Identity quest 2.0

The rest of the day passed slowly for Zero. Uttara had finished her meditation and Mandodari had swept the courtyard..still singing the Maha-mantra on some rather familiar tunes. Yashoda had hovered close to the broken reploid, looking at him with unabashed pity.

Zero had given her a single hard look, and the regal blond had departed for parts unknown, giving Mandodari a very significant glance.

Jesus...no, Ishani had applied her hands on the head of the broken legend, giving him all blessing and giving the overly optimistic promise that Krishna would return to him all that had been lost.

Zero would believe once X would be back…And maybe Ciel while he was at it.

She had also left the premises, leaving Zero with the hell raven and the plump and glowing Mandodari.

Soon, after cuddling Zero as if he was but a child. (Uttara was a solid seven feet tall to Zero's five and a half, the blond now knew what Alouette felt when he was holding her.) She also left telling him that she wanted to follow Ishani in the Dham. Leaving Zero with the ever bright and X-like Mandodari.

She had a loud voice, her whole body was plump and round. And while she had at first left Zero alone, the mere thought of Zero's apparent Sadness had prompted the 'young' woman to give him a good hug.

Zero had never hugged anyone other than X and Iris...But he doubted he could find anyone with a body as soft, warm and pleasant to hug…

not that he could reciprocate...for obvious reasons.

They had left him to charge in the sun...not that he needed it since Uttara...an organic creature had topped him off...so he was just taking in the gentle warmth.

'Omega would've liked it...' The God of destruction had the same power consumption as Zero...on a good day. But for he who had been confined in an armor, the feeling of the sun's ray had been akin to a religious experience.

Zero could still remember Omega's pure awe the first time he saw the moon peek from behind the monsoon cloud, and how he had shamelessly basked on a hospital rooftop after his attempt and utter failure at connecting him to the power generator. The Walking apocalypse had his hands outstretched toward the closest star to earth, laughing like an innocent child.

...Zero had never seen someone so innocent saved for X...at the very beginning. And Yet, X had already lived in a hundred years' worth of situational simulation to bend his moral compass toward the well-being of humans. Omega had none…

The Red failure had never even entertained the Idea of his...let's call him a twin, to be anything other than an aggressive A.I stuffed in his old body. Not an actual person!

Sure, it didn't excuse the glitch for all the death he had caused, let alone the sheer destruction he brought with him. But something had to be said about Omega shamelessly going in sleep mode right on top of him. His healthy core humming on top of the shattered mess that was his…

Zero could still remember the rough treatment Omega subjected him to at the beginning, all the shaking, the hitting, the dropping him from a high place…

and that time Omega had a plug-in!

Zero had expected to suffer the equivalent of a rape for a reploid. But no, Omega had just desired to make him move, to make the red failure snap out of it…

He was so clumsy, grappling with programs, wandering into codes. Touching this node, biting this line… poking here, shaking there...grabbing and grappling at the process he didn't know he had.

and the sheer exasperation he felt at Zero's stubbornness to not move, his desire for death…The red failure was surprised Omega had tolerated so much, ribbon or not.

He could've easily left Zero to die in a ditch, thrown him in a river...but no, Omega had stubbornly held on to him, talking, hugging...threatening and a slew of other actions aimed at making Zero move.

At first, the red failure had thought all of this was but a dream. Since Omega was a machine of mass destruction. Not this awkward, oversize child trying to take care of him.

and then...Zero woke up.

He had woken up to a world devoid of reploids, where humans thrived. The temple had been real and...and God was real. Krishna was real…

and if Krishna was real...then it means everything he had experienced was also real...And if this was real…

And X...His best friend and partner was also...had also been real, despite the illusion they had been in.

Zero had lived...He was alive while his friend...while X...was dead…

This...this was unfair...X should be alive, he should be free! He should be the one to experience the cuddly and caring Omega, to feel the monsoon rain, the sun rising, to meet Yavatā and Karuna-sindhu and be shamelessly coddled by Uttara and Mandodari, meeting a pregnant woman and the reborn Christ...Not Him...Not Zero...

Zero had no idea what to think, let alone do. He was useless, broken…

'you could chant Hare Krishna.' A small voice spoke.

Yes...Zero could repeat this code like all of those around him would do. And...he quite liked it.

It made him feel..better...alive...as if there was indeed a purpose to him.

But...Could he really? Would...It wouldn't bring X back, and he doubts a mere three words could return his arms and give him a reason to live.

