It was official; the hunters were facing yet another maverick uprising. And while they had Kirby and co. taking care of the glitch head would be the easiest thing ever.
But... it was not as simple, it seems.
"So... I... didn't expect that." Axl addressed Layer more solemnly then one would expect him to. Especially one in a fox Kigurumi.
They were back in his room, the lights were off, and the TV was on. They were playing Kirby returned to dreamland and were already partway through Nutty Noon, having but Axl's custom game console in turbo mode.
Their mood were down and glum, and no matter how amazing the background and the music were... it was simply not enough to light their spirit... not even the prospect of Busting out some maverick asses and taking names.
The only sound filling the room was the console's fan and the rapid button clicks.
"Where souls... we used to be human ghosts." Layer finally spoke. "I... Had dreams sometimes... dreams that... that I used to have a family and... I had a wife, a daughter... a dog." her voice wavered. " Axl... is it... is it normal that I feel... I feel cheated?"
Axl took the ultra ability, hammer, and began to wreak havoc on the level. " No... No, your not." Axl huffed as he grabbed the energy sphere. "I guess I'm OK with it since, you know, I basically got superpowers." He fell silent, entering the interdimensional portal.
After the game's Kirby emerge from the void, he spoke again.
"The Virus... it's Dark Matter."
Dark Matter... Axl would sometimes fantasize that something like this would be real, and that Kirby and his cohorts were real and that they would one day descend on earth to exorcise the virus from all using the fairies' crystal and return the planet to its nice and unpolluted state.
And his fantasies would sometimes take some very wild turn, having Sigma being the reincarnation of 0, and Axl gaining this amazing, super ancient super, love-filled weapon of gratitude and saving the day in-extremist.
And now, his Fantasies were becoming a fact of life... and he was starting to doubt his desires.
Kirby, Meta Knight (the world's edgiest blubbery.) Dedede, Gooey and Magolor were... they were...
They worshipped a God that was on this earth. A human-shaped god... Krishna.
And apparently, they had been Hare Krishna for a long time now.
Axl didn't believe in God... plain and simple. Red had told him that this world was a death trap and that nobody could get out of there alive and that one should grab whatever opportunity for pleasure came by them since all could end at the drop of a hat.
Yolo! Words to live by...
But Axl had learned from X and Zero that, while everything was meant to be destroyed, it didn't mean throwing one's life away for some ridiculous endeavours was the right thing to do... instead, better pick a worthy cause and die for it.
Like one's country, Family, friendship, love.
And that what Axl chose to follow, he would fight because he loved to fight... and for X.
But now... he was faced with something other, something that went against everything he had learned, and from his favourite video game characters... everything he had learned from his mentor and his real-life experience.
Kirby was called Kamala-Kantha... and used to be called Kaavi, or poet. He was a Vaishnava for as long as he could remember,, and it was only due to the publishing house that this detail, along with the true extent of his adventures,, had been doctored.
Nintendo didn't want anything to do with God in their games. Wonder why?
Also, all of those adventures were real, if adulterated in some ways, and, to be honest, learning that the whole squeak squad thing had been about a corps in a box possessed by something... other.
Yeah, He'd rather play the original, even if the plot was a bit dumb even by KG standards.
Basically, Kirby was following this religion... this Hare Krishna religion. A religion that went against everything the world was following.
It was the religion of complete surrender to God, a guy named Krishna... a Sixteen-year-old cowherd twink who wouldn't survive five minutes against the lowest ranking maverick. It was about signing his names, dancing, chanting, feasting, and, of course, love.
Love...
Honest to Light love...
Feh! Axl knew that love was a myth. And it was a good way to get hurt also.
Alright, fine, he could still enjoy those games without thinking much about it. They were still fun... Like... Very fun.
Axl looked at the Cutscene of Kirby and the gang entering Halcandra to look for the crown. The place was all about fire, brimstone, mechanical parts and with a dragon at the end...
Now, the question was, was it a straight-up Dragon? Or was it another being processed by Dark Matter?
'Oh man, that would be so cool!'
...
"Did you ask Kamala how long he was a Hare Krishna?" Layer asked, her green eyes never leaving the screen.
Axl pressed his lips together in a thin line. " He did... I thought you were their Layer."
