Zelgadis was a man of many tastes. The chimera may have been prickly and often distant but he craved knowledge of all sorts. It's part of what drove him to learn about subjects such as astronomy and astral navigation as well as gunpowder and the guns that used them. It's partly why, unlike Lina, who specialized in magic or Gourry's mastery of the sword, he alone in their group was great at both. Thinking on it, he feared that broad curiosity had been inherited from his accursed grandfather. Reading often provided the sorcerer-swordsmen with windows into all sorts of subjects and disciplines and it had been one of his little joys back home when he wasn't looking for a cure for his body or saving the world with his merry band of idiots.
So it was that Zelgadis had quickly grown tired of Shinra's manga collection, which tended to be pretty narrowly focused on straight forward hero fare. Still unable to leave campus or have any money to buy his own though, the sharp-toothed flame wielder had been his only source of reading material Zelgadis could handle however. That had all changed when Terra had returned to the lighter house a few days ago. In the course of one of their conversations, the dark greenette had let slip that she had her own collection, in part for the same reason he was reading them, as a teaching aid.
Thus it was Terra's room where Zelgadis had went to get the night's reading material when Michiru and Emeralda had left for their girl's night over at the 1-A dorm. The plan had been to get a few manga and head back to his room to read the night away. Instead, Terra had actually asked to join him since she hadn't really touched her collection in a while and wanted to be there if he had any questions. So, the two magic wielding lighters adjured back to the common area to enjoy their reading in comfortable silence.
Terra indeed had a wider palette for reading material than their self-proclaimed hero of a housemate, much to Zelgadis' delight. The rock-encrusted chimera wasn't surprised to find many of Terra's manga had a much more feminine vibe, with stories more focused on relationships or magically transforming heroes who struggled with the duality of their normal lives and their heroic alter egos.
This did mean, though, that Zelgadis was coming across new words or contexts that he hadn't encountered yet, leading to the questions his housemate had anticipated. Each time this would lead to a rather pleasant conversation on one subject or another before they would return to their respective books. Indeed, the grumpy chimera was quickly becoming fond of the gentle, subtlety confident young woman.
Eventually, Zelgadis found himself confused again, turning to look at the dark green-haired woman as she sat engrossed in her own book. Feeling a bit guilty for interpreting his companion, Zelgadis stared at her for a few moments, hoping she might come to a stopping point and notice his gaze. When that moment didn't come, Zelgadis decided it would be better to simply ask than to risk her thinking he was a creep and coughed. That did the trick as Terra's trance broke and she glanced in his direction. With an apologetic wave, Zelgadis said "Sorry to bother you Terra but I had another question."
For Terra's part, she had been especially wrapped up in her story. Had she not read it a million times before, she may have been annoyed at the interruption. However, since it had been her idea to read together specifically in case she could help, the half esper simply offered a warm smile as she responded "Yes, Zelgadis, what is it?"
Standing up and walking over to Terra's chair, Zelgadis leaned over and showed the offending page "I think I understand what is being said here but it doesn't make sense given what is going on in the page. What am I missing?"
Shifting from a slumped position to a more upright one in the comfortable, cushion laden chair, Terra gazed at the offending page. It only took a moment for the dark green-haired woman to understand Zelgadis' issue and it caused her to giggle. When she looked up, she was met with a questioning raised eyebrow and she couldn't help but let out another giggle. When the chimera pulled the book back, his expression slowly shifting into one of annoyance, Terra finally offered an explanation, her voice full of mirth "Zelgadis, silly, you've read the words just fine. In all your travels back in your world did you never come across any same sex couples?"
The blue-skinned young man went back to looking confused as he said to himself "Same sex couples…?" Then he looked back at the page and stared at it for a moment before his face turned bright red, his voice rising as he replied with scandalous shock "Wait, you don't mean!?"
Terra's playful smile grew wider as a laughing fit threatened to overtake her as she said "I do! Come on, Zelgadis, you should see your face! There's nothing wrong, I'm actually a little surprised this is your first exposure to yaoi."
In his mind, Zelgadis knew what Terra was saying was true but she was also right that such subjects were rarely touched on back in his world. The closest he ever came himself was when he developed a crush on a girl when he himself was cross-dressing to gain access to a woman-only village. It had been for the sake of possibly getting information about changing his body back to normal but that came crashing down when it was revealed the girl, along with most everyone else in the village, was also cross-dressing. The knowledge he sought had been another likely deliberate piece of misinformation from Xellos to either mislead or entertain the accursed mazuku.
His face still red from embarrassment, as much from his ignorance of the subject matter as the subject itself, Zelgadis was about to reply when the front door slammed open and a visibly angry Michiru stormed in. The two bibliophiles turned to see what the commotion was and Michiru glared over at the two of them as she stomped past. Seeing the flush combined with the surprised look on his face, Michiru snapped "Just a night of quiet reading huh? Sorry for interrupting your little date!"
The chimera's head jerked back in surprise at his friend's accusation, not to mention her entire attitude, so unlike the tanuki girl he knew. His blush gone as his mind raced to understand what was going on, Zelgadis called out, concern clear in his normally cynical voice "Michiru! What happened over there? Where is Emeralda?"