'But...didn't God save you?' the voice asked.

'He saved the wrong one. He should've saved X...I'm just another burden.'

'Nobody said you were Zero.'

'Nobody needs to say it...I'm a burden, a curse; all who are close to me will suffer and die.' He informed the voice. Not caring if he was hearing things again.

'Sufferings and death are a natural law in the material world, it's nothing special.' The voice spoke with an overwhelming amount of compassion. 'Pain, misery and death will all come by themselves, and so is happiness, joy, and pleasure.' he explained.

Zero clenched his jaw.

'It's called Karma. Or reactions due to past actions...actions we did in our unlimited previous life.'

'I'm a reploid...I started...I'm just some programs, nothing more.' No way he was a soul, no matter what Karuna-Sindhu had said.

'Zero, you are a soul.'

'Prove it.' The legendary failure challenged the voice in his CPU. What else was there to do for him.

It's not like sanity was prevalent here anyway.

'I am not speaking to a robot right now, but a soul. You are a soul Zero, you just forgot about it.' the mysterious voice assured, his tone was fatherly and kind...it put the red failure at ease. 'And a mere machine would never have desires, let alone the desire to see the one he loves alive.'

'That's...logical.' Zero carefully thought. It was true that only reploids could feel and desire. He had seen roots have similar programming, but it was mere mimicry.

'Who are you?' He finally asked.

'My name is Kaenbou Phalguni das Adhikari. A hypnotherapist and a Hare-Krishna.' Phalguni introduced himself. 'I have known Karuna-Sindhu and Yavatā for over five years, and their mother asked me to help you out.'

'I don't need help.' Zero gently clenched his jaws. Careful not to attract the attention of Mandodari.

'We all need help, Zero, and there is nothing shameful about it.' Phalguni spoke...not in a patronizing way, but as a kind father would. 'Seeking help is not a show of weakness but humility. And Humility is such a great if misunderstood power.'

'And why would that be so?'

'Because, with humility and Love, we can control the supreme controller.' Phalguni spoke with great gravity.

Zero felt something...like a cold current going up his spine.

'And it will get you help...either from a mortal or from the Lord Himself. But for this, you need to start helping yourself.'

Help himself…

why?

'Do you think your friend would be happy seeing you like this?' Phalguni prodded.

No...X would not like it...but he was gone.

'No, he may be gone from your sight, but by acting this way, you desecrate his memory. And believe me, if there's one thing the ghost of a loved one hates the most is to see their beloved unhappy and suffering.'

'I don't deserve happiness.' Not after his failures...

'You do deserve to be happy Zero, and right now, you are at the right place to get better. And the first step toward healing is to chant the Hare Krishna Mantra.'

Zero let out a small sigh...Mandodari was standing a bit away from him, She held a tablet in her hands, and whatever she was seeing/hearing/reading caused her to sometimes quiver in bliss, smile in pure bliss or close her eyes in painful bliss...

She was glowing with happiness, sometimes singing, sometimes dancing…

'No...I...I don't deserve it...' While Zero had been less than fully conscious, he had still picked up a few things here and there about his host and Krishna.

Krishna was God, The Father, Religion Personified. The ever pure…

Zero...on the other hand.

'Zero...all who have a material body are sinners.' Phalguni spoke compassionately. 'I killed my best friend, ate the flesh of countless living entities and have performed more reprehensible acts in this lifetime than I can remember.

'And yet...Krishna's devotees are an ocean of mercy and compassion.'

'I don't think their master likes me very much.' Zero replied with a frown. If God really loved him...then why was X still imprisoned?

Why was he dead?

'No...He loves you more than you can love X.'

At those words Zero froze, his eyes opening wide.

'Zero...the fact that you are out of your previous predicament, in Vrindavan Dham, in proximity to Radha-Kunda and in the association of his pure Devotees shows how much He cares for you.'

'But...why?' Zero asked, still reeling from this revelation.

'Only He knows Zero...And you still have the right to be happy.'

Zero's mood soured...more than usual.

'It would make X happy to see you Happy…'

...

He was right...X would always look as if he had won the lottery every time he would see his dear friend smile.

Something he had stopped doing after the dream-like elf-war.

Zero clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth...all of this...all those wars and death...on repeat…

they had all been for naught, X's suffering had been but some entertainment for an unseen psychopath...but a mere game.

'Zero...I know what you feel.'