"I was." His gaming partner nodded, curled up on herself as she processes yet another revelation... a revelation that awkwardly sat in the middle of the room, stinking up the place and just being an overall nuisance on their last few hours of innocent play before the hunt started.
...
"Zero's creator stuffed his body full of 02 blood."
There, it was said out loud how the most bad-ass of the reploids, the great Hero and Layer's saviour, was the Vessel for an intergalactic plague.
Axl threw his controller down and curled up in his chair.
Why couldn't this be easy? Why was it so complicated now?
Why... why was his happy little life burning to ashes again!? and why was his crutch o meta Knight so unjustly snuffed!?
The targets were all destroyed in one fell swoop, X's aim true and fast. It had taken him some time to get used to fly like a bee or a hummingbird. But in the end, it just made the Crystal bomber that much more effective against whatever Sigma could send at him.
He heard Mangalananda, Douglas... and a lifesaver clap, making X's cheeks burn red.
"Lor-X, this was truly a sight, poetry in motion." Mangala richly praised. "I have never seen someone your size move so swiftly, save for Madan and Sir Zero."
Zero...
X returned to Lori's Control room. His... Sister unit projecting a hologram beside her adopted father and the other two reploids. The other reason why he wanted to run another test in the variable shooting range was also to clear his mind about his lover.
There was no such thing as a computer virus that caused the reploid population to go rogue at the drop of a hat. Instead, from what Signas and Life-saver had managed to piece from some obscure sources and the ruin of a castle filled with traps the the bones of on who had long past, Zero's creator, a certain doctor Albert Wily , had extracted this... blood from the corps of an angel that had been accidentally found on one of Wily's secret islad base. this discovery had been possible after... a robot from other space had laid waste to the island, looking for, and quotes 'the source of pure evil and sorrow in the world, It's blood the source of the dark energy and the Robenza virus.
And after cross-referencing what Mangalananda, Kamala, Gandharva and Dhara knew of Dark Mater, it was clear what this evil energy was.
Dark Matter, extracted from their hopefully dead source and injected in his lover system... and for all he knew, Zero had more in common with Gooey then one would at first expect.
Still... Zero took it hard. Harder then X and his own alien nature...
'No... I'm not an alien; I'm not a reploid or a robot master... I'm not even X or Nillor-Mapop. I'm a spirit soul; I have nothing to do with this body.' Save maintaining it for the service of the Lord...
'Do I sound... I think I sounded a bit too fanatic. Yeah... Have to stop now.'
"From your last test, it's clear you have improved tremendously." Mangalananda praised. "Truly, you must feel at your peak."
"Yeah, I've never seen you destroy all of those targets so efficiently before," Douglas spoke up. "Man, talk about a whole hardware update."
"Yeah... I do feel more at ease." X admitted. "I feel more at home in this body now."
"Ah, such wonderful news to hear," Mangalananda spoke with joy. "Just... don't grow too attached to it, for one never knows when his life will end." He warned.
X looked at the floating alien, knowing that his words held a pearl of deep wisdom. Alia, who had just walked in, paused and gave the happy ball of Vedic wisdom a rather upset glance.
"Oh, Alia. What may I do for you?" X asked as he approached the taller build.
"I was just coming to report some Maverick activities."
"Let me guess, eight of them?" The crystal blue bomber asked with folded arms and a corner smile. Really, after ninety years, it seemed the number of dangerous infected would never go above that number, for some odd reasons.
A wry smile stretched Alia's lips. " Do you know where Zero is?" She asked her long-time friend and honorary little brother. Being awakened quite a few years before X.
"he's outside; in the Canyon, he usually goes to brood in." And the one he and X would quietly steal away for some alone time. " Mandan-Mohan Das is keeping an eye on him."
At the mention of the blue E.T, Alia's eyes shadowed over as she followed X out of the training room.
They walked in silence. X was going over what he had read from the Bhagavad-Gita about the Duty of a warrior. And the fact that, as he had discovered, that he could purify Dark Matter from other reploids.
Yes, Signas knew, same as Palette and Alia. It was not an open-source program, and thus, X could not just have this amazing Data given to all hunters and save thousands; he had to fight.
But... After talking to Dhara and Mangala about it, he may only have to face the source and not the eight mavericks. Since they already knew where that bastard was, and they could easily reach it with minimal fuss.
"It's such an amazing feeling, tough." He told his older sister, referring to his purifying powers. " I can see when this evil energy dissipate from their eyes... they are so scared but, the moment they realised I will not retire them."
