heart robe and fear, to her self-deprecation while reminding her that, no matter what happened, She would always have, at the very least four friends ready to fight for her, backing her up.
One of them is Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead...
Then, coming in like a sudden rainbow after the rain, the saintly reploid remembered the list of exchanges of love between Vaishnavas
Giving and receiving gifts.
Giving and accepting Sacred Prashadam.
Opening one's heart in confidence.
'Krishna, you've made me open my heart to phantom... I never spoke to this to even X, not even Leviathan.' And Leviathan had become a sort of confident...
But Phantom... Phantom would be the one Draupadi would be able to open to fully... about everything.
"Phantom... Do you still think... do you still think I'm pure enough?" She asked her new favourite, he was currently fiddling with a... tool around the seam between her calves and tighs, gently opening the seal.
She trusted him, and she saw no reason to stop him.
"Of course you are, whatever you do is to further your Guru's goal, the propagation of divine knowledge to Neo-Arcadia." He explain as he managed to work the entire seem open, sliding the synth skin off with practiced ease. "Ah, here's the problem; your internet peds have rusted, and I think I can see a few broken pieces too. Not a problem, I have everything to give you a new pair of Legs."
"Wait... like... you gonna change the whole thing?" Draupadi asked with clear surprise as the feet-loving Shinobi expertly detached the old appendage, sending notifications to Draupadi's UI."
'Yes, it was something I wanted... even if I didn't know I'd wanted that. No, don't activate the self-defence protocol... He, Krishna. This body's such a hassle.' Draupadi grumbled internally, letting Phantom change her feet for some more up-to-date.
"So... I was thinking." The Shinobi began with a smile, tools in hand and with elves flying around helping him without fear of death. "Since your real goal is to help spread Krishna-Consciousness-"
"Wait, before you keep blowing my mind... how do you know so much? I've barely even distributed ten books since I received them." Draupadi stopped him, trying to fight her smile a failing.
"Ah, That's Andrew, the man had a decrypted copy of your notes, I and the Zeroits have been studying them since the moment they entered our server and you proved yourself to be Zero, the Red Hero of Legend."
Draupadi's iris blew open. "Wait... my notes? And... how many Zeroits are active?"
"Give or take two thousand, all of which are sold to your lotus feet and are humbly requesting that you accept them as you have accepted Max. All desire to be initiated."
Draupadi opened her mouth, only for Phantom to gently interrupt her with all respect.
"Yes, they are all aware of your escapades, your status as the prime virus carrier and a simple housewife, Andrew was the mole but... for being a mole, he did more good then harm," Phantom revealed. "He... and I have been bringing to your followers news of you and your movement."
"Oh, God." Draupadi hid her face in shame, wishing for the Lord to please take her now.
She then swore laughter came from a hidden workshed.
"They had a question about Draupadi Devi, your Holy namesake." He soldiered on as he worked on connecting the now lower leg to the rest of Draupadi. "They were wondering how she could be considered chast and dear to God despite having five husbands.
Draupadi Devi Dasi (Zero) lowered her eyes, she already had four out of five.
"But, as I was observing you."
"Spying on me."
"I realized why; Duty."
"Duty." Draupadi dully parroted.
"Yes, and circumstances. Both you and your namesake only had eyes for one man, Arjuna."
'Yes, Max really does fit with the Archer archetype.' She thought with some amusement.
"But, due to extreme circumstances, Monogamy would have caused more harm then good, and thus, you sacrificed the written principle for something higher."
To hear this from the mouth of X's shadow lifted a weight from Draupadi's overburdened shoulders.
" You want to spread the holy names and Srila-Prabhupada's holy teachings."
"Actually... Mahaprabhu's teachings but... yeah, Basically."
"And you can't preach in a ruined land, there has t be a modicum of peace and stability for people to listen, otherwise, they will only use their brain for survival."
Once again, tears fell from Draupadi's violet eyes.
"You... Like Draupadi, have been born from he fire of war, forged by endless strife, burnt by a world filled with cruelty Blazing again from you ashed and bringing with you the Immortal Nectar of Love of God."
"Please..." Draupadi sobbed as she hid her burning face with her hands. " I'm not that great..."
"But you are," Phantom assured his beloved, holding her new feet to his heart. " Draupadi... You saved us all."
With those words, the saintly reploid felt as tough her Lord had spoken through Phantom's mouth... and yet she knew the rascal had done everything, dumping all fame at Draupadi's feet.
"You see, you didn't have to worry about it."
Yes..., He was right. As always.