'How can you. You didn't go through the hell I've been through.' Zero snapped. 'You only read about it.'

'I may not have gone through the same suffering you did Zero. But it doesn't mean I can't empathize with you.'

Zero remained silent, not giving his thought words.

'I see...Nevertheless, we only hope for the best for you. And if you so desire, I am just a thought away.'

Zero grunted aloud.

'And before I go...Vrindavan is not of this world, the dust is made of powdered philosopher stone and the trees and cows will fulfill whatever wishes you have...just as the holy name will.'

'What do you mean?'

'I want you to roll in the dust as often as possible Zero. Chant, dance...and look for a skeleton named Sanatana, he'll help you out.' The voice, Phalguni hesitated. "But most importantly Zero, I want you to be respectful to all you see. To be In Vraja is a great privilege only a few can have, and this living land does not tolerate any offense to those who chant the holy names of God and who live their life in her embrace.

'You want to say something else.'

'X...there's a possibility he may have been taken from the hermitage like you and Omega. And if not, he could very well be alive.'

' Don't give me hope!' Zero snapped. 'Please...Please...' He dissolved into begging.

How many times was his budding hope shattered?

He didn't want to hope, he didn't want happiness...nor without X...he'd rather be permanently miserable…

Suddenly, he felt Mandodari body roughly slammed on his shaking frame, her arms tying him down and her unnatural warmth and light chasing away the irrational fear that was plaguing him.

It was shameful...something a warrior should never do and yet…

The words of Phalguni echoed in his memory bank….

It was Ok for him to seek help...there was no shame…

Help was there in the form of a radioactive crow, Jesus returned, Yashoda and X's human doppelganger. The one who was holding him right now in the circle of her surprisingly strong arms.

From her mouth, the holy name resounded like a lullaby. The Melody sweet and easy on his audio.

As she cradled him, Zero took the help...and followed her song of healing.

~Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare~

~Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare ~

X may be gone, but it didn't mean Zero had to disrespect his memory…

He would live...he would get better.

He Had to Get Better...For X.

"Survivor's guilt you say." Mukhara spoke to Phalguni as she watched her son and his Android friend roughhouse in the danmaku arena. As she waited for Gaura-nitai to finish their meal.

Well...Her son, the perfect clone of Yuthika (Kanzanami Yuuka) was merely playing with Omega while the wild blond was trying his unlevel-headed best to messily kill him.

'Such power and blood lust. No wonder he's so afraid of his surroundings.' She thought as Omega struck the ground with his arm cannon, making the holy dust burst with an energy beam. Karuna-sindhu dodged them all with a big grin as he filled the arena with more bullets than necessary, making a beautiful floral pattern.

Also, Omega's ribbon had been removed, and would only be put back once the artificial calamity's eventual defeat.

Oh, Mukhara was not worried about her son, for his power had exponentially grown since he got out from the damned (literally) Hermitage of Hawkins overpowered doppelganger. He had grown so much, even Ekanamsa (Shiki Eiki Yamaxanadu) had grown worried. Not that she had to since the only thing Karuna desired was the Lord's embrace and eternal service...and the best for every soul suffering in the merciless material world.

But she, Mukhara, was worried nonetheless...About Zero.

From what she had heard from Phalguni, the poor soul was suffering from PTSD, depression and, as he had just said, survivors' guilt. On top of other issues.

Including a potential red string.

"You'll have to check this out, Mukhara Mataji." Phalguni spoke from the other side of the world. "I may be trained to recognise psychological damage and ghost possession, but I have very little clues about how those fated strings work."

Mukhara sighed as she massaged the ridge of her nose. Outside, Karuna-sindhu had Omega in a head-lock. "Mandodari's the one who named it after my first dead hermitage. She told me what it was and… I would never wish it on my worst enemy."

"Ah..." Phalguni hissed.

"Now tell me, what was the color of this string and how thick was it?" The ancient Vaishnavi asked.

"It was...faded red and thin..."

She sighed in relief. "Oh, that's a good sign then, it means it barely has any holds on them. To put it simply, a red string of faith is tied to the ring finger of the two victims, forcing them to lust after one another and another slew of obsessive behavior." she explained, Omega was out of the head lock and had already ripped one of Karuna's wings out...not that her son seemed to notice, once again charging the maddened doll like a bull. " Attachment to other living entities caused by lust and the thirst for affection is normal, if corrupted from the divine love we naturally feel for Krishna. A red string though has more to do with a dark tantric curse derived from the vedic wedding ceremony." She rubbed the ridge of her nose "The worst case I've seen was...have you heard of Puella Magicka magi Madoka?"