"Yes, I can't imagine the amount of relief they feel." The taller blond said, even if her smile did not reach her eyes.
"Alia? What's the matter, is it... more human memories resurfacing?" He asked his best friend.
She shook he head. "No... But...It does explain some things Gate said about us, but... it's not that."
"What is it then?" X asked as he put a gentle hand on Alia's shoulder.
She turned her blue eyes to the crystal-blue bomber. "You... You will have to fight again. You will have to face more mavericks and-"
"It's my Karma." X gave a helpless shrugged. " I've done things in the past... I may not remember it, but it's still a bill I have to pay.."
"X!" Alia whirled on him, her eyes gaining this fiery edge as she held the smaller being by his shoulders. "What did I told you; It's not your fault!"
X pressed his lips... yes, this was something his navigator kept telling him, but no matter how much he kept this mantra going, X couldn't help but feel the guild build up.
And, after chatting up with Kamala and Gandharva, he had realized why this guilt never left him.
Whatever happened to him, both good and bad, was a result of his Karma. What he's made other suffered in his numberless previous life was suffering he would have to go through.
Thankfully, as Kamala-Kanta had told him, one of the fringe benefits of practising Bhakti-Yoga was the cessation of all karmic reactions, both good and bad, and the development of one's eternal relationship with Krishna.
And yes, Zero would follow, since Krishna was known to pick up whoever was dear to those dear to him.
"I don't know why you have to suffer through so many wars and strife. So much loss, pain and-" Alia began, inscent at the whole so-called 'injustice of life.
'Karmic reactions.' X thought. Keeping his mouth shut as his big sister worked through her emotions.
"I wish I could... I wish there was a way to put a stop to it all."
'The Maha-Mantra and Krishna-Seva.' X thought, having already found the solution.
"And now... You... Zeroes... We knew he was the source of the infection, Life-saver was never quiet about it. But... Zero never... None of us got Infected, and."
"Alia." X began, it was clear the events of the last few days were overwhelming his otherwise steady Navigator. " Sure, Zero may be filled with the blood of an eldritch abomination from outherspace, the same one that bares his name." the blue bomber did his best not to role his eyes. "But he's still our Zero. The same goof who will sneak in the human canteen and clean out whatever leftover's there, even after being warned numerous time not to do it!" Now, X fondly rolled his eyes... until he and Alia's CPU synchronized.
"Zero's system is half organic." The scientist of the group voice what both had been thinking. " And he's always hungry."
"For all we know, he's the last spawn of the other Zero."
"Like... Zero 2.0?"
"Zero Junior?"
"Zero two?" Alia tried, not sure if she liked the sound of it.
"Nah, Technically, our Zero's from Zero two, so that would make him Zero three." X deduced as he resumed his walk to the garage area. "And he does have control over his... power. And knowing Zero, he will do everything to keep us safe."
Alia paused, thought for a bit before finally smiling. "Your right, X. I've knew Zero for about as long as I've known you. And no other hunters, even those working with viral material got infected."
"As I told you, our Zero care too much about us for that." X closed the subject.
There... was definitely more to Zero then what he'd let one. But right now, something told X that it was not important... and that those revelation would make things worst for everyone.
He shook his head, no, he had promised Cain that he would never break Zero's trust. Spreading his wings out, X took to the air with child-like glee. Nothing better to clear's one mind then a joy ride... beside, he needed to check if Zero was ready for yet another skirmish, hopefully, the last one.
'Oh Krishna, please may this be the last one?' He prayed. As resigned to his situation as he was, X was still aware that the strain was starting to crack him in places.
The Z sabre crashed to the ground as Madan dodge, swiping the Galaxia through the dust and stones the Robot-Master threw at him.
"Is That it?" The diminutive Vaishnava goaded. "Fight me! Show me your true strength!"
Zero gritted his teeth as he produced an ethereal body that was right into Madan-Mohan's face, its sword poised to strike him down.
It was impressive, but the thing was not strong enough to withstand a single strike from the Holy Galaxia. But this seemed to have been but a bait, for Zero shot some protean pellets from his buster, corralling Madan-Mohan in a covered corner of his favourite training spot.
'Smart, I'll give him that.' The star warrior thought as he warped behind the war build, only to be hit with a sword beam... or however Zero called it, anyway.
