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Shin Hyakuji High School Tvtropes
The Book that is Hyakuji's Story has come to a close. However, there are still plenty of stories left to be told in the madcap Anime Universe it inhabits. As one book closes, so too does another open. Presented by veteran Hyakuji Staff Members, check out the next generation EVOLUTION of "Anything-Goes" Anime Roleplaying at Senki Academy
The Book that is Hyakuji's Story has come to a close. However, there are still plenty of stories left to be told in the madcap Anime Universe it inhabits. As one book closes, so too does another open. Presented by veteran Hyakuji Staff Members, check out the next generation EVOLUTION of "Anything-Goes" Anime Roleplaying at Senki Academy
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| Hyakuji 20XX GAIDEN - The End | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 23 2009, 05:32 PM (4,429 Views) | |
| Katyusha | Feb 27 2009, 12:14 PM Post #16 |
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少し, 頭冷やそうか...
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[BGM - Start] Hyakuji Exact Date Unknown, Year 20xx It seemed like an eternity since those times. Life was good for a majority of the population. Distant battlefields were just that, distant. Death, destruction, the horrors of war and the desperation of day to day survival were foreign things seen on the news to be pitied, but nothing that actually affected them directly. All it took was one second for everything to change. When 'that' started, it was simply something that was beyond the ability of the common man to grasp. Was such not the realm of science fiction? It couldn't possibly be happening. A flash of blinding white light, and it was over. A once proud, majestic city was reduced to ruins by one of mankind's most terrifying discoveries: Nuclear Weapons. The number of casualties were beyond counting. One terrying stroke seemed to signal the end of organised resistance against the new world order. However, right before the nuclear strike, forces within in the city managed to obtain information pertaining to the attacks and acted accordingly. A fraction of Hyakuji's population was able to escape the initial onslaught. Refusing to accept orders from the new administration, they began to parley with them. They requested for their arrest warrants to be rescinded, the restoration of the affected areas and a return to Status Quo Ante. However, their requests were repeatedly denied. Hiro Tsukasa was declared the ringleader of a rebellion, and all the remaining survivors from Hyakuji were stripped of their rights, and declared an illegal force that plots to destroy the new peace and order. In order to quell remaining survivors, the Machine emperor founded Neo-Arcadia, ostensibly to safeguard the peace. One of the many units that comprised it... ![]() To the resistance, they were known simply as 'the betrayers'. As with many things in history however, things were not so simple. Most wars were fought not simple skirmishes between good and evil, but conflicting ideals, of which none were ever clearly in the right. Date Unknown, Area Eleven Garrison, 108th Division Headquarters There is a saying. On the battlefield, there is no place for hope. What lies there is only cold despair, and a sin called victory, built upon the pain of the defeated. The world as is, and human nature as always, it would be impossible to eliminate battles. In the end, killing is a necessary evil - and if so, it would be best to end them with the greatest efficiency and the least cost, least time. Do not call it foul, for it is necessary. Justice alone cannot save the world. It was something Miyuki Takamachi had believed in deeply. It was impossible to make everyone happy afterall. However innocent and pure a wish it may be, it was also one that reality could not support. Sometimes, to ensure the happiness of the majority, you had to sacrifice a small minority. She was an oddity among the administration's forces. She was one of very few rare individuals who'd remained purely biological, despite the decrees. She was also considered by some as one of the most dangerous elements in the command structure. Afterall, why would a pure human fight one of their own? She was an anomaly in that, she had no love for machines, and yet no hatred of humans either. Nor did she hate the machines. She simply did what she could to maintain order, and that was noticed. She was almost mechanical in the way she thought. Minimise the damage, maximise the effect, be as effecient as possible and reduce the amount of damage done while hurting the enemy's will to fight. In fact, the 108th Division itself was an oddity. Consisting of human cyborgs as it's main force rather than pure machines and circuitry like other units, they were also one of the most effective units in battle. The fact they were human was perhaps the reason for it. Not because of any innate talent, but simply because they were people who sided with the machines, and the psychological effect it had on the resistance. Regardless, they were still viewed with the most suspicion by many of the machines for the same reason they were hated by the resistance. "I don't see why this is a problem really. Homo sapiens have always been trying to replace itself." said the machine representative "A transitional species really. Not even 200,000 years... Neanderthals lasted longer." ![]() "It's not something I would expect you to understand." Miyuki replied calmly as she sat across the table. "All they want is the choice whether to do so or not, and not have some arbitrary consequence tacked on." Her expression seemed quite irritated with her guest, the 'Governor' for the area. "Evolution and extinction change the path, not the direction. It's an ancient thing, transcending lives and species. If only they understood what they hated, they too would evolve beyond fear, beyond ignorance, why, even beyond death." "Social Darwinism again?" she asked mockingly "Even Darwin himself disputed that. Evolution happens by itself when it's necessary for survival, and when it isn't happening, it's because it isn't needed. One has to wonder if you ever paid any attention in biology class." "And what about you? You're practically a machine yourself without the parts. The way you think, the way you work, you've strived to be a machine all your life. I've read your file. Cold and precise for a non-augment, the very fact you're even here despite being biological speaks volumes of you." "That's besides the point. I still believe people should be able to choose their own path, and endure the consequences of their own choices. I've chosen the way I live after thinking about it and deciding on this path. They should have a chance to do the same." "They chose extinction of their own volition. We were ready to let them die because they wouldn't throw away their humanity, but no, we offered another chance to become part of something greater and transcend the human condition, and yet there was still resistance." "Tell me, do you really think humans would go quietly?" the woman asked bitterly "Those people... they're naive and terrified. Are you so far gone that you don't realise how far they might go just to matter again? The horribe risks they'd go through to prove they're worth something?" "And wouldn't that go against the peace that was your dream?" the Machine asked smugly "Come now, battle and bloodshed over a few thousand people? What's the relevance? Where's the efficiency?" "The relevance is we struck first. It wouldn't have escalated this far if we hadn't." "And you know that for sure?" he asked, still sounding smug. It was of course, impossible to know. "...No, I don't." Miyuki admitted "But the probability it would have is far far less. There is nothing efficient about what the machine emperor is doing either. If he'd just left them alone, eventually it would have sorted itself out as people slowly accepted it... but to use nuclear weapons so flagrantly, I can't be the only one to think this is purely insane." "Questioning the machine emperor? This isn't boding well for your loyalty you know." "I don't remember selling my soul. You know it's true, this whole thing is pointless. It's just another brand of segregation and apartheid, and no good can come from it." "So you're saying we're wrong?" "No, I'm saying that this whole war is pointless. This isn't clear cut good versus evil... this is just one good fighting another good, and maybe one... perhaps both sides are misguided. Either way, this could have been avoided. They're causing alot of unnecessary damage as well, and hurting even normal people who simply decided to become machines." "So why fight then?" "I'm just doing what I've always done... minimise losses and trying to prevent it from getting out of hand." she shrugged "People rarely like having it pointed out that these groups are terrorists from the point of view of anyone who disagrees with them and the innocent bystanders who may get caught up in the crossfire" "So you're doing this out of a sense of justice? How outdated of you." "Are you going to misinterpret everything I said?" Miyuki asked dryly "If there's going to be death and bloodshed, I just want to get it over with before it ends up destroying everything." Near the Minami Kanto Gas Field (南関東ガス田), One of the Many battles between Neo-Arcadia and the Hyakuji Remnant ![]() Her eyes seemed almost emotionless as she gave the orders. One of the factions from the Hyakuji remnant had managed to break through the front lines of the conflict, and deployed forces to sieze the Minami Kanto gas fields. Fielding troops capable of flight, it had outmaneouvred and defeated the force originally deployed against it and were attempting to take the reserves. A large gas field west of Tokyo, in the Chiba prefecture, the basin holds the most prolific natural gas reserves in Japan. Natural gas that could be used for power generators or vehicles, or even weapons. Although the field was important to the power generation infrastructure of Japan, it was only so for the civilian sector. The Neo-Arcadia military had little need for such things in it's own war effort, but the resistance could not entirely be choosy about how to meet it's power needs. Expecting such a strike, elements of the 108th Division were deployed there to maintain control and prevent a disruption to the power network. "I still don't get it." wondered one of her staff officers aloud "Why attack this place? It isn't going to damage the war effort in any way. It's a civilian facility." "Because when you're cornered and have nothing to lose, you do desperate things to stay alive. Natural gas isn't a very important fuel for the military, no, but they can use it to power turbines and generators, and alot of things they need electricity for." "So much for their La Resistance image huh?" "However much resistance forces are glamourised in fiction, these groups are terrorists from the point of view of anyone who disagrees with them and the innocent bystanders who may get caught up in the crossfire." "I thought they claimed to stood for justice. ![]() The chilly winter air made her breath visible as she observed the aerial battle. It was beyond the visual range of most people, and barely visible from this distance to many of those with augmented vision, but even with her own eyes, she could see the puffs of black smoke from charges detonating in the air, and the tracer rounds trying to intercept the mages. She was broken from her reverie by a question from the staff officer that stood beside her. "What about us Sir?" her subordinate asked "Even us." she nodded. Miyuki was under no illusions about what they were doing, and yet saw the necessity of it, and that was that. It had to be done. "Especially those idiots who think purging all biologicals is the solution to this." She sighed again and shook her head. "And that's what got us into this mess in the first place." she added bitterly. There seemed to be an awkward, infinitely long moment of silence. "Sir?" he asked for his superior's attention again "Hmmm?" "Are we doing the right thing?" the question seemed abit weak. ... She kept herself from smiling at that. Really, were people and machines so different something like this was inevitabe? No, they weren't. Perhaps it was because they were so similar yet so different that cyborgs, androids, and machines of the ilk were so reviled by the anti-machine facton. But really... what was a human anyway? At what point did humans stop being human? A heart implant? Any mechanical aid? A full body conversion? But such was a question of philosophy that didn't belong on the battlefield. In battle, there was no time to show pity or remorse for your enemy. Before or after perhaps, but never in one. "Do you know who decides what 'the right thing' is, lieutenant?" The young android shook his head. "The people who survive. War never decides who's right, just who's left. Now get back to work, you have a job to do." To be continued... |