"Ahh...N...Ah...wait, is it this weird magical girl show with witches, aliens, time travel and those cute demons?"

"Yes, basically. I'm surprised your aware of this torture show."

"I know, But I have a client whose son's obsessed with it, saying his two virtual girlfriends are Madoka and...oh, who's the other one again. Hama...Homara…."

"Homura, and those are the two girls strangled by their red string." Mukhara explained as Omega 'Pichuned' her son.

Thankfully, the spell card rules were in effect, and the darling scion of Yuthika respawn, ready to give back in kind.

"There were two more also...but Homura and Madoka had it the worst, for the feeling she had for Madoka were...it started as affection but ended up as lust for her and her alone once the string came in effect. She took over the hermitage and...forced it to loop indefinitely just to save the object of her lust, and every time it did, it became worse." Mukhara squeezed her eyes shut. "I had to...this Hermitage was a condemned one...nothing could be done for it."

"Ah..." Phalguni hissed.

"I did manage to save Madoka and a certain Kyouko. But the moment I cut the string holding Madoka...Homura could not handle it..do you have any clues as to who would be linked to Zero?"

"Yes...but then fear Zero's attachment to this X person is natural." Phalguni revealed. "And dare I say, I may have found the best example of causeless love in the entire world from an Agnostic."

Mukhara's brow raised up as far as humanly possible.

"Well...no...Zero can't be considered that anymore, but he strongly believes that he doesn't deserve joy and happiness. Not if he can't share it with his... X."

"Hmm...you don't sound too sure about how to qualify those two."

"Mukhara, Zero's feeling for this other person...if he could transpose the attachment and the wealth of love he carries to Krishna, he would already be on the stage of Bhava and well on his way to Maha-bhava."

"Maha-Bhava can only be experienced by our Srimati-Radharani Phalguni."

"She has made her wealth available to all Mukhara...She is the only reference I have for this level of love, attachment, and dedication."

"What they have is material."

"yes...it unfortunately is."

"and Radharani's love for Krishna cannot be used as a fair comparison. Her love for God is beyond rules and reason."

"But it's the best example I have…."

"No..." Then...she felt a whisper in the confine of her heart. "No...Oh...I think Zero's feeling just the same as a young Bengali Widow."

Silence met her deduction.

"No...it's more than that. Zero's love for X is such, that he would gladly cut his own throat for him and break his own heart for his Happiness."

"I see." Mukhara clicked her lips as she took Gaura-Nitai's plate, asking her Lords how they liked the bhoga her Servants had prepared for her sons. There were Samosas, Kachories, cham-cham, rasagula, sandesha, home made sev and boiled spiced peanuts.

No, Mukhara did not tell them to cook so many opulent treats, Ekadasi das and his highly qualified wife had spontaneously cooked all that Karuna and Yavatā liked.

Really, those two great souls playing the role of so-called Sudra's deserved better than what Mukhara could provide for them.

"Mukhara?"

"Sorry Phalguni...you were saying?"

" I was asking you if...Are those two, Omega and Zero, are they Shikaisen?"

"Yes, unfortunately, they are." Mukhara revealed as she blew air from her nose. " I have...no, Kaku Seiga has this technique to whomever was willing to pay the price with the promises that they would not share it for others…

Obviously, some had spoken, and now, there were a few other condemned Shikaisen running around, and one of them was suffering from a terrible amount of mental distress that required one to become humble to have it cured. He needed help.

But...help was something a warrior would not accept unless on the verge of death….maybe.

"I doubt he would accept outside help also" Phalguni interjected, Paramatma probably whispering to the Shaktiavesha avatara what was happening in Mukhara's heart. "But I did manage to influence him a little."

"You did?"

"yes...He's with Mandodari right now. And she's been praying for him." Some enthusiasm colored Phalguni's voice. "And you know how she is, Uttara may be the motherly one, but it's Mando who can heal everything, including a broken heart."

"as long as they accept her help." Mukhara cautioned.

"and he did." The ex-Samurai of hope spoke triumphantly. "Remember, I did influence him a bit...and knowing who was close, he will get better."