Madan-mohan das answered with a beam of his own, cancelling the attack outright and unleashing another wave and another wave.
The energy that had been released was such that the particular part of that canyon widened as if a few bombs had detonated.
Unhappy with the result and seeing an opening, Zero once again ruched at the interstellar knight and began a devastating dance of blade and rage.
The Cyber-demon dance.
Behind his mask, Madan-mohan grinned like a madman as he danced with the beast, paring and playing with him as the dark cloud-like substance swirled and lunged.
Dark Matter... the last of the plague.
Their fighting dance continued, neither desiring to stop and call it quiet.
Suddenly, Zero's timer went off, marking the end of the fight. And while the two warriors would love to go at it for longer, Zero's duty as a hunter and the looming skirmish with the maverick meant that his time was not to be wasted, and his energy kept for those meaningful fight...
Not that he would have the chance to utterly destroy those obligatory eight mavericks this time, since, apparently, X could purge the evil presence out of those poor souls.
And to be honest, Lori was faster then the so-called orbital elevator.
The whole thing was obliviously a hoax since an elevator to the moon would shatter due to space debris and the earth's orbit.
But, as it turned out, the elevator was really a teleportation antenna with the tele-pad at the top.
Nifty, but it still wouldn't let a mere human or reploid see the true glory of the plant-filled planet, were the water was ambrosia and the demigods 'enjoyed' a long life with some anxiety; about demons and their own position...
Maybe he and the boys should try and reach this realm again; those poor demigods had no idea what they were missing, and, who knows? Maybe they would meet Srila-Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami and Srila-Prabhupada.
Madan-Mohan whipped his sword from Zero's... 02's blood...
Whatever putrefied blood this ridiculously insane doctor had stuffed in his last creation, also by the name Zero. Blood that could give bodies to evils spirits hell-bent on destruction and suffering, but robbing them of whatever free will they had.
Really, it was only by the mercy of God (and some insanely good Karma, Dhara had said.) That Sir Zero was what he was today, a warrior Madan-Mohan could easily see decorating the ranks of the GSU.
No... as a star warrior.
...
He sat by a box filled with food, this one cooked by Kamala and Mangalananda. "Here, try this." He gave his friend and new favourite sparring partner a buttercream filled cone. "Mango made it for you."
"I'm... Is that a... butter-filled cornet?" Zero asked, it was clear the world's most amazing warrior had a thing for sweet and fried foodstuff. Anything that was high in calories all things considered.
"Indeed, it is." Madan gravely confirmed. "After the sparing we had, I do believe you would benefit from a pick-me-up."
"I'll say," Zero muttered with a corner grin as he grabbed the proffered pastry, biting into the flaky treat with a deep hunger. Closing his eyes in bliss. Madan gave him the filled box, knowing that his new friend would demolish it in no time at all.
For his Part, Madan took his sacred tiffin out of its bag. He may have a sweet tooth, but eating healthy was still preferred overeating only sweets and pastry.
When he opened it, he was met with... fruits covered in candy melt and pastries filled with fruits and jam and a few assorted sabzis. There was a note stuck on the lid.
Hare Krishna Madana, I heard you wanted to eat more fruits.
Your servant,
Kamala-Kanta das Brahmachari (Kaavi.)
'Well... here goes my diet.' He wasn't mad... there was no way to be mad at Kamala. Especially whit the sweet attention he had infused in making Madan's oversized bento.
And... well, he had also cooked some bitter melon, Madan's other favourite food.
The knight folded his palmed to thank the Lord for his beautiful mercy in food form.'Sarira Avidya-Jal...' And once his prayer was over and his mask was off, he began to eat the bitter preparation.
Or tried to, for he could feel Zero's eyes on him.
"Yes, Sir Zero?" He asked Kindly.
Madan knew his friend was not shocked by how he looked since he had already seen him prior with nothing on. instead, Zero was intensely staring at Madan-Mohan's Bento, more specifically, at the bitter melon.
Kamala had made more shuktas then Usual... not that Madan could not finish it all, but...
"What is that?" Zero asked as he pointed at the bitter melon preparation.
"Bitter melon."
"Wait... Mellon's can be bitter?" The dark-matter-infused reploid asked, his shape blue eyes growing wide in surprise and keen interest.
Madan-Mohan chuckled at the child's reaction. "Not all melons are sweet."