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| Maldaine | Feb 28 2009, 05:58 PM Post #17 |
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More than a Ghost on a Shipwreck
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Area: Undisclosed Time: 1:37am Year: 20xX The beat was fast. The trumpets pumping and the clarinets blazed their way through the notes and the rhythms created by the composer. A soft snap could be heard through the roaring symphony, and through the power of the big band. Without a doubt this was a melody that would shake the ages, yet there was really no one left to hear it. Then a dramatic shift in the music occurred. It was now a smooth melodic composition with drums, light guitar, but heavy vocals. Such a turn was disturbing, but mirrored the outside, and the inside. The tattled, wind blow hair, and the scarf that was unraveling slowly were all signs that perhaps this boy, or this man, was not right, inside or out. A shaky movement slipped from the wrist of the man; however, it was paranoid, like moving to wipe away some dust was wrong, almost like it was supposed to be there, and in a way it was. “Been planning, and planning, and now that it’s almost over, what do I do?” An eerie laugh continued from these words, like they were a laugh in themselves but it just took a while to understand that. It was a laugh of desperation, a laugh of joy, a laugh of hard work completed, and a laugh of exhaustion. Within that laugh, all emotions were gathered, and in that laugh all emotion died. The shaky hand wiped the dust away. The music had become quieter now. It was almost inaudible, but it grew fast and loud. It was a mirror to the heart rate of this man. There was passion, it was almost complete and there was enthrallment. A life long dream had finally become the reality that it needed to be, but who could justify that what he was doing was right? Certainly this man couldn’t. He wasn’t even lucid of the repercussions, only that it must be done. The way the dynamics of the music changed to the rhythm of his heart only told the man deeper that it was almost time. God was willing it. “Just a few more wires, then it’ll be ready.” The man flipped the scarf over his shoulders so that it wouldn’t be burnt by the welding wand. He connected the red wires, the blue, the green, and then the black. He proceeded to place the paper cover over the contraption. It was finished. The room was certainly disheveled and messy. There were wires sprawled around the room, as well and thousands of sheets of paper. There were very few food stuffs around, and what was there was almost gone. It was like this man knew that it was time to leave and so he didn’t want to leave anything perishable behind, since there wasn’t much left around anyway. There were a couple of clippings from Newspapers before they stopped being in circulation all together. The latest one claimed that, “THE PAPER BOMBER HAD STRUCK AGAIN.” Every time the man looked up at that he would smile, but there was more sadness in that smile, as though he hated that he was the one that they were talking about. “They can’t see the point…no one can, but me…” He began to give a laugh again; this one was more of a sob than a laugh though. Before long, tears had begun to stream from his eyes and cleared the dust and soot creating paths of pale skin behind the black exterior. The shaky hand moved back up to the face and wiped the tears away, and much of the dust with them. “To think, Evan died, and all that’s left is the Paper Bomber…” Evan Krenchitz couldn’t believe it himself, but he was simply a man now, one that blew up buildings, but a man all the same. He wasn’t a Paper Bomber. He was a freer of people, or at least that was the way that he saw it. The machines ran those papers anyway, they didn’t know anything, or they just slandered it. He only targeted two types of buildings, the ones that were completely controlled by the machine armies and what not, and then those that were tied to Neo-Arcadia, and that was the beauty of this plan. The finale was certainly the most exciting of them all. “How long have I been underground now?” It wasn’t literal, but of course he was an underground organization all his own, and it was a surprise that he hadn’t been discovered by now. He was so bad at being a ‘terrorist,’ as the papers called him, that he left clues to most of his bases and would have to leave. “I’m not a terrorist, am I?” “No, you aren’t. They call you one because you are trying to stop them…that doesn’t make you a terrorist though.” He answered himself, answered himself as a completely different person, but then again…it sounded more like he was Evan Krenchitz when he answered and the Paper Bomber when he asked. Evan’s head turned to the rear door, the trap door. He had set it up so he would know if something was coming. He had gotten smarter as he had to move from base to base. “Maybe I can go to the Elemancer’s Tower. I hear there was some sort of resistance there before. But I don’t really know how much longer I can go on without any food or anything…” He was still all human, and he still had some powers with paper left, and that was about all that had helped him to survive for this long. He had long abandoned Arcadia, and he was going to get them back, that was all that he knew. They had been encroaching on this city, and he was tired of it. It was his city, and he wanted it. “Well, it looks like it’s time to leave yet again. You were a stable home, and a good friend. I’m sorry that you have to be destroyed, but you must. I hope that you can realize that I love you, and that the reason you will fall is so that we can rise; a phoenix from the ashes, any other cliché that you want to use, or any metaphor that can fit there as well. I love you and you me. After this, I’m dead, and after this, I’m alive again. Good bye Paper Bomber and welcome back Evan Krenchitz…the boy without a childhood.” Evan connected the very last wire that needed to be connected. He seemed stronger when that connection was made, like he had completed the circuit to himself, not just a bomb. This bomb was him. He was freeing himself with this one. The rest were the other people that he had lost to the fire, dead, and alive…and those that were metal now. Every bomb stood for something. “The buildings had fallen once, and they can fall one more time…this is for you.” He pulled his scarf off, the last thing that signified him as the paper bomber, and placed it on the work bench that he had been sitting at. He switched off the lights and left through the real exit of the building. He moved silently through the desolated town, looking fresh compared to it, and feeling fresh and new as well. This was probably the only thing that was going to save him. “Friend…that bomb was for you, Jameson.” There had been two bombs in that building, the only one with two bombs. If he was going to die and be reborn…he was going to do it with the only company he truly knew. Evan turned his back, and then thirty seconds later a huge series of bombs began to go off around the city, and leveling buildings. Each building having a specific name, and upon careful inspection, and placing the anogram in the right order, the buildings would come up with the letters… “N.E.O. A.R.C.A.D.I.A. S.U.C.K.S.” The buildings fell to create a big NO sign, like those of the no-smoking variety. So in essence, everything he stood for was in those bombs. His hopes… His dreams… His future… And possible others futures… The bombs were certainly destructive, but it was still a point to be made… “Now…which way to the Elemancer’s Tower?” Evan took one last look at his work, one that no one would care about, one that would probably mean nothing to anyone…but at least it meant something to him…and that was the first time in a long time that had occurred. With that, he began to move to the North. The Elemancer’s Tower was that way; he could see it like a beacon on the horizon. Edited by Maldaine, Feb 28 2009, 06:10 PM.
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| Yosuke | Mar 7 2009, 02:45 AM Post #18 |
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Her mission was done. The Lansters weren't wiped out this time around as Elza was able to turn the tables on the attacker, succeeding in changing her doomed "future". She worked hard and finally obtained it...! With a great burden lifted off her shoulders the woman all but fell asleep...proud that she had accomplished what she had set out to do. However... The future Elza fought for. The future she had been given a second chance in an attempt to change it. This future...was not it. Unfortunately, Elza would not be able to see this broken time, as she remained bed-ridden for some time now, comatose and unaware of what had happened to this time period. Maybe it was a blessing really...to learn that her efforts were in vain after all these years...maybe it was better for her to remain asleep. To learn that her dearest friends were gone...along with those she loved may be too much for the woman. And so she remains in an eternal dream... A one man battle. Perhaps charging headfirst into the horde was not the best of ideas, but it was just his style. The red Rider simply drove into the mass of machines on his Kabuto Extender, kunai gun brandished in one hand shooting as many as he possibly could. But it was endless. No matter how many he destroyed, two would replace the fallen ones immediately. But he would smash them all the same. Numbers meant nothing to the manly man...even if they were about to launch a bunch of missiles at him. "...Tch." He flipped the horn on his Kabuto Zecter, along with a switch on the Extender, which caused a number of the armored panels loosen up. "Cast off...!" [CAST OFF] The command was made and the horn locked itself into place, causing the loosened armor panels on both the Rider and the bike to fly about in every direction, stopping incoming projectiles and machines alike. After the front fairing cleared, the front wheel separated in two, allowing the front chassis to sink and the Ex horn to show itself. All the while, Kabuto's own horn raised up, and for a brief second his eyes flashed. [CHANGE BEETLE] "The real fight starts now..." Yosuke muttered as he watched, even with the wide area attack he had yet to deal a significant dent into the advance forces. He had something in mind but he didn't want to use it yet...it was far too early. So his advance continued, using the Ex Horn to ram into whatever got into his way, sure he had less armor now but to make up for it he had a lot more offense. And it was time to use the "trump" of the Rider form. "...Clock Up." Yosuke spoke quietly, slapping a button on the left side of his belt, and in an instant, everything around him froze, time had slowed for everyone but Yosuke. [CLOCK UP] He didn't have long though, the Clock Up system was meant to deal with Worms who also had the ability to manipulate time like this...not massive armies. Even then the system was straining as it is. Every second counted. Grunt after grunt fell, and with every one that passed, Yosuke was feeling the strain on his body, zipping through the advance forces all the while. Soon enough the Clock Up systems safety would kick in, so he would use the last of it for one more attack...! [ONE] [TWO] [THREE] The corresponding buttons were pressed on his Zecter, before he seemingly stopped his bike and stood on the Ex Horn. "Rider Kick." [RIDER KICK] He flipped the horn on the zecter once more, causing a surge of Tachyon energy to pass through the zecter and onto his helmet's horn, where the energy was refined and sent all the way to his right foot. The Ex Horn acted like a springboard as it launched Yosuke into the air, to which he then kicked one of the larger machines with his finisher, seemingly, all the things he had attacked remained frozen in place when he hit the ground, before the Zecter let out a simple command as the safety kicked in. [CLOCK OVER] One by one the machines fell and exploded behind him...but as usual, they were easily replaced. And with his apparent control over time now revealed...well, he made himself an even bigger target. "...I guess red is a good color for me." he mused, laughing bitterly as he drew his kunai gun once more. It was apparent though that his arm was shaking as he wielded it...his insides took as much as a beating as he dished out thanks to Clock Up, and he still hadn't done anything to push the machines back...! Edited by Yosuke, Mar 7 2009, 02:50 AM.