Almost to the stairwell, at the mention of the tan greenette's name, Michiru whirled around and for the first time Zelgadis could see the hurt mixed into the anger on the tanuki girl's face as she bitterly answered "Oh, you mean the girl who couldn't get a clue if it hit her in the face? Probably still over there giving away whatever other deep dark secrets she knows! I hope you didn't happen to tell her about your little crush here Zel!"
A sour look appeared on the chimera's face as she briefly turned to look at Terra, who looked very concerned at the scene before her but otherwise offered nothing. Zelgadis sighed as he turned back and began walking toward his fur-covered friend and said "Michiru, you're angry, that's obvious and I'm sorry for whatever happened over there but you are quite wrong about Terra and I. I had just asked her a question about what I was reading, and the answer wasn't exactly what I had been expecting. That's all."
The tanuki girl rolled her eyes before she shot back "Whatever, Zel. I know what I saw. I should have known all that whining about getting your body back was just talk! You don't seem to have any trouble using your 'terrible appearance' to get the girl if it suits you." Just as she was finishing, Emeralda came through the door, worry evident in her eyes. Seeing her, Michiru turned away and muttered "…great, now she's caught up."
Zelgadis, however, had gone from calm worry to blazing rage in moments from Michiru's words, a line clearly having been crossed. If he was aware of Emeralda's arrival, he didn't show it as he responded, his voice dripping with seething anger "How dare you. I would stop at NOTHING to get my body back and if you think I care about making girls swoon over me then you're more self-centered and foolish than I ever thought possible. You, who has exactly what I have wished for, for so long and won't use it! For what? Is it pity? Or do you think yourself that much better as a tanuki?"
"Pity? FOR PITY? You think I walk around like this for pity?" Michiru asked, incredulously. Then, pressing a hand to her chest, she continued "I am better as a tanuki! I'm proud to be this way, even if it caused me all sorts of trouble. If you can't see that, you're as dense as that robot of a girl over there!" Michiru finished, pointing at the shocked and now very hurt tan girl standing beside Terra.
Zelgadis turned around to see that Emeralda had entered without him even noticing. The look that greeted him though was both confusing and heart-breaking all at the same time. Emeralda stood there, a hand clenched to her chest, staring at Michiru like a deer in the headlights, complete terror playing on her exotic features. Michiru took a challenging step forward, barring her fangs, calling out "Well Emmy, you came back, what do you have to say for yourself? Why did you keep pressing to make me show them my human form even when I clearly didn't want to!?"
Even after having seen Michiru run out, even when the other girls encouraged her to follow and even as the enraged tanuki girl spelled it out for her, Emeralda struggled to understand why her friend was so upset. With those odd two-toned eyes boring down on her, Emeralda felt she needed to say something despite wanting to just disappear and hide away from this madness. When the tan girl did speak, her voice was at first soft and submissive "I-I'm sorry Michiru. I…I didn't know. I didn't understand. I still don't understand why you're ashamed of that form."
The tanuki girl's rage appeared to calm, though it had in fact settled into a cold anger that appeared as frustration on her animalistic features as she replied "I swear Emmy, it's like you have no idea how to interact with people. I like you Emmy, I really do, so I was willing to wait when you wouldn't tell me about yourself when I asked. I didn't press when you literally grew back an eye. I thought I could help you open up more, to be better." At that, Emeralda's eyes widened, and her mouth settled into a frown but she said nothing as Michiru continued "It's been so frustrating trying to get you to open up! And what do I get in return? An oblivious robot of a person who couldn't see I was hurting! It's...it's like you just came out of the box."
Michiru was trembling now, silence settling on the four lighters with the tanuki girl boring into her friend with her anger fueled glare. Emeralda didn't see it, her head down and her face obscured by her pale green hair. Finally, the tense quiet was broken.
"A tube."
"What?" came Michiru's confused response. It had been said quietly but with her enhanced hearing, the tanuki girl heard it clearly.
"It wasn't a box, it was a tube!" Emeralda shouted as she looked up to meet her friend's eyes, her voice breaking as tears began to stream down her face. "Emeralda knows she…I know I am a, a thing! I've tried so, so hard to be the way I was meant to be! The way Kim wanted me to be! B-but I couldn't do it back home and I can't do it here! Just leave me be and I won't ruin anything else for you Michiru or anyone else!"
Michiru was completely dumbstruck. What did Emeralda mean when she said she was "a thing?" Had she actually been right and Emeralda really was a robot? So lost in her thoughts was the tanuki girl that she missed that Emeralda had begun dashing for the stairs herself, undoubtedly going for her room. When Michiru tried to stop her to get an explanation by grabbing the tan girl's arm as she passed, Emeralda whirled around and made a blade of her free hand, pointing it up toward Michiru's throat.
Letting go as she fell away to avoid the blade, Emeralda's limb returned to normal as she turned and ran upstairs and out of sight. Falling back and landing on her butt, Michiru sat there stunned for a few moments before she turned and looked up at the rock-encrusted sorcerer-swordsmen. Zelgadis stood over her, arms crossed and a very disappointed look on his his face. No words were needed to convey how each felt in that moment and without further incident, Michiru pulled herself up, glanced one last time over at the chimera before heading upstairs herself, her ears and tail slumped, just as her head was kept low.
