Chapter two.
Yes, I know it's hot trash... But I can't stop writing it.
A few hours later.
"X...are you sure it's a good idea?" Zero asked, his arms reattached. He was eyeing the Lor Starcutter with apprehension, which...was not how Zero would usually act.
No...Zero would usually be the first one in...and the last one out.
But, X trusted Mangalananda, and if Axl's data on Kirby, Meta-Knight, Dedede and Gooey were true, they had some mighty and Heroic being's in their mid. And some amazing potential allies.
No idea who was Magolor tough or the Lor Starcutter. But he had promised that he and Layer would try to find the ROM somewhere and investigate.
Or...play the game trough and trough, once they found it, that is.
But this type of information was not the reason why X and Zero were presently in front of the Lor.
The words of Mangalananda, about how X reminded him of some artifacts from an ancient civilization...had Kept X awake all night long.
It was too good to be true, and yet...
Could he dare...could he dare to hope? Could he dare to know of his origins?
"X?"
"Yes...we have nothing to fear of them." he told his all-time companion. "and the book Mangalananda gave me...it answered all the questions I had Yesterday," X spoke, still trying to grasp just how fortunate he was...
The book was called the Bhagavad-Gita; it was a conversation between God, an eternal young man named Krishna. And his best friend, a warrior by the name of Arjuna...
And Arjuna had been in a situation X could very easily empathize with...
"Oh, Keshava, I will not fight!" The Legendary archer had declared to his best friend and chariot driver, Krishna, Godhead's Supreme Personality. The fight he had been about to engage in was a fratricidal war...
Now... who was the father of all reploids again?
Once again, X could see himself on the battlefield with his friend beside him... and He had to admit, Krishna had Echoed many arguments Zero had used to get him out of his retirement.
Or... Zero had been the one to echo God...and X still had no idea if he should thank him for it.
Nevertheless, Krishna had then explained to Arjuna how, as a Kshatria, his Nature was to fight...not to go in the forest as a mendicant. And that whatever he Arjuna would do, including participating in a fratricidal war, as long as it was under God's command, then no sin's would be inured.
He was a servant a God, and God, Krishna would protect his dear Devotees. He would also provide them with Whatever they lacked and preserve all that they had. And that those who shared this knowledge with the world at large was most dear to him and that, Yes, He was God... and he had already killed all the warriors on the field, but her desire his best friend to receive the fame.
X had used his impressive specs to visualize the Universal form Krishna had shown Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra...and he had agreed with the great archer.
He preferred sweet-sixteen Krishna with two hands holding the flute, two legs and one head, a peacock feather in his dainty crown...(or was it a tiara?) a yellow dhoty, dark glue skin then to hos form as the all-destroying Time.
Yes...The Virat-Rupa was time; God was time. And X could easily accept this fact.
Time was ineluctable, and nothing could control it. And Time would destroy everything... even X.
Still, if he were to believe the ancient Vedic text, the spirit souls, the living entity that made all bodies move and interact, the real person would never die and were unaffected by everything material nature could throw at them.
Still...X had some questions. And he hopes those interstellar Vaishnavas could help him clear them up... on top of everything else. Eventually, they saw a shadow move from the bridge of the ship...it was a deep blue 'Kirby' with pale yellow eyes and a pair of white gloves and purple feet. The 'U' Shaped mark glowing golden on his browns. He was Looking at the couple from the top of the ship.
His golden eyes stopped and hovered over Zero, and his smile widened. "Oh, Sir Zero!" He jumped down the ship and landing with...a bit of a cartoony sound. "I see your mechanic has fixed you up quite nicely."
"Yeah...Doug's the best after all." a small smile painted the reploid in red's lips. Despite the tension that pervaded his frame.
"Indeed... And how about you, X Prabhu. I do hope our introduction did not cause too much strife among your peers? Mangal tends to get rather excited about anything even remotely in contact with the ancient." Madan-Mohan...Meta Knight folded his palms and bowed.
X waved it away. "It's fine, Meta Knight. I'm used to it."
"Please, Call me Madan-Mohan das...or Just Madhan." He reached his hand out, and X shook it—noting how the extra-terrestrial being had no bones to speak of.
"A pleasure..."
He went to Zero and did the same thing, but the proud reploid just looked at the diminutive powerhouse.
"Sir Zero..."