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| Cypriss | Mar 7 2009, 07:46 AM Post #19 |
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"Rihito.." A small voice said. Plump fingers pushing against his features. Rihito's eyes slowly flickered open as he eyed a small child. Large green eyes staring back into him with a naive expression of concern. "Rihito San, wake uuup I'm hungry.." She said in a whiny voice. He entire hand wrapped around a single of the mans fingers as she tugged at him to try to make him move. "Ri-hi-to-saaaan!" She said tugging until her weak grip failed and she stumbled backwards to land on her little rump. However before she did Rihito pinched her shirt between to fingers. Keeping her from falling over. His haze eyes shifted to the girl. He released her. He tiny legs carried her with the unstable steps of a child that was still learning to walk and run on her own. He words held an accent that displayed her lack of the finer grasp of the language. He messy brown hair danced in front of her green eyes. In her own way, for a child, she was lovely. Rihito slowly stood. His form towered over the tiny child. He reached down and plucked her up much to her protest. "Rihitoo! I can waaalk!" She proclaimed in a whining voice.Rihito's expression softened a bit as he ran his fingers through he hair. "I know you can.. Please allow me the privilege to carry you though, ojou-sama.." He said in a charming voice which seemed to cause the girl to quieten down a bit. He smiled contentedly towards her before stepping away from the crumbling structure they had used for shelter. It had been a few weeks since he'd met this child. Crying and alone in the middle of a sea of nothing. It was impossible, a child left alone and yet somehow alive in this wasteland. Not mechanized and not captured she was an enigma. How she had gotten there perplexed him. But it awakened something in Rihito, a desire that had been dead. A hope whose light had been long since extinguished. The desire to serve another. Selene, his former mistress, where had he gone wrong in his efforts to guide her down the path of life that she had turned out with this sort of desire? To not only accept the process of casting off her human body but to also hunt down her former classmates. Had it been Rihito's fault? Had him pushing her towards success made her forget her principals? Had he made her loose her way with his attempts to put her on the path towards becoming a proper heiress? The guilt of a man who had failed to serve his master was great, but to have allowed someone to come into existence with such a vast darkness in their hearts that they would be capable of all of this was more than a blunder. It was proof of his own inadequacy as a butler. His own failure to understand his master's needs and to facilitate them. It was in this pain that Rihito's heart had become hardened to the world. And then there in the rubble of a dying world he found a child.. His eyes snapped back to reality as he heard a cough. He sighed, patting the girl's back. This persistent cough had been with her since they had first met. At first he'd offered to heal her but she had refused. And she hadn't been to greatly affected by it so he saw no harm in it. Besides, the weakness meant he had a reason to carry her. To protect her, and he felt a great solace in that. The ability to serve someone again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rihito had been with this girl for well over a year. Each day growing closer to the child. He no longer needed to carry her everywhere. She could walk on her own. He'd begun teaching her. Small things at first. Spelling, reading, and history. Not a great deal but enough so that she was current with her young age. It was a good way to pass the time. And it helped distract them from the many losses of the rebellion that grew more frequent. Soon all of Hyakuji would be lost to the machines.. Soon the war would be over.. "I love oyu Rihito-san!" Rihito blinked and looked down. "W-what?" He said with a small laugh. The small girls cheeks turned red as she pulled at the hem of her dress. 'Don't make me repeat it.." She said bashfully as she pulled at the dress more. Fingers working into the cloth. Rhito's gaze softened a bit as he moved to one knee. What was this all of the sudden? Saying she loved him, it really was to much for him. Now he could begin to understand parenting, and maybe even the way a father felt. Placing a hand on her head and rubbing her hair. "I love you too, Ojou-Sama." He said with a small smile. "Now come on, we don't have all day to spend in this place.." He said lightly. Taking her hand with his larger one and leading her away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A cough, a terrible cough that had been getting worse by the day. The girl couldn't walk anymore. He strength faded much too quickly. He was forced to carry her again. Just like he had four years ago when he had just found her. Now she was developing into a young lady and he was back to having to carry her like a child. All the while he asked her, pleaded with her, to let him heal her. To order him to use his magic. And all the while she refused.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another year went by, the girl must have been at least eight years old now. He hair was long and carefully tended. He skin was pale like the porcelain dolls of an era long gone. Her beautiful green eyes were as vibrant as ever though. However she seemed fatigued today. Sweat rolled down her cheek as she looked past Rihito into the nothingness beyond him. "Rihito..?" She said in a small voice. Staring at the wall "Y-yes..?" He choked out as he quickly stepped towards her. Bowing his head to the girl to hide his face. "Rihito would oyu mind doing me a favor..?" She said shifting her gaze to him and struggling to focus on him. "Of course not! Anything!" He said meaning it far more literally than most with his powers. "I want to see the sky.. and flowers.." She said in a weak voice. "I want to see that now.. more and more.." Before she oculd continue she would fund Rihito wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Why won't you order me to heal you? Why won't you let me take this away from you?!" He said. Trails of tears staining his cheeks. "Why..?" He said in a weaker voice. However after a moment of her silence he stepped back and scooped her into his arms. "Of course.. I'll fulfill your desire.." He said in a raspy voice. "An S-Class should be able to do at least this much.." And so he carried her up through their underground caverns for the first time in months. Away from the darkness to the world of light dominated by the machines. A world of light with no hope. A dark world of blinding brilliance. It was a world filled with things that would live forever and never be alive. It was a world of contradictions. A deeply flawed world with a black center. And yet it was what she wished for. He sat her down gently. His eyes drying from the tears. He leaned her against a piece of rubble. Her eyes gazed across a barren wasteland. Pat5ches of grass, and on her features a look of sadness appeared. No flowers, no beauty. Just a dead world. Rihito stepped in front of her. "Give me a few moments.." He said quietly. He drew forth his fast magic reserves. The nearly infinite depths of his magic surged forth from him as he forked it into the ground. Grass exploded outwards, vibrant green and beautiful. The flowers began to bud up from the ground in massive numbers. As far as they could see, flowers and fields of grass. But next came the trees. In mere moments they exploded across the field into colossal towering trees. Their bright green leaves seemed to shine with the same light as the girl's eyes. He turned to her. His face paled. He raised his hands to the sky, and a massive wind slit the very clouds apart, driving them away to reveal a deep blue sky. And he staggered forwards towards her. Eyes wide in amazement. Tears welled up in those beautiful green eyes and before long huge flowing rivers of tears erupted. And entire lifetime of sadness and loneliness culminated in this moment. Just once having seen the beautiful world it was only now she could appreciate the tragedy of her life having never seen it before. And in this joy she found the deepest sadness. Rihito stayed on one knee in front of her, panting heavily. Her tears slowed, and a smile formed as she eyed the beauty of this magically formed forest. Her eyes grew distant. he gaze became lucid. And then she saw nothing. Rihito collapsed forward and embraced her still form. Burying his face into her shoulder. His body was weak. He'd used everything he had in making this. He pushed himself to his very limits. The forest began to fade to brown almost as quickly as it had appeared. Rihito slowly rose. Moving his hand over her eyes to close them. The beautiful emerald orbs to never been seen again. His own hazel eyes began to lower. "Asmodeus.." He said lightly.. Turning his head around and looking right at the other man. The same age, but taller than Rihito. Rihito staggered forward and leaned against Deus. His body was loosing strength as the forest around him died. "Why did she choose to die..?" Asmodeus smiled fondly. Wrapping his arm around the boy he slowly moved him to the stone the girl was leaned against. He propped the man up and crouched beside him. "Why would she want to live..?" He replied calmly. "Because we had each other.. the life wasn't good but we were happy.." He said in an increasingly weak voice. Asmodeus smiled broadly, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Rihito, what you failed to realize.. what you fail to realize.. Is that this is all just an illusion, right? Pretending to be her father.. But her parents died long ago.." "Teaching her the history of a world with no future... How to write when there will soon be no one left to read.. It couldn't last.. So why NOT end it now? Why not go now while you're happy than in ten years when she is bitter? Maybe even she knew... on some level.. that this happiness was just a passing dream..." Rihito exhaled. A tree broke apart and crumbled into dust on the wind. "She was.. a proper lady though.." "She had an excellent butler to guide her.." "She was happy.." "And for a time, so where you.." "I can be satisfied if it's like this.." "You should feel proud.. You made flowers bloom in this place.." "You have the list, right? So you know her name.. the one her parents gave her.." "It was Hana.." "Flower?" "Flower." There was no reply to this, only the question and then a silence. Asmodeus moved his hands over his former friends eyes. Closing them forever. He stood slowly, a small frown over his features. He took his scythe in his right hand, deftly swinging it to pass through both forms. Sending both of them at once. He hesitated a moment before bending over and placing Rihito's hand over Hana's. And then he was gone.. It seemed this was as far as an S-Class butler could go... |
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| Amaya | Mar 7 2009, 08:51 PM Post #20 |
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Shocking
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The world was ending, but even that was no excuse to stop working. She had lost track of time, had lost track of the world itself as she worked. Locked away in the darkness of her lab, Lillian Arion toiled on and on and on while the world outside consumed itself. Sadly, she couldn’t locate her ‘son’ before it was too late, and now she had no idea where Kinclex could have wound up. Dead, with a new body, still alive. Who knew? Who cared. Somehow, Lillian wasn’t satisfied. The whole world was advancing, scientifically bettering itself and removing of most of the pathetic scum from itself, shaking free parasites as it shed its old flesh for the more alluring shimmer of chrome. But it wasn’t good enough. It was never good enough. Even with her lust for eternal life, Lillian had never considered becoming a machine. Perhaps she acted like one at times, but an actual transformation..? Locking herself away had been her rather blunt answer to these steps forward. She had collapsed the auxiliary building - what remained of it - and forcefully kept herself safe. Protected. Hidden. She’d have to stay ahead of this forward lunge, had to find a way to preserve her body and mind now that the option of asking Hiro for his silly ‘magic’ had passed… For a moment, the constant clicking of her fingers halted, her digits held frozen in midair. One hand very slowly moved to her neck, tracing slowly over the necklace Hiro had given her, caressing each stone, remembering the curves and the smooth surface, registering the picture into her mind. Her thoughts fluttered away to the almost forgotten feel of the man’s hands on her flesh. Miss Arion… I love the way you-… Her fingers flinched away from the necklace as if burned, and after a moment of silence the clicking began again. ============================================================================ She spent hours. Days. Years… The time fluttered by like a cliché mass of calendar pages tearing from their binding, and in the end… The only possible guinea pig was herself. So sure her math was correct, Lillian injected herself with her own modified version of the nanomachines she had been given from Doctor. “I’ll live forever.” ============================================================================ The experiment was a success. Lillian Arion ceased aging, but her mind continued to grow and stretch on and on and on as she continued to experiment, learn, grow… and the longer she went, the less and less she seemed to retain any of her humanity. She began to hunger for another human lab rat, a fresh, live body to test her theories on… someone she could keep alive and use over and over and over again… She’d have to venture to the surface. ============================================================================ It took a bit of doing, but Lillian was able to make her way out of the rubble, using her powers to push the debris away enough to make a path… before pressing it all back into place. She didn’t want anyone at all to find it. After a long bit of work, Lillian caught her first glimpse of sunlight she had seen in a long time. And her lips turned into a frown. There was nothing. Nothing out here anymore. The land seemed to stretch on forever. No grass, no trees, no buildings… just a shriveled shell of nothing at all… a desolate land that only bred fear and death… The world as she knew it… Everything she had once known, once called home it had… It was… “The world has moved on…” She murmured softly, but some kind of feral flame burst forth in her emerald gaze. “It has moved on and left us to clean up what remains…” Her frown twitched and curled into a twisted grin that reached her ears. “I can do that… I will do that… I will further science with these pathetic shells of humans… Not much remains though, I must act fast…” Lillian’s fingers clenched closed, and a subtle rush of her powers escaped, making the pebbles around her rise and fall in rapid succession. “Before the roaches crawl back under their rocks…” She started off over the wastes, searching for some sign of humanity… ============================================================================ Lillian worked swiftly. She found several small settlements of only four or less humans. They were all in poor shape, and when she came to them with offers of clothing, nourishment, and shelter from hunters seeking them out, they complied instantly. And soon regretted their choices. A few became hesitant when she lead them back to the ruined building and began moving debris with her powers, they tried to flee, tried to slowly sneak away… But it was hard to hide yourself in a desolate wasteland. She found them, dragged them back, and pulled each and every one down into the darkness. She had more than enough room to keep them, and food wasn’t an issue. They didn’t need fed. They didn’t live long enough. Lillian tested mutations of her nanomachines on the people she found. She did her own rounds of replacing limbs - and after a few failed attempts, whole bodies - with robotic parts. Men, women, children, she didn’t care. It gave her endless years meaning, gave her hands something to do, and gave her mind something to focus on something but the loneliness. ============================================================================ “So you see, my life prior to this was long and monotonous, there wasn’t anything very interesting to me, not really. Perhaps the students I experimented on provided a momentary excitement, but nothing lasting. Nothing as… satisfying as this is, you see, my Dear…” The needle flew easily through the pale, thin flesh in front of her, back and forth, stitching together the blood oozing flaps of flesh. Innards disappeared, ribs became obscured by flesh, and the thread ended itself at the delicate throat of a female. Lillian snapped the thread and observed her bloodied arms and sighed. “Dear, look at what you’ve made me do. I’ll reek of you for days without soap…” Lillian’s eyes fell over the girl, and she smirked. “But at least you don’t complain. What a sweetheart you are…” She brushed her bloodied hand against the girl’s pale cheek, smearing the tears there and leaving red in their wake. Frightened blue eyes screamed up at her, but Lillian paid them no mind. The moans and screams that would have come from anyone else that was operated on without anesthetics were muffled by another line of stitching holding her lips together. Her eyes were frantically flickering side to side, trying to find something to save herself, even though while strapped down there wasn’t much she could do… “Now, how’s that new heart working for you, hmm? It’s very hard to replicate that blasted thing… Dear Alfred’s was so complex, you know.” She was washing her hands absently, watching the red water swirl down the drain. She turned back to the bound girl and cocked her head, then frowned hard. “Oh… Dear. DEAR.” The woman’s teeth grit and she paced to the girl, gripping her hair and slapping her hard across the face. “Stop it! You had better start breathing right this second!” Lillian’s lips curled to a snarl and she slapped the girl again. Her chest was quivering, barely rising before falling again. A wheeze was coming from behind her stitched lips but not much else… She felt her eyes droop closed, open when she was slapped again, then slowly her vision faded and her lids shut. Forever. “Damnit!” Lillian cursed and pursed her lips harder, un-strapping the girl while cursing constantly. “Another failed attempt… and she’s my last… I’ll have to make another trip out and the closest one I found was a few miles… Damn it all…” Lillian grumbled to herself, making short work of the used body, burying it - like all the rest - in a shallow grave lined with lye. Lillian used her foot to kick the rest of the dirt onto the grave and stared at it for a few moments in silence. She found something familiar in all the survivors she found now a days… This girl had the eyes of someone she felt like she should remember. Something important… But it was buried in the oldest files of her mind. “…Dust to dust.” Lillian murmured softly, paused, then let out a sharp bark of a laugh. “Ha!” The noise echoed through the empty halls of her lab and was still echoing as Lillian made her way out of her shelter again. She needed someone else. More subjects. More flesh. ============================================================================ It was a long walk this time, but her travels were again fruitful. She knew they were there long before they noticed her. It was a family of three, she guessed. A male, a female, and a young girl that Lillian guessed was barely ten. She watched them, silently, from afar, listening to their thoughts. Even in this miserable land, they were all somehow very happy with each other. It was so strange, the feeling she had. She was transfixed with learning everything about these people. Lillian sat - her back to a rock - and listened. There wasn’t anything wrong with learning about your subjects, was there? For hours she just sifted through the family’s minds, plucking and following strands of their memories, observing ones that they had probably even forgotten. The man and woman had been married for years, and had been very dedicated teachers before their daughter was born. But afterward, the world was already seeming to come to an end… They quit their jobs, and focused on keeping each other alive. Lillian rose to her feet and paced toward the family, waving in a friendly manner when they tensed and pushed their young daughter behind them. “Hello there! No need to be so tense I just want to offer you some shelter.” Lillian spoke lightly, smiling at the family and stopping a polite distance away. She looked over their features carefully and realized now that they were all very very thin… Sickly looking. Like most she found out here, but worse, they were all bordering on death. Perfect. There was a long conversation, during which the family was very strong on not moving in with Lillian. She offered them everything she had. Medicine, a warm bed, blankets, clothing, food… But they denied each and every offer. “Ma’am… we appreciate the offer,” The man said, holding his wife close, their daughter still safely hidden behind them. “But we have everything we need here, we’re happy here.” “You’re dying,” Lillian stated bluntly, growing more and more frustrated now. Even if she was lying to them, how could they choose this desolate place over a safe home with food and clean water? “You’re all going to die.” The man pursed his lips and the woman scowled at Lillian. “We’re aware things are looking bleak,” The husband murmured softly, “But, we are also aware that the world is going to hell. The end is coming for everyone soon enough, everyone dies. At one point in time.” He glanced at his wife and smiled softly to her as she smiled back, her eyes glowing even in her weakened state. They kissed. “We’ll all be together again, in the afterlife.” “You don’t have to die,” Lillian persisted, something panging inside her as the couple kissed. “The ones that accepted a life forever are all around you… You could be like them, you could live forever. No one has to die anymore.” She narrowed her eyes a little and glanced at the man’s wife, then tried to look through them at their daughter. “Don’t you want her to live forever?” He shook his head. “Even they’ll die one day. Maybe not physically, but mentally. They’ll grow bored with life and realize there’s nothing to live for anymore. All the ones they’ve loved will have perished either in the change, or will be killed in some way over time. They’ll be all alone…” He paused for a moment and gripped his wife’s side. “Humans are not solitary creatures, even if they shift their minds into a metallic frame… They need others with feelings and affection or they starve. They eat themselves from the inside out in loneliness until they’re nothing but a shell.” He shook his head, “My wife and I… we don’t want that for each other, and we especially don’t want it for our daughter.” Her breathing stopped. “You don’t want to be alone like that, right, Lillian?” The man smiled and gently parted from his wife, ushering forward the young girl. Bright green eyes shined up at Lillian, and the small girl smiled shyly, toying with the braids her blonde hair was bound in. She looked away and shifted a little, peeking from behind her father. She didn’t speak. And just silently watched the interaction, her gaze constantly locked up on the other woman. It was like staring into the past for Lillian. “I…I understand. Thank you.” She heard them calling to her as she paced away, heard them asking what was wrong, if they had done something wrong, and loudly thanking her for her offer anyway and wishing her luck… But she was long gone, wrapped in her thoughts, wrapped in what the man had said and what she had seen. She went home, and slept a long time. ============================================================================ When she awoke again, the man’s words were still ringing in her head. They need others with feelings and affection or they starve. They eat themselves from the inside out in loneliness until they’re nothing but a shell. She placed a coffee cup on her counter and picked up the mug, pouring it slowly, watching the dark liquid swirl. You don’t want to be alone like that, right, Lillian? The coffee splattered over the counter. Lillian cupped her head with her hands and stood with her back to the counter, listening to the dull clicking of the clock she kept on the wall. How… How could this happen? How could one man… no. How could one little girl convince her that her life was a waste? That even living forever wasn’t going to do anything good for her life… that she was only going to… They eat themselves from the inside out in loneliness until they’re nothing but a shell. “Shut up!” She screamed at no one, sweeping her arm over the counter and knocking the coffee mug and pitcher to the ground, crossing her arms over the counter and resting her head in them. “That’s wrong, it’s completely wrong… I… I don’t need anyone. I never did, I never ever needed anyone…” Images of Hiro flickered through her mind and she groaned in pain, doubling over and sinking to the ground, her head still held in her hands. Weakness. All the weakness she had pushed away and buried. The pain of being alone, of being rejected and unloved. Everything… Even they’ll die one day. Maybe not physically, but mentally. “Shut up… Shut up! I can live forever… Forever and ever! I have it now, I have eternity to study and learn and…a-and…” Her voice grew weak, faded. All the ones they’ve loved will have perished She shook her head and let out a ragged sob, feeling tears rolling down her cheeks, tears she had held back her entire life. Feelings she had refused to feel. They’ll be all alone… She whined softly, curled in on herself, and sobbed again. “I… I never wanted…To be..” She bit her lip and shook all over. She was trying to push it all back again, trying to stuff her feelings into a hole where she couldn’t find it, where it was lost forev-- The young dying girl’s face flashed into her mind. Bright, full of life, even when she might be only days from death… You don’t want to be alone like that, right, Lillian? … … … “No…” ============================================================================ It had taken some time to steel herself long enough, but she had finished eventually. Slowly, she lowered her eyes from the computer screen and clicked closed the window, saving it, storing it in her computer and in plain sight. Anyone that found her machine would be able to access it and all of her other notes. All of her work. Everything she had lived for and accomplished. She slipped from her chair and rubbed her tearing eyes, dabbing away the wetness as she ran her fingers over the heavy object in her pocket. She had lived longer than her body had meant to, longer than she had any right in living… And she was done with it. They eat themselves from the inside out in loneliness until they’re nothing but a shell She had eaten herself a long time ago. Lillian lived off a lie, off the false thought that she was doing something with her life, that she was living for something… That she was accomplishing something… She shut down the machines in her bunker, letting them all sigh into a death of their own, the only light now coming from the glowing screen of her only remaining computer. She prayed he’d find it…looping on for eternity in the taskbar, waiting for him. Lillian’s eyes shut tight as she made her way out of the debris surrounding her lab for the last time. She smiled a little, realizing it was just about time for sunset and made her way slowly to the top of the rubble pile that had once been the old auxiliary building. She found a stable bit of surviving concrete and stood upon it, watching silently as the sun slowly started to set. She had come to terms with her life, with herself… with what she had passed up and now had no chance to reclaim. She had lost a man that had honestly cared for her, that had loved her, that was willing to protect her and make her happy. Lillian had thrown him away, and now she was truly alone. Truly. Until they’re nothing but a shell As a soft tint of orange brushed the desolate waste land and somehow… it was almost beautiful. Lillian’s hand found her pocket and reached in, drawing out a modest pistol she kept in a drawer beside her computer, just in case. Just in case. She looked down at the metal in her hand, watching the orange light reflecting off of it and sighing just softly as she flicked off the safety and drew back the hammer. “I hate guns.” She muttered, lifting the barrel to her temple. The cold steel made her shiver and she watched as the sun slowly sunk behind the horizon, her eyes half closed, looking tired and dull. You don’t want to be alone like that, right, Lillian? “I’ll see you someday… You were the only man I ever loved.” ============================================================================ A loud crack echoed over the wastes and a flutter of birds shot into the sky, cawing and flapping hard, pulling themselves in a mass of black into the sky. ============================================================================ In the now abandoned lab a small mouse scuttled over a slowly dust collecting keyboard. The creature squeaked as the computer whirled softly to life, a single window popping up and filling the screen. At first, there was silence and black on the screen, and then, the pixels blurred for a moment and Lillian’s tired face filled the screen. ’I have to apologize for what I’ve done.’ Her voice was electronic sounding, the computer’s ability to project sound obviously labored from the time it had spent in the lab. ’I have… Have to explain myself, somehow… To someone, even if no one ever hears it. The woman’s eyes turned away from the screen, looked down in shame, as her fingers ran over the delicate necklace Hiro had given her. She clenched the diamond heart before slowly unhooking the necklace, speaking in a soft tone. ’I never told you thank you. I never explained how much I loved it, how beautiful it was… How I’d wear it when I was alone, as if I were ashamed of loving a present…’ She held the glittering gems close to her face and pressed her lips gently to the heart before leaning away, hanging it somewhere off screen. ’When I was alive I was a bitter woman. I was angry because I felt as if my life had been taken from me while… Well… I actually did more of the taking myself. I pushed everyone away, I refused any affection for the ‘comfort’ of learning… I grew my brain instead of trying to… to… to feed the emotional need I had. I let my needs eat at my body until there was nothing left but an empty shell. I was wrong about life and everyone… And I… I realize this now,’ She looked away from the camera again and cupped her head in her hands, speaking more to herself now. ’I wasted it all, all my chances… I threw them away in ignorance. All the while claming to be mentally superior… I was a fool, a complete fool…’ She lifted her head again and smiled, but the look was heavy and it faded quickly. ’I did this all in the hopes that you’ll see this one day, Hiro. I hope that you are still alive and well and happy. You were so kind to me, so gentle even when I lashed at you, even when you knew the monster I was. You still… had sympathy for me when you found out what had made me this way…’ She shook her head and smiled softly, reaching out and cupping the side of the computer as if she were trying to cup his face, wanting him to feel it if he ever discovered the message. Her last few words were soft, gentle, and fuzzy with threatening tears. ’I was an idiot, Hiro… But… You meant the world to me. You were the only man… No, the only person. You were the only one in the world I ever loved. And… I pray you’ll remember me and that we can meet again some day… Hiro… I… I was so wrong, about living forever. There’s no point if there’s no one there to spend eternity with you. I love you, Hiro. Please… Please be safe.’ The woman smiled, turning her head away and hiding the tears that were beginning to fall. ’My biggest regret is never accepting you. Be safe, I love you and I’ll see you on the other side. My name is Lillian Arion, and today, the day of my death is--’ The audio scrambled, the picture froze, and the image went black, closing itself. The lab went silent, the soft glow of the computer monitor covered the room, shining light on the glimmering diamond necklace still hooked on Lillian’s desk lamp. The world moved on. |
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| Hiro_Tsukasa | Mar 9 2009, 10:32 PM Post #21 |
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NICE DRIVE!