A small smile touched Mukhara's thin lips. "Zero will truly get better once he turns back to Krishna." Not many had the power to fight the material illusion and their pride to resume their eternal relationship with the Supreme and Loving Friend of all. But Vraja-Mandala and those who chanted the names were empowered to perform miracles.

"He's in Vraja with your elder God-sister and Ishani during Kartika maas, I'm sure he will." Phalguni spoke with confidence. But to Mukhara's divine ears, it sounded more like a blessing. "But first, he needs to recover, once that happens, let him decide what he wants to do."

"And how about Omega, did you check him too?" Mukhara moved to another subject.

"I did." joy shone through the receiver. "He's a ten year old child discovering the big wide world around him. He also had a stressful week, but he's already passed that. He does suffer from some cognitive dissonance, but with the life he had, it's practically a slap on the wrist."

Mukhara smiled as she sighed...finally some good news.

"Aw scrap!" She heard Omega yelp, and the saintly hermit watched in mild amusement as her beloved son playfully yeeted the mechanical beast back in the house through the kitchen window and onto the couch.

"Score!" Karuna cheered.

Oh, Mukhara knew what her son had been planning, she just didn't expect it to word. "Phalgun, Call me back, I need to serve my son and our guest. Also, you should have your den of purring kittens by evening by the sound of it." She conveyed, her hyper sensitive ears could already pick up the heavy heartbeat and Radha-shyamasundara's muscle contracting.

Phalguni didn't even bother telling his elder in devotion good evening.

She grabbed her shaku, Omega may be like a child, but right now, his power and aggression were unbounded, he was no better than a rabid dog.

The walking Apocalypse tried to move from the couch, his digitally generated growls were horrible to Mukhara's ears and his intention…

was to get Karuna again…and it was somewhat playful despite his repent blood lust.

And yet, the blonde menace. another one. Remained on the couch...the one Yavatā had been reading on for the last two hours. Unbothered by his brother's goofy trick and the murderous Shikaisen.

After taking a hard look at robo-rapunzel, Mukhara noticed that his head gem was flashing and that Omega was listless despite his strong desire to rip everyone and everything apart.

'Ah...so this poor soul cannot move his vessel if his battery's to low.' Good thing to know.

Yavatā fearlessly moved behind the 'god' of destruction, removed his helmet and began to massage his head. And soon enough, the highly destructive Doll was rendered no more dangerous than a purring pile of hardware...it helped that Karuna, having entered the house through the same window, re-braided his hair and re-tied his overly frilly ribbon.

"Heh...You know, I thought our time in the bathroom was a good indication of your strength Omega." Karuna spoke with a broad smile. "Glad to see I was wrong."

Omega mumbled something as a few stray strands of hair sought out the power outlet. But before they could connect the low-battery blonde to Mayapur's generator, Yavatā grabbed the living hair and handed them back to Karuna who quickly finished the braid. Mukhara's Blue haired son took the end of it and Plugged Omega in, remembering to turn the outlet on.

"Seriously, Megha, I think you're the greatest sparring partner ever!"

Omega smirked. "Eh...wait until I'm fully charged. Weed."

"Oh? You want some more snookums?"

The wicked smirk on the androids face fell, replaced by sheer and utter confusion. "Snookums?"

Mukhara chuckled as she floated over and deposited the lovingly prepared maha-prasadam snack tray in front of her son's and their new friends. "It's an affectionate name. My son really took a shine to you."

Once again, Omega looked at the saintly Mukhara with plenty of confusion. Thankfully, Yavatā and Karuna-Sindhu came to his rescue. Slinging a pair of arms each over the doll's shoulder.

"What she means, Omega, is that we really like you!"

"Really? Why?" Omega asked, not willing to accept that someone liked him. And yet, starving for love and affection like a drowning man desires air.

'Poor child.'

The two sons of Mukhara hugged the android, making his eyes bulge in sheer surprise. "Because you're nice! You fight well, your well behaved, your kind and you didn't kill anyone on the way here..." Karuna-sindhu spoke affectionately while Yavatā nodded emphatically. "Your also very dear to Krishna, and I personally adore those whom Krishna love also...and we just do, sweet heart."

"A...Ah!" Omega hunched over, and if he would have blood, then his cheeks would have shamed the Lord's gloriously red lips.

After his...episode, The X like woman had decided that Zero needed a nice long walk to clear his head. The Red legend had been reluctant, citing that with how he looked, he would have garnered too much attention from the pilgrims if he were to go out as he was.