The red reploid 'tasked' and folded his arms. "X is only here because he has some questions, and I'm here to make sure nothing happened to him." Zero declared, not bothering to hide his misgiving.
X pursed his lips, he knew Zero was very protective of him, but the blue bomber was no longer a rookie. And he doubted those interstellar Vaishnava's would do him harms, especially after what he had read in the Bhagavad-Gita. "Madhan-Mohan... I'm wondering if...I have some questions concerning the Gita and...some things Mangalananda told me yesterday."
Madan's eyes sparkled as they opened wider in surprise. "Oh, so you did read it?" He asked with a very shareable enthusiasm.
X smiled back. "Yes, I did!" He chuckled. "You know, I was actually wondering about my position in the universe... and if God existed." He showed his copy. "God answered." he grinned, and Madan burst into bright laughter.
Unseen by him, Zero's jaw clenched.
Madan-Mohan clapped his gloves. "Yes, this does sound like Krishna, alright. Now come, let's go inside and sit. Ah, I hope you won't mind Mago, he may...geek about you, Sir X."
"It's alright...I actually wanted to speak to him also." X admitted.
"Hmm...well, you must have the patience of a saint." Madan paused as he turned around and approached the baby blue ship. "No wonder you were attracted to the Gita."
"Oh, Hush...I'm no saint." X flatly replied. He had enough with those sentimental worshippers.
As an answer, The dark blue Madana-Mohana chuckled knowingly.
The interior of the Lor Starcutter was surprisingly roomy for the two looming reploids. It was constructed out of a white, metal-like compound. The humming of the machinery and the ancient Bengali and Sanskrit song sung by an old gentleman resounded in the corridors.
Gauranga Karuna-koro...
Meta Knight patted around the interior as if the place was his home...and considering that he was a traveller, it might as well be. One this he had asked his guest to do before boarding the ship was to clean their feet.
It brought X's memories to some books about the different human cultures, Indian culture to be precise.
The diminutive warrior led the couple in the inner part of the Lor Starcutter. And the deeper he went..., the more X felt at home. It was as if the ship was welcoming him. He absentmindedly ran a hand on the wall... and he felt... was it a hum? A song? Family?
Really, this ship, the Starcutter, reminded him of his own construction... the same energy flowed through him...
'Calm down X...until you have the confirmation, it's just a theory.'
"X...what's going on?" Zero asked, his partner was clearly on edge about the whole ordeal. "This ship...it's scanning us."
"Oh, Lori's just curious about you two," Madan-Mohan mentioned. "Especially you X, for you and her seemed to have been made by the same creator."
"Doctor light would never have made something so cutesy," Zero interjected. Leering at one camera...before showing his fangs.
[That's not what you said last night.] X sent his partner, trying to lighten up the situation.
[X...Your you, and your...not...your not a ship, and you don't look like a toy.] Zero argued.
[Zee...you called me a dreamboat.]
[But your not a...I was just asking you what a dreamboat meant!]
[And then you told me I fit the bill! And I look like a toy action figure with my armour on. Don't deny it.]
Finally, Zero gave in and huffed. To Madan-Mohan's great confusion. Still the diminutive blue warrior simply dismissed it as Zero being on edge.
He gave the red reploid an adorable smile, his golden yellow eyes shining with benevolence.
" I was not talking about Doctor light, sir Zero. Now come, I'm sure you two are hungry for a bit of breakfast." Madan said as he leads his two guests to the lift.
"I've already refuelled, but I'm sure Zero wouldn't mind some exotic extra."
"I do." The grump of the group denied, leering at the lift.
When it opened, Kirby...Kamala-Kanta greeted them. "Oh, Hare Krishna X, Hare Krishna Zero!"
"Hare Krishna Kamala...how was your sleep," X asked.
"Peaceful!" the adorable alien powerhouse bounced up and down with childlike enthusiasm. "I had a dream about Krishna and his cows. How about you two?" He asked as he let the two reploid enter the lift.
"Ah...I don't remember." X half-lied. He knew he had yet another nightmare...but had erased whatever memories he had of it...as always.
"It's none of your business." Zero all but growled, his limbs shaking at the sight of the adorable pink puffball.
[Zee! What's gone into you?] X demanded to know as he appeared as happy and calm as he could be externally. [Kirby's not an enemy!]
[...]
[Zero, please...just relax. You're making me anxious.]
[Good...Never trust something that looks this inoffensive.] Zero warned.