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[Cue BGM] They didn't build them like they used to. It was cliché, but this was what Hiro Tsukasa couldn't help but think as he shook his head trying to keep control of the hulking Mass-Produced version Hyakuzor. Several had been made and sealed away in Hyakuji's initial attempts to stave off the Machine Empire and though not as powerful as the original they still hoped they would prove useful. They would have, had the city not been essentially erased from the map and now so much time had passed they proved obsolete. However, determined as ever, Hiro Tsukasa paid no mind to this fact. ![]() "Hyaku-Beam!" Hiro's low voice growled as the jewel mounted upon Hyakuzor's chest flared to life in a glittering green and a large wave of pure concentrated energy began to blast forth. Turning quickly, Hyakuzor swept the beam out decimating the oncoming army of ground forces from Neo-Arcadia. However, it wasn't the ground forces that worried Hiro; no, it was what stood directly before him. ![]() Realizing the very real threat Hyakuji could have mounted at one time through the use of gigantic towering robots the Machine Empire was quick to produce counter measures that would not only keep that aspect in check but keep fear rooted in those who opposed them. It was new, sleek, fast, unbelievably fluid and almost perfectly human-like in motion. Slowly, it began an increasingly faster rush towards Hyakuzor almost sauntering as it moved as if to further emphasize the humanity it had captured. Meanwhile, as Hiro weighed his feet heavily down upon the footpads of Hyakuzor the mech began, clumsily in comparison to its foe, to move slowly one step at a time advancing forward. Hiro couldn't win; he knew this, not now not in a piece of technology pitted against something similar yet so much more advanced. "I'm sorry, Ayumi, this will be another one," Hiro mumbled softly to himself as if speaking a small prayer. Shifting he began to rise from his seat pulling a few final levers and ultimately smashing down a large red button to the side of the cockpit. Alarms began to go off as the very cockpit itself was bathed in a hue of dingy but alerting red. Reaching forward, Hiro pulled at another lever and the hatch for the cockpit sprung open. "Shit," he exclaimed to himself softly as he watched the ground below waiting for a decent moment to time his jump. The enemy was almost there now and taking a deep breath as if diving into a pool Hiro dove from the cockpit to the ground below. Coughing out in pain as his body connected with the ground the man became every thankful for the large overcoat which had been woven of ultra-reinforced fibers pioneered by the Machine Empire early in their rise; it was the only thing that made the fall go from fatal to simply hurting like hell. However, he could not stop. Scrambling to his feet and limping some at first Hiro Tsukasa began to run in full desperation. He was mere feet from a rather sizeable chunk of building remains and that would be enough shelter. As the man took cover the two towering titans met. Hyakuzor instinctively raised its arms to try and take hold or grapple its enemy from its auto-pilot but the Empire's swift machine merely hunkered down low avoiding the grasp as it drew forth the hilt of two swords and in a flash flared both beam swords to life slashing through Hyakuzor with both severing the upper body from its legs. However, before the upper body was even halfway to the ground the jewel in Hyakuzor's chest began to crack from its power source overloading and on cue the symbol of Hyakuji exploded. [End BGM] The debris Hiro took sanctuary in rocketed from the resounding blast and sighing softly the man shut his eyes tight and tried to think of another place. There had been other places once, a better place, but that world was gone now. As the tremors ended there was only silence. He couldn't yet see but Hiro already knew what his eyes would greet should he check; nothing. It was the fourth Hyakuzor he had totaled simply just to survive. This was the way things had to be now. Without his Magic, without the source for all his cocky attitude, without his source for immortality Hiro now had to cling to whatever useable weapons he could find and fight with them as best he could; but why? Everyone was depending on him; they had to be. He had been depending upon before to protect Hyakuji, protect everyone. So many had perished now and become divided but out of a sense of duty even as powerless as he was now Hiro wanted to fight on for the sake of everyone. Dusting himself off slowly Hiro emerged from the ruined building and his eyebrows rose slowly in interest. The layout of the wreckage, the ruins of what were formerly buildings, it was all so familiar. Perhaps it was fate or perhaps just the invention of some cruel greater force wishing to laugh at Hiro's escapades but after all this time, all the wandering, his travels has brought him back to the very school grounds he once frequented so often. "That must've been the Auxiliary Building," Hiro commented softly to himself as he looked back to the wreckage he had hid inside; the left corner of his lip turned gently upwards as if hinting he could potentially still smile. "But then... that means..." Hiro's eyes widened further. It wasn't just for nostalgia that discovering the school grounds held value. As if having an epiphany Hiro jerked around facing the direction where the backside of the school resided. If this were the school grounds then that also meant Her lab was here as well: Lillian. The corner of his lip turned back down and Hiro let out a short tired sigh as he began to stroll along in that direction. The two had never patched things up or rather they never had the time; the Machine Empire's sudden rise had taken that away. However, Lillian was resourceful, intelligent, there was no way she would allow herself to be discovered or even so taken from her lab. Everything was going to be different now, Hiro reassured himself, with her technology they could fight harder, stronger, it could all be different but most importantly he would no longer be so alone. It seemed right in Hiro's mind. Despite everything that happened, everyone he met, in the end his heart seemed to always drift back to Lillian and this would be the last time. It would be the last time, but not as Hiro Tsukasa envisioned it. As he mounted over some of the rubble of ruined buildings he caught sight of her. Lillian Arion, perfect as she ever was, draped out upon the rocks surrounding the now uncovered entrance to her lab. Her body, the vibrant youth, was far too perfect to tell Hiro anything other than she had mastered her experiments in nanomachines and achieved her immortality. His eyes widening in half-madness Hiro vaulted the rest of the distance and lifted the woman to his arms quickly; she was dead. Frantic, desperate, enraged his eyes raced around looking for some sign of the source. He found it, dishearteningly, in her rigid grasp. Curiously, however, the woman's body itself held no signs of the use of the pistol she kept locked in a death grip and his initial assumption that it had only recently happened seemed false as though her body was preserved perfectly the revolver had long been rusted over. "The nanomachines," He mumbled to himself as he slowly picked up her body letting he gentle frame rest against his own. The gun must've damaged something irreparable, but the nanomachines were still working, still preserving her body and her youth even now. Slowly, trying to choke back the tears he already felt, Hiro Tsukasa carried Lillian down the steps slowly into her lab. It was like passing through a time machine. The lab was perfectly preserved, like Lillian, just as he remembered it. Gently, Hiro laid the woman down on one of the many lab tables and then, brushing the back of his hand across her face once, began to explore. The mirror-like metallic perfection clearly called back to years ago. However, Hiro's own reflection refused to allow him to believe such an illusion. With his Magic lost, Hiro had finally begun aging but it was not that simple. He hadn't aged well for the years gained were not simply the slow passage of time but the harsh struggling life of survival. Turning from the scene he noticed her favored computer. Although the screen was black it had the dim emanation of giving off light as if the monitor had simply switched to a standby mode. Curious as to why this was so Hiro slowly approached the place he so fondly recalled spending time with Lillian, derailing her work playfully or quite profoundly discussing various things, and tapped the spacebar of the keyboard gently. Suddenly, the computer whirled softly to life, a single window popping up and filling the screen. At first, there was silence and black on the screen and then the pixels blurred for a moment as Lillian’s tired face filled the screen. [Cue New BGM] ’I have to apologize for what I’ve done.’ Her voice was electronic sounding, the computer’s ability to project sound obviously labored from the time it had spent in the lab. Hiro's eyes trembled gently with hurt. The pain of seeing Lillian right there moving and speaking and yet knowing she was just a few feet behind him motionless stung deep into the man's battle worn heart. ’I have… Have to explain myself, somehow… To someone, even if no one ever hears it. The woman’s eyes turned away from the screen, looked down in shame, as her fingers ran over the delicate necklace Hiro had given her. She clenched the diamond heart before slowly unhooking the necklace, speaking in a soft tone. ’I never told you thank you. I never explained how much I loved it, how beautiful it was… How I’d wear it when I was alone, as if I were ashamed of loving a present…’ She held the glittering gems close to her face and pressed her lips gently to the heart before leaning away, hanging it somewhere off screen. She had loved it. For even the short few meetings they had after he gave it to her, before the end, she had never worn it. Hiro had been sure the woman simply discarded the thing but in truth all this time she had been wearing it but simply too prideful to have shown him that at the time. He could hold back no longer and slowly Hiro wrapped his arms almost around himself each hand cupping the elbow of the other as he tucked his head down while tears began to stream down his cheeks. ’When I was alive I was a bitter woman. I was angry because I felt as if my life had been taken from me while… Well… I actually did more of the taking myself. I pushed everyone away; I refused any affection for the ‘comfort’ of learning… I grew my brain instead of trying to… to… to feed the emotional need I had. I let my needs eat at my body until there was nothing left but an empty shell. I was wrong about life and everyone… And I… I realize this now,’ She looked away from the camera again and cupped her head in her hands, speaking more to herself now. "Lillian..." Hiro spoke softly with almost a tone of desperate want as he sobbed, the tears flowing far more freely now. He could barely see straight enough to watch the screen but still he watched on. ’I wasted it all, all my chances… I threw them away in ignorance. All the while claiming to be mentally superior… I was a fool, a complete fool…’ She lifted her head again and smiled, but the look was heavy and it faded quickly. Hiro fell to his knees now grasping a hold of the table the computer rested on and squeezing it with almost a death grip as if he might tear it apart in the blink of an eye. ’I did this all in the hopes that you’ll see this one day, Hiro. I hope that you are still alive and well and happy. You were so kind to me, so gentle even when I lashed at you, even when you knew the monster I was. You still… had sympathy for me when you found out what had made me this way…’ She shook her head and smiled softly, reaching out and cupping the side of the computer as if she were trying to cup his face, wanting him to feel it if he ever discovered the message. Her last few words were soft, gentle, and fuzzy with threatening tears. "Lillian... Lillian..." ’I was an idiot, Hiro… But… You meant the world to me. You were the only man… No, the only person. You were the only one in the world I ever loved. And… I pray you’ll remember me and that we can meet again some day… Hiro… I… I was so wrong, about living forever. There’s no point if there’s no one there to spend eternity with you. I love you, Hiro. Please… Please be safe.’ The woman smiled, turning her head away and hiding the tears that were beginning to fall. Hiro still heard the words even over his own almost blubbering like crying fit but he could no longer see the screen even if he wanted to look at it. ’My biggest regret is never accepting you. Be safe, I love you and I’ll see you on the other side. My name is Lillian Arion, and today, the day of my death is--’ The audio scrambled, the picture froze, and the image went black, closing itself. Shouting loudly, almost growling, in wild frustration Hiro rose to his feet flipping the table over as the computer fell back on itself the screen of the monitor busting open and the tower itself sparking from the damage. Had he still had his Magic Hiro would've raged with it but he only had his own hands now. Sobbing uncontrollably Hiro's blind fury was only stopped by the small glitter he caught from the corner of his eye. There it was hanging upon a small peg on the wall, the necklace he had given her. In desolate quiet Hiro reached forward and took hold of it holding the small thing in his worn hand. "Fool," Hiro began as he pocketed the necklace inside his overcoat, "Why didn't you wait for me!?" Hiro spun around facing the body upon the lab table. "If you would've just-" but suddenly he stopped his furious questioning; it didn't matter now. There were no more what-ifs because there were no more redo's for things. It had happened how it had happened and there was nothing, especially now without Magic, that Hiro could do about it. Moving slowly, Hiro approached Lillian's body and he sighed, slowly wiping away the tears that still streamed uncontrollably even after his sobbing fit had subsided. It was so painful to see her like that. So perfectly exactly as she was before any of this chaos began. "We'll go together, okay? Whenever I was with you... talking to you... the conversations we shared... I won't lie about what our relationship must've looked like to any outsiders that saw but the things we shared beneath that were truly a treasure to me. Whenever I was with you... simply spending time talking or working at something... I felt like I could do anything, no matter what. I need that feeling now... I don't know if I can be happy now. I always told myself... after everything... the day you finally accepted the existence of my powers I would solve your want for immortality and then there would come a day... that day I waited for... one day, probably far away, when after many years you had grown tired of experimenting and when that day came I was going to take us somewhere far away to be together," Hiro spoke in a slow, calm, soothing voice as if she were actually right there listening. Clutching the necklace inside his pocket Hiro leaned over slowly and kissed Lillian very quickly just softly upon her lips before turning away; if he looked at her longer he would lose it again. Forcing up the kind of laugh he used to give her all the time Hiro continued, "I was an idiot too, you know. I stayed a stupid kid far longer than I was actually a kid... unable to make concrete decisions or important choices about my life... and acting that way hurt a lot of people, you included. However, ultimately... it was you that held the biggest part of my heart.," slowly his mind drifted to her words in the video as he finished, "I love you too, Lillian. It tears me up that we'll never get to rightfully say that to one another like this. I have to fight for a little while longer... there are people depending on me... and I want to fight for your sake as well; I have to fight for Hyakuji. But I promise you, Lillian, this is my final battle. After this is resolved... when all is said and done... I'll come to you then." [End BGM] He couldn't stop the tears but Hiro had to move on. Slowly, Hiro explored the rest of the lab seeking for anything else he might take with him. He was defenseless now and anything, even minor, would be enough to help him at least get back to some safe area of civilization. However, the man was in for a surprising and also heartfelt surprise. As his search finally led him to Lillian's bedroom his eyes widened once more in surprise as he saw two things laid out clearly atop the bed sheets. She had remembered. The day the Machine Empire first began to rise up many in Hyakuji had realized the problem it would be far sooner than the rest of the world. On that day, the final time he had spoken to Lillian, he left her with two separate requests and the ruined remains of his Livemetal having been destroyed in recent fighting. Hiro knew he would need more power, even more and especially diverse than just his Magic. Long ago, in the realm of Magic itself, he had learned how dangerous it was to stick with a single type of anything when fighting someone. Sobbing a little at first Hiro approached the bed and looked at the two items. One, a newly crafted Livemetal, rested with a small slip of paper next to it written quickly in Lillian's handwriting that read: Model A. The left edge of his lip turned up a little again as he picked up the Livemetal and placed it inside his overcoat as well. The other item, however, was a far greater surprise. Arcadia's final designs of IXA, their files about his own power Kiva, he had left them simply with Lillian to develop anything new, something better than Arcadia could manage. The power of a Rider was something unique, separate from all other powers, and at the time Hiro had felt a back-up to his Magic would be something essential. The rider belt that lay upon the bed shone in the pale silver-ish material it had been constructed of. Resting beside it a small square-like box which attached to the side of the belt caught Hiro's eye and as he opened it he saw a rather large stack of cards. Curious, Hiro lifted the top card from the deck and turned it over staring at the image of a Kamen Rider clad in curious pink and black armor. Reading over the words slowly Hiro mumbled it aloud softly to himself, "Decade..." Armed with the belt and Livemetal, Hiro began to ascend the stairs out of Lillian's lab. Slowly, he spent the next hour properly caving it in and smoothing out and clearing the area around it. Another hour was spent rummaging but finally Hiro had found what he sought. The cross from the campus' ruined church had survived just as he suspected. Although rusted with age the rather enchanting classically designed cross had gained some form of strength from years of the ruined building serving host to supernatural occurences. Laboriously, Hiro Tsukasa drug the sizeable thing back to the site of Lillian's lab and carefully erected it over the sealed up stair entrance. Quietly, Hiro bowed his head before the erected tomb he had constructed and then in a few moments mumbled three simple words and then turned as he began to walk away. Noticing the dust kicking around in the distance Hiro took hold of the red scarf draped around his neck and quickly wrapped it up around his head to shield himself from the coming winds. He had to fight on now... had to live now even more than before... he had to succeed, for Hyakuji and also for Lillian. He was so very mortal now, but as each step took him further from the school grounds Hiro vowed to himself and also to Lillian that he would not die, no matter what it took, until this last battle was over and he could come to Lillian then. A gentle breeze swept through the open fields of the wasteland slowly. It would've been something that felt nice and calming making one want to stretch and yawn lazily under the sun, but it brought no solace now as it howled through the cracks of desolate ruins that had once been thriving buildings. The immense heat of the sun, due to the deterioration of the atmosphere around the area, didn't promote lazy relaxation but a fearful need to keep hydrated. Few lived now in this area and those that did huddled together clinging to one another in the hopes of surviving just another day. Wandering through this destruction was a solitary man garbed in dark clothes under a large brown trench coat. Around his neck he wore a large red scarf which was currently wrapped up around his face leaving merely a small area for his eyes to see through to try and cut down against all the dust being kicked around by the wind... |
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| Nickle | Mar 16 2009, 02:44 PM Post #22 |
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Incoming
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20XX… When the mechanical revolution had come about, it seemed so bright and shiny. Trouble is, most new things do. Only afterwards, do the problems start to arise. Slowly, little by little, Nickle began to watch the world turn into one big machine, slowly, the warmth in his heart that he felt for technology had faded and he began doing his part, along with the rest of Hyakuji, to destroy the mechanical menace. However, things weren’t always that simple. Every time he looked at one of those cold, emotionless faces, thoughts of Cassandra came into his mind. What would happen, if one day he destroyed the girl he had once loved… As the blistering winds whipped around him, he blocked the thought from his mind. Nickle didn’t have time for such thoughts, he had deliveries to make. That was his job now, helping those people who were still people, stay alive. Neo-Arcadia had been monopolizing on energy cores and electricity and leaving everyone not part of their society to slowly fade away into the sand. Nickle had decided then, to take that energy back. Draining power from his enemies and either storing it inside himself, or inside the battery packs that he salvaged and then giving the power to small shelters and gatherings scattered around vast desert that was now Japan. Problem was that more often than not, the people would turn themselves in and allow themselves to be mechanized, rather than wait for something better to come around. It sickened Nickle to no end. Or rather, that part of Nickle, that part that he was still getting used to. That was the problem when something like that gets ripped out of you, then gets put back. It never really is yours anymore. ================================================================ Nickle still remembered that day, when Hyakuji had been attacked. The Pantheons had come out of no where and he and Kinclex were left with only one course of action. However, they were too strong. Slowly but surely, both Kinclex and himself were being depleted of their energy. Eventually, the only thing that they had left was to transform into their storm forms. However, what would happen once they were completely drained of their energy? That was the day, he and Kinclex had reunited… Nickle looked down at his hand. The mark he’d left behind was still there, pulsing every now and then. Kinclex’s body, mind and soul was gone, all that remained was this mark and all of his power that now resided in Nickle. He had become a changed man after that. Swearing himself to put a stop to this threat, even if that meant, having to leave his family. It tore him apart. Having to leave his loving wife, Celestial and his daughter, Sugar, who had grown and made him so proud. The winds whipped around Nickle’s black cloak as he walked along the city ruins and sand dunes. He had an idea of what this place used to be. Possibly Tokyo, or what was left of it. He had received a distress signal coming from this area not so long ago. He’d been travelling on foot to avoid drawing attention to himself. Generally anything the skies that wasn’t jet propelled was shot down. Nickle had learned that all too soon when he had first started out in this business. As he walked amongst the ruins, the wind began to die down, or rather become blocked by the rubble and what was left of the structures. Slowly he let his powers course out and sense if there was any signs of life around. He hadn’t developed his magical abilities, even in all these years, but at least he had enough knowledge on how to sense what was human and what wasn’t. “Hmm, there’s not that many here.” It wasn’t surprising. Neo-Arcadia considered most major cities and threat and did nothing short of genocide in ensuring they didn’t become a problem. Nickle let his hands slide down to his belt. He only had three energy cores to spare. But one would be able to keep things going for a few months, depending on how many people there were. As he casually made his way along broken streets, his mind began to wander back to the startings of this war. Why had Hyakuji not taken an offensive stance sooner? Why had he not been more active towards the conflict. By the time he had taken action, it had already been too late. Perhaps that was why, fusing together with Kinclex again had been for the best. Having separated his dark emotions and placing them all in Kinclex, Nickle had become complacent and a peace-loving idiot, even in the face of danger. Yet, once they had remerged, everything had suddenly become so clear. He felt, like himself again. He felt as if he had woken up from a long dream. With phenomenal results. The power that had been inside Kinclex, now accessible to him again, it was almost overbearing to begin with. But with practice, the after-effects were extraordinary. If he wanted, he could spend the rest of his life in his storm king form now. The problem is, Neo-Arcadia already wanted him for that exact purpose. Not only was he a fugitive along with the rest of Hyakuji’s surviving population, but he was also wanted for his powers. Nickle was an ideal human battery needed in Neo-Arcadia. Nickle wasn’t certain of the statistics, but from