"Uh... can I taste it?" The gigantic blond asked, still eyeing the presentation.
"Yes, you may." He extended the oversized compartment the bitter preparation was held in and watched with amused fascination as the wonderful warrior experimentally took a piece of shukta, examined it before gingerly placing it in his mouth... and Grimacing.
"Oh... Bitter."
"It's alright... here, take some sweets, it will counteract the bitterness." Madan-Mohan gave the taller living entity his sweet-filled tiffin... but much to his surprise, Zero took more bitter-melon preparation.
"Sir-"
"Hey, listen... just drop this whole sir crap. And I said it was bitter, not that I didn't like it." Zero said as he shamelessly took all the shukta... and the Tulasi-Manjari that crowned the dish.
And, maybe Madan had imagined it, but for a moment, it seemed Zero had noticed the sacred flower, a spark of greed glowing in his pairs of camera.
And then... it was gone—the same as his sabji.
Madan's smile grew brighter as he chuckled. "next time, I'll ask Kamala to make less sweet and make a wider variety."
"Thank bud, I appreciate it." The towering reploid spoke as he 'gently' patted Madan's head.
The two resumed their silence as they ate in companionable silence. Madan still reviewing how Zero had gone from inimical to friendly.
Obliviously, after the revelation that his... father had injected the putrefied blood of Kamala's reoccurring foe, Zero had absconded for some air, thankfully, without any aggression on his part.
It helped that his... Madan loathed calling X a mere boyfriend. Zero's otherworldly life partner had assured him that the real nature of the virus was but a mere detail to him and that it would never stop him from Loving his blond with all of his heart.
It was... Madan Didn't know if it was love or lust talking, probably the former, since he didn't feel this corruption mucking up X's heart like a most living entities. Still, the feelings had been genuine enough for Zero to assured the Azure being that no, he was not running away. Merely going out for some fresh air.
Madan-Mohan das had silently followed the warrior. And indeed, Sir Zero had found a clearing in a dried-out canyon filled with enough plastic to choke a blue whale.
The Blond then unleashed his rage and pent-up anxiety on the unsuspecting garbage, atomizing it until it returned to atoms.
After fifteen minutes, the whole thing was clean and back to how it should look like, and even the stream that fed it now flowed freely.
But it was clear the red and black reploid was not satisfied with the eco-friendly carnage and thus began to fight imaginary enemies.
But knowing how a warrior thought and dealt with emotions, Madan-Mohan knew full well that his tentative friend would not find satisfaction in mere phantasm and inner demons.
And thus, he attacked Zero.
What had ensued had been an hour-long spar in an intensity only Kamala, Galacta and Dharadhara could top. It had been exhilarating and extremely satisfying for both warriors.
They had even injected some friendly banter, sometimes taunting, sometimes praising the others. And by the end of it, they had made a gentleman settlement to crank it up to eleven, since twelve would have Brahma redo this part of the universe.
And mother earth didn't need more destruction on her surface. For irrespective of what Madan had reported to Dharadhara Das, most of the planet was either covered with ruins or deserts. And whatever green happened to be there were artificial and mechanical.
It would change; Madan knew it... Krishna had sent him a vision.
The only thing separating them from the new forest and green pasturing ground was time only. And time had this amazing ability to keep moving despite everything.
In the end, at the climax of their fight, no words could have been spoken, and the full brunt of Zero's frustration had been put on display for the interstellar knight to dance with.
And now... the storm was gone, and the two know saw each other as friends. or... at least as well-wishers.
The two ate in silence, and it was clear Zero was thoroughly enjoying the shuktas.
'I should have given him some chapatis.' Madan-mohan mentally kicked himself at the foresight as he watched the turmeric-laden gravy flow from between Zero's fingers. Staining his withe gloves yellow.
The reploid noticed him and lost his smile. "Ah... did I do something wrong?" He asked.
"Why are you staring at me as if I'd killed a puppy?" Zero asked with an accusatory tone.
"I'm not leering at you, merely at the sacred Prasada flowing through your fingers," Madan said as he grabbed a few Roti, gave them to his friends and whipped away the dripping yellow gravy. "One should not waste the Lord's causeless mercy."
He hears Zero's eyes growing wider, and the next thing he knew, the robotic warrior practically inhaled all of the shuktas before licking his hand and forearms clean... and whipping what he couldn't reach with the butter-soaked chapatis.