[Like Iris?] X shot back, letting a bit of triumph swell his chest as he saw his Partner Flinch. [You have a pointy tough...But I don't think Kamala's evil...just very powerful for his size.] X replied as he returned his attention to Kirby...or Kamala-Kantha. The pink puffball was looking at Zero and X with deep concern.
[Yes...Like her...never trust anything cure and Adorable X...Don't make my mistakes.] The sombre and haunted tone, his partner, used was enough to make X regret his ribbing.
[I will...] X promised.
"Umm...guys?" Kirby tried to grab their attention. " I know it's a bit weird for me to say, but...maybe you should sleep here with us, Dharadhara and I can chase away Nightmares and...and no ghost will attack you here. I promise," the diminutive being shyly proposed.
"Who said we're suffering from nightmares?" Zero challenged. "And no...we will not remain in this ship longer than necessary, is that clear?"
Kirby's smile fell complete...the whole sight broke X's, soft heart. "Oh...Then, would you like to share some Prasada with us?" He asked again. "It's sanctified vegetarian food. It's delicious, I assure you."
[See Zero, They are vegetarian and God Loving.]
[A certain Mengeles was also God Loving and Vegetarian.]
X didn't even bother replying.
After five seconds, the lift's door reopened, letting Kirby, Meta Knight and the two reploid out to what could be considered a very homey house room repleted with windows showing a beautiful valley where the spring breeze would play with the green grass.
The room itself was something X had only seen in old historical documents. It was made from gentle sun-coloured plaster; there was a small fireplace made of stone. The floor was made out of wooden pieces, and a blue carpet with a star on it sat in the middle of the room.
An annex of the circular room was a kitchenette where Dharadhara Das was busying himself with cooking on a wood stove.
There were quite a few bookshelves filled with books on Bhakti-Yoga...including the Bhagavad-Gita.
On the floor were cushions and small tabled. And on the other side of the round room was an altar with a pair of brass twins dancing with hands upraised and compassionate eyes. There were also a few pictures. X remembered seeing in the Gita; those were the previous teachers.
Overall...the room was not from this world, and it gave off this very welcoming atmosphere...even if the roof was a bit close to Zero's helmet.
"What it this place." He asked Kirby, who had pulled out his bed mattress from his frame and dropped him to where he wanted his guest to sit. "Oh...That's my home, on Popstar." He explained. " Well...It's a replica. Popstar's too far away from here and in another dimension...it's still in this universe tough."
"Oh...I see." X murmured a bit dejectedly as he sat on the mattress. "I would've love to take a walk outside...you know, were their green grass and flowers?"
"Oh, we can still go out." Kamala-Kantha joyfully informed his esteem guest. "Mangalananda's a powerful mage, and he's the one who made this illusion. It still smells like grass, and there are some bugs and butterflies going around. Just don't mess with the orange one, though."
"Really?"
"Ye!" Kamala bounced a bit, jiggling with clear enthusiasm. "after breakfast, we can go out and take and nice long walk outside. How does it sound."
X could not withhold his joy...
"No...X is just here to ask some questions. Nothing more." Zero snapped. "We can't afford to take it easy, not with the maverick treat still looming."
"Maverick treat? An' what would that be?" Dharadhara das drawled as he exited the kitchenette, carrying a tray covered with a cloth. "If those are baddies, we'll gladly help You'll out."
"Indeed, it would be most dishonourable to leave Bhudevi in such a state...and those who dwell upon her surface in deep distress," Madan-Mohan spoke from the lift, carrying on his head another small mattress. Putting it on the floor beside Kamala's own. "Now, Prabhu X, Sir Zero. Please sit down; a guess should not be left standing.
"No...We're f-" Zero's words died in his voice-box as X sat down a bit clumsily.
"Oh, ah...Mister Kamala, I hope you won't mind my friend; he's been a bit grumpy since this morning." X apologized as he gestured at Zero to please sit down. Not even bothering to hide his irritation.
[X! you told me you would be careful!]
[Yeah, and weren't you the one who once told me to jump before thinking?] X shot back.
[...X, your too trusting.] Zero quietly closed the argument.
X would not deny it, which was why Signas was the commander and X still a B-rank.
One could not try and see the best in people at the time of war... and to be honest, the only one X really trusted was Zero. For despite this one time, the red reploid was still by X's side. And nothing short of death would remove it from this position.
[Zee...Please, sit down.] He gently beseeches. Knowing that irritation never led him anywhere.