the continuous output he was able to give out during battle, he’d probably be able to power a city for decades. That was why it was so important to keep off the radar and out of the enemy’s sights. He hated running, but if it meant he could keep helping people, then he’d learn to deal with it. He'd been dealing with it for so long now. ================================================================ As Nickle climbed up the sand dune, gradually recovering and getting used to the softness of the sand, he let a smile creep onto his face. He very rarely smiled these days, not like he used to. But whenever he felt bio-signatures, he couldn’t help but smile. Travelling alone made him realise just how much he missed being around people. Coming to the top of the dune, his black cloak flaring up in the wind he spotted a small group of people hiding in the shade to avoid the blistering sun. “Hey! You down there!” The people he could see, about four men clad in robes and armour, reacted immediately to him. They each pulled out either a rifle or a machine gun, taking aim. “Stay back! We’ve dealt with you guys before and we’ll die protecting our families!” Nickle had expected as much of a reaction. People were very sceptical these days and anything that came over the horizon was met with hostility. “If I was a Neo-Arcadian, do you think I’d call out to you first?” Nickle began to slide down the dune, lowering his hood to show his face, praying that the men didn’t decide to fire on him. Luckily they didn’t. They allowed Nickle to approach their shaded area, the ruins of an old skyscraper, still training their weapons on him. Nickle didn’t mind, he was used to it by now. “Hey, sorry if I-” “Who are you?” said the one, letting his weapon move with his eyes, looking Nickle up and down. Deciding it was best to go by title first, rather than name, Nickle introduced himself, “I’m the Blue Flash of Hyakuji.” The men lowered their weapons slowly, looking at Nickle in a new light. “You’re…The Storm King.” “Nickle Ryuko?” Nickle smiled and nodded, “Yes, it seems my reputation precedes me.” “We’re so sorry! We had no idea that someone like you would be coming to a place like this.” Nickle raised a hand, waving the mens’ worries away, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve had worse happen. I’m just glad I didn’t have to start deflecting shots again like the last city I stopped by.” Nickle then pulled out one of the compact energy cores from his belt. It was no larger than a hand-grenade, but probably could produce enough destructive power to equal that of a nuclear strike. “A little present from me to you,” said Nickle with a smile. “This power core, should help you guys live a little easier.” The men looked at Nickle appraisingly, “Would you, like to come inside? I’m sure you’re tired.” “That, would be great.” These brief nights, with other humans, it gave Nickle renewed purpose and reminded him why he did this. However, staying in one place for more than a few hours, often lead to unwanted company… ================================================================ “Target 17 has been located.” “Pinpointed location at 12 km due south.” “Confirmed. Pursue and terminate with extreme prejudice. All Maverick forces must be destroyed.” ![]() {Cue BGM} Nickle woke up. He touched his face. His sweat was cold. He looked outside towards the rising sun, coming over the buildings of Tokyo. “Oh no.” Nickle picked up and strapped on his belongings, leaving the other power cores he’d brought with him. Where he was going, he was about to get plenty more. He needed to get away from these people, as far and as fast as he could. There was no need for restraint anymore. With so many of them being so close Nickle needn’t hide his electrical signature anymore. As he reached the entrance of the building, a burst of bright light erupted from his back and a set of angels wings once more stood out from his shoulder blades. Taking in a breath, Nickle looked back to admire the wings pristine white colour. It had been too long since he’d last used them. It was time to put them to good use. The mark on his hand began to hum quietly, before kicking in as Nickle activated Kinclex’s hypercceleration technique, rocketing up into the sky with a trail of white lightning trailing behind him. He looked down in the direction of the approaching horde, but was unprepared for what he saw next. There were thousands of them. More than when they had first attacked Hyakuji. “All this, just for me?” It was almost flattering, but if that army got near the city, there would be nothing of it left. Nickle blasted off, a sonic boom echoing off in the distance as he blasted towards the incoming forces. “Target Incoming, approaching at 100 km and couting. 120 km, 140 km, 180-” The scout pantheon was unable to finish its transmission to the rear forces, because Nickle had just landed on it with and explosive force, sending a shockwave roaring out across the sand and knocking back the forces closest to the front. His wings began to shatter like glass made of light as his cloak came to settle around him. Slowly he rose up, tugging the neck of the cloak and throwing it off, letting it fall to the ground along with the rest of the sand that had been blown up. ![]() “Howdy Boys.” The sound of kaneryuu sliding out of its sheath responded throughout the area that was soon to become a battlefield. “I’d normally want you all to take turns, but that just wouldn’t be fun for me. So bring it on!” Like fireants, the Pantheons swarmed onto Nickle, but it was all too easy. This was just the cannon fodder. Nickle knew, that whatever it was that did the heavy lifting, was in the back. So Nickle would keep to the conventional tactics until it decided to show its ugly face. Nickle’s powers were able to react on their own, blasts of lightning coursed out of Nickle, lashing out and either short-circuiting his opponent or ripping right through it and into the pantheon behind it. Meanwhile, Nickle dodged and weaved inbetween them, slicing at them one at a time with kaneryuu. Whenever they began to fire in mass volleys or began to overwhelm him, Nickle let loosed a large EMP shield, expanding it outwards to a 15 meter radius, before calling the energy back into himself and starting all over again. ================================================================ The battle went on for hours, with no end in sight, however, Nickle saw it. The last 15, no 14 figures off in the distance. “Arrrrrgh!” he rushed at them with near invisible speed, slicing through them with blind rage. This was the same problem that had been faced when the invasions and conquering had first begun. The human body became tired, but the machines, could keep going on forever. Nickle had caught the lead three pantheons of this group flatfooted, sending out a wave of lightning arcing out from kaneryuu’s blade and slicing them in half. The rest of the group had begun circling him. “Eleven.” Nickle turned to his right and hit kaneryuu’s release button, sending the chain blade ripping out and impaling one that was about to take fire on him. Within that same motion he yanked back and pulled the pantheon around him, sending it flying towards one of its comrades. Nickle pulled kaneryuu’s blade out of the pantheon, firing a blast of lightning and causing both of them to explode. “Nine.” The last few had had plenty of time to get in position and now let loose their fire. Nickle’s eyes flared with white lightning as he brought up his EMP sphere once more. The enemies rounds were deflected in an instant and the nine remaining pantheons’ systems were purged. They were nothing but empty shells now. Parts and clockwork. Nickle panted, relieved that, it was finally over. Yet, his spirits were damped by one last electrical signature. “Shit…I thought there was one more.” He turned around and spotted the last soldier. {Cue BGM} ![]() It was a first for Nickle, to see such a strange looking machine. Most if not all of Neo-Arcadian designs were sleek and smooth. However the creature before Nickle was covered in metal framework and oiled rags. Its mouthgrill constantly emitted a series of metal clicks and low scraping sounds. It sounded like some very distored form of breathing. The creature stood in a somewhat relaxed looking stance, even if it was one that was crouched and ready to pounce. It’s red telescopic eye whirred in and out and it focused on Nickle. “Hyakuji’s Blue Flash. The Storm King. Nickle Ryuko.” It’s voice had echoes of high pitched screeching, as if its vocal processors were being strained. “The Commander had said it would take an army to wear you down…but I’m surprised he was actually correct.” Nickle stared at this monstrosity. They stood alone in a field that now had the scattered corpses and wreckage of thousands of pantheons and several golems. “So, are you their latest model or something? I can say their taste in design is slipping.” This comment brought about several disjointed screeches from the creature, which, when listened to properly, was actually it laughing. “Only a human, would see a design like this as a fault. I’m one of a kind and am doubtful, there will be any reproductions. At least, until I capture you that is.” Without another word, the creature sprung at Nickle, a loud ringing sound being heard as long thin blades raked out of its hands. Nickle only had a second to realise what they were. Fingerblades. The next second, he was parrying ten fingers of fury. Nickle had no time to counter attack, as soon as he pushed them aside, they had already come back to try and impale him. This guy was fast. But the strange thing was, was that he was moving at hyperccelerated time. He was able to contend with Nickle blow for blow, even when Nickle did finally manage to get a shot in. There were no machines that could move this fast without blowing a servo. Metal clanged time and time again as Nickle and this augmented being went at each other. Eventually, Nickle had decided it was time to end the matter. He hadn’t met a machine yet that couldn’t resist his powers. As the fingerblades and kaneryuu clashed, Nickle released his one hands grip and wrapped his hand around both of the creatures wrists. “Die fucker.” Nickle unleashed his powers, white lightning running all along the metal frame of the creature. The creature slumped, still standing with Nickle holding its wrists together. “You’re just like all the-” It started jerking, laughing in that high pitch voice again, “You idiot. You really think that’s going to work, against me.” The creature broke free easily, jumping backwards and for the first time stood up straight. “I am no pantheon. I am a Jacyra, the first of a line of assassins created to destroy Hyakujians like you. But, unlike those that will follow. I am not entirely machine. I am one of the only cyborgs in the employ of Neo-Arcadia.” So that’s why the techniques weren’t working. But even if there were biological parts, the machine systems should have stopped working. “So, how can the machine parts of you still be functioning? No Neo-Arcadian can withstand my attacks.” The Jacyra’s telescopic eye whirred. “Enough talk.” The next second he had lunged forward, but Nickle was tired of these games. It had been a long time since he had transformed like this, but it seemed like the only way he could destroy him deftly. The Jacyra was blasted backwards by a burst of silver light, while the cry of a stallion responded throughout the sky. The light had become a large pillar, piercing high into the sky. Blinded by the sudden burst of light, the mechanical scarecrow desperately concentrated to readjust its optical sensors. Slowly the light began to die down, revealing Nickle’s silhouette Seizing its opportunity, the Jacyra lunged forward once again, sending its mechanical claws out to slice Nickle to ribbons. Just as it came close though, both of its hands suddenly became covered in crystal. It already had too much momentum and so could not stop its thrust towards Nickle. The diamond encased hands slammed against Nickle hard and bounced back off, causing the Jacyra to fall onto its behind. It began to panic and as a result, uncontrolled metal shrieks and whines began eruption from its mouth piece. The seasoned electromancer stood before his enemy, clad in the silver and black armour of the Juunishi. “What is this!?” cried the Jacyra in distress, clambering backward and trying to remove the crystals enclosing its hands. “Memories of Pegasus.” This was the name given to this armour and the power within it. A complete merge of juunishi and sekkou. “But you may call your undertaker.” Nickle raised his hands and let the crystal spread all around the Jacyra’s body as it further skrieked. They were such unnatural shrieks, like someone would make under constant torture and it sickened Nickle to his core. While the creature stood there in crystal with only its bandaged up face exposed, Nickle approached it. Slowly he reached up, to see the face beneath this monstrous shell. He needed to know something, something he’d felt ever since fighting this creature. “I wouldn’t, if I were you.” Came the its reply. “You’re not me. No one else is.” “Really?” “Really.” Ripping away the metal framework and oiled bandages, Nickle revealed the grime covered face beneath. Behind his helmets visor, his pupils dilated, unable to accept what he was seeing. “Its impossible! You can’t be alive!” Kinclex smiled from inside the crystal. “Maybe not the real me, but a watered down copy. Not everyone is as talented as the great Miss Arion. I was only create with the Storm Devil’s extreme speed. However, those that follow will be far more devastating. Mwahaha. AHAHAHAHAHA!” Without a second though, Nickle crushed the cheap imitation of his clone, impaling him with crystal before breaking every bone in his corrupt body. Turning away from the dead gaze of his second clone, he gripped kaneryuu tightly. It seemed Neo-Arcadia had finally developed a way to hunt him. It would seem that some of Lillian’s research and genetic samples had slipped out during the invasion. Releasing the Sekkou armour, Nickle stood as he once was, looking out into the horizon. He had been running long enough. It was time to ensure, that no more clones were ever created. A Hyakujian’s powers is what set them apart from the rest of the world at this stage. If those machines were able to replicate that as well, then they’d truly be outnumbered. The very thought of having to contend with a mechanized Hiro Tsukasa, sent chills down Nickle’s spine… Sliding kaneryuu back into its sheath, Nickle spread his wings once more. His next stop, was Neo-Arcadia’s capital… |
