They came from the stars 7
Warning... some strong opinion about love.
Flames will be used in cooking for the Lord. and to roast chapatis.
Mangala walked out of the little piece of Dreamland he had managed to bring back with him. Usually, his heart would be lighter, and his mind calmer.
Instead, he felt anger... anger at his daughter.
He breathed out, using his purified intelligence to remind himself that, save for a fight, to protect the Lord's dear devotees or to avenge them, anger was one of the most easily available gates of hell, right under lust and greed.
But in this situation... the old N-Z felt that it was righteous... he just had to be careful not to go overboard with it.
Things went nasty when he went overboard... really nasty.
He flew to the main control room, the heart of the Lor. There, he saw Lori sulking.
Taking a deep breath in, the Vaishnava took a deep breath in and released it, remembering the main quality of Nitiananda Mahajana.
He was never angry... anger was rarely useful for devotional life, for the Devotees were rarely attacked, nowadays.
... Maybe not.
"Lori... we need to talk." He began, his usual joviality gone.
"You won't listen." She sulked, not even looking at her adoptive father. " It's 0, I can sense it."
"It's just his blood."
"It still feels like it... it's the same energy, the same stench, the same darkness."
"Because that's the beast's blood that flows in his system." Mangala patiently explained. " And this is no way to treat a guest." the floating ball gently scolded. " You attack him with subtle waves when he did nothing to deserve it."
"But-"
"But nothing, Lori." Mangalananda snapped, trying to rain in his anger. " you are judging him by his body... by the blood that flows through his vein. Not the person inside the suit."
Lori clenched her fist as tears flowed from her eyes, her face red. " I... I hate this... My entire system's been screaming at me since we came on earth that... The destroyer, Infiniru." She whispered the name in fear. "was there on Karma-Kshetra... on earth, the most important planet." She revealed her fear now fully on display. "Dad... This... this is the worst-case scenario... the worst. Other planets can be destroyed and rendered sterile... but not the earth, never the earth."
"I know Lori, and the Lord won't let his happen to his wife."He tried to reassure his adopted daughter. " The last time a demon damaged her... and I mean, knocking her to the bottom of the universal ocean, Hiranyaksa got slapped to death by Lord Boar, Varahadeva, for his trouble." The floating Vaishnava summarized as he approached his fretting daughter. " Lord Boar is yet another Avatar of the Lord, and he is the Husband of mother earth... trust me, if 0... -whatever number's he's at now- want to try anything, then I can assure you that the Lord will destroy him... or attract him back to His embrace, as he won't to do."
"But why?" Lori asked. "He's a Demon! A dangerous demon!"
"And Gaura-Nitai gave Krishna-Prema to all, even dogs and demons. Who is to say that 0 will be devoid of their mercy."
Lori unhappily grumbled about how nothing made sense anymore. And Mangalananda considered this the limit of his ability.
Beside... Lori's system had picked up an object. Not the fake moon, but something much, much smaller and 'recent'.
The next day, X and Zero woke up, this time, Zero was the little spoon and X was the big spoon.
Or the backpack position, as they liked to call it.
After their little discovery, Zero realized that his plan to spar with X would end in absolute disaster, and thus, both reploid had elected to... laze around and take the next two days to sleep in, cuddle, read and... rest.
Resting... when was the last time X had more then two days of rest? And what about Zero?
There was always a briefing to attend to, a suspected reploid to arrest or worst.
Sometimes, X was wondering if... if the Humans were just keeping the hunters busy, since there were fewer viral mavericks running around freely and more criminals... he was less involved in those big, political decisions and...
He felt that the reploids rights chart, however small it was, kept shrinking every time he looked at it.
He huffed, causing Zero to stir. "X... waza mater." his lover slurred as he turned his head to face his favourite blue bomber.
"Oh, sorry... I didn't mean to wake you up." X quickly apologized. " I just... I'm thinking, that's all."
"Let me guess... the reploid's status?"
"Yeah..."
"Jus' tell the world 'bout how ya'll are ghost in machines... make the whole thing... make them ethopi... ethical board aware of the Nature of reploid, show 'em the damn machine... do a... an exhibition 'bout reploids... make waves." The taller blond mumbled as he rolled over and veritably engulfed his small lover in his arms. "At worst... I'll bring you home..."
X had no idea what Zero meant, but he felt affection bubbled up for his lover.
He hugged him closer, placing a light kiss on his lips. "Sure Zero... I wouldn't mind making a home with you." And how would that be great? X having his own brood.
Maybe he could have four kinds? Would he adopt? It would be hard though...
No, first, he needed to break this particular can of worm...
But... X would think of that later. Today and the next day would be his two-days vacation with Zero. And X would make the best of the time he had.
Since, as much as he loathed to admitted it, let alone out loud, it may be their last.
Zero's lips assaulted X until the smaller of the two was a 'breathless' mess, unable to ask what prompted his lover to attack him to viciously.
"You were thinking about death and not coming back." Zero deadpanned from high above X.
X gave Zero a smile empty of joy... " Zee... I've... we've seen so many of our friends die fighting Sigma. You and I may have survived for so long but... our luck can't keep up... one day... One day, we won't come back."
Those sombre words, now spoken, hung heavily in the quiet cottage.
"... You're right." Zero spoke, barely above a whisper, his hands gently cradling X's cheeks. "... What do you want to do now?"
X huffed as he landed a sweet kiss on Zero lips. " I... I don't know... maybe we could, you know... play around and, you know, enjoy ourselves as if we were dying the nest day?"
" You don't sound too sure, X." Zero commented as he sat up, apparently unbothered by X's indecisiveness. " You've read something, right?"
X curled himself up at the head of the bed, listening to the birds singing outside.
Real birds... different types of them too. And last night, he heard frogs and crickets sing.
It was the sound of life playing live... sound X longed to hear again.
"X?"
" I'm just thinking... Where spirit soul caged in a body made of our own previous actions... meaning, me facing Sigma over and over again. If I defeat him and kill him again, the cycle will continue and... he will be the 'hero' and I will be at the other side."
" You don't want to keep the cycle going." Zero rumbled as he reached for X's hand, gently massaging them.
X shook his head. "No... I have enough."
" That's why you suddenly up and quite... isn't it?"
Knowing what Zero was referring to, X felt his cheeks burn with shame.
"I'm... sorry I yield at you. And... everything I did back then." Zero quietly admitted. " I... I was also going through my burnout, and I..." The blond averted his eyes. " I needed you to be strong, and I saw you quitting as-"
"As a show of weakness," X whispered in shame.
"And I was wrong," Zero spoke a bit louder as he brought his lover's hands to his lips, gently kissing them. " I was wrong to get mad, I was wrong to ignore you... I was wrong to give you flack about looking for a peaceful alternative."
"I was a coward, Zee."
"X!" Zero scolded.
"I ran away-"
"No, please!"
"I left you to fight the maverick while I hid behind useless poli-" But before X could continue, Zero reached for his and crushed their lips together, making sure X's tongue was well engaged with his.
After pulling back, their lips bruised and the blue bomber having lost his train of thought, Zero gathered in on his laps, caging him in the prison of his powerful arms.
"Listen... I was an ass back then. I... I have no excuse for what I did. But please, please, never call yourself a coward in my face." Zero growled the last part.
X had half a mind to continue to argument, but knowing himself and his dear Zero. No one would concede defeat.
And having an argument about this particular time was not how X wanted to pass his two days with Zero.
"Say... Zee?"
"Hmm?"
" Why are you so... Forgiving?"
"Oh... I ah... When you told me about how this could... this could be our last mission together. I thought that, on the off chance of you being right, that I should make sure we don't carry any sorrows in our hearts."
It took everything out of X not to roll his eyes. He didn't want to tell Zero, 'I told you so.' on this particular subject.
"So... X, I'm sorry. I... I should have listened more, I should have been kinder and-"
Now it was X's turn to gently shut Zero up with a Kiss. " Yes... and thank you for your apology," X whispered as he presses his gem to Zero, something only they could do... something so intimate...
it was more then a kiss, it was more tender, sweeter.
That day, the two Hero's elected to laze around and cuddle. Talking about nothing, everything, and whatever was in between.
On the Lor's deck, a Happy reunion was about to happen.
Kamala and Mangalananda were looking around them to find the source of the ping. It was too big to be but a mere debris, being spherical and all, but it seemed to hold an unlimited amount of power...
"Do you think it's my Brother?" Kamala asked as he hopped on the balustrade, trying to catch a glimpse of the unknown object.
Mangala shook his head. "No, believe me, Kaavi, if this was Galacta, Lori would be in a better mood," he grumbled as he peered at the technological bit in his hands. " I swear, She's so... ugh, she can't stand Mister Zero, did you know she tried disestablishing his structural integrity? And microwaved him?"
" She did what now?!" Madan-mohan balked, his wings flaring in outrage.
Mangala gave a heavy sigh as he shook his head/body. " She really hates his guts, and I'm talking, she murderously hates his guts."
"But... Zero's not Evil. His body's just special." Kamala spoke innocently, his child-like voice conveying the confusion that plagues his heart.
"Yeas... but Lori's the type of person who believes the body to be the person and the personality." Mangala scratched the back of one of his hearing. " I tried teaching her the revealed scriptures, but she finds them 'unscientific'." This comment made Madan Scoff.
"Oh, sure. She's a scientist with a close mind. If she can't see it, it doesn't exist." Madan-mohan waved his hand. " I'm sorry to say Mango, but there's nothing much we can do save Protecting Zero and X from Lori's body-based Hatred."
Mangalananda let out a heavy sigh. "Is this... what being the parent of a teenager feels like?"
"Hey, don't look at me, I can't reproduce."
"yet."
But before an epic argument over how Nightmare made sure his perfect creation could not make more (less liability) Kamala gasped and called his warpstar and zoomed into space toward a tiny, rusted coloured point... the one that kept pinging in distress.
A few seconds later and Kamala was back on the deck with his mouth full. And Promptly spat out what could only be a very old, very rusted Robobot Armour, a pair of rust track staining his face under his dull eyes.
"Robobo!" Kamala cried out as he helped his armour and best friend to sit straighter. " Oh Krishna! You survived!"
"Ah... Buddy?" Mangalananda began. " I don't think it's-"
Robobo began to beep and whine... the sound he produced were the stuff a dying electronic would do at the fag end of its life.
Kamala gasped and turned to Madan and Mangala, his wide blue eyes saying everything he wanted to say.
Wordlessly, Madan glided to the Lor's maintenance chest and took out the toolbox, returning to Kamala's side, he watched, unsurprised as the pink ball of unlimited (they had yet to find his limit.) sucked it up and became Meccano Kirby. With a pair of wielding google on his head and tools in his paw.
Kamala wasted no time once the transformation was over, he practically pounced on Robobo and began fixing him like the expert he was.
Then after a few rounds of percussive maintenance, Robobo disappeared in a colourful explosion, and when the vibrant soot cleared up, the most heroic of the Haltman's creation was back to its former glories, its pink outer plating and yellow eyes shining with an intelligence only a soul could possess.
There were a few beeps, and Robobo began to move, looking around as he re-calibrated his arms and legs. Then, his eyes met the sight of his long-lost friend.
They stared unblinkingly, (not that they could blink anyway.)
Then... he kneeled and reached for the joyful Kamala, who began to speak to him, reverting to his old tongue.
"Poyo, Poyo!" Kamala happily chirped as he jumped into Robobo's arms, tears falling from his eyes... same as the robot.
"yo, what's goi- huh?" Axl explained as he emerged from the Ship's bowel. Looking at the scene in front of him. "ah... who's that dude?" He asked as he pointed at Robobo's tearful reunion with his only friend. "And how come you guys can breathe in space?"
"We are of a higher species with a high level of adaptability," Madan spoke as he kept a wary eye on Axl. "Anaerobic situation does not disturb us anymore then pressure and death. and this is Robobo, Kamala's friend and armour."
"First of all, I never thought I would meet a sentient armour that looks so old and second. dude, for being super cute and cuddly, you guys are hardcore!" Axl hummed as he leaned on the guardrail at the side of the ship. "But... how about Dedede and Waddle Dee? And how about Adeline? She should still be around, right?"
To be honest, she was always Axl's favourite. Under Meta Knight, of course.
The two puffballs, the robot and the floating thing stared in confusion... until Kirby spoke up.
"Oh, Dharadhara das took a dip in the fountain of a dream, it's a well on amrita, the nectar of immortality. He can't die by anything except Krishna's causeless mercy. And Waddle Dees don't need to breathe either." Then he looked down, his bright eyes turning cloudy.
" and for Adeline... she didn't come with us to Ripple star, she stayed on earth..."
"Oh..." Axl murmured as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, belatedly remembering the words they had told him. "So... can we go and visit her once were done with Siggy and his motley crew?
"No... she's gone now."
From the sombre tone entering Kamala's sweet voice, it was not hard to figure out what had happened to the artist
"So... she died on earth?" In his peripheral vision, Axl could see Mangala and Madan moving closer, the purple pink of his eyes indicating confusion.
Right... the blueberry was nowhere to be found during the dark mater trilogy. Something else to ask them then. (careful not to insult them either. While the individuals would not take the offence, those close to them would.)
"That's, she did." a new voice entered the void, it was Dedede, who had just waddled in from whatever the hell an immortal penguin would go at this time of space, undisturbed by the lack of oxygen. " She died at a ripe old age, Adeline's the one who managed to figure out how to wake up the sleeping humans. Her last wishes were that the earth be thawed and back to... well, back to habitable." The fat blue bird spoke as he walked closer to Kirby and Robobo (sentient ride armour, who would have thought). "That was... the last ice age humanity knew... without Adeline," he turned to Axl.
"Without Mah Sweet Adeline... none of us would be here."
After this heavy statement, Axl remained silent...
~0~
"Gentleman!" Mangala declared with joy as he clasped his hands. " I have finally managed to identify the object were heading to."
"It's the moon." Axl flatly spoke with a roll of his eyes. Beside him, X and Zero sat hip by hip, holding their hands.
"Axl, let Mangalananda speak." X spoke from Zero sides, not bothering to hide how comfortable he was beside the highly dangerous, blood-filled, war model. Said model's arm were gently resting on X's thin waist.
'Ah, Signas owes me three e-thank and his special modchip. Nobody can sneak a ship by me.' still, Axl didn't think it was a good idea to bring attention to it.
X and Zero were showing their recruit an intimate side of them. A side that was soft and oh so exploitable.
And, right now... The two ancient reploid generated enough Mom and Pop energy to shame Red when the old man had been in his mood.
...
'Moving on, can't bring him back now, can I?"
"So, as I was saying!" Mangalananda started again, his voice a bit tight. It was clear that the Cat-headed Alien's patience was running thin.
Wondered why?
"The interstellar object we are approaching is, as I had feared, not Chandra-loka but Bhumandala's Nova star."
A dreadful moment passed by as everyone computed the information.
"Hold on a moment!" Dharadhara objected. " A nova star?"
" A wish-fulfilling artifact made by the Ancient. It has a near-infinite power to fulfill one's heart desire and-"
"Oh yeah! Now I remember!" Kamala spoke up from his seat on X's lap. " I destroyed one Eons Ago, Marx had used its power to become super powerful."
Dharadhara 'harumph' with a roll of his eyes. " 'Course he would. That little demons wanted to be God... peh, what a fool." Then he turned to Meta knight. "And how 'bout you, Madan, what did you wish to Galactic Nova?"
Madan's eyes cycle through a plethora of mixed colours before settling on a subdued green. " I desire to fight the strongest warrior in the Galaxy... Galacta knight."
"Oh, so that's how he managed to get out of his Prison-"
"Nevertheless." Mangalananda raised his voice "This brings us to another problem."
"Which is?" Zero asked, his body tense but his voice carrying the heavyweight of tiered expectation.
"As you have told us, Sigma can take over any piece of electronic, forcing them to follow his desires for destruction." The floating head spoke gravely, his eyes growing dark. " He has Practically merged with Dark Matter at this point, and, if X is correct-"
The room turned frigid as realization struck everyone.
"He's planning to take over earth's Nova." X whisper, his anger stronger then his dread. " The wish granter."
Zero growled out a curse as he bent the seat's arms. " That's it... that bastard must've been the one who planned this whole 'human lunar colony' bullshit."
"But... wait... how do you know..." Axl began as he struggled to put his thoughts into words... he felt like everything he knew so far was crumbling into pieces.
Which, let's be honest here, was exactly what was happening.
"Mangala, are you certain it is a Nova and not Rahu?" Madan asked with great urgency.
The floating Cat head nodded gravely as he opened a few windows in the holographic screen. " Terra Nova is situated here-" He pointed at the extra complicated model of the universe.
At this point, Axl zoned out... sure, it may not be what one would expect from Red's finest, but to be honest, trying to Copy an alien file to his drive was a terrible idea and Axl now regretted it with a burning passion. And after scrubbing his temporary folder clean, he was forced to accept the fact that no, they were not going to the moon but a clockwork planet holding a magical tree that had the power to fulfill all desire and that Sigma's plan was to use said tree's power to eradicate all human life trough the clockwork star's internal Mother Computer...
And that was if they were lucky.
"When will we reach Nova?" X asked, gone was the relaxed young man and the team mom (when had he started thinking of X as a team mom again? Oh, yeah, that particular incident.) it was now commander X, the oldest reploid... no, the oldest interstellar-robot and the killer of Sigma.
"We will reach its surface in approximately 4 hours." Madan conveyed, his anxious yellow eyes betraying his mood until they turned a soothing blue again. " When we fight...Do not be attached to the result, but offer everything the cause of all-cause, the source of everything. For only He knows what is for the best." And with that, Madan-mohan, Also known as Meta Knight, turned his heels with a grandiose and dramatic swish of his cape and quickly walked out the room.
Whatever levity that had been there was now well and truly gone now that the real stakes were known.
Sigma... Practically had the world in his claws. A near-omnipotent tree that could answer all wishes...
"Wait!" X exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. "Nova... was made by my Creators, right?" He addressed Mangalananda with hope burning in his heart. "If I was made to be an anti-dark matter weapon, then Nova-"
"Let me stop you right here, Nillor." Lori interrupted her sort of brother, appearing to all as a hologram. " The Nova's predate us from quite some time, they were made in a time where no one knew what the mater most dark was, and when it was used with impunity... without caring for the individuals who produced it."
Besides X, Zero tensed.
" When 0²..." The ancient ship shuddered. "When the Dark plague began... the Novas were already dispatched. They were... many where not protected against the disease and..."
"Had to be destroyed." Kamala finished when Lori hesitated. "All those black holes are what remains of this old civilizations. I and my brother Galacta destroyed the infected Novas and the planets were unable to be purified. It's only a few... well, years for me and him that we found the cure for this darkness."
"The only things that can purify Dark matter are the Friend Heart living in Kamala,... and the other, Well, we call it the pure Crystal, but... it ain't a stone, and it ain't material either." Dharadhara das spoke up from his seat, rubbing the bottom of his beak. "The only thing that's close to it in our holy scriptures would be the Gopi's happy tears when seeing Sri-Krishna dancing with Sri-Radha after a long absence."
"I don't think it is tough." Kamala denied. "Those tears are not to be used as a weapon. and those were ice, ice melt."
"But what if the way you used it was... not how yah were supposed to use it, Kamal." Dhara argued. "yah were jus' telling me how 0 got driven away by the love Love stick."
"Ah..." Kamala looked away uncomfortably. "Not really... 0 got supper mad since the love-love stick was hurting him. So he... sorta... burst out of his-"
"Can we please change the subject?" Zero practically begged. Interrupting the pink Vaishnava with a voice higher then it should.
Axl laughed at his mentor's oblivious discomfort. "Geez, Zee. Kirb here didn't do shit to you. But the other guys, your blood daddy basically burs-"
"AXL!" X Got up. "That's enough. We know what happened. Just leave Zero alone, alright?"
Axl sighed as he roughly threw himself back in his chair, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "Aw, c'mon Mapop. Can't I have my fun?"
"Not if you're going to make other feel terrible." X crossed his arms over his chest and Axl rolled his eyes.
"You know, as fun as it is. I would like to return to the main subject. Also, Dhara, Kamala used the Love-Love stick as intended." Lori explained.
There was a low mutter from Zero. But Axl ignored it... since it sounded garbled anyway.
"Those were weapons, weapons are meant to kill enemies." The ancient ship explained. " We may have given them cutesy names, but it doesn't change our nature."
"Oh..." Kamala uttered, realizing what he'd shot 0 with. "I... I guess that's why he was crying next time I've met him..."
"Besides, The Crystal was lost eons ago." Lori smile. "Thankfully, you guys found him again." She gave a meaningful glance at X. "Nillor-Mapop. With you around, even if Sigma managed to take over Terra-Nova, you will be able to destroy it. We have nothing to worry about."
X pursed his lips together. "So... I was built to be a weapon." He crossed his arms, shrinking into himself while Zero covered his shoulders with his strong arm.
"Yes, you are the last and best weapon to destroy dark matter until nothing is left but a bad memory." The blue hologram made a victory sing as she made the air around her sparkle.
X stared at the hologram... Her smile was sweet and joyful at the prospect.
"I would rather die." And whit this last declaration, he turned to leave... only to remember that he had to remain in the flying death trap. Zero following close behind him.
For his part, Mangala sighed as he went toward the Console and imputed some codes.
"Dad?"
"I'm removing your access to all weapons... I'm sorry, Lori. But for the Sake of those two, I can't let you do that now."
"But! No! You can't" She protested. Only to be ignored. "Dad! If were heading to fight dark mater again- You need me! You need my weaponry!"
"And we don't need any fancy weapon, girly," Dharadhara growled. " Not if those weapons can hurt an innocent."
"Zero's not innocent."
"None of us are... But all Saint's have a past... I have mine, Dhara has his." Mangalananda spoke as he entered the last line of codes. "There... I've blocked them for the time being. But on the off chance that... something happens, they will turn back on at half Capacity."
Lori looked at her father with a look of utter betrayal. "Dad... how could you?" She whispered as false tears fell from her eyes. "You... Zero's Evil, I can feel it!"
"No, He's not!" Kamala argued back, his eyes narrowed. " If Zero was Evil I would have felt it!"
"But! He has the Blood! he's spreading the disease, he has to be- URGH!" Seeing that nothing she would say would sway the warriors to see her way, Lori disappeared from sight.
Mangala sighed heavily. "Well... that was a ride." He sighed as he took over the ship's control, unwilling to have Lori kill them all (or try to, since most of them had already survived the unsurvivable. " I... if this is teenagehood... I wished she was just another human girl and not a nifty, ancient ship. Hormones sounds easier to deal with then ancient weaponry."
"I'll say." Dhara and Axl spoke at the same time while Kamala remained forlornly looking at the door.
~0~
In the quiet hall of Lori, Kamala's loud feet were the only thing to be heard.
He was not one for war meeting and grand planning, the pink star warrior (Vaishnava, first and foremost.) fought better of his toe, his instinct (Paramatma) letting him fight his way through otherworldly foes of untold power with relative ease.
Actually, it's not like he needed those fancy, ancient weapons.
He... didn't want to use them anymore. He had his little big brother's friend's heart power and his copy ability, no other, pain-causing weapon was needed.
So there!
But now, Kamala was not focusing on that. He'd already made his peace, knowing that he had acted thinking that this was the best. He may not be accumulating Karma anymore, but he still had some he had to burn, no problem, none at all!
He felt bad though... kind of like how his King Yudhistira felt bad after the battle of Kurukshetra.
Nothing he could do to change it... save to make sure the last soul stuck in this type of body, in the body of one of the most saddest angel ever could reach real salvation.
But now, he had more pressing matter at hand, like making sure his two friends were back to being happy. Oh, Kamala knew what would wait for them on Nova, he'd destroyed enough in the past centuries to know what they and their worshippers were capable of. But until then, it was happy healing time.
And since Zero liked sweets and food in general, Kamala knew full well what would make him happier...
The great Mystery was X tough since he could not eat, and Kamala knew full well that upset people would have no appetite. And boy, Didn't he have reasons to be upset.
Still, maybe if Zero was happier and fed, then his mood would reflect on X, he was made of Crystals, after all.
'I think I still have this Russian cake from the last Nitiananda-Trayodashi. And I know it's still fresh. I hope Zero will accept it as an apology.' Sure Kamala may not have been the one whose very birth was for their destruction. But the pink puffball knew that, for the giant, it might as well be the same.
Kamala had... destroyed many Dark Matter bodies. And while he knew that this action would free them from their horrible states. For Zero...
For Zero, hearing Kamala's heroic feat was... it was the same thing as a Holocaust survivor hearing a Nazi gushing about Hitler.
'Oh...I think I'll need more then just some pieces of cake... let see... oh, Hey! I have full cakes!' Ah... now that was better.
Prasadam cake baked with love and devotion always made the pink puffball feel better.
When he turned the corner, he found the two androids in... a peculiar position. And completely silent, saved for X's silent sobs as Zero forced him to hold his smoking frame.
Now... this would usually trigger the tiny holy warrior into action, obliterating Zero since... forcing yourself onto your crying lover in the dark and unseen part of any location was not Ok... like, at all.
Save if they were in that kind of thing and had talked about it before hands, and Kamala had some opinions about that.
The reason why he didn't tough... his seventh sense was quiet, meaning that this was not an assault... it was something else.
Using a bit of Mystic power (The last time he'd intervene in something like this, without knowing the full picture... yeah better not mention it.) and discreetly listened in.
'Let me Go... Zero, Please!' X sobbed.
"N... no... I won't... your not hurting me. And you won't kill me!"
At this moment Kamala could breathe again. 'Ah, this must be the result of what happened before.' really, Kamala could emphasise with how X felt at the moment. To be told that you were made to destroy the one you 'loved'...
'No... those two do love one another. There's lust too but, they would genuinely die for one another.' Which was quite rare, if heartbreakingly transient.
All souls, by their intrinsic nature, loved Krishna. But due to identifying with Matter and their false Ego, turned their back to their only true love and began looking for dead bodies to repose their precious affection. Forgetting all about the spiritual sky and the All Attractive one and getting tangled in imperfect relationships all heading to an end.
It was a shame... but that was the material world's nature. And those unfortunate souls that inhabited this clever prison never wanted to leave, thinking that this was the be-all to end all.
Death was the end, better enjoy our bodies until everything fades. And those who propagated this demoniac doctrine were all heading to one of the numerous hellish planets residing in the lower level of the universe, right under the earthly Orb-disk.
And yes, hell existed, Kamala and his friend would do curtsy calls to try and help those poor souls stuck there to ascend back home and not rot there anymore.
It... was practically impossible. Srila Prabhupada had warned them that the two worst place to preach was hell and heaven, for in hell, the conditioned souls suffered too much, and in heaven, the enjoyed too much.
Still, King Bali and King Prahlad were their friends, and Kamala treasured whatever times he had with the two Mahajana, the two great souls, teachers of the path of full surrender and full faith.
Kamala once again left his sad eyes to the two entangled souls, their hearts locked in the trap of so-called affection for one another, forcing them to suffer unlimitedly.
Oh, it was not the fact that the two had the same gender... since gender was not an object when it came to the reploid population. Where they a typical couple, as in, hetero Kamala would have the same thoughts.
Speaking of thought, Kamala returned to their silent conversation. Idly wondering why the two didn't have an out in the open conversation. It wasn't like they could hear anything of it...
but maybe it was because both were wary of Lori.
"I don't want to kill you! I don't want... but Krishna said..."
"Krishna said that you have to follow the Dharma attached to your body." X made a sound of pure distress. "But you know what else Krishna said? He said; Sarva Dharma Parityiaja, mam eka sharanam Vrajam. Aham twam sarva papebhyo, Mokshayami ma suchaha."
It was only due to Kamala's naturally short and leg-free nature that he was still standing. This was the very last thing he'd expected to hear from Zero. He listened further, feeling goosebumps covering his body like a carpet.
"X, Forget about your body Dharma. You are a spirit soul, you have nothing to do with it." Zero continued. "Krishna doesn't give a shit about your temporary body, he cares about you. So stop putting so much impotence on this dumb covering and even dumber dharma and just surrender to him. Don't worry, He'll take care of it... all of it."
The pink star warrior splayed himself on his front as he heard the blond warrior speak the absolute truth. This verse, the heart of the Gita, the jewel of the eighteenth chapter...
'How does Zero-Prabhu knows of that?' Kamala wondered as he kept listening in.
"X..." Zero continued out loud sparing Kamala a migraine. " You don't have to do this, Krishna's in your heart," he said as he pressed his slightly singed hand to X's heart. " He's the one dictating what you should and should not do."
"And what if he want's you D-Dead?" X asked, stumbling on the words.
"What will die?" Zero asked, and Kamala knew exactly what he was referring to.
The second chapter and the nature of the body and the soul.
This seemed to catch X in a loop... only for him to blush as he looked away.
"You read my Gita."
"Maybe."
" Zee, that's not a maybe."
"X, just answer the damn question." Ah, it seemed the holder of 0's blood was getting impatient.
" Nothing dies... the body's already dead, and the soul is immortal," X answered, and the pink puffball was already offering the gigantic blond thousand upon thousands of obeisances.
He was a teacher of Bhakti, a rare soul sent by the lord, a Devotee. 'But why didn't he come to us? Why did he attack Madan like that and... I don't get it!"
"That's right, Beside, i wouldn;t mind you destroying this body, actualy, I-" Zero spoke as he embrassed X closer, the Crystalline being froze, waiting for something.
When this something didn't happen, he relaxed in Zero's hold, willingly wrapping his arms around him and buried his face in the side of his neck. "... I don't want to hurt you." He sniffles, to which Zero scoffed.
"I know..."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault X."
"It's still my Karma."
"And Krishna can take care of tha-" But before Zero can continue, his head whips violently around, facing the vibrating pink ball.
For his part, the tiny servant of God, of Krishna was too busy paying Dandavat to care about being found. Tears filled his eyes as he fell at Zero-Prabhu's feet Again and Again.
~0~
"... and that's were I... learned about Bhakti." Zero finished as he bashfully took a bite from a Lugloo, savouring the crunchy sweet.
They were back in Kamala's room, the one with Gaura-Nitai. After his long-time lover had noticed the Vaishnava, Kamala Das had caught the much taller machine and manhandled him to his quarters, his eyes shining with what could only be a divine light.
No, seriously, the pink puffball was practically glowing as he ran with the ancient Vaishnava in his paws, X flying after him as he tried to catch up with the eternal child.
Really, Kamala felt like a worm crawling in stool, he had blaspheme a devotee of the lord over some mere material designations.
Who cared if he was the gay robo son of 0. He knew Krishna, he knew Bhakti, meaning that he was perfect!... but.
"Zero, why did you hide your glories? I offended you... I tought badly about you." Kamala asked at the same time as X. Making the crystalline machine stutter and Zero blush as he looked away... taking a tiny apple tart and biting into it, stalling for time, obliviously.
That, or he really like those tiny pies, Kamala did.
"Ah... well, I... Ah... I went to Puri a long time ago and... it was a... I wasn't really planning to go there and-"
But before Zero could further explain, Mangalananda's voice sounded trough the Radio.
"Guys were close enough for me to open a portal to the moon." Mangalanada's vice crackled out of the speaker. " Let's get this over with before Krishna has to get involve."
That was all they needed to book it. Zero's broken confession was all but forgotten.
Besides, after Sigma would be exorcised, Kamala knew they would have the time needed to clear up the air.