~0~
"Alright... this should be all good," Phantom muttered as he looked over his work again with a satisfied smile. Zero's system had greedily accepted the new pair of feet and was practically begging her for a test drive. "Try Standing up, love. I want to see if everything is well aligned." He spoke as he got to his feet in one fluid movement, helping Draupadi up.
He helped her stay stable as her two-digit acclimatized to the ground, and let her take her first few steps with him.
It was... the good type of overwhelming.
A bright smile stretched her lips as she felt the ground under her feet and Mother Bhumi's signing. She could feel the individual pebbles and twigs, the sand and the mud...
"They are so responsive," Draupadi whispered in wonder, flexing her two toes as she smiled. " Oh... I can't wait to parkour with it." Then she frowned. "Will I still be able to wear my boots?"
"Of course, Swamini," Phantom spoke affectionately. " And if they fell too big, I can always make you a new pair."
"Oh, Phantom, it won't be necessary."
"Oh, but I insisted!" Phantom spoke with a bright smile. " You know what? You've been sporting the same look for the last hundred years, don't you want an update? Upgrading your gears up to standards?"
Draupadi was about to decline the generous offer when she realized that, with how the world was right now, she definitely needed to be prepared for war, sadly enough.
His outing with Fefnir had shown her how harsh the life outside the Eden-dome was... and it was so, even inside the dome.
And thus, she had yet t hang up her armour and sabre.
"Alright... whatever you think is best." She answered meekly. Despite having the Gentlemen Fefnir, flirty and affectionate Leviathan and ever so loving Max, Phantom's brand of affection was...
It resembled X with its devotion, Leviathan in its sweetness (yes, she was sweet.) and Fefnir in its suavity... she wasn't sure about Harpuia but...
He had X's look and his voice was pleasant.
But, most importantly, he was attracted to God, to Krishna. And he was willing to Resume his service to him.
It was hard not to fall for him and yet...
What was the right thing to do? What would please him?
Just remain as you are with him, your devotion to your husband and Me is more then enough"
At those divine words... words that were spoken rather close to her current location.
"Say... phantom-"
"Ah, here we are." The Shinobi spoke, interrupting Draupadi's train of thought. When the Saintly Robot master finally took stock of where she had been brought.
It was... well, it was definitely bigger then a shed, it was a garage and it was embedded in one of the building's sides.
"Oh... uh... back to the daily grind, huh?" Draupadi deadpanned. Not that she was against it, she had to start another batch off Simply Wonderfuls, and she was planning to make a huge Dosa batter batch for tomorrow morning, Her Guru-ma's recipe finally getting some usage.
Oh, and she had to show Max how to string a Tulasi-mala, since, as it turns out, the sacred plant had spontaneously decided that Neo-Arcadia was perfect for her. She now thrived like a weed in every crack She could find.
A divine weed her husband had made illegal to pluck... Unless used in Krishna's service.
As Phantom led Draupadi in the workshop, a divine aroma entered what could be considered her nose.
She closed her eyes as she let the divine nostalgia flood her systems... it smelled like the Cyber-ashram. The scent of Jasmin oil and fragrant insect tickled her sensor with numerous floral notes, she could detect the aroma of sandalwood, saffron, musk and Aguru...
Chatur sama... the four scents that God, Krishna was anointed with.
And there was this smell, this divine smell no poets could describe, this unmistakable smell that gave the earth its sweet aroma and taste, this divine smell that would linger for five minutes after He would be in a room...
"This way, Jo-o." Phantom spoke as he lead his beloved teacher to a curtained the part. "Recently, Fefnir and Leviathan went on a thrift store raid and... found something rather interesting."
"Like what? It's all used things I used to see all the time." and wasn't that a can of worm.
"Like a trio of wooden dolls," Phantom smirked. "They were in terrible shape, the pain was beeling off, their dress and jewelry were turning to dust. So I began fixing them." he proudly spoke as he lead his beloved to a curtained desk.
'Oh... it sorta looks like an altar.' How did she miss seeing an actual altar and not the makeshift tabernacle covered in poor-quality pictures?
" Now... I wanted to ask you..." Phantom began as he held the side of the curtain, about to open it. " Are those Indien dolls?" He asked as he pull back the tarp, revealing the three heartbreakingly familiar.
The first one was white, his sideway tear-shaped eyes, smile and deformed appearance... his lack of arms and legs... their lack of arms and legs.
They had stumps... Jagannath, the black one with saucer eyes and his brother Balaram... Baladeva, Krishna and Baladeva's divine stumps
And Subhadra... Mother Subhadra... she stood between the two, Her arms having completely retreated into her divine body.
It was the Original holy trinity. God, his servant and His energy.
