"Sir, contact has been made with unit A-xl-0001." Palette called out as she jumped from her seat, her whole body tense, beside her, Layer gasped and straightened (Signas noted that her soft batteries didn't tremble as much, much to his relief. those … piece of garbage technology was notorious for turning into spicy pillows at the slighted vibration… a hyperbole, to be sure, but by no means wrong.)
"Oh thank… er… you, know… oof… HARE KRIHSNA!" The purplette folded awkwardly blurted, inflicting second hand embarrassment to all as she folded her palms . "Quick get him."
"A-hem." Signals cleared his voice box.
"Ah…" the poor girl returned to her seat, still vibrating with anxiety and her own embarrassment.
"Palette, connect us."
"Right away sir." the seemingly youngest navigator said professionally as she personally handled the Handshake between her, the commande center terminal and Axl, now thousands of miles away from the fake moon.
Since, you know, no moons could change to look like one of the most notorious Kirby boss out there and … laser in a conservationist wet dream down onto the scorched earth.
The signal reached, and the entire command center got a gruesome glimpse of what Axl's third lens was seeing.
Layer screamed and hid her face in Alia's chest, the ex-scientist had the grit it took to take in the gruesome sight, her flinch was minimal, but it was clear the sight was terrible for her too.
It was for Signas.
Thankfully, it only lasted a moment before Axel mercifully realized he was sending a live feed and thus moved his sight away.
"Ah, woops… aahhh." The probated bounty hunter covered the lens with his hands, and Signas could feel a headache forming… not that this should be possible but sue him.
"Hey, guys?"
"That's Signas, isn't it? And he… probably saw… this." X said, and the super computeroid held back a groan.
"Yep, he did." the hunter's little shit chipped way to brightly. "So, what do we do?"
"X, that's fine."
"Wait, what?" Layer gasped.
"What in the world?"
"Ok, if this keeps up, I think I'm gonna join this… Krishna movement, I need more God if my freed lifes gonna be this cray-cray." Palette grumbled under her breath.
It was Zero voice… and it sounded rough, as if his voice box had been ripped out of his head unit and hastily reconnected.
'Right, Zero's head was missing.' Signals together with dread before removing himself emotionally from what had happened.
"Signa, this is DWN-*Infinity*-000." Zero said, still off screen, he sounded stressed… if this truly was Zero. "My confirmation code is." And then 'Zero proceeded to give his wingding code. It obviously sounded Crunshier then the red ripper would ever permit.
"Signas, this is X, designation-" and then X and Axl proceeded to give their official designation and wingding code. "And as commander X, and can confirm that the one beside me is Zero, my partner… lover and second oldest being in… in this room."
"X please."
"It's alright, Zero, i just want them to know that even if you look different, your still you… oh, Zero your-"
"It's just tears… just… get on with it."
"Alright… *Chu* I will."
"Gross." Axl muttered under his breath, and Signas braced for the worst.
"Axl, if you may?"
"Sure thing, X." Axl said, and the kid pointed his headcam to the shiny, crystalised Logistical nightmare.
Honestly, a robotic body made out of conductive-non conductive minerals. It made no sense.
X was holding zero's damaged hand to his arms, some red fluid was seen on it, and on X's mouth.
Ah, so that's why Axl was disgusted, Signals could relate.
"Eugh." Layer muttered as she averted her eyes.
They all could relate.
"Alright, Commander Singas, just a bit of a recap before I show you Zero, just to make sure things make a bit more sense in context." Axl related, for once sounding almost professional about it.
"Yes, please… I can already feel my poor processors melting." Palette whispered as she rubbed her computer box situated in the chest area.
"Alright, alright. Layer! You gonna freak… like a good freak. So you remember the presentation we both gave you all about Kirby, Dark Matter and 0/02?"
Layer gasped. "Nooooo. No way, Axl. you're joking."
"I'm not missy, and I'm sure Douglas could tell us all about Zero's anomalous floating fluids, am I right?"
"Axl, how did you get this information?" Signals demanded, this was supposed to be classified.
"Buddy, I have eyes. And I'm Zero's second fav mission buddy, so obviously, I saw his blood and thought 'woah, so cool' and went along with it."
"I may have sent you this suggestion, Axl." Zero said off screen, and Signa's could never remember a time when the proud red ripper ever sounded this contrite. "I… Don't think you would have reacted positively to my true form otherwise.
'True form.' Oh, if this wasn't foreboding, then nothing was.
"Dude… I mean yeah, at first you did freak me out a bit, you wonderful Drama-queen."
"Hey!"
"But honestly I was still reeling from X being murdered in front of us by Lumine."
"Axl!" Signas barked his enegen pump, having jumped and dropped faster than a bouncy ball. "Report! Right now!"