After Zelgadis waited long enough for the tanuki girl to get up to her room, he clenched his fist and slammed it on the table he was now standing by. "Damnit it!" he cursed before turning to regard the silent half-esper who had borne witness to the entire seemingly unprovoked fight. "That, has never happened before. Michiru is a passionate person and until now she has managed to stay positive throughout this ordeal. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that passion and positivity can rebound from time to time. I am sorry you had had to see that."
Terra offered a reassuring smile, one that was betrayed by the worry still in her eyes as she replied "No, its ok. Being a lighter is especially hard in the beginning and honestly, you three have held up amazing well considering not just that but everything else you've already been through since arriving here."
Both of them knew that the dark greenette was in part referring to her own hand in those troubles, something she had already profusely apologized for. Zelgadis started to say as much "Hey, Terra, you don't have to-" when a knock at the front door brought him up short.
Zelgadis and Terra exchanged glances before the chimera stepped forward and cautiously opened the door. Before him was a very meek looking Mina, her arms behind her back.
The sorcerer-swordsmen offered a raised eyebrow at the sight but said nothing, no longer in the mood for pleasantries. "Uhh, hi, Greywards-san." The pink girl started after a moment of awkward silence. "I just wanted to apologize for what happened tonight. I kind of could tell Michiru wasn't exactly comfortable. Everyone did, aside from Emeralda. I...I didn't help. If I had eased up, Michiru probably wouldn't have exploded like that. I hope there wasn't too much trouble after she left?"
Mina's apology didn't tell Zelgadis much about what happened, but he could put two and two together. As the pink girl nervously awaited a response, the chimera sighed, finally saying "Her return wasn't exactly quiet. Let's leave it at that. I'll convey your apology when I get the chance, Ashido-san."
At hearing Zelgadis' hint that things didn't go smoothly here either, Mina cringed. And when he moved to close the door on her, Mina held her arm out to catch the door, surprising Zelgadis. "Here" she said, pulling her other arm out from behind her, revealing Emeralda's sketch pad "When we suggested to her that she should follow Michiru, Emeralda left this behind. Would…you return it to her?"
His features softening abit, Zelgadis reached out and accepted the pad, saying "Yeah, sure. Anything else?"
"Nope!" Mina replied, trying to force a smile as she backed away. "Thanks Zelgadis! Have, have a good night, ok?"
His frown deepening, the chimera offered a cursory wave before he shut the door. Turning back to walk back toward Terra, Zelgadis' curiosity got the better of him and he flipped through the pad to see the latest works. The sketches were rough but excellent all the same. The group shot was enduring but the one of Kyoka holding an instrument really caught his eye. Could it be?
As Terra typed away furiously on her phone, Zelgadis came up, holding up the sketch as he asked "Terra, is the object in the picture…a guitar?"
Pausing to look over, Terra smiled as she replied "Yeah, it is. I'm surprised, did you have these in your world?"
"Indeed. I used to dabble when I wasn't reading or sword training or practicing my magic." Zelgadis replied as he kept his eye on the sketch.
Terra chuckled, for a moment forgetting the fight she had witnessed minutes before and said "My, Zelgadis, you really do try everything, don't you? Maybe you should ask Jiro-san about it when you see her next?"
The chimera shook his head "I don't think it's something I should bring up anything soon but I think I will, eventually. There are other things to deal with for now."
"You're probably right. Headed in for the night then?" Terra asked, bringing her phone up again to continue whatever she was typing.
"Yes, after I return the pad. I'm sorry you had to witness that, Terra. Have a good evening." Zelgadis replied, waving before heading upstairs.
"Think nothing of it Zelgadis. Like I said, it's a stressful time. Try to get some rest yourself. Good night." As Zelgadis disappeared up the stairwell, Terra continued to convey what had happened to Jun and Hitomi, sure that if left unchecked, the three friends could rip themselves apart.
(X)
Kai sat in his private study, looking over the latest returns from the Shie Hassaikai's wave of robberies in the days since Xellos had joined them. The amount of capital seized was…impressive. In just a matter of days, they had not just made up for everything they had lost out on by the purple-haired thief's getting ahead of them, they had doubled it. The ever-smiling newest member of the family had proven well prepared, efficient and ruthless. It seemed very strange to the masked leader of the Shie Hassaikai that such a talented person could be left alone for so long. The new recruit was even impeccably dressed and very clean. Indeed, everything seemed almost too good to be true and despite how valuable this Xellos had proven to be so quickly, it would be a foolish mistake to trust him just yet.
Kai's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. His most trusted lieutenant, Shin, could be heard saying "Master, Metallium-san is here, as you requested."
With a quick check to make sure his mask was still tightly secured, Kai replied "Good, thank you, please let him in."
"As you wish, master." Shin replied as the purple-suited new recruit with the nearly shut eyes appeared before his new master.
As expected, the odd man was smiling as he respectfully bowed. Despite the fact that Xellos wasn't wearing a mask, Kai couldn't help but feel like this man was bereft of the germs that plagued his thoughts. It was almost an otherworldly feeling he got from the man bowing in front of him. However, such thoughts were not why he had summoned the smiling thief as Kai got to business, having turned to face Xellos, though he remained seated when he spoke "Hello Xellos. I wanted to discuss your work thus far for us."
Righting himself from his bow, Xellos raised an inquisitive eyebrow "Oh? Have you found my efforts lacking, Chisaki-sama?"
Keeping his arms crossed over his chest, Kai replied evenly "Just the opposite, in fact. You wasted no time in naming the members of our family who had betrayed me to sell you information. Which, though appreciated, raises the concern about how loyal you truly are if you were so quick to sell them out."
If Xellos was nervous or felt any sort of pressure from Kai's line of thought, the thief didn't show it, that placid smile entirely unchanged as Xellos replied "My goal was to join you after all, it's hardly my fault you had such fools working for you. Their loyalty should have been to you, not to making extra money. I feel I strengthened you by rooting them out. I suspect, however, that anything I say wouldn't be good enough for you, would it Chisaki-sama?"
"You catch on quick Xellos. You are correct, there is something else you could do to help reassure me of your intentions. You clearly did a great deal of research to have so many targets ready for us to hit once we recruited you. I doubt, however, you could have handled it all on your own, yes?" Kai asked, leaning forward, resting his chin on his arms, themselves set on his knees.
"Oh my, yes! That's part of what I bought with all my earnings, after all. Not to brag but I have a nice little information network set up if that's what you were insinuating." Xellos replied, bringing his right pointer finger up as he spoke in a somewhat braggadocios tone.
Kai frowned underneath his mask. As he suspected, but would someone so clearly proud of his work just throw it away? "Yes, that was what I had in mind, Xellos. Tell me, would you allow us to make use of your network? As a member of the family now, it's only right that we have use of all your resources, wouldn't you say?"
Without even a moment's hesitation, Xellos cheerily answered "Of course! What's mine is yours, after all! In fact, I can improve upon it as well! Anything to destroy this world of heroes, master."
Kai had to keep himself from looking as shocked as he felt to have his new subordinate so easily relinquish control of an information network like that without a second thought. Sitting back up Kai managed to hide his surprise in his voice when he spoke "Very good. I expect you to turn over your contacts to Shin by the end of the day. Continue the good work Xellos."
With another bow, Xellos replied "My pleasure, master. I will see to it." The purple-eyed thief then left, offering a nod to Shin as he left.
Once Xellos was down the hallway and out of sight, Shin stepped inside and waited patiently for his master to speak. The masked member of the Eight Bullets didn't have to wait long before Kai spoke a single word "Thoughts?"
"Without using my quirk, I can only guess so much master. He is a hard man to read. He has been exceedingly easy to work with and I am sure he would be just as helpful in connecting me to his information network."
"But" Kai floated, expecting more.
"But he is almost too nice. I can't help but feel a sense of unease around him. I will say, though, that the feeling seems to be absent among the rank-and-file." Shin dutifully answered.
That got the leader of the Shie Hassaikai to raise an eyebrow "Oh really? Explain."
"Well…" Shin started "the low-ranking members of the family seem to absolutely love him. In the short time he has been with us, from what I have seen and what I've been told, he has been attentive, friendly and helpful whenever possible. I am already planning to inquire with several of them to see if there is anything behind such behavior."
Kai narrowed his eyes as he replied "See that you do. I'll not be lured into a rebellion by a few measly yen. We have a much greater purpose. See to it that Xellos means what he says. Otherwise, his membership in this family will be historically short."
Shin bowed as he reverently said, "Of course my master, it will be done." After a nod from Kai, Sin also took his leave. Turning back to the notes on his desk, Kai began to think about the next phase of his plan. Information was certainly key but what good was it without manpower? The time would soon come that their little family would need outside help to move his plan to destroy quirks forward.
(X)
Hitomi frowned. This had been a long time coming. Michiru, Emeralda and Zelgadis had been here for weeks now. They'd had their lives threatened more than once, lied to, their strength tested, and had their hopes of a return home blow up in their faces. It was an absolute wonder none of them had broken down before now.
It was her own fault, Hitomi realized. She should have pushed for them to start sessions right away but after losing control of her power with Emeralda and everything else that had happened, Hitomi had fooled herself into thinking that the three of them supporting each other had served as a replacement for the guidance she was meant to provide. Talking to Terra last night and Zelgadis this morning, it was clear a breakdown had happened and with the individual she had least expected it from, the seemingly boundlessly optimistic tanuki girl herself.
Neither girl had come down for breakfast or to leave for their daily training with Class 1-A. Given everything that happened last night, Hitomi knew everything would be too raw for the two to sit down together, which meant one-on-ones with her first. That's what lead Hitomi to stand in front of the greenette morpher's door, having decided that having Emeralda's side first would better inform her for Michiru. Several knocks on the door without a response produced a pit in the counselor's stomach. After a few more moments, Hitomi spoke, gentle concern in her voice, "Emeralda? I'm, I'm coming in, ok?"
The door was unlocked and slowly, the brunette creaked the door open. Hitomi half expected the room to be empty, considering the idea that the quiet greenette had run away. The more hopeful options being she was sleeping or taking a shower. What Hitomi didn't expect, was to see the amber-eyed girl at her desk, drawing, apparently ignoring the counselor's attempts to get permission to enter. Briefly, Emeralda turned to look up at her, long enough to see how tired and tear-stained her face was.
The moment passed and the green-haired artist returned her focus to her work, ignoring her guest entirely. Rather than try to start a conversation, Hitomi stepped over to look over the other girl's shoulder and peer at what she was working on. The image being drawn was of a robot very much like the one Hitomi had seen in her accidental vision when she had first tried to talk to Emeralda. A slender machine, accented in emerald green, armless, with two massive green wings protruding from its head surrounded in what appeared to be an aquatic landscape.
Glancing around, Hitomi could see several other drawings depicting this same robot but the one being worked on now was by far the most intricate and appeared to be in an undersea environment, light filtering down through the water onto the machine. For awhile, Hitomi continued to stand there, as the tan girl continued her work, hoping the younger girl would grow comfortable with her presence. Eventually, when it became clear that she couldn't tell one way or the other if that plan had worked, Hitomi finally spoke "You know, where I'm from, there were giant robots too. There was one, called the Escaflowne, that whenever I saw it, I knew I was safe."
Emeralda stopped working, apparently now listening to the counselor. Having picked up on the change, Hitomi continued "I don't know how yours work but on Gaia, they were powered by drag-energists, which were born from the heart of a dragon. Escaflowne was piloted by the king of Fanelia and had the unique ability to transform into a dragon form itself and fly. Seeing your robot there brings back some fond memories. I…take it this one does the same for you?"
Hitomi was glad to be standing behind the other girl, lest Emeralda see how nervous she was. It could be very hard to connect with anyone, let alone someone as introverted and suffering trauma as this girl was. Just as the silence had dragged on enough for Hitomi to decide to try something else, the greenette spoke, her voice hoarse and weak, at least at first "For…a long time, Crescens was Emeralda's…my only friend. I would tell her everything when we were alone, which was often. Times like these would be when I would be alone in the cockpit, telling her how I felt."
Smiling but not daring to move from where she stood, Hitomi replied supportively "That's sweet, Emeralda. It sounds like this…Crescens is very special to you."
Hitomi wasn't prepared for the immediate bitter comeback as Emeralda bit out "It was childish and immature. Besides, she's been gone a long time. Long before I got stuck here. Getting home won't change that."
Crestfallen, the brunette counselor replied with sympathy "Oh, I'm sorry to hear it Emeralda. I wish I could help, I really do." After a few moments of silence, Hitomi continued "But you know, it's important to express how you feel, even if it is to a giant robot that can't talk back. I mean, people are better to talk to but whatever works for you is what matters."
A bitter laugh that almost sounded like a sob escaped the greenette's mouth before she said "I've always tried to be strong. I never saw Fei or Citan break down like this. How can I be strong if I can't keep these feelings hidden?"
Noticing the seated girl's shoulders shaking, Hitomi dared to put her hands on top of them to steady the tan girl. Then, gently, Hitomi answered "Emeralda, I can't speak for the people in your life but I can tell you there is strength in sharing how you feel. It can be terrifying to open up but that is the only way you can get support from others and sometimes, you can get the answers you're looking for just by talking about your problems. Is it possible you simply didn't see the people you mentioned because they didn't want you to see them suffer?"
Emeralda's head sank down, as though in thought before it rose again, and she said "I suppose that could be the case. I was…younger at the time. It is possible they were trying to shield me from their worries. Or I just didn't notice. Like I did with Michiru. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense I failed to see, considering what I am."
Hitomi didn't like the dark direction this line of reasoning was taking. Luckily, the greenette had said something she could latch onto as Hitomi asked "Zelgadis said you told Michiru you came out of a tube? I remember seeing you in one but what does that mean? He said you called yourself a thing?"
Hitomi could feel the girl tense up under her hands and she knew she had hit on something. Moving to the table's side, Hitomi bent down, keeping one hand on Emeralda's back as she looked into the other girl's eyes, seeing Emeralda struggle to find the words to answer the question. With determination, Hitomi spoke again "I know it's hard and you don't have to answer if you don't want to. That being said, I would be able to help you more effectively if I knew more. I…could use my power and see. You wouldn't actually have to tell me anything, if you want. I promise I wouldn't see anything you don't want me to, ok?"
A flash of fear shot across the tan girl's face at the suggestion but after a moment, Emeralda seemed to calm down and with a deep frown set on her face, nodded her ascent. With the green-haired lighter watching on, Hitomi pulled out her pendant she had hidden under her top, cupping the jewel as the chain remained around her neck. "Ok Emeralda, this won't be like last time, I promise. I will only see what you are willing to show me, ok?" the counselor reassured.
Emeralda nodded again and a sudden flash of light filled her vision.
(X)
When the flash dissipated, Hitomi found herself, as she usually did in these visions, floating with a feint glow around her as she took in the scene before her. The room looked to be a lab of some sort, highly advanced to the brunette's eyes, octagonal in shape with flat tan walls. There were a few terminals on the sides, as well as two large tubes running from one structure on the ground up one wall. Only a window into another room, a door into that room and another exit broke up the space. At the center stood a large tube, almost as tall as the room itself, with a lowering mechanism at the base to lower the whole structure down.
Emeralda, for her part, felt like waking up, though she was unable to see anything. It was more like…becoming aware for the first time. This bodiless feeling immediately told the greenette that she was back in her nano machine reactor tube and as the haze fully cleared, she could hear the voice of the man that had created her for the first time. Yes, these were Emeralda's very first memories.
As Emeralda became able to discern the voice, so too could Hitomi as a figure became clear to her, standing in front of the tube. The ponytailed man perhaps in his mid to late twenties in a buttoned-up lab coat had an electronic pad in one hand while his other hand pressed gently against the glass of the tube. The apparent scientist softly but with a hint of restrained excitement said "Nano-machine colony CNS fully active. No abnormalities detected. *sigh* that's the first major hurdle cleared. Hello, little one. Welcome to this broken world of ours. Hopefully…hopefully you can be the light that will bring us out of the darkness. For now, though, you'll need to sleep in there until you're ready."
With that, the scene began to fade to dark and Hitomi felt compelled to ask the darkness "That man said nano machine colony. Is…that what you are Emeralda? I thought you had been experimented on here but this is where you were born, isn't it?"
A disembodied voice came from the darkness, the tone low and ashamed "Yes, you are correct Hitomi, though my 'birth' as you call it wouldn't happen for quite some time. In the meantime, Kim would bring his wife to show her his work…"
The darkness gave way to the lab once more, this time the scientist, Kim, appeared with an auburn-haired woman about his age with him wearing a white dress with powder blue highlights on the arms and chest. The tube also now contained the visible form of a girl floating in the fluid, her light green hair clear for the couple to see.
Kim was in the middle of speaking "…We had to recreate the molecular…no…actually the atomic level, by referring to the structural patterns of you and I. This child…holds our futures and our possibilities…"
Her face a mixture of awe and sadness, the auburn-haired woman starred up at the floating girl as she replied, "Can this child be the angel who can give us more time?"
Kim turned to glance at his wife briefly before looking back up at his creation, responding with a simple "Perhaps…that is my hope, my prayer."
Silence settled on the couple for a few moments before Elly suddenly said, "Does she…have a name?"
A slight smile playing on his lips, Kim answered coyly "I did have one in mind, but I wanted your permission first before I made it official."
Elly turned, a frown betrayed by the playfulness in her eyes said "Come on Kim, you built a daughter for us without even telling me and now you're asking permission? Let's hear it."
The smile of a man long accustomed to his wife's playful prodding adorned the scientist before he became more serious and looked back at their daughter. "Emeralda. I wanted to call her Emeralda."
Elly returned her gaze to the girl floating before her. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl…"
Darkness claimed the lab once more, Hitomi asking "So then, those two were your parents, Emeralda?"
The girl answered again from the void "I was the closest Kim and Elly could get to a child, yes. Elly was unable to bare a child, which was, among other things, what spurred Kim to create me. As he said, Kim used the two of them as the base to create me. I was…the ultimate work of art that science could create."
The melancholic way Emeralda spoke those last words tugged at Hitomi's heart and she felt compelled to try and uplift her "I'm sure both of them were very proud of you."
"I have always hoped that they would be. I will, however, never truly know." Came the answer, much to Hitomi's regret.
"What…what do you mean, Emeralda? What happened?"
The greenette's response was a bitter one "The military found out what Kim was doing."
The darkness faded again, this time the lab was bathed in red warning lights as Kim and Elly rushed into the lab, the ponytailed scientist speaking frantically "We have to lock her down! They'll be here any minute, Elly, can you help me with the suspended animation process?"
Elly appeared noticeably calmer, determined as she looked her husband in the eye and replied "Yes, just give me a second, I want to say good-bye to our daughter."
As Kim moved into the inner control room, Elly instead rushed back into the corridor leading to the lab, locking the door to the lab behind her. Kim screamed her name but kept typing away, tears streaming down his face. Before long, machine gun fire could be heard and Emeralda knew that her mother was gone.
Kim had completed the lock down and the greenette could feel herself fading into darkness. Before she did though, the lab door was forced open, soldiers pouring in. One demanded Kim undo the lock. When he spat in the man's face, they began to beat him. On and on this went until, finally, the last thing Emeralda could remember perceiving was her father's lifeless body lying on the ground as her body broke apart into its component nano machines, running in test mode until she would be awakened, the tube lowering into the ground.
The lab faded to darkness.
"Emeralda…I'm so, so sorry. It must have been horrible to be stuck there, watching such a terrible thing." Hitomi empathetically called into the void.
"Thank you, Hitomi. It took me some time to realize what had truly happened. I was in test mode for a long time and all I had to dream of was those few times I gained awareness when I was being built. So sometimes I would have nightmares. But that wasn't as bad as when-"
In an instant, the darkness was gone and the lab was empty and Hitomi watched as Emeralda suddenly appeared in the tube, struggling against the glass of the reactor, inaudible screams escaping her lips before her body broke down again and everything faded to darkness once more.
"What…what the hell was that, Emeralda!?" Hitomi called out in a panic at the terrifying scene that came and went like a horror film.
"I was in there for a long time. Every once in a while, the OS would reboot or there would be a bug in the cycle and I would be reassembled, left alone in the darkness, desperately alone and afraid."
The counselor was afraid to even ask but felt she had to know as she reluctantly spoke "And…just how long were you in there, Emeralda?"
"Just over three thousand, nine hundred years." Came the calm, matter-of-fact reply.
Hitomi's jaw lay agape at the answer "Wait…you were left there for four thousand years?!" Then, Hitomi remembered the last part of her accidental vision with Emeralda before "Wait a minute. If Kim and Elly died, who were the two that I saw before? Elly had her hand on her belly and you looked shocked."
There was a long pause before Emeralda's voice could finally be heard "They are Kim and Fei's reincarnations. Dr. Uzuki explained to me that the two of them have died, found each other and been killed many times over the last ten thousand years. I was the closest thing to a child they ever got. Until now anyway."
"That explains why they look about your age instead of the older Kim and Elly. Wait, does that mean they found you when they were ten? Were they even the ones who found you?" Hitomi said.
"Elly was present when I was finally 'born', yes." Emeralda said as the darkness lifted one last time on the lab.
This time, everything was hazy and hard to make out, a reflection of Emeralda's mind at having been asleep so long. Still, it was enough to make out Elly, who was now wearing a sleek, primarily white military uniform, accompanied by an a very intelligent looking man with glasses in green with a long black ponytail and a tan, wild looking young man with blonde hair and an eyepatch. The trio spoke but it sounded like nothing more than muffled noises as another group of men, each cloaked in priestly garb entered the lab. Then, the tube rose, fluid from the nano machine reactor spilling all over the floor as Emeralda finally was released into the world, her hair draping over her face, her feet touching a solid surface for the first time.
Yet, before the fog in her mind could lift, before she could do anything, one of the robbed figures grabbed her and made for the exit. As Emeralda looked back over her kidnapper's shoulder, the three figures, blocked by the others, watched on in anger and frustration. What happened after, Hitomi didn't know as all became darkness once again. Several questions rose in Hitomi's mind but she only gave voice to one. "It looked to me like Elly was about the same as in the later scene with you and yet, you appear much younger. Did something happen?"
It was an odd feeling to hear a disembodied voice sigh, but the counselor was sure that's what she heard as Emeralda answered "Yes. Later, after I had been found by Kim's reincarnation, Fei, I joined the fight against those seeking the ruin of the world. But...I was young, immature. I knew I was as much in the way as anything. So, after we found more ruins of the civilization I came from, Fei shared memories from my father and I told him that I knew that I wasn't real, just a thing and forced myself to age to that which you see today. I thought if I did that, I could handle things on my own and not be a burden. Be the salvation Kim and Elly had hoped I would be."
Hitomi was horrified. Emeralda had changed herself to avoid being in the way, and with almost no experience to go by. The counselor began to voice those concerns "But Emeralda, thats not-" before she was cut off.
From the darkness in front of her, Hitomi watched Emeralda seem to assemble herself in front of her, similarly to how she had in her nano machine reactor, though the particles had a dim light to them. The greenette was turned away from her but the brunette could hear her clearly as Emeralda spoke "It wasn't until we had defeated Deus, the demiurge, that I realized what I had done. I had made myself far better equipped to fight but I was in no way prepared for what it meant to be 'grown up.' Just as others began to resent me for what they perceived I represented, I too resented myself for how childish I had been and for my ignorance. So, I shut myself off. Better to avoid embarrassing myself and my friends than to fumble my way through something I was utterly unprepared for."
Hitomi stepped forward and embraced the girl, whose face was now stained with tears. Whispering into the tan girl's ear, Hitomi said "Its ok, it's all ok. You did what you thought was best and now we can move forward. You've taken an important step today, Emeralda. Thank you so much for letting me see and again, I'm sorry. So, so sorry you've had to go through such pain. We can head back now, if you'd like?"
With a silent nod, the darkness began to lighten, until the endless void became too bright to see and in the moment blindness overtook the two, it was over.
(X)
When Emeralda opened her eyes, Hitomi had her hand over hers, a gentle and warm smile on the counselor's face. Before the amber-eyed girl could speak, Hitomi spoke first, saying "And one more thing, Emeralda. No matter how you came to be, no matter what anyone else tells you. You aren't a thing. You are as real as any of us and before you say anything otherwise, all I need to prove it are the tears in your eyes."
Taken aback slightly, the greenette used her free hand to move up to her eye, gently wiping the water from it. With surprise on her face, Emeralda looked back at Hitomi, unsure what to say. Again, Hitomi spoke. "That. That right there is all the proof I, or anyone else will ever need. You care Emeralda. You suffer, and you try your best. Nothing else matters. You may be behind in the experience department, but you are just as real as me or Michiru or any of the people in this world. Remember that."
"I, I will. Thank you, Hitomi. You've given me much to think about." Emeralda responded, pulling her hand away from the counselor and leaning back in her chair, looking over at the portraits of her friends back home.
Rising, Hitomi said "I'm sure you do. I'll let Jun know you won't be at class this afternoon. I know it will be hard but after I've talked to her, I'll want you to talk to Michiru. You think you'll be up for that?"
Looking back at the brunette, Emeralda replied with a fair amount of unease in her voice "I, I think so. I will try. I know she was only trying to help and I hurt her. I will do anything I can."
"Great, thank you Emeralda." As Hitomi turned and walked toward the door, she turned back and spoke again "If its ok with you, after the exam, would you be ok with talking to me more regularly?"
At that, the amber-eyed nano-machine girl managed a weak smile as she said "Yes, I think I would like that."
"I'm glad to hear it. Also, I do have to tell Jun what we talked about but as for the others, that's up to you to decide for yourself. Take care, Emeralda." With a nod from the other girl, Hitomi turned and shut the door behind her. Checking her phone, a lot more time had passed than she had imagined and she decided she could rest and wait the short while it would take for Zelgadis to return from training before she talked with Michiru. After a session like that, she would need to decompress herself a bit too.
(X)
About an hour passed before Zelgadis returned from training and the usual meal afterwards. The chimera was only slightly surprised to see the counselor typing away on her laptop at the dinning table. As he approached, Hitomi finished up and offered a smile as she closed the machine and asked "How'd it go, Zelgadis?"
The sorcerer-swordsmen offered an annoyed glare as he heavily plopped in a chair across from the brunette older woman. "That bad, huh? Well, I'm sorry you had to deal with it. Anything I should know?" Hitomi asked.
Letting out a long sigh, Zelgadis finally spoke, his voice exacerbated "Well, I can't say there were any surprises. All the girls felt awful and wouldn't stop pestering me about how Michiru and Emeralda were and what had happened after they left. Most of the guys were worried too."
"And? What did you tell them?" Hitomi asked, curious not just because of how it would inform her interactions with Michiru going forward but because of what it might reveal about the rock-encrusted young man in front of her.
Frowning, Zelgadis wouldn't look the counselor in the face when he replied, "At first, I just tried to ignore them, told them I was focusing on training."
Unable to hold make a small chuckle, which earned a glare, Hitomi calmed herself and followed up, asking "And how long did that last?"
Sitting back and rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms, Zelgadis answered "One of them must have complained to Aizawa because he eventually called me over and told me to explain the situation so we could 'get on with it.' It was pretty damned annoying, especially since I'm still pissed at Michiru myself."
Hiding her disappointment at how Zelgadis handled the whole situation, Hitomi mentally filed that away for another time and she offered a sympathetic smile instead. Rising, Hitomi collected her laptop into her bag and said "Well, again, I'm sorry but I appreciate you going to training knowing something like that was likely to happen and eventually explaining things. Now that you're here, I'm going to go talk to Michiru. Don't be surprised if I call on you in case she has anything to say, OK?"
"That's fine." Zelgadis offered, getting up as well before adding "Since Jun cancelled this afternoon's class, I'll be studying in my room anyway. I'll walk with you up there if you don't mind."
Hitomi smiled and nodded as the two made their way upstairs. Hitomi stopped at Michiru's door and waved to Zelgadis who continued on. After a few knocks and no response, after what happened with Emeralda, Hitomi wasn't nearly as nervous. However, when she offered a warning and opened the door with an override keycard she and Jun had, her worst fears appeared to be realized.
After several frantic calls of "Michiru!" from the counselor Zelgadis rushed over and stepped into the tanuki girl's room.
Looking around, Zelgadis only needed a moment to realize what was wrong. The balcony door was open, a soft breeze causing the curtains to gently blow about an otherwise empty room. "She's…gone" was all Hitomi could say to the chimera beside her.
(X)
Wow that was a month. The second of my two yearly big events came and went and it was the most mentally and physically exhausting yet. Then, right after came a hurricane. Yes, I am a Floridian (insert Florida Man joke here). Luckily, I wasn't in the direct path but it still caused trouble. Still, somehow, I managed this chapter.
Truth be told, there is little that would have kept me from finishing it. I have wanted to explore these characters for a very long time. It was only in the last few years that all the pieces fell into place for me to tell it. I have been fascinated by the character of Emeralda since my first introduction to her twenty years ago and always felt she had so much potential left unexplored. If you think she's done with her growth as a character, know we've only taken the first step. Yes, eighteen chapters and 180,000 words in and we're just taking the first step on one of our three main characters exploration and growth. I warned you this would be a long haul when I started this.
If you've never played the game Emeralda is from, Xenogears, then I hope I've done a good enough job making her interesting and that you have a sense of who she is and where she is from. If you have played the game, I apologize for the minor liberties I have taken with her history and hope you can forgive me.
Barring any further natural disasters, I look forward to continuing to bring you this story. Take care, thank you for taking the time to read and I'll see you next month!