Usually, when more or less prepared. He could somewhat pass for a human wearing thick body Armor. But with his shoulder joint, wires and conduit exposed, it was clear he was not made of flesh.

Oh, and his exposed core was also a huge give-away.

Mandodari, being both stubborn and resourceful, had dragged a very wobbly Zero to the apartment, helping him up the stairs.

It was only the fact that she sort of looked like X made the whole humbling endeavor somewhat tolerable.

Once in, the plump woman had once again dragged Zero in the room she was staying at, it was...not quite cluttered, but her filling system was the definition of organized chaos. There, she grabbed from one of her suitcases a white cotton fabric with a red border, and a green, knitted poncho with a hood.

She tied the white fabric around Zero hips, expertly folding it to make a pair of pants. Then she had covered his body with the green poncho, effectively hiding his mangled arms. She also covered his feet with a pair of thick socks, making the act of standing and walking without falling more difficult than it had any right too.

She had been about to cover his head with the hood when Zero flatly informed her that it would cause him to overheat in forty minute.

Mandodari had comically paused, then she went to another one of her numerous luggage to pull out a broken pair of headphones, telling that they broke on the way there. She snapped the one remaining ear cup off and after some more adjustment, put it on Zero's head. Praying to God that no monkeys would try to steal it.

Imperceptibly, Zero used his Nanites to practically glue the piece of soft material to his head…Unwilling to lose the broken piece of junk.

He dared not to say but...he…liked the woman. There was just this light about her… this aura of good.

Her mere presence seemed to chase away the perpetual gloom in his heart.

She could not replace X...no one could, but she…

she was…

special.

Eventually, Mandodari led Zero out, once again helping the now hidden reploid down the stairs as she babbled about Vrindavan and the surrounding areas.

Apparently, the place they were at was a holy place. Or the Holy Dhama, none different from the spiritual world. It was the sacred place where God himself had appeared in an eternal play.

God being Krishna.

Mandodari had explained that while it may seem a part of the Material world, Sri-Vrindavan Dham was not a material place and that whatever he saw at the moment was but a mere skin of illusion over the eternal and ever existing spiritual reality.

A reality in which the ground was made of Cintamani gems, or philosopher's stone in innumerable color, hue and type. Where trees would give whatever one would desire, same with the cows, cows that would give unlimited milk from their overflowing udders. There, Krishna was eternally served by billions of Cowherd girls more qualified than Lakshmi-ji and more chaste and dedicated than Krishna's queens.

In this transcendental land, the citizens are of different types in form, but all are equal in their consciousness and intelligence, the trees, the stones, sticks, wind, birds, beasts, rivers, and plants all had the sentience, intelligence and knowledge that went beyond that of Brahma-ji had. And what to speak of those pure souls who had perfect human form.

In this land were time, 'death', old age and disease were but decorative ornaments in Govinda-deva's eternal pastime, the stages of life were merely a form the pure souls would take to give unlimited pleasure to Radha-Krihsna. For all were eternally young and blissful by nature.

There, every step is a dance, and every word is a song, pure love, unalloyed and spontaneous love for Govinda, Krishna is the rule, the life and the very soul of the land.

Mandodari spoke in blue streaks, and it seemed that the amount of data stream she desired to upload in Zero's system file exceeded the capacity on her mouth. She jumped from one topic to the next, touching, hinting, and following threads of thought only she had the map to.

And Zero listened, he followed her confusing trains of thought, her loud voice, her sometimes monotonous phrases, and over-dramatic display. he...he couldn't help it.

"So yeah, Vraja-Mandala is not of this world, it's the highest spiritual abode of God manifested on earth for Radha-Krishna's divine pleasure." She explained as she helped Zero down and stair and to the main gate, the guard staring at Zero.

Under scrutiny, Zero remained unmoving, unwilling to show weakness to this short, dark skinned man with a big stick and a machine gun.

Then he smiled, showing bloody red teeth. "Radhe Radhe!"

"Radhe Radhe!" Mandodari answered in kind, raising her arms above her head.

"ah….Radhe Radhe?" Zero ventured.

The gate guard stared at the reploid, his blackish gaze never leaving him. Then, he repeated even more enthusiasm. "Radhe Radhe!"

Mandodari repeated the same four syllables, her enthusiasm as loud as her echoing voice.

Zero gritted his teeth...and

'RADHE! RAHDE!'