The room began to spin, her legs failed and... it was only due to her husband's shadow that she didn't crack her gem on the ground.
~0~
Meanwhile, Max was walking purposefully to the conference room his brother and sister were in.
The reason? Draupadi.
He love his wife, he loved him as Zero, the ruthless hunter, he loved her as Lorollei, the sweet housewife with the world's burden on her shoulder. Heck, even as the awakened one, X knew he would find something to love about their awakened state.
But Draupadi-Zero...
Oh... what a lady, what a queen.
She had the power of the Awakened Zero... for she had awoken from her slumber. And yet, she didn't have the hatred that clung after the being. Instead, her heart was pure, and only her duty to God and X shone through.
And, as always, Draupadi-Zero would stop at nothing to make their desires and ultimate benefit come to fruition... even if it means that she will suffer for it.
X... Max sighed as he stopped in front of the conference room. He could, unfortunately, feel Harpuia nearby, and thankfully Leviathan and Fefnir.
He had to... talk to them without his wife. Phantom already knew of the delicate issue.
Taking another steadying breath, and hoping that all would go without a hitch, X sent his password to the door and entered the nearly empty conference room.
It was, after Phantom and Fenfir's effort to make the whole place less Baroque and more modern, a very simple affair with a sturdy table, comfortable office chair and a holographic screen in the back.
There, sitting on a nearby chair was his two Siblings... the two who had grown the closest to Draupadi, his beloved and pious wife.
Both Robot-master got to their knees and-
"No, please. To salute me." X protested. " We are siblings, you don't need to worship me."
"Still, your wife told me it was something healthy to bow to someone great." Fefnir piped up. "Buuuut, if you really want me to treat you less then a king." The Dragon-like general spoke as he made his way to X and gave him a bear hug.
For X... this Hug meant the world. And it both settled and made it harder for him.
After he released his brother and hugged his sister. (wow, she was so cool. X knew he had to see if he could apply the technology to Draupadi, fore, despite her advanced cooling system, his wife was still prone to overheating.) X sat down in one chair as his siblings sat in the other.
"So, what ow us the pleasure, Maxi?" leviathan asked as she idly spun around the swivel. " It must be about Di-Zi-chan if Harpi-kun's not around to poison the air."
X let his lips stretch in a smile at his sister's humour and wit. "Yes... It's indeed about Draupadi... and you."
Immediately, the atmosphere grew heavy.
"Ah! Yes, she's a great friend. A wonderful friend!" Leviathan was the first one to break it.
X raised a brow. "Really? Just a friend?" He tilted his head, physically calling out his sister on her bullshit. "Listen I may have been naive in the past. But I know full well that what's happening between you and my dear wife goes being friendship." He crossed his arms. "We all share an emotional link, and remember, I'm the one who feels it the most."
Dread and fear filled his siblings, even Phantom and Harpuia felt it. (Let Harpuia suffer for a bit... and Phantom was too focused on his upgrade to really care.
Suddenly, Fefnir got up from his chair and prosterned himself to the ground, letting his forehead touch X's feet.
"Your right... you're absolutely right... We... We both..." Fenrir's voice was thought with emotions' his vetting hitching. "Please... Please, Master. Spare her." He begged, and X had the feeling his most powerful general would be meekly holding a piece of straw in his mouth. " Draupadi only wanted to stop a war. She knew... she knew we were all smitten with her and..." He sobbed, his boiling tears washing X's feet. " I... Punish me if this is what you want, exile me, kill me... But please spare her, Spare your wife."
"NO!" Leviathan shouted as she jumped to her feet, aiming her ice spear at X... not that she would use it, X knew. "No, please... You can't... If you punish us... if you punish us, Neo-arcadia will know... and if not Neo-arcadia, the Draupadi will." She spoke urgently.
"Oh, shit..."
"We... were stuck, alright? We can't live with Draupadi legally since she's your wife... but at the same time." The ice guardien sobbed. "At the same time... I... we can't... I need her like I need nitrogen in my system like I need the sun and energen."
"We... we love her," Fefnir spoke up, still kneeling. " Listen, we can feel you, bro. We can feel how you feel about everything. Your despair, Your joy and the love you have for her... And... Maybe it's because of a stupid glitch we're attached to her, or maybe It's because she's an amazing woman and we all want to treat her right..."
"Just not the harpie." Leviathan quipped.
" But I swear, if we were to do something, any one of us would do something to make her sad..." he sobbed. " I know were causing her this crazy amount of anxiety, I know she ain't happy about this whole situation, and you better believe we know she'd rather have you but-"
"The situation won't permit it." X ended, keeping his emotions in check, despite having the mother of all feedback loop at the moment.