Madan stared at the spectacle as he tried to make sense of it all... but despite his best effort, the ESP afflicted could not catch anything at all. Not even some vague emotions...
'Hmm... interesting.' Would his face be covered by his mask, Madan would have narrowed his eyes.
Then Zero finally gave the blue puffball the clues he so desperately needed; he picked up a stray morsel that had fallen in the dust and ate it... reverentially.
"You know us," Madan-mohan stated. "And you know how to Honour Maha-Prasadam.
Now caught red-handed, Zero froze. "Ah... I... I and X may have taken an interest in this place in India... you know... the one by the sea with the big chariot festival."
"Oh! The Ratha-Yatra." Madan spoke with full understanding. "So, you went to Orissa, in Jagannath Puri."
"Oh, so that's how it's called?" Zero asked, his curiosity spiked.
"I thought you went there?" Madan shot back, now more then a little suspicious.
Zero was trying to play the innocence card, it seemed.
"I did... but everything was in this swirly language." The reploid... sorry, Robot Master gestured. "So no, I could not read it.
The blue star warrior narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
The last time, meaning but a scant few hours ago, he had been there. Orissa's state was filled with multi-language boards, Including some in English, since most Vaishnava's learned this language only to read the original work of Srila-Prabhupada. So there was no reason for Zero not to know it.
But... Madan was not here to make an enemy, let alone to dig into Zero's past.
Let the bygone be bygone; beside; he could not feel anything evil in him. And Kamala quite liked him too, despite the blood that flowed in his system. (Once again, what was doctor Wily thinking?!)
"I see... so what was your favourite temple," he asked.
"Ah... the main one was awesome but, they had a strick policie," Zero said as he resumed his lunch. "Bunch of synth haters." He muttered under his breath.
"Actually, the Jagannath Mandir is closed off to all none-hindus." Madan explained. " You can be a self-realized soul whose love for the Lord, for Krishna, who is none other then Jagannath is fully realized, and you would still be barred for entering the temple if you do not match the local's look. Meanwhile, a complete atheist could walk in unimpeded if he looks Hindu."
"Oh... So, it was not because I'm a blood-filled murderous Robot-master made by a sore loser of a mad scientist that they chased me out?" He asked. And the ancient star warrior could hear the bitter undertone that had nothing to do with the shukta he ate.
"No... For you are not that, you are the soul, and as the pure soul, you have nothing to do with this body you are in." Madan explained kindly.
While his constitution was definitely not the same as that of a human, the blue puffball would rather identify as the eternally blissful spirit soul, whose consciousness is never to be lost then a flesh bag of flesh (or metal... or whatever a puffball's body was made out of.) filled with blood puss and other nasty things.
Really, beauty truly is skin deep...less then a micron, to be honest.
"I see." The blond Robot master fell silent after that. Definitely mulling over what Madan had just told him.
The two remained in companionable silence, munching away at their sacred Prasada as they watched the night turn into day. Eventually, Zero spoke up again.
"Does... X and Kamala hate me now?" The tall blond asked, seemingly out of the blue.
Now, X, Madan could understand, for the two were clearly life partners, their bond forged with the blazing crucible of war and strife and painfully afflicted with Kamadeva and Rati's weapon. But Kamala-Kantha...
Seemingly hearing his thought, Zero scratched the back of his head. "Listen, before X had his... reformation, We talked about you... we know Kamala's universe-destroying power, and we know he fought... it."
"The other 0."
"Yeah." Zero's shoulder's lowered. "I know what's in my lines... and I know... I know how Kamala deal with Demons."
"No, you don't." Madan gently denied. "what you have seen in the games, that was just some part of it... what Nintendo wanted to show to the public. They didn't show all the fights Kamala went through with the fallen one, nor did it showed just how gruesome fighting the resurrected being had been. And it didn't show how I was controlled by Dark Matter and how Kamala would always try to have as little casualty as possible."
Zero snorted.
"And they didn't show are our tiny star warrior is a servant of Sri-Krishna, and as a servant, his pure heart only holds love and concern for all. even for those who he may consider 'enemies.'"
"Even 0²?"
"And Dhara, Mangalananda, Myself, Doaroche, Necrodeus, Drawicia, Hyness... and Ende-Niru."