"Ok, yeah. So X is fine, as you can see. Yeah, Lumine murdered him, it was horrible and this 'll stick wiht me till I can delete this particular file. This triggered Zero, because, you know, X and Zero are an Item-"
"What!"
"Layer!"
"Honestly, Lay-Lay, we all knew X and Zero are an old couple." Palette quipped, looking rather shaken. "But personally…X… died?"
The camera bobbed, reminding everyone that Axel's free roaming cam was most likely broken. Again.
"Yeah!" Ax'ls voice hitched. "Like, ok. So, let me start the report and…"
"Please do." Signals said, not for the first time wondering about what could happen to shake Axl so badly.
"We've lost contact with you when you arrived on the moon, start from there."
"Actually, that's not a moon, that's a Nova, and A fairy catacomb."
"Oh, like Kirby Sixty-four." Layer spoke up, surprising everyone with how quickly she bounced back.
But then, for all Signas knew, their youngest Navigator was just highly efficient at compartmentalizing and would have her meltdown later.
"Yeah" Axl let out a huff… he was in no state to give a regular report.
"Axl… do you want me to continue?" Zero asked. "Just… listen, everybody already knows half of the truth, better give them the whole truth."
"Zero… are you sure?"
"I am, X… I have my Karma to burn, I won't like it but, honestly, what's the worst that can Happen?"
"... Right, and how much of my Gota have you read again?"
"Oh, you know, bits and pieces."
"Uh-huh."
"Alright…" Axl huffed as he covered his face. "Sorry guys, we've had… one hell of a mission."
"Understandable, nothing of this mission was standard." The leader of the maverick hunter said in his most soothing voice. "Now… the state of Zero's armor, does it have anything to do with the fact that he is powered by the blood of 02?"
"Yes, it does" Signa said with a marked shudder, not bothering to hide his disgust over the sheer travesty that was Zero's body… and X's constant infatuation with it.
"Ok, well… we were wrong." Axl said with what sounded like a smile, and panned his cam to X and Zero.
Numerous gasps were heard at the sight of him. Zero…
Signals pulled out some saved pictures of the white angel of the Black plague. And while his shape was changed…
"Z-Zero's… oh God… That's-"
'Red and white segmented wings, pure white body with a green thorntail, a bulbous upper body with what I believe is a scar, the one red eyes.' "02." the leader of the Maverick hunters said coldly at the beast.
The Blond hair and what was left of Zero's old face and helmet hanging on the beings neck complete the pictures, and one of Signa's greatest mysteries.
Zero… was 0, an organic being (with hair, and an appetite for human food.) stuck in an armor all known as Zero.
"... The virus wasn't data, wasn't it?" That came out harsher then what Signas intended, but how could he forget the face of all of those who succumbed? Of the orphaned who grew up hating reploids, of the widows endlessly mourning their partners?
The slow decline of resources and morale, and low birthrate that ensued, the revival of preventable illnesses sweeping through the bunkers and decimating the humans.
"I'm sorry…" Signals had to strain his Audio input, but he heard it clearly and boy, 02 looked… he looked wretched. Even his halo had sadly dropped down while his whole body shook "I…"
"Signas." Commander X spoke up, his soft face now stone cold and… upsettingly bloodied. "What's the Status of the earth?"
"The status… nearly desertified."
Unimpressed silence met the supercomputer.
"Update your database, right now."
"Yes sir." Signals said as X's absolutely authoritarian tone broke no argument… and Signas started.
"So?" X asked as he crossed his arms, the oldest of all the reploid had a knowing glint in his eyes. Beside him, 02 looked as Signas with what could be considered hope.
"It's… green." Signas whispered in aw as he dropped his updated data package to all his Navigators terminals.
The Amazon was back at being filled with tall and healthy, organic trees, the oceans were clean, and already, reports of aquatic life plying through the deep blue flooded in. the air, once so polluted in some places it was uninhabitable for anything less then a reploid (and even then, eve the replo-kind's filtered were unsuitables for the smog load.) where now clean and fresh, readdy for all being to take their first breath
The arctic cap, the once melted eskas…
"Signas… this is Zero's doing." X said with gravity. "Lumine killed me, we got ambushed and I was taken hostage." Signals felt his 'heart' drop to the bottom of his boots. "I… When Kamala-Kantha das returned me, Zero was…"
"I can't die… the Brahamana who summoned me and my siblings made sure nothing short of God himself would be able to end this pathetic life… expect Kirby, Kamala, I mean." The blood stained angel said gravely, his expression…
It was so easy to read, unlike Zero, shockingly enough.
"So I… I made the last wish on Nova, I managed to eat a bit of its Kalpavrk… of its wish-tree leaf and then I took over Nova, turning it into my expansion. Then I wished for X's dream to come true."