"If Draupadi remains chaste to you, then we pin after her until you die... or we die." Leviathan finished quietly.
"But if we do that, then Draupadi will feel bad since you'll feel like a dirty crapper, Bro," Fefnir added, his lips set in a grim line. "If Draupadi feels were less then happy, she will see a war happening. Either from infighting or from outside element seeing our state as a prime weakness for them to exploit."
"And as we all know, they will exploit it." Leviathan ended.
X sighed as he tiredly rubbed his face. "So, despite going against the religious principle, what Draupadi is doing is basically a repeat of the Eurasia crash... minus crashing in a falling space station."
"Bruh..."
"And yet... if I try to talk to her about the situation."
"Yeah, we need to break it to her without having Di-Zi-chan go through a meltdown, running away in shame or..."
"Please, I know my wife, I know all the worst-case scenarios with her." X interrupted his sister. "Also... Thank you for making it easier on her." He let a smile play on his lips.
His two siblings stared at him as they processed what their source just told them. "You... you ain't mad?" Fefnir asked.
"No... what happened was just how our cards were played." X closed his eyes as he let his tension ebb from his shoulders. " The more I look at it, the more I understand Draupadi's situation and fear. And knowing her, she probably was working on the assumption that I would become depressed knowing that she was... that she had to give herself to my healthier siblings." X's voice faltered.
Yes... Once again, he could clearly see the angle his wife was coming from.
'Once again, I can't fault her judgement.' And ironically, learning of her actions from a third and after enough time that his depression was not as bad meant that he understood what pushed her to do it.
It was all for him... always for him.
"Does she love you?" X suddenly asked them, unwilling to let his mood spiral down. He knew he didn't deserve his wife, but it didn't mean that he had to be depressed about it. "Like... is she attached to you like she is to me?"
This caused both of his siblings to stop and think about it, and after a minute, Fefnir broke the silence.
"I don't think she did at first, not with me, at least." The fiery gardener rubbed the back of his head. "But... I knew we are... close now. She touches me without any hesitation, she will even kiss me without prompting." he let his smile tug at his lips. " I know she likes to beat the crap outta me... and I give her the best damn fight I can too. I go all out, she goes all out."
"That's perfect, My Draupadi is not a meek and fragile woman." X smiled.
"Oh, Hell no... still make sure to take her out some time to see some scenery. I helped her out with the Tulasi plants and... and she's just so happy to talk about God-like... It's her life." Then he frowned. "But... it feels like she's holding back, you now. Like she doesn't want us to feel bad or-"
"She's embarrassed," Leviathan concluded. "Sure, she acts more confident now but... she now's what she does is 'wrong'." The blue robot master rubbed her arms. "Actually... I don't think she's very happy with me since... you know, I'm not... Experienced."
"And what do you mean by that?" X asked with a quirk of his brow.
Leviathan blushed as she ducked her head low. "I... I like her body and... I don't really have... What I have with Di-Zi-chan's like supper shallow." She admitted. "I never had friends before, and never really hang out with people and, suddenly, there's this gorgeous blond acting all meek and sweet after she's proven that she could take us all. Master's attracted, I want in too, she's open to the idea even if she keeps saying no."
"Le'v, that's pretty toxic what you have with her." Fenfir frowned. "Like, I get you that Zero's pretty hot. Like, no matter what gender he his-"
Internally, X agreed. His Zero, no matter how they looked, was always worthy of all his attention and devotion.
Especially now.
"But she's a person, not just any person, but our superior." Fefnr continued. "She's been the longest to protect X, his first Guardien, his wife." He emphasized. "If we weren't as close as we are to X... She would have killed us all."
The way it was spoken... brought the mild temperature of the room plummeting.
Draupadi was still Zero, her Goal would always be what was the best for X, her own comfort would come last.
Was it Toxic? Maybe... but Zero also knew how to survive and fight, she knew how to take care of herself... but after Iris's death and the maverick wars...
Neither she nor X had time to care for themself, but now... now they were learning. And X was a bit faster on the uptake.
"The only reason were alive right now, that's because of our connection with X and our position as the leaders on Neo-Arcadia... and Krishna." Fefnir continued. " If Draupadi-Zero was... just Zero, then you can believe me he would take X away to Ciel, have her rip out our connection and then kill us all... that's it. That would be the story..."
"Oh, without The Lord's intervention... She... he would've killed me, released me from this body... and I would have to watch how things deteriorated until Neo-Arcadia was but a mere crater in the middle of the desert." X spoke grimly, once again, he found himself gratefully folding his palms in thanks to the All Mercyful One, Gauranga.
Leviathan gave a very nervous laugh. "Don't be so dramatic, it's not like humans can live without you... right?"
X gave Leviathan a very Pointed look. "Levi... you that after the failed seal attempt, I was practically dead? Stuck into what could be considered a Coma?" He asked her. "I don't remember anything after I logged out, but I do remember waking to a bunch of celebrating humans patting each other on the back, and Ciel smiling at me, saying how Neo-arcadia was saved just because they could prove I was alive." He spat out. "They see me all as their God..." he shuddered. "No living entity should be elevated to his position. Krishna is our master, and our natural position is to serve him." He grabbed the gaze of his sibling unit, holding them with his haunted gaze.
"And I can tell you for sure... If I wasn't able to maintain my sanity in this position, then no one can, plain and simple."
after this heavy declaration, the two guardians maintained the silence as their Original's mood stabilized.
Then, Fefnir broke it. "So, we can safely say that Draupadi-zero saved our collective asses once again."
"Again!" X... Max added with a grin, falling in love with his wife even more, and despairing because, once again, this amazing woman had made him more indebted then what was permissible.
"So... now what?" Leviathan pipped up. " I mean, we all know Di-Zi's out playing with us, and we are all more or less OK with it."
"Sis, If we were to change anything, She would know it," Fefnir added.
"And this would cause her to start paranoying." Max confirmed.
"And we don't want to have a Paranoyed hottie around here, definitely no when this hottie the Legendary war Machine herself," Leviathan added. "So that leaves us with one question: how do we inform our Coleltcive Waifu that... well, She's our Communal Waiffu and that, short of Harpuia, were all want to be in the Polycule?"
There was a moment of silence as they all ruminated on that.
Fancy dinner at a restaurant? No, since it would be on all pages and X didn't see Draupadi as the type of person who could survive the Mediatic Backlash.
Nobody could really.
Maybe they could all come to her and... she says it?
Maybe... but Draupadi mays suffer from too much anxiety as she enters the door... and Max had yet another feeling this would cause his wife the equivalent of a panic attack since, in her mind, she went against the Veda's, her vows and whatever else that was there.
'Oh, God... Out of our own collective Karma, we now desire to have your Draupadi, you pure souls as our Collective wife. I want to serve her, don't get me wrong. I know she's Your's eternally... but, as you know, neither I nor my Sibling can live without her." X prayed. "She is my mentore, my Guru. And this is ai fact that nothing... no, not even death will change. But... Oh, what should I do, my Lord. All of us, baring one, are willing to do as the Pandava did, maybe not as austerely as they did, but enough to let her to your divine work in peace, with as little anxiety as possible.' he sighed. 'But my Lord, for this, we have to inform our divine wife that we all know what she did, we are not mad and that we would all desire to have her hand... without making her panic.'
"Oh, Lord of the Universe, Master of all that is moving and unmoving, please help those poor fools."
Silence pervaded the room as both Leviathan and Fefnir stared at the big brother, trying to make sense of his prayer.
Leviathan was the first to break the silence, the smirk on her face telling X that she thought it was cute but ultimately useless.
But as she was about to tell X as such. (not that X needed it, thanks to his empathy chip and emotion recognition program.) X received a frantic call from one Phantom.
Well, he already knew it was frantic, his little shadow brother was in a state of panic that only rivalled X's one when he realized his wife left to crash the Eurasia colony.
:X, X. Something's wrong, Draupadi crashed hard, she was shaking and making this... wail and-:
Case in point.
He brought all of his siblings into the group chat. : Alright, So Draupadi crashed.: Max massaged the bridge of his nose, something very human and very useless at the moment. : Where are you?:
: Werre in my workshop on Delta avenue, I'll open the door for you.:
"Say, bro," Fefnir spoke up as he and Leviathan trailed after their elder brother. "Why are you so chill about Our Draupadi crashing?"
"Because it's not a tiny crash that will end my Draupadi's life." Well, that's what he kept telling himself. "Oh, by the way... Do you remember those three dolls you gave to Phantom?"
"Ah... the one that kinda-sorta looked like they came from ancient India?"
"Yes."
"What about them?" Fenfirn cautiously asked, his worry for his Bae was making it difficult to focus on anything else.
X smirked as he got to his feet. "Those are Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra, God, his divine brother and his little sister. Draupadi used to worship them… and you got her… our Master back." He exited the door and dashed out to the nearest transceiver station, closely followed by Leviathan.
Fefnir just stood there, one finger raised and his mouth wide open as he started to work in what he'd just done.
"Ah…"
So obliviously, he was the dictionary definition of extreme confusion.