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| Kounoko | Mar 17 2009, 07:35 AM Post #23 |
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光の子
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Made some big changes, removed the previous one. BGM Mount Hyakuji. Two girls in Hanfu (Pre-Qing dynasty Traditional Chinese Clothings), are floating in the air. "So Zhimeng," The taller of the two asked the other, as they floats in mid-air "Are you ready, to join the ranks of the celestial beings?" Yes, this girl is Xia Zhihua, Xia Zhimeng's elder sister. "Do I have a choice?" Was Zhimeng's reply, "all my friends are either gone or have their soul trapped in prisons of steel, there is nothing for me in this dying world." The bath incident that took Zhimeng's life so long ago, just before she was supposed to starts her first day of school in Hyakuji was a totally tragic, however, it was her great fortunate that one of her friends was Suzumiya Kamu, also known as Kyonka. Basically, one of Kamu's mothers friends, Nagato Yuki, is not human, but rather, a humanoid interface created by the data-intergraded being, basically an almost omnipotent biodroid create by aliens whom are data-based lifefrom, with an level of reality manipulation second only to Kyonka's mother, Suzumiya Haruhi, a girl whom is being speculated to be God. After going missing for a few weeks, the police not being able to find anything, Kyonka approached her Aunt Yuki and her Senseis in Gensokyo for help. Using her powers, Yuki detected that Zhimeng had die by being flush down a sink by a powerful toilet. This was confirmed by Sikieiki, whom found her wondering soul floating in Hyakuji, not being brought to hell because Hyakuji's Shinigami is greatly annoys by her and wouldn't get anywhere near her. What Yuki did was to got one hundred rings shaped golden energy, insert them into a computer monitor, causing a image of Zhimeng to appear on the monitor, and then ask Asahina Mikuru, a time traveler and another one of Kyonka's mothers old friend to bring the monitor back in time, to the day Zhimeng was killed and smash the monitor over Zhimeng's head. The power of Chaos within the one-up monitor reconstructed Zhimeng's body and Youmu helped Zhimeng's soul back to her body, which had been reconstructed in France, where she was born. It took her a rather long time to find her way home in France and tell Selene and Kyonka she was ok. Due to this event, the personality divider between Zhimeng and Mischievous starts to collapse, as Mischievous Chaos' strategist wisdom and intelligent merge with Zhimeng's caring and kind nature, the two maidens sharing the body become one. The event also taught Zhimeng a lesson on how fragile life is as she devotes herself to practicing JiuYang ShenGong (The Death and Resurrection had reformatted her Qi, she decided to give up on YiJi and XiSui, going for JiuYang instead.), and after years of cultivating, the JiuYang ShenGong, the martial arts has changed Zhimeng's body, from an material form to a transcendent one, a form unbounded the physics of the material universe, blending into the great oblivion. However, the year she attainted true immortality, was also the day the Machine Empire starts taking over the world. Those few years that follow were nightmare. Change BGM Yes, the planet is dying, the flow of Ether and Mana fades with every passing moment, in fact, the world now is so depleted of Mana that magic can no longer functions at all. Ether, the life-force of the world, and Mana, the soul of the Earth, the two energies responsible for life and magic on Earth, both almost gone from this planet. While the machine empire had brings order to the world, order by it self is nothing without freedom. Indeed, order has the attribute of death and stalemation, it is Chaos that brings life and progress, for that is the way nature works, the order of nature is one of Chaos. Chaos can bring order, but order rejects Chaos. The price of peace and order of the machine empire is absolute dictatorship of the entire world, where democracy falls, the dignity and freedom of each and every individual totally stripped from all the world citizens. And peace, without freedom, is a total hell, nothing more then worthless rubbish. The great enslavement has begin, and nothing could stop it, although many had tired and many are still trying, but the evil machine empire was not to be resists, as it labels the freedom fighters 'terrorists', using shameless lies to turn the commoners against them. The wise seeks freedom and pride above all, only fools seeks first peace and order first. For without peace and order, one can still seek to live in danger, but without freedom and pride, one is nothing but a slave, being much worse off then death. A war between ideas can have a side which is right, depending on what are the ideas that are in conflict. And freedom has, is and will always be the correct idea to fight for, anyone whom fought side by side a dictatorship for the worthless illusion of peace is nothing, but a fool. What followed the machine empire was Global urbanization, a total destruction of the earth ecosystem. With all Fauna and Flora deceased. Ever since the dawn of civilization, apart from a few enlighten ones civilizations, the cities that mankind had build have always been a force against nature, with the world urbanization an synonym for wealth, but at the same time pollution and death. This is especially true for cultures that emerges from the desert, since more jungle and plain culture are usually much more eco-friendly, seeing humanity and nature as one. But the true is, the growths of cities are like cancer cells, spreading and consuming Mother Nature. However, humanity's instinct to survive and the intuitive love all human has for the natural world and to be close with it have always kept the world's urbanization in check. Because we humans, born of flesh and blood are all children of Mother Nature, we are all part of the eco-system. We cannot survive in a world without jungles and forests, we are forever part of the natural world we live in. We are the greatest antibodies against the virus of urbanization we ourselves create, ironic, isn't it? However, when man start becoming machine, everything changed. Beings of Steel and Fuel, rather then flash and blood, totally artificial beings, for which are independent of and thus have no concern for the eco-system. Not at all. The only wall of defense nature has against the metropolis has finally fallen. With the worldwide conversion of human beings to machine, the android population become the plague of the Earth, a virus that spread death, as the metropolis cancer of urbanization slowly devour and kill the life giving farmlands, plains, forest and jungles, the green land turning into a sliver desert of ruins and metal. It would not come to this, if it was transferring a person's brain to a robot body with life support system for the brain, or surgically transplanting one's brain to a super human biodroid body with cybernetic implants. Some may ask the question of what is a human and at what point does human stop being human, while some may view this as a question of philosophy, the true is, the reasonable and biological answer is simple. The brain. As long as one brain is alive, one lives. For the brains is where a person's individual lies. The chamber of the spirit. A person can be a total cyborg, but as long as the human, biological brain is still in control, a person is still human. A living biological entity that would still require Earth's eco-system to survive. Since the brain will still need oxygen and nutrition to function. And yes, the brain will still die, sooner or later, but nerves cells are much longer lasting then other cells. So the person will still live much longer. And natural human or just partial cyborg will still be walking around, since the brain cannot procreate, so for the continuity existence of the specie, there must be human still with the reproduction organs. However, the full mechanization of the body and digitalizing one's conscious into a computer controlling a android body, is a totally different story. While that might seems to be just a small step different, well, a different of one step on a cliff would decided if someone is still living well or falling off to one's death. Biologically speaking, the people whom had been mechanizes, are all already dead, dying with their brains at the moment of their self deceiving fake immortality, what that is left is just a computer program trying to simulate the thinking and action of the dead person. The way a computer operates is so fundamentally different from the way a biologically brain functions for a full transfer of one personality and character. There is no living soul in the robot body anymore, only a death spirit trying to get out, being tortured by the computer trying to simulate it. Those whom seek eternal live got eternal death instead, what an irony. At this point, all progress of humanity perpetually cease, what that seems to be an improvement will stop all future ones. Since only Chaos and life can bring evolution and progress. Simulations run by computer using data collected from someone's brain will always just be simulations, forever using old data. Nothing new will come out of this world of mechanical zombies. All is over. This is the end. A computer cannot be innovative, for creation is the capacity if the living biological brain of Chaos, what is dead cannot bring life. There is no life in a computer. Human beings replace by computer simulations in androids. All eco-systems being destroy to make room for cities. Ether and Mana drained from the world. The end of evolution, innovation and prograss. The world, is near death, weakly gasping each and every bit of it's last few breaths, struggle to be alive even as the Ether and Mana disperse away from the planet. End time is near. With the suicidal fall of humanity and rise of the machines, the gods may well be the only hope for earth. If they are actually concern about this little planet, that is. Immortals are forbidden to influence the course of human civilization. To lead and guide the history of humanity, that is a authority only true gods held. What Zhimeng could do when the world starts falling apart, is to help those whom bravely refuses mechanization to escape to the pocket dimensions that exists on earth, such as The KunLun Mountains, The PengLai Islands, Isle JinAo and Gensokyo. Change BGM Zhimeng washed her face with tears everyday, watching the world she knew fall apart. Seeing the very death of the planet she treasured and loved. Nothing can be done, not by her, anyway. Zhimeng weeps again as she enters the portal taking her to China, Mt. KunLun with her elder sister. After reaching China, together the two girls enter the gateway to the KunLun pocket dimension. Away from the land of death, into a land of life. "Why has the gods not doing do anything about this?" Asked Zhimeng as they enters into KunLun.. "Well, their great leader, is still enjoying herself being in the body and mind of some willful woman having fun in Gensokyo, and without her command... not much can be done, sooner or later. Anyway, I heard you know her daughter rather well." "Thou mean Kyonka?" "Yeah, you see..." "You two are back? Good, the gate of KunLun has served it purpose," the two girls' conversation is cut short by the gate-keeper of KunLun, as she locks the gate of KunLun which opens the