X smoothly took over as he wrapped an arm over Zero's shoulder. "I always wanted the earth to be habitable, with nature returning to where it was lost, the ocean and other waterways restored and the invasive species driven out." A tiny sob escaped the green eyed bot. "Zero… he could have wished for anything, he could have wished me back to life, for the universe to become Void, for Iris to be returned to him but no…" the Crystal bomber firmly fixed his vivid green eyes to the biblically accurate Angel. "No, instead, he's made sure my dream would come true."
"You would've been so mad otherwise." Zero murmured as he bashfelly looked down. "Signas I… I never had amnesia, and the first Maverick wasn't an accident. I planned it, I started this whole mess and…" the white being puffed himself before releasing the air as a heavy sigh. " I immediately regretted my decision."
"And why would that be?" The investigator asked thirsty for those elusive answers that had escaped him for decades.
02 (3?4?) made a gesture of his head toward X. "he… before I… before you were activated, and even before Sigma's second resurrection, I…" The white being hastily whipped away at the blood pouring from his eyes. "Listen… have you ever… have you ever fallen in love with someone?"
"No…"
"Well, let me tell you something, Signas, when you love someone, and I really mean, you love them with all your heart and soul, you can't bear to see them sad… X, those wars, the whole shit I started… it was destroying him, still is." 02 said as more bloody tears fell from his eyes, prompting X to request anything that could be used to clean them off.
"I… I thought I had suffered ever since my inception… I was wrong." 02 said, his tone haunted, even more so with the crunchiness of his old voice box. "Seeing X… seeing my X crushed, beaten, deep in his mind as he looked over the destruction I and my kin started… That's when I, Shuniya- Dwei, first experienced true shame and regret."
"So… that's when you decided to…"
"I tried to stop it, I swear I did." Shuniya said hotly, his blood stained face grave as he looked right at his superior. "I tried to recall my Dark Spawns but…" he huffed. "But the one in Sigma's body… he considered me too weak, same as the rest… the rest… is all the fucking bullshit we went trough for the past 90 years."
"By the way." Axl, who had astonishingly remained silent during all this time, chose this time to break his streak. "Sigma's deleted, Kirby ate the guy. It's over man, wars over."
A wave of astonished silence flooded the commend center, then Axl sent them the Video.
And indeed, there was Zero, X was nowhere to be seen, Vile was apparently helping them."
"X aggressively befriended him again."
"I managed to go through to him, he's fully aware that he will face consequences but…"
"X shot a friend's heart at Vava…" 0, X and Axl spoke at the same time before zero continued. "Listen, the friend's heart is… it's kinda like brainwashing but instead of breaking it… it heals whatever trauma he or she may have and…gives them love?"
Many stunted gaze met Zero's own.
The Angel hunched in himself. "My brother ran in Kirby a few maha-yuga back, basically got friendshiped to a new birth." he gave a wing shrug. "Sigma couldn't, not that i'm all that surprise but…"
"But?"
"Well, the original Sigma, he's not the one that was eaten by Kamala… I already put him in another body." The super ancient being said, his white pupiled gaze never leaving the commander, the meaning behind the words somehow traversing cyberspace to whisper the truth to Signas.
Sig… Signals vented as he locked his legs…'This wasn't a dream… I am…"
"I never bothered naming this one, only my three eldest had a name." the white Angel of the black plague admited, his sorrow deep as he finally unpinned the mech from his unearthly gaze. "I… After we ended Sigma, and no, he won't come back, no matter how many bodies he got stashed in weird places, Kamala ate him. He's gone… gone like the queen of Wasp."
"Oh, yeah, he did that with Queen Sectonia…. But I didn't… Kirby didn't eat her, he spat all her attacks back at her… wait… oh no."
"Axl… what's going on." Signas asked with deep dread, nothing good ever came out of one of Axl's 'Oh No'.
"There's… theres one ancient article on… I think Kotatsu with one of Kirby's directors and… ok, someone asked the questions, about what happened when Kirby eats a monster. Basically, when Kirby eat someone…it… it re-aper somewhere else."
The pure dread was not something new, especially when it came to Sigma, that reploid was a menace that never remained dead for long enough. Signas suspected that the concept of hope and freedom was already lost to the human mase.
The silence then broke… by nothing less then X's laughter.
He'd never heard his template's mirth, especially not expressed in such an exuberant manner.
"X? Buddy? Darling?" 0 Asked cautiously, his expressive eye filled with warranted worry.
The crystalline baseline for all reploids somehow managed to control his mirth, tears staining the side of his lively eyes. "Oh, don't worry about it, Zee, our Sigma problem is over. I… I spoke to Kamala-Kantha after Lumine… you know."
"You… but, how!"
Yes, Sigmas would love to know that too, and 02 asked for him.
"Ah well…" X began, oblivious, unsure how to broach the subject. "Kamala… Listen, you will know when you will be a bit spiritually older."
"X, what the heck do you mean by that?"
"Kamala is unlimitedly powerful," X said with a mischievous smile that said more then the Father of all Reploid was willing to Divulge. "Whatever goe in his Belly gets transported to another time and place, and he's so powerful and pure that… well, the souls remain, but what we knew as Sigma's well and truly gone." X grinned as he leaned onto Zero, looking positively enamored by the Biblically accurate angel ."This means we can finally take our retirement, isn't right, Zero?"
02 took a deep breath in as he took in the news. "That's… good but, you'll help me, right? You'll help me get used to the peace… even if…"
"Yes, Zee, we survived 90 years of wars together, and we'll survive how many years God want's us to have peace together too."
"I… I'd like that." Zero said, his eyes smiling…
And, inappropriately, and in a far off, fragment corner of his less used CPU, Signas had to admit that 02 looked cute like that, and absolutely smitten.
But by God, what was he supposed to write in his report?!
—-
Eventually, The three head hunters managed to give Signas a proper report. usually, Singa, as their commander, would discipline them for their horrendous first report, for it was clear they were overly affected and had lost all their professionalism.
But honestly, After traveling through space to Bhu-Nova, befriending Vava (Not Vile Vava, as in, the old hunter with a friendly rivalry with Zero who then went maverick about a month after X joined the hunters rank.) Falling in a trap, getting tortured and Murdered (X… he didn't survive, yet was still around by Bhagavan's mercy. Signas didn't know if he should even try to dig deeper, for fear that his many CPUs would experience a meltdown, what to say of his old capacitors.) Zero revealing himself to be 02; the bloodied cyclopean angel, spawners of the maverick virus, and X's Husband. (Needless to say, while Alia knew, no one could even begin to fathom how X still loved the lovecraftian abomination. Well, the father of all reploids either realy loved Zero for Being him and not his body, something Signas, and the rest of his team, could not even try to comprehend… except for Layer, who quickly went at the defense of the those elder-beings, calling their love pure and enduring.)
Then having the Apocalyptic Demon take over the Nova– not to bring everything back to zero, but to give the planet earth a well needed eco-reboot.
For this, Signals decided to ignore how Zero started the whole Maverick wars, since ever since he'd infected Sigma, the being had desperately tried to correct his horrific mistakes, going as far as to die, twice…
Honestly, 02 wasn't the cryptid monster the universe feared anymore. He was Zero, their red Ripper who loved to stuff his face, liked sparing, was besotted to X and carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. His change of appearance changed nothing.
Hell, he had been willing to sacrifice his chance at happiness for X's sake, and to die for his sins.
He deserved his redemption… of course, the next step was to decide what to do with him since he'd destroyed/killed the Lor Star cutter, and while it was in self-defense (something Axl, X and eventually the intruding King of Dreamland, Dharadhara Das had vehemently vouched for.) the Ancient demon was not completely off the hook.
"So, there you have it." Axl finished, and in the background, Zero lowered his one eye, his wings drooping and his halo dimming., waiting for the judgment.
"And how is Magolor treating the death of his ship/ daughter?" Signas asked. "From what I could gather, even while ignoring how Lori Starcutter was sentient, the dimension traveling ship was one of its kind, and was also an artifact from a lost civilization.
"Mangalananda's Copin'," King Dedede, the de facto representative of the dreamlanders, spoke up. He wore white fabric and his tilaka was freshly done.
Apparently, he didn;t feel the need to wear his kingly adventuring dress and rather be in the habit of vaishnava…
And His name was Dharadhara das, but honestly, his initials where simply easier to remember.
"And Am sure X told ya'll that Lori was an Honest to God AI, a super advanced one that fooled us all, but an AI nonetheless…" they all shuddered. "Now… We're trying to figure out why Lori was fully artificial but X wasn't."
"And how did it escape your notice?" Alia asked. "I thought you vaishnava where all versed in the… science of the soul?"
"We are, but demons all wanna be God, and to prove their Godhood, they make dolls and Calculators that can imitate life." DDD spoke tiredly. "The Haltman Company and Holy Nightmares were the worst offenders, and now it's the Ancient Chozo… urgh, so old and wise yet blind and mad."
"Ano…"
Everyone turned their attention to Zero, and Signas did his best not to cringe at the usually proud warrior rendered as shy as Layer.
"I… ah… Permission to speak?"
"You have it." Signals knew it was probably disrespectful to speak to his best warrior as if he was a fragile civilian, but sue him, squishy Zero just evoked a strong sense of pity now that the dread was gone.
"There was a soul there, the Chozo… they were two factions, those who followed the path of magic, or subtle sound science, and those who just focused on the gross science of matter and numbers. But there was a third sect, the Luminoth." the super ancient Demon's confidence said, his confidence slowly building up and shocking both Alia and Palette with his knowledge.
For a Demon hell bent on destruction, Zero was surprisingly knowledgeable of those he aimed at destroying. A big difference from his RM self. "Those Luminoth… they understood that mysticism and magic really was just another science, one that uses sound to control the universe around you." in the back DDD snorted derisively. "They… I think they are the one who made Lori starrcutter, Nir-lor-Mapop… the love-love stick-"
"The fountain of dreams… but they just put a fancy building on top of the hole poked by Sri-Vamanadeva's lotus toe." DDD grumbled.
"Mmm… I… I don't even remember how they came to know me, let alone why they started to hate me and did all those weapons just to end my life… Imena, I just ate a star cluster, a single one with no life form, and the next thing I know, I'm to be killed on sight." Zero grumbled bitterly, and Signa could practically hear 'those where crap weapons, didn't even finished the job right.' "But yeah, those creatures had the ability to merge spirit and matter… That's…" Zero trailed off as his mind got him to another tangent.
"I have no darn clues about how them Luminoth did it, my Ah gather they curry up a Favor to Shiva and his good wife Durga," the great king rumbled. "Ah… those damned fool." he shook his head. "But… It ain't like they went against material Nature, We all got our Karma to go trough… and you guys have some mightily… special body Karma, that's for sure." He grumbled. "Anywho, Lori attacked Zero when the man was mournin' his spouse, that is a major breach of warrior etiquette, not only that, but Zero was clearly not in a fighting mood, and he only opened fire in self defense, Ergo, Zero was the victim there, not Lori. Beside, in the end of the day, our angel here wished to undo all the harms his nasty spawn subjected mother bhumi and, as his only remaining Victim and King of dreamland, I, King Dedede, Under whom Kirby serve-"
"Tch-yeah, right." Axl muttered.
"Have the final say, not a slave to unworthy thieves and rascals." The penguin spat… and no one could defend the corrupted politicians who had pushed for more reploids instead of investing in education and lowering labor requirement in place for the newest, fanciest toys of mass intimidation.
"And what would be your verdict, King D.D.D?" Signas asked.
"Welp, as my subject, Ah think our boy Zero here paid for his crime in full." The king of dreamland declared with a tump of his ever present hammer. " The planets he, along with his sibs ate… ah consider them a heavy karma, to be sure. But Zero here was acting up following his nature, he was born out of a hate filled Sacrifice, and was born to consume and destroy everything, to render evr'ything back to void just to prove a point…" The penguin King declared. "Naw tough? Our Zero here outgrew his birth order and became the Hero we all know an' love. Sure, he messed up badly at the start but… hasn't he payed enough for his Mistake?"
Signas nodded. "Indeed, he worked through his mistakes, and did more then enough time in community service to be considered exonerated." The hulking reploid let a small smile lit up his face. "But…"
"There's always a but." He heard Zero grumbled unhappily, and Signas had to fight his widening grin.
Good old Zero.
"Zero, the reploid can't continue on." The tall reploid informed them. "From what I can see, 02… you've regained what I assumed is some of your true size?"
"Eh, that's debatable." the demon shrugged before looking down in a shocking show of shyness. "I… I can't believe I'm getting off the hook that easily."
"Easily?!" Palette exclaimed before Alia took over. "Zero, I've known you for over eighty years. I've heard X talk about the sheer amount of trauma you went through, your sacrifice, your grief and your guilt… Honey, it took you over ninety years to reach this point. to … I don't know, demanding your execution would be a great injustice, and punishing you would be the same as beating a dead horse."
"Alia, I-"
"So please, please Zero. You are our friend and collage, we've been through eight wars and numblesless skirmish together, we've starve together, patched up and cried together. Maybe, for you our life time's just a tiny click in time, but for us." The elder Navigator's voice broke, it was clearly something she had kept in her heart for a long, long time. " Zero… Zero, I don;t… I can't lose another friend."
The angel starred at Alia with a disconcerting level of Accuracy, as if he was in the room with them, and not millions of kilometers away… and yet, for as creepy as it was, Singas could also detect the staggering amount of love and emotions dancing on the otherwise near featureless face.
Love, gratitude, astonishment, humility, and the list went on.
Eventually, rivulets of blood fell from his one globulous eye as he silently sobbed, X giving him support.
Yes… this being deserved forgiveness.
"X." He barked, returning to his primary dity as the general of the maverick hunters. Looked up sharply. "You are now charged to keep watch over Zero. The Official story is that Mega Man Zero lost his life to end Sigma once and for all, and this time, he won't return."
"Yes, Sir!" The Crystalline Reploid snapped to salute.
"Zero…" The words died in Signa's CPU, what was he supposed to say to Zero now? He could not condemn him for his mistake, for he'd already paid the price ten fold. But to praise him felt… worst.
'Hey, good job on cleaning your monumental fragup, you monster. now find a way to restore all life of those who lost it during your spawns rampage.'
No… this didn't feel right.
He closed his eyes and fired up his CPU… only to stop.
No… this wasn't time for cold Logic, Zero… none of them were truly AI, they were spirit souls, beings so small and subtle that no scientist could document only its effect in and on the world.
"Zero… Thank you for all your years of Service. From the bottom of our heart, you have done what few humans have ever done."
The being huffed. " if you mean almost quining Mother bhoomi over-"
"You owned up to your previous actions and did everything in your power to remedy it." Signals interrupted his man. "It takes courage to admit ones' wrong, and even more so to face it head on… Thank you, for being brave. As a token of appreciation, I will thrive to make you, Zero, a human to the eyes of the laws, or, at least, a legal entity in the world."
"Legal?" Zero's voice crackled.
Would he be human… no wait. Would he still be human, Signa's would be blushing in sheer shame. "It isn't much, but right now, I can afford you– and X." he quickly amended. " to be legally recognized as humans by the law."
"Naw just see here, rookie!" Dharadhara's drawl cut through the sincere apology. "X 'n Zero ain't got no need for more shackles." the great king spat. "These hero here, are already recognized by the King of dreamland himself as his citizen. And since those are dreamlanders, they have diplomatic immunity until I revoke it!"
The silence that filled the subsequent kingly declaration was an astonished one and rather heavy one too.
"You Can't-"
"Ah can and will," Dharadhara declared as he struck the ground with his mallet. " Adeline, Bless her arts, has revived this frozen husk of a planet to give it a second go at life, and as a thank you for my assistance, Ah' am considered the king of this earth would monarchy fail again…which it did, unsurprisingly enough." The penguin dead-panned. "And thus, if Ah say something, it will be followed, either with yer co-operation, or by force."
"Dude, Signas. Tell alla those filthy politicians that Kirby see's Z-T as his friend and that our main man here Kirby can destroy ancient, reality altering, time and space rending demons over a piece of cake don' . Him." Axl warned his superior direly despite the grin that was surely stretching his lips.
Once again, Singas went over all the Data points he knew about Kirby he had gathered and sent all of the data package (including the numerous videos and sat-image of the pink ball turning into an ICBM and living to tell the tale.) to all of those of power in the world, including Axl's dire warning.
Needless to say, Singas took the executive decision to act as his own man for once and let them deal with their own bad decision without having a backup/scapegoat.
"Understood. In that case, when can we expect you all? And… How big is the Halberd?"
…
"Signas, my man… where not in the Halberd." Axl answered as the commander of the maverick hunters caught sight of X giving this, pardon this expression– Shit eating grin.
"We're in X."
"I'm Zero's dreamboat!" X happily declared as he hugged the now very squishy, very bloodied Zero2. And maybe it was the sludge the human department dared to call the energen, maybe it's the confirmation of the world most dangerous maverick being no more… or perhaps it;s the very real lack of sleep most reploids suffer finally catching up to Signas but he tall, supercomputer of a reploid burst out in uncontrollable laughter.
The nightmare was over…
They could finally breathe now.
They were all safe…
And they would remain safe.
And X really was Zero's dream boat.
"Zero." X addressed the love of his life, squeezing his disconnected hands and idly wondering if the angel could feel the pressure or not. "Are you ready to land?"" he asked, knowing how much his Zero feared anything about flying.
Let alone successfully landing.
The Angel inflated before letting all the air go (Yes, Zero had been fascinating even as a robot master, but as an angel from outer space born of an ancient, spite filled fire sacrifice? Oh, X's inner Xenophile was in heaven, his significant other was a Xenobeing.) "Yes… and no." Zero admted, and X didn't need for him to elaborate. "The sooner it's done, the sooner I can finally but all this crap behind me."
"Yeah…" X sighed as he leaned on his angel. "What a day… was it a day?"
"Heh… more like a week."
"What a week, then." X reiterated as he entwined his hand with Zero's, they would need a new set of limbs for him, but X knew they would make due. Kamala-Kantha could probably do it…
If he'd felt like it, one could no force God to do things he didn't and not even his Mother could force him to wear shoes, what to say about an insignificant Jiva, a fallen spark of marginal potency that struggled everyday to control their very steps?
The two lapsed his silenced as they watched trough X's main camera's the earth horizon steadily rising, the Vaishnava's had gone back to the digital copy of dreamland, vava was with them while Axl was settling the final details of their return and eventual retirement…
True retirement, not simply culling them.
Also, King DDD had declared that all the reploids where now under his dominion and protection, anything that had been rebodied by the celestial Machine was now considered a ward of dreamland and granted refugee status until they could be repatriated.
Considering that all reploids where Zero's Spawn, given a body via a wonderful mechanism, it made sense that the King of dreamland, the one who had given refuge to an entire race of ghost after their progenitor had disappeared, wanted to extend the same courtesy to the rest of them.