And Zero...reluctantly did...somehow managing to land on the mattress with a little more grace and poise than X. And yet, he was still not looking at his partner. It was clear he was upset at X.
[Zero...I'm sorry, alright. I'm just...] X trailed off, unsure how he could convey to his partner how excited he was to know of his origins...and of God and everything else those visitors could give.
Yes...He knew he was reckless...and yet, at the same time, Kirby was trustworthy; of this, X had no doubt.
He turned to the pink puffball. Who was looking at the two with kind and guileless eyes...
X felt his paranoia rise...what if Zero was right? What if those ridiculously adorable aliens really were a ploy to lower his guards down? A ploy by sigma, no less.
"No...we are not sent by Sigma...whoever he is," Madan spoke as he gave X and Zero a glass of water. "We have been sent by our Guru, Bhagavad-Gita Swami, to spread the Hare Krishna Movement all over the universe. And yes, we are all well aware of how incredible our reasons to be here are." the blue knight spoke wryly. "And if I were in the same situation, I would be as paranoid as your blond friend."
"At least you're admitting it." said blond friend grumbled... then his eyes flew open, same as X. "Hey, how did you...YOU READ OUR MIND!" The red ripper almost got up with a sword in hands.
Madan-Mohan had the decency to blush. "Yes...it's... an ability I picked up quite a few decades ago. Now please sit; breakfast will be here soon."
X reached for his Partner and sat him down. "So, You read our mind." X adressed the blue mind reader. "that't why you managed to defeat Zero so soundly."
"Yes...And I can see myself in your situation." Madan bowed his head. "I apologized, but I did take a small peek at your memories." His smile turned bitter. "You and I... Both carry the scars of many wars."
"Oh? Because You went through wars too?" Zero scoffed. "Let me guess... against an army of processed teddy bears and spring-loaded pink jelly-fish."
Madan-gave Zero a wry smile."Oh... those were on the good days. The was I fought were against Demon-beasts of great power, it was a bloody war that but a hand full survived...one that spanned over a full millennium and quite a few planets." he revealed. "it is a war you have never heard about, and a war you have been spared. In this war, many of my friends fell, many life and planets were lost and destroyed... and the cause was the greed of a single man...a single demon by the name of Nightmare."
"He almost destroyed Popstar with his greed." Dharadhara Das interjected, having made the offering. " I managed to seal the demon in the Fountain of Dream while I gathered strength...I ended up giving my subject terrible...well, nightmares and fod shortage. And I also got Kamal's attention." He chuckled as he began transferring the food from the lord's plate to the pots and pans. "Kamala's the most powerful entity in our corner of the material world."
"No...not really." The pink puffball denied.
"He raided my castle, destroyed and defeated some of my most powerful lieutenant, including Meta knight. Defeated me and freed Nightmare..." he turned to the two reploids. "Protip Guys, always explain your plan to yer rival; it may save you some trouble."
"Yeah...but you did try to explain to me." Kamala argued back.
"After Ah tried to kill you." Dharadhara bitterly admited.
"You thought I was just another Dreamlander...and you didn't want to kill me, you just wanted to scare me away from Nightmare." Kamala Shot back. "You were just doing your job."
"Yeah...but yer still the one who destroyed that dream-demon. Don't think he ever came back after that whoopin' you gave him." Dharadhara chuckled as he remembered the events.
"Basically, Kamala here killed one biggest treat in our part of the universe, the one I failed to stop and the corrupter of my friend...only because he was grumpy due to lack of sleep and hunger," Madan-Mohan explained as he placed a little table in front of Zero. " That's...basically the cause of death of most villains and otherworldly abominations that dares to attack Popstar. Sir X, you will eat with us, right?" He changed the subject. moving away from a life time worth of adventure and onto the most importent subject at hand.
"No, my hardware, as amazingly advanced as it is, can't break down sugars and proteins. But Zero's can." He informed the diminutive blue warrior.
"Ah...Understood." Madan nodded.
in the meantime, Dharadhara Das placed a big plate of food in front of Zero. "There you go, blondy. A nice hearty breakfast. C'mon, don't be shy. Prasadam's a rare commodity, you know, and ya got a whole plate of it."
"Ah...thanks?" Zero eyes the plate of Prasadam. "What's...prashama?"
"Sanctified food," Dharadhara explained with a warm smile. "Basically, it's our version of the sacred bread...but including all the other part of the meal!"