Zero pressed his lips tight, and Madan-Mohan could have sworn he picked up resentment, fear and... wretched anticipation for the world to end.
And then it was gone, meaning Zero must have felt that quite strongly.
Poor him.
The star warrior cleared his throat and washed his hands, they had to return soo to the hunter's base, for soon anew adventure would start. "Zero... Whomever you are matters not to us, and so what you did in the past. You are a spirit soul, a conditioned soul who has just embarked on the greatest journey known to all. And thus, if you need any assistance... we will all lend you a hand." The blue puffball spoke with plenty of love and affection for his gigantic friend. "Unlike what you seemed to believe, Zero... None of us are your enemies."
"What are you then? Friends?" The sarcasm was practically dripping from his lips.
"Let's start at well-wishers and go from there, shall we?" The ancient knight spoke with a smile as he clipped his mask back into place, stretching an arm toward the gigantic Zero.
He really likes this young man, and he only hoped his fear and unmotivated resentment would not make him walk away, or worst.
Mother Earth did not need more liers and conflicts; she was overburdened as it is.
Zero looked down at the profered hand, his movements were all but gone. "And... if I was a monster?" he asked.
"Then the prince of the Demon-beast would gladly introduce you to his court." Madan-Mohan bowed, using his ancient moniker.
Zero stared at him. "Wait... what do you mean by that?" The blond asked, his surprise clear.
Madan-mohan chuckled mysteriously. "My dear friend, well, all have our past. Some bloodier then most. But even the greatest of Criminal can receive the grace of Krishna and be elevated to the same level of the purest of saints."
Internally, the blue knight kicked himself. What he had said was true, but, as he had learned often, not many are ready to hear that.
No one wanted to surrender to Krishna. No one wanted to admit their weaknesses and vulnerability. And Madan had spooked off quite a number of friends by mentioning this fact.
Especially his four parental figures, he could not even remember the last time he spoke to them.
Suddenly... Zero was holding it gently between his thumb and forefinger.
No words needed to be spoken; he was willing to try.
Behind his mask, Madan grinned like a loon as his heart-cavity unwound. He really liked this giant of a friend. A proud warrior is worthy of his name and a man more mysterious then he.
Suddenly the sound of an ionic motor met their ears, getting up and ready to fight; both warriors watched as the little speck of blue trailing a cloud of dust behind as he approached their location...
Oh, and Kamala on his warpstar.
"It's X." Said Zero as he deactivated his sabre, re-slotting it in his designated place.
"And Kamala... and I think I can also see Gandhi," Madan-Mohan added as he did the same with the holy Galaxia.
"Ey... just the one I-"
"Didn't want to see?"
"Kamala... Not X."
"He's your life partner, is he not?" Madan asked, desiring a confirmation.
"Yeah... I have no idea what he see's in me, tough." Zero said with a fond smile. "It... won't stop him from..."
"From?"
"From... you know..." Zero tried to explain, with it was clear his young friend was getting tongue-tied.
And indeed, the tall reploid let out a frustrated sigh.
Yes... Madan knew.
"Zero, Just know that nothing can stop Bhakti." he began, watching with amusement as Kamala raced X with child-like glee, Gandhi looping around the place as X jumped over the terrain, uncaring and joyful.
That's what Madan felt anyway.
"Bhakti's cause is only Bhakti... and nothing material can stop her."
Zero grunted as X, and the two star warriors approached, having stopped their shenanigans now that the older warriors were insight.
"Hey! Z!" X called out as he approached his partner, his green eyes bright and lively.
At sight, Zero's smile appeared, and his eyes grew soft, and Madan-mohan was in no need of his ESP to know that those two loved each other.
'If only they could channel this love towards Krishna. they would already be pure devotee's as we speak.'
X's electro-heart fluttered rapidly as he approached his Zero. The tall blond was not as damaged as the first time he and Madan-mohan had faced off. And his long-time boyfriend held close to no tension... as long as he ignored the two Vaishnava.
He ran to him, passing by the diminutive blue puffball, sending him a grateful smile.
Madan closed his eyes and did a whole body head tilt, essentially bowing down to the crystal blue bomber.
'It was nothing' basically.
He arrived close to his partner, and sending a suspiciously glance back, was happy to see that Madan and the rest of the dreamland (as Axl had called them.) were walking away, talking softly to one another.
Great, he wanted to have some alone time with his long-time life partner.
The two reploids... or robotic entity exchanged gaze and, holding hands, moved to this one cave that had converted into a little dwelling some time back.
It was a place to escape the drama and Axl's daily Meme raid and prank... and Layer's Zero Hounding. And since it had been close to the old dump... that would still sometimes be in use, nobody would ever come there in their right mind, and X and Zero were used to the putrid smell after so many wars in devastated cities.
It wasn't much, but X knew one of Doctor's light Capsule was in the very back of the cave (X could confront his... modder. But at the same time, he didn't want to more anger in his heart.), and they had a mattress, e generator, a very decent stove and a fridge. Oh, and X had set up a little experimental garden in the back... not that it could grow anything else then potatoes and tomatoes. Thankfully, Zero didn't mind root vegetables.
Hope grew in the crystal bomber's heart. Despite how awful the earth's situation was, hope had arrived in the form of some pious aliens and their stock of seeds... and books.
Things, for one, were looking up for them, and this time... this time would be the good one, he was sure of it.
Zero removed his helmet and flopped down on the mattress, his gorgeous blond hair elegantly fanning around him like a golden hallow.
Despite his demon-inspired armour, X's boyfriend had more in common with how he pictured angels should look like... maybe not all blond, but definitely gorgeous and sweet.
Actually... the archangel Michael held a flaming sword and was known to slain the wicked...
A soft smile light his lips.
Zero sighed as he looked at his internal clock. "OK... apparently, we have another half-hour to blow. Do you have any plan?" He asked his long-time lover, who, retracting his armour, did the same. Shamelessly cuddling his big blond.
"Well... Were going to leave to the moon soon, and the last thing I want is to arrive there tired."
"So, nothing extraneous."
"No." And X... wanted to follow those principals those Vaishnavas were living by.
Still... he could still cuddle his lover. That was fine, right?
The two remained wrapped in each other's arms, enjoying the silence of the cave and their shared intimacy. Sometimes kissing, something just listening to each other system as they rested, know that soon, they would walk into Sigma's stronghold.
Again.
"So.. what were you telling me about the moon?" Zero asked as he spooned the shorter reploid. Something rare for him.
X hummed. " Yea... were gonna leave for it in half-an-hour... Mangalananda will take us up there." He mumbled quietly, enjoying the way his partner's hair is surrounding him, tickling the side of his face.
They felt so real... like Zero's heartbeat.
"Say... Zero?"
"Hmm?"
"How do you feel?" X asked cautiously.
" I don't want to move from here..." He murmured in X's neck, nuzzling him closer. "You feel like heaven."
'Nillor...' X thought distractedly. "No... I mean... about the blood that flows in you..."
There, he said it.
He felt his Zero shrug, happily nuzzling X's neck. "Don't care... had that for close a centuries... S'not like it'll make any difference either."
"..."
"Zero... when you're holding me like this... does it hurt you?" X asked after a little while. His voice sounding as weak and unsure as the first time he had spared with Zero. Not a a friend or Equals, but as a Kohai under his legendary sempai.
As an answer, Zero does a fairly good attempt of fuse X with his frame via osmosis; his body is soft and warm, despite its nature.
Then After the red legend thoroughly nuzzled X's neck, leaving some bites, he kissed his cheeks. "No... not at all," he whispered in his ear. "To be honest... you feel amazing like this. Like a dream of love made manifest."
X choked on Zero's absolutely cheesy pick-up line, shoving him off. "Oh, Come on, Z, stop messing me!" He chuckled as he wrestled with his lover. The wrestling could have turned into something more if not for Signas reminding them that they had to leave in twenty minutes about just enough time to put armours back on and ride as if hell hounds were at their heels.
Which they did, X happily flying by his Zero side.
They would not fight the eight infectees, freeing them to the care of death.
They would not waste any more time in useless murder, a ploy to make them waste their time as Sigma grew stronger.
No, with the help of Dhara, Madan, Kamala, Mangala and Gandhi, X and Zero would fly to the moon... and face Vile and Sigma as soon as possible, not letting the cyber-devil anytime to breathe or prepare for his impending death.
They would hit him quick.
They would hit him hard.
Lumine would be in their custody as fast as possible, safe, sound, and hopefully still sane and not mangled.
And Kamala will make sure Sigma would never come back.