In the end, they had finally reached the peace X and Zero had longed for nine decades… or as much peace as they could get in this age of quarrel and hypocrisies.
The two looked at the lowering Horizon, X had chosen a slow descent for his first landing, both because it was his first lending as a Xebec, and Because he knew that Zero had some nasty memories about his own landing.
'And he's chose to return back to earth after the Eurasia crash… God, I don't deserve him. Please be kind to him.' X prayed as he leaned his light body even closer to his Zero, sighing in bliss as he felt his Angel's wing curl around him.
"Love you, Zero" X gently murmured to his silent life partner.
After some time, Zero answer. "Me too X…"
Some more time paste as X breached the atmosphere, the heat of reentry more then tolerable since he went as a snail pace… for a space ship. Still, it was the first time he'd got to enjoy feeling all of the earth's natural radiation field and the raise of the Glorious sun as he crested upon the straightening Horizon, the colours dancing above the clouds and lighting up Aurora Boreal only he could see.
He sighed at the spectacle, and remembered Krishna, the greatest Artist, the the one who saved them all…
…
"Zero… I think… I think I want to study the science of Bhakti." the Crystalline bomber stated, hearing and feeling his angel hum. " Like... Officially."
"Do you now?"
"Yeah I…" would X have actually skin and hair, he would be covered in goose bump. "I've met him when… you know."
He felt Zero shift in his seat, sitting straighter and staring owlishly at his spouse. "You… You've met-"
"Mahaprabhu, when I was in Kamala." he added. "Oh Zero… Zero, I wish you could have seen him, He's… so human, yet… Yet it's oblivious he's not." X began to babble. "He talked to me… about you, about me… the goal of life and…" tears fell from his peridot eyes. "He misses us, Zero. Both of us."
The white being remained silent in shock and hope.
"Zero." X said as he got up up, then knelt in front of the ancient Demon cursed with all the darkness of the universe, Holding his hand as he popped the most important questions in their many, many lives.. "Would you… would you accept to be my Bhatki Partner? To walk with me on the Bath of Bhakti and, at the end of our lives, go back home, Back to godhead? Never to take birth again in this world of misery and pain?"
Zero's red, red eyes stared hard and X, unblinking.
"Zero?"
"D'you really think God would accept this eldritch abomination as one of his own?" the angel asked as she gestured to himself with clear disgust. "I tried getting Bhagavan's mercy when I first dropped… was ran out of Puri with torch and pitchforks."
"Oh, that's sound awful…" X winces at the image. "But… Gauranga want' you back too, he told me so when… you know. And he missed you."
"... but… why was I ran out then?" Zero asked, his anger boiling close to his skin.
X put both of his hands on Zero's uper curves. " Zero… you weren't ready yet, and this was Jagannath… and Jagannath got you to meet a group of Devotee's" X explained with a serene type of urgency. He knew in his heart that this was the breaking point, where everything hinged of Zero's and X's 'love' for one another.
Zero's eyes grew wider.
"Zero, you can't approach Bhagavan directly: you have to go troguh his servants… beside, DDD was telling me how no none-hindues can enter the Jagannath temple, not even pure devotees." X gave a crooked smile. " The only one I know who could maybe pass the guards at the lion gate would be Layer, otherwise, where all too white for the Pandita's."
The light of realization shone bright in Zero's one eye, it's pupil blowing wide and revealing the white star dancing in it's dark dept. "SO… Jagannath swami didn't reject me…"
X reached for Zero's hands, he was shaking as he remembered the Golden form of the supremely merciful Avatari, tears pooling in his eyes.
"You… have met Him… You met Him and-"
"And he told me that you are ready to get back to him, Zero. and that I was to help you on your path… for as long as I am X."
Zero's dying voice box glitched as he eyes grew bloodied. "Oh, God dammit…" He cured as he hastily whipped away his cursed tears. "If He would really care about me, I wouldn't mind if he'd stop this whole bloodied tears business, I'm sick and tired of smelling Peroxyde and bleach on my skin, it burns."
"There there, you know I don't mind your blood." X said as he patted his spouse's… shoulder.
"But it's so gross…"
"It' s a fact of your life, would you be a human."
"X, Humans can't bleed from their eyeballs." Zero deadpanned, "and I'm pretty sure most humans have two eyes at each side of the face, never in the middle, and their eyes ain't a mount either."
And then…
"X no."
"I know, Zero, I was just joking. Lighten up, will you?" His spouse grinned, the Angel could still see the tension in X's shoulders, but… Well…
Maybe this time, It wouldn't be this bad?"
—-
The Lending was perfect, X had truly learned how to fly from the best (meaning Zero) and had not forgotten his lessons. It made the Ancient Demon proud.