"Jai Jai!" The guard cheered, just like the plump Mandodari who, for some obscure reason, cheered even louder. Doing those childlike jumps...kind of like an oversized Alouette.

In the distance, The red so-called legend heard some peacock (it must be, Cyber-peacock sounded the same.) screamed in the distance. Same with some humans who were nearby.

It echoed from every stone and the few trees peppered here and there. it was like the very land sung thins name.

Despite himself, a smile drew itself from Zero's lips.

"Hey! there's a smile!" Mandodari spoke with joy, a joy so strong, it seemed to pierce Zero's stone cold heart and wound the dark cloud that was there. "Wow, you look so much better...Thank you Radha! Thank you Krishna." With those words, she took Zero's wrist…

Or she would, would he still have arms.

"Ah...er."

"I can walk...lead the way."

All of a sudden, the security guard made a sound of protest. "He! You be polite with Swamini, you say please!"

Stared at the guard, whose dark eye had taken a hard edge. And then back to Mandodari whose cheeks had gotten even redder...along with the rest of her face.

"Please, lead the way." He tried again.

The guard made a gurgling of approval, and Mandodari walked forward and out to the open.

For Zero, who hadn't walked in a week, this was an opportunity to re-calibrate his gyroscope and depth perception.

The streets were very narrow and made of cobblestones, on every surface was a blue and yellow circle with 'sri-Radha' written in it. there were some remnants of advertisement...some newer, some old. Dust was everywhere, as was trash…

"It used to be worse." she commentated.

But to Zero...it was a sign of life. Of human life.

Hogs and their family happily slept and foraged in the open air sewers, goats chewed on plant fiber bags and dogs sniffed around for their next meals, others were curled together in the shade.

The temperature was high, but after dwelling in the desert for so long, Zero's system had gotten used to it.

But what really caught Zero's Audio was the gleeful scream of children playing in the streets, the Muslim's prayers, and once again, the Maha-Mantra resounding around the small hill barely peaking above the flat roof of dusty brick house.

"What is this place?" Zero asked. He knew where he was, since Mandodari had explained to him in detail what Vrindavan was. He just wanted to know his exact location since India was quite a big continent.

"This is the one quiet place in the Radha-Kund area. In Lalita-nagara." Mandodari explained. "Years Ago Mukhara had her first Vraja-Mandala Parikrama and was appalled at what she saw. For her, the pile of trash and the uncontrollable urban development left a bad taste in her mouth so, being very dear to Lakshmi devi, she went to all land-holder and bought the entirety of Vrindavan, Nanda-grama, Varsana, Dauji and Goverdhana hill. Then, seeing that she still had some cash left, she paid the Clean the dham, clean the heart initiative to have an operation there. That's why it's so clean and there's trash bins everywhere right now." She gestured to those overflowing blue barrels and bins.

"Mukhara also made plastic illegal in her land and taught the Vraja-vasis how to make bags and baskets out of plant fibers. So most of the trash you see is cow and pig safe." she pointed at a pile of refuse and a family of wild pigs happily munching on it.

"uh...I see." Zero murmured as he watched the completely organic creatures live and frolic. free of fears and anxiety.

"Those Pigs...they are actually great Devotee's, you know?"

Zero turned to the plump woman, staring at her as he tried to compute what she had just said. "But...those are animals. Only humans can worship God...right?" That was one of the points Srila-Prabhupada stressed. About how the human form of life was the most precious and important for, as a human, one could ask the important and deep questions like why were they suffering and what was the ultimate goal of life.

An animal form of life meant that those souls were just interest in eating, sleeping, sex and fearing…

It was then that Zero realized that the vast majority of human life on earth acted no better than animals.

"Nope." Mandodari shook her head and she began walking again. "Bhakti is available to everyone. Whether an animal, a plant of a bug, the souls' the same and thus service to Bhagavan is the right of all...it's also a privilege."

"I see."

"You see Zero, We are all from the spiritual sky. Some of us are from one of the numberless Vaikuntha planets serving Vishnu, the Ayodya Planet serving King Rama or from Vrindavan serving the lotus feet of Radha-Krishna. Some are also from Maha-Vishnu effulgence. They 'start from' his Brahma Jyoti where it's a coin toss whether they go to the material world for selfish enjoyment or the spiritual world to self-less enjoyment.

"hmm." Zero nodded.

"Animals, Ghost, Dolls, reploids, Humans, man, woman, gay, straight, black, white, fat, skinny, American, Russian and whatever designation you can think of is illusory. For in reality, we are the spirit soul in different shirts. And at the end of life, we just change shirts."