Zero stared at the very organic food that was placed in front of him. [Great...alien food. X, didn't Douglas gave us a seminar about how we should not eat the food given to us by aliens? About how...it could mess with our systems?]
[Zero...I don't think this food's so exotic.] The blue reploid pointed out. [I think...yes, I think it's Indian...you know, this ancient civilization?]
[OK...But where's the meat? And...alright, I'll admit that it smells pretty good, but...what the hell is this? I can't make out what it's made out of...and it...kind of look pre-di-]
"Kitchari..." Madan-Mohan piped up, his mouth in a tiny, very forced a smile, He had clearly been struggling with his tongue about the nature of the meal. "It's rice, yellow mung dhal, water, Turmeric, sweet potato, spinach, ginger, salt, cooked down clarified butter, cumin seed, mustard seed and asafoetida. The flatbread is made with whole wheat, water, salt and ghee." He pointed at the food, his dark-blue complexion decorated by two spots of pink.
"The 'coffee' is made with Ahimsa milk and roasted coriander seeds. Ahimsa simply means that the cow who gave us this milk will not be killed for meat, and she is treated like a mother. The brown preparation made with semolina is called Halava, it contains, as previously mentioned, semolina, water, ghee, raw sugar, saffron, almonds and raisins. And the green leaf you see in those preparations is called sacred basil, it's part of the Basilicum family of plant and it's completely inoffensive."
The room grew silent with the off-duty knight, who sat back.
"Ah...thank..." Zero finally spoke, a small smile on his lips. "I guess...you want me to eat now?"
"Please...otherwise, we have failed in our duties as a host," Kamala spoke with folded palms.
Zero closed his eyes. [X...if anything weird's gonna happen...]
[I'm bailing you out.] X assured his partner. [Just eat, everything is from earth...and Madan-Mohan looked about to burst.] The blue bomber conveyed with a smile as Zero began to eat, unbothered by the lack of utensils.
"So...I..." X paused, but Madan remained poised and quiet. His eyes kind and prompting. "I notice that all this food is quite...earthly." he began as he scaned the vittles. And sure enough, Madan-Mohan had not lied.
"What's wrong with that? Foodgrains are food grains no matter where one goes, same for the flowers and the living entities." Kamala explained. " And we eat what God likes...and God, Krishna like rice, dhal, chapattis and all the wholesome earth-based, vegetarian food."
"Oh!"
"Oh wow!" Zero exclaimed before resuming his meal. [X, we have to connect. This food's amazing, I've never eaten anything like this before...Damn, that's soo good!]
At the jubilant reaction of his partner X and their host began to laugh. It was good to see his Zero Happy and less on edge. And relishing a meal that was something other than stale and half-rotten ration.
While X could charge with the sun, Zero's energy intake was...unorthodox.
He could definitely recharge in the sun and function like every other reploid. But his partner could also...eat.
He could eat food...and break it down in pure energy and parts.
And Zero had this amazing ability to recover from dismemberment. Not even Cain or DOuglas managed to pierced the mystery of Zero, his body even more mysterious and confusing than even X. A life-Save had even made a theory that Zero wasn't even a reploid but an alien.
Whatever Zero was, X didn't particularly care, he just knew he loved him and would do everything to make him happy.
"So...you had questions?" Kamala asked... "More I mean."
"yes, So I read the Bhagavad-Gita and..." X began. But paused mid-way.
"And?" Kamala-Kanta prodded.
X averted his eyes from the small and adorable alien. "...Does it apply to artificial souls? You know...about how the soul is eternal and...and a part of God?"
[Really? That's what that damn books about?]
[Zero...please.] X rebuked his grumpy lover...now more than a little tired of his edge.
"No...It's doesn't apply to synthetic souls-" Kamala spoke with a very dissonant smile...soothing that made the sharp dagger plunged in X's core twist and burn... not that he'd expected anything different to be honest.
"Oh..."
Feeling the sheer dejection from his life partner, Zero paused his eating and put his left hand on X's knee. [See...Ah... I knew he would say something like that.]
[Yep...I'm disapointed, but not really surprised...thank you for not flying into a rage.]
[X...you know I'm better than that.]
"-Because there's no such thing as Synthetic souls," Kamala spoke up, his smile growing wider. Surprising...and confusing the dichromatic duo.
Both reploid stared at the self-satisfied smile of Kamala-Kanta. Waiting for the interstellar Vaishnava to elaborate.
And he did not disappoint.
"A soul is a soul, and the soul is the source of consciousness." He explained as Dharadhara served Madan-Mohan a huge plate of Prasadam. "The soul has no birth, no death and cannot be destroyed, cut, wet, atomized and magicked away since it's a part of God, the chief immortal among all immortals."
"Ah?" X tried to make sense of what he had just heard...and Surprisingly, Zero beat him to the punch.
"So basically, you're telling us that nobody can make a soul...since a soul is not mundane. And that we can't get destroyed because God is indestructibly."
"Basically." Kamala nodded. "And the soul is the person inside the body. A soulless body is a dead body: No soul, no life."
"So..." X's hands were shaking. "We... I'm not a robot with a soul, but a soul inside a robotic body."
Kamala grinned wider. " yep! Like I'm a soul in a puff ball-shaped body. We may be in different vehicles, but we are not those." Kamala explained, and X grinned even further. "We are all one, but different. I am me, and you are you, and Krishna is Krishna. We may be made of the same eternity, knowledge and bliss, but we can't merge in one another."
Somehow, this simple statement caused a powerful hope to ignite in X's proverbial heart.
[X...your crying...you don't-]
[I do Zero...now eat your meal.] he kindly but firmly told his lover. [Let me have this Zee... please, let me have some hope.]
After Zero and Kamala had eaten to their heart's content...or until no food was available (saved for a portion Madan-Mohan had saved for Dharadhara das), Kamala and the two reploid took a walk outside in the most perfect illusion of a dream-like valley.
The spring breeze blew gently on the ever so green hills that peppered the land, X could also spot quite a few vegetables growing here and there, and he wondered if those where used in Zero's meal.
"Are those real?" X asked as he inspected a star-shaped flower...when was the last time he had seen and held those delicate items?
"Yes, they are." Kamala Declared as he went to pick the flower and put it in his basket. "It may be an illusion, but it's still factual. In this place, we can grow vegetables, grains and pulse. Oh, and pretty flowers for God too."
"Ah...I see. So you've dedicated your life in His service." X stated as he kept observing the diminutive powerhouse. "I was wondering if you could help us with-"
"Of course we will help you with food relief," Kamala promised even before X could finish his phrase. "This place has everything we need to feed everyone. And Mangalananda and I will cook for everyone nice and wholesome Karma-free food! so...how many thousands of people we have to feed?"
X stared at Kamala-Kantha, his mouth falling open despite his control.
"What?" Kamala asked. "Hare Krishna's aren't takers, were givers!"
"I...I know...Now I know...You just...I was just about to ask if you could...the earth if barren and..."
"X...calm down." Zero place a hand on X's shoulder as he wearily eyed Kamala. "what has gotten into you?"
"Mister X... Sir Zero, there's a bench nearby, I think he needs to sit down and process everything in peace." Kamala carefully addressed the red ripper, although Zero clearly didn't trust him.
But with how X was shaking, Zero elected to follow the pink marshmallow and help X sit down on the aforementioned bench.
It was in a very bucolic location, overlooking a pond filled with dragonflies and cattail. A few lotuses swung in the sweet breeze laden with the smell of more flowers than X tough existed.
After some time, the reploid managed to calm himself down, Zero was still holding him near, his handheld in his own and letting the blue bomber lean on him.
Kamala had momentarily left to get X another glass of water. And Zero had taken this opportunity to embrace his very dear partner, going as far as to kiss his gem as he tried to help him calm down.
And when Kamala came back, X was not as emotionally vulnerable anymore. And thus Zero had released him, keeping up the facade that they really were just a pair of very close friends.
"Is everything alright?" The pink puffball asked, his concern clear in his high-pitched voice.
X laughed...something he had not done for what seemed to be eons. "yes...yes Kirby...Kamala...Everything...everything is amazing!" He let his smile bloom unbounded on his face.
Beside him, his partner dubiously stared at the wetly grinning blue bomber. Not even needing to voice his questions.
X grinned back as he wiped away his tears, giving Zero's soft hand a reassuring squeeze. Then he turned to Kamala-Kantha.
"Divine grace-"
"Just Kamala will do. We're all friends here anyway." The pink puffball assured X, squeezing his knee joint with his little tentacles.
Besides X, Zero growled.
[Zero...play nice.]
[I don't like him touching you.]
[It's just a friendly gesture, Axl and Alia do the same thing to me and you never react like that.]
[Axl and Alia are not Aliens...and I don't trust him.]
[Why?]
[I have my reasons.] And with that Zero ended his communication.
X returned his attention to the pink alien. "Thank you, Kamala, it's nice to know we're not alone in this."
"Nobodies Alone, and Help is always there for those who believe."
This statement, spoken by an alien, caused the blue bomber to chuckle. "yes...absolutely." he smiled. "Say...you do save seeds, right?"
A light entered Kamala's eyes. "We have better than this, we have The Maha-Mantra."
"I don't get it," X murmured. And then, it clicked. "You can make it rain."
Kamala nodded. "Ah-ah! Rain will come once Sri-Vishnu's please with our Sacrifice of the holy name. And After that-"
"After that, I need to know what you and your damn goons did with Layer and Axl?" Zero growled as he got up, leering at Kamala with unrestrained anger.
[Zero?]
[Got a message from Signas, both came in the ship...none of them came out.]
"Ah." Kamala smiled, not at all afraid of the very tall and furious war machine. "They came to visit us this morning, they brought our Gauranga and Nityananda some very interest sweets and Mangalananda wanted to give them something in return."
At those words, X also got up from the bench.
Sure, he may not have minded the crazy little alien's ogling and prodding. He was definitely more respectful and mindful of X's feeling and comfort than those scientists of old...even the recent one. But...
Axl was Axl... and Layer had a past... thing could get rather ugly.
"He was supposed to keep them until ten..." Kamala's smile turned wry. "Let's go..."
He hobbled away, his little red feet squeaking as he ran to God knows where with a pair of reploid right at his heels.
Returning to the main hub of the ship was quite a jarring experience. One moment, they had been in a bucolic little house in a sub-tropical valley filled with organic wealths to the cold and sterile hull of a metallic ship.
Once again the ship seemed to greet X and even pinged him, but in his state of mild panic, the oldest of all reploid didn't give it much thought.
Still, this detail did not make any of the maverick hunters falter. And soon enough, both were in front of a door adorned with a plaque of Alien language...that X could somehow read...
Magolor's Fun trial run! (and the lab...also fun.)
"Mangalananda?" Kamala spoke in the intercom. "Mangalananda, X and Zero are wondering what happened to Miss layer and Mister Axl... can you please op-" the (rather small) door slid open, and out floated Mangalananda.
"Oh! If it isn't X and Zero...and Kamala also." He greeted with undeniable joy. "I was wondering when you two would come and visit us. Please, please come in and have a seat. Axl and Layer are still running through their time trial's as we speak." the diminutive alien all but shoved Zero inside, to X's great amusement... and wonder.
What used to be a door big enough for that extra-terrestrial life-form stretched to accommodate the duo, letting them in without having them crawl.
Inside the lab was what one would expect from such a place. It was sterile, had plenty of computers and the marks that a reploid...or two had been worked on.
As if hearing the accusation, Mangalananda turned to his two guests. " Yes. I did some works and inspection on Axl the Awesome and sweet and chaste Layer." He handed X an orb with a gear on it. "This is their diagnosis reports and other upgrades I gave them..."
X eyed the geared sphere wearily, and his system recognised it.
His green eyes grew wider... yes, he could already read the reports of numerous bugs and glitched that had been fixed, and a very major change in Layer's armour.
X could not help but smile at that, this had been something both he, Zero, Signas and all reploids worth their salt wanted for Layer.
"X?" He heard his partner query. It was amazing the amount of information he could inject into a single variable.
"It's fine... Layer's finally got a new, proper armour and Axl can now take the form of reploids bigger than him without having to shoot them dead." X assured his lover, the corner of his mouth turning up.
"Alright... and where are they right now?" Zero asked as he folded his arms.
" Zero, dude. Please relax, my friend and take a seat. Those two are having a blast destroying the previous speed records set by Madan as we speak." The floating alien practically pushed the looming war machine to a stool at one of the tables.
"meaning?" Zero asked as Kamala sat close to him and X joined him soon enough.
"Meaning that I have set for them obstacle course meant for fun a practice," he explained. "They are in a pocket dimension... let me show you since I can see you won't trust any words coming out of my mouth." And with those words, Mangalananda produced a remote from under his cap and aimed it at the screen.
And sure enough, Axl, Gooey and a properly armoured Layer were zooming trough and obstacle course made out of wooden blocks and filled with cutesy monsters.
"The spikes won't kill them, and those monsters are not real. And I doubt they want to get out quite yet...trust me, I've tried." the little alien spoke wryly as his ears sadly flopped down.
"Why didn't you asked Lori to open the screen for you?" Kamala asked. "And why didn't you ask her to stop them
"Oh, because she's also playing with them. So no... she won't let them out until they ask her." Mangalananda informed his friend. "Are you hungry? I have some gem apples for you, freshly offered, of course."
"Oh, this sounds lovely; you know I can't say no to Prasadam."
Mangal chuckled as he manifested a void above Kirby, and out from it fell some apple-shaped E-Crystal. E-crystals that were all promptly gobbled up by the pink, diminutive puffball... apples that were half the size of his head and incompatible with anything organic.
Kamala...chewed them with a delighted smile. "Oh, that was good, filled with Bhakti and Krishna-Krpa." The...most amazing anomaly uttered as he returned to two feet tall.
"You taste that only because you have it." Mangalananda cheekily mentioned. "And... by your association...it will all be mine." He rubbed his gloved hand, now looking more like a maverick than a generous host.
"Mangal! Don't make fun of me... you know I'm struggling, and I-"
"How did you do that?!" X finally managed to choke out...
Kamala stared at the blue reploid. "Do what?" he asked innocently.
"You...you ate E-crystals!"
"E-Crystals?" The pink puffball repeated. "Oh...so that's how you call gem fruits."
"Gem Fruits... You mean... those..."
Kamala's smile fell. "Can easily grow on earth...I'll give you the seeds." He came closer to X's boot and gently petted it. " I... I forgot how we don't really fit with earthlings... I'm so sorry; please don't crash." The diminutive Alien begged.
X gave an uneasy smile... "I'm... Not quite alright, I just... Are those really apples? Do they grow on trees?"
Kamala-nodded. "Hai! Yes, they do!
"I'll give you one so that you may taste it." Mangalanada manifested another of those so-called apples and, after offering it (he had this prayerful look for five seconds.) he gave it to X.
[X...] Came Zero's warning tone. A tone X paid little heed to, for what he was holding truly was the holy grail.
It was a gem apple, as the name implied, and yet... it had the same energy reading as a high-grade E-crystal.
He was holding...yet more hope for reploid kind in the palm of his hands, something that should not exist, that was only fantasy.
On a hunch, he placed his mouth on it, To Zero's great horror. And before his boyfriend could rip it out of his hand, X managed to take a bite.
It was so sweet, a bit tart and... and it dissolved into pure energy.
It was like biting into sunshine.
"X! X!" [X, for the Love of God, please answer me? Why the hell did you do that? It could make you sick, mess up your internal, kill you!]
" Zero..." He addressed his overly fretting partner. Hoping that his bright smile would be enough to make him calm down. "It's fine... everything is fine."
"Please explain... X, you know you can't put whatever you want in your tank." Zero scolded his longtime partner as he clutched the bitten apple
"That an organically grown E-crystal. Well, that's what my U.I's telling me." He gently informed his lover. Who stared at the impossible fruits dubiously. "C'mon, take a bite!"
"What's up with me and alien food today..." Zero muttered under his breath as he bit the bright green fruit.
His eyes grew wide after a few movements of his jaws; he stared at the interstellar fruit.
"Scrap me pink...it is an energy crystal...and it tastes like an apple too!" The red and gold reploid grinned, now understanding X's jubilation.
"And yes... it does grow in proper earthly condition too," Mangalananda interjected. His eyes implying a smile. " Rain will come, mother earth will recover, and the golden age will properly start; just be a little bit more patient."
For his part, X was busy wiping off his tears. "Ah! So that's what an apple tastes like!" he laughed... after so many years of grim and terrible news, this... he felt revived.
First... There was life on other planets, and those lifeforms were able and willing to help them... and God existed, he was a person, and the goal of life was to love and serve him.
'Oh wow... oh, wow... God... God...Krishna, That's... your hear my prayers...and you answer me faster than tech-support." He openly grinned...
Yes...Everything would be fine...as long as Zero stopped fearing Kirby, that is.
In the corner of his eyes, he could see Zero freezing in sheer terror as said Pink Puffball hugged his boot.
Oh yes... X would tease him so much for that...so, so much.