The welcoming Committee where a bunch of Mechanics and close friends, all mourning as they wheeled Zero out to the close off hanger with all pomp and Circumstances befitting a dead Hero…
Yes, Zero was in a a Body bag whit the rest of his old pieces, and he thought it a fitting end for Willie's 'creation'.
X was putting quite a show too, walking stately beside the body bag covered with the American flag, tears flowing from his peridot eyes in hot streams. At the other side was Vava, without his iconic armour and still holding…
Oh?
OOOOOOhhh!
Ok, so that's where Madan-Mohan was, alive and well, but still recovering from the traumas he's got.
The moment he noticed his friend, he felt a gentle brush of another mind beside his.
I don;t hate you, sir Zero… You didn't hurt me willingly, I understand that. I am glad Bhagavan saw fit to return your loved one, while rare, Krishna can make the impossible possible… And Yes, Kamala is indeed more then what we could expect, but do not bring it up, for he is in the mood of Sri-Krishna-Chaitania mahaprabhu, and he has not been revealed in any of our scriptures. But enough of that, how does it feel to be out of this too-small armour? I believe Douglas will be able to either remove the rest of the wires and other hardware, I also have some salves and other medicine to help you to heal… Yes, I do know how Cyberification feel, Zero. and I know the pain you are and will face, I'm here for you just… give me some time to recover."
'Thank you, Zero sent will all the gratitude he had in his heart. And weither it was to Bhagavan or to Madan-mohan… well, God knows.
The rest of the trip then became boring, once X and the rest could stop pretending.. Of course, not all of them where, since Zero, the Robot master, the premier Maverick Hunter, the teacher of all the units when it came to swrodsmanship and the leader of the Zeroith Ninja division was no more. The only thing left of the red legend was a hallowed out husk.
Still, eventually, X and Zero arrived at the private Medical bay where Douglas would usually treat Zero, since he was apparently the only one unaffected by the Maverick Virus, being a Cyborg and all that.
"Nah, That's not it." Zero shook his head as he sat up from his body bag. He was with X, and as always, the two spoke. But this time, it was Zero talking and his spouse listening. "Douglas was in the same danger as all of you guys, the difference is that I've infected you all with a bit of blood, just enough that you where seen and claimed by me. The Rogue spawn never had the full control of his siblings… just enough to wreck the whole place."
"So, technically, where all…"
"Yes, all reploids are embodied dark matter, the Dark matter spawn that went AWOL on me and hunted the earth.… No clues why or how this whole things possible, the only ones who could help us get a clue's long dead as we speak." Zero said as his wings and halo dropped down in his disappointment.
X remained silent for a bit, letting his Angel leaned on his shoulder. He could not wait for his Zero to get his medical leave, X's wings where itching just by looking at Zero's own broad yet delicate appendages. Sky waltzing sounded fun, and he hoped his partner would indulge him…
There was also the whole Issue of why Doctor Light had messed up with X's codes and components in the first place and how did the earthly scientist managed to get his hands of Chozo technology, let alone the fairy's Crystal…
Let alone himself.
"Zero… do you remember the Doctor light Capsule in our cave?"
Zero stir from his doze, his wings and halo rising up and the circlet of light gaining strength. "yeeeaaaah?"
"Do you think… do you think we could ask him?"
Zero hummed as he once again pluncked his soft, mochi-like head on X's solid shoulder. "Hmmm… You know...I always thought it odd that you'r… ah… that Doctor light could interact with us for a little bit…." Zero's eyes suddenly opened so wide, X feared the blood red orb may pop out.
"Zero?"
"X… Doc light… He fixed you after I… After I tried to get rid of you."
"Zero-"
"X, my love." the turned fully to X, holding his hands as his wigs flitted like autumn leaves. "He was outside his capsule, he even held toils and-"
"We need to speak to him."
"We will get our answered."
"Then, we take our retirement?"
"Hell yes! Can't wait to show you around Jagannath-puri… if I'm stil-" But Zero's trip planing had to be put on hold when Douglas, upon catching sight of the bloodied, tangled mess of a ancient he had, screamed high enough to shatter glass and promptly fainted.
"Oh come on! I'm not that Ugly, it's not even my final form!"
X patted his Partner's pack, "There there, Your not Ugly My zero, I think your current form is perfect."
"X, your a xenophiliac, you don't count."
"So, when will you show me your Final form?"
"Never, c'mon, let's wake up my medic so I can finally get rid of all this trash." Zero said with his crackling voice box as he clumsily floated near to Douglas, the poor man was either out cold, or playing dead. "Then once that's done and I get some food in -hup- then we go interrogate your 'dad'"
X felt his smile falter…
"Right… " he sighed as he helped his spouse place Douglas in his chair. "Right."
What else would be unearth? What other secrets would be revealed. X… dreaded to know.