"Reincarnation."

"Yep!" Mandodari confirmed. "This body's really just a cage for the eternal soul. A costume and a role forced upon us by our own previous choice and action." She explained as she resumed her walk, holding a reversible umbrella above her head. "The human form of birth is the most precious and rare, but to take birth as anything in Vraja, even as a maggot crawling in crap's better then taking birth as Brahma."

"Huh, really?"

Mandodari turned to Zero, her eyes glowing with bliss. He had never seen someone so...effulgent in his entire life.

"Mes en! This is why we have to respect even the lowly blade of grass and the ants; by the way, watch your steps Zero-Prabhu, you don't want to step on anything."

Immediately, Zero's eyes went to the ground and, with his targeting system, spotted each and every individual ants and other insignificant creatures crawling on the ground. And instead of tracking their movement for eventual displacement, he marked them all as objects to be avoided.

Once that was done, he turned his attention back to Mandodari. The plump, X-like woman was looking at him with the same curiosity as a child.

"I made sure I would not step on ants." Zero curtly explained.

"hmm." Mandodari gave a grunt and a nod. "Nice… Now c'mon, I want to show you Radha-Kunda and Shyama-Kunda. Maybe I'll have enough time to reach Govardhan hill. How are you holding up Prabhu?"

"It's Zero...ma'am." The reploid tried being polite.

Mandodari nodded. "Yes...Zero-Prabhu. Do you need to rest Prabhb...ah , I get it." she smiled as she absentmindedly twirled her star filled umbrella. "Prabhu means Master, it's a sign of respect we Vaishnava use with one another." She resumed her walk, unwilling and unable to stay in one place for too long it seemed.

Zero trailed behind her as she rambled on and on about Vaishnava etiquette, friends, pastimes, and the like. In no time, they reached a very busy area. It was filled with humans of different races, ages, and height.

Zero never saw so many healthy humans in one place...not after this hellish war anyway. It was...overwhelming to say the least.

"Hey, Prabhuji, are you alright?" Mandodari inquired.

"Humans...I never saw so many in my life." No, not even in those concerts X would drag him to. Those humans glowed with spiritual vim, all were dressed in traditional cloth and all came from Russia it seems.

"Oh, that's just the russian-Yatra. Wait until you see the chinese and bengali-Yatra." Mandodari spoke with a grin. "Actually, the Russian Yatra Is the most impressive since it only took two sincere young men meeting Srila-Prabhupada over seventy years ago during the Stalin era. Now decades later and they finally have a dedicated village in Vraja and Mayapur."

Zero stared at her as he computed what Mandodari had just spoken.

The event she had described had happened a bit over seventy years ago…

They were in 2040…

It was not 2247...or 2347.

In essence, Zero and Omega had traveled through time to an era X longed to experience.

At this very moment, Zero felt the dizzying realization of his position. He was now in an era in which he was not active yet…

Never in his life did he feel so...he felt his world tilt on his axis.

"ZERO!" Mandodari yelped as she tried to catch Zero as he crashed to the ground, but being too heavy for her, he fell in the dust anyway.

It felt...as if he had fallen in an embrace, he closed his eyes as he willed his software to re-calibrate.

When he reopened his eyes, he was surrounded by the devotee's, some were forming a safe perimeter around him, and most chanted the Maha-mantra in a melody he'd never heard before.

He remembered a conversation he had heard from Mandodari to the blond woman...about how the Hare-Krishna Maha-Mantra was none different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Meaning that Krishna had been with him since the moment he'd been out of space and into this mysterious and powerful blonds arm.

He had been with him when Omega was found by Karuna-Sindhu...and The Lord never left him for a second.

If he had working tear ducts like his X, they would be pouring rivers… 'It's unfair...God...Krishna...why? Why me?'

'Oh Krishna...leave me alone and go to him….got to X,"

"save him.'

And thus, Zero prayed...it had worked once, it had to work again…

otherwise…

in the dark confine, a figure in blue remained unmoving. Hooked to a machine that prevented death to free him.

He had suffered tremendously, had been torture needlessly, but the worst had been to see his Life-Partner die…

again…

and again…

and again…

But now...he was out...he was free…His suffering was over...

This...was all he needed… even if his torture would not end...knowing that His Zero was safe...that he was Free was enough…

Then...through the static...he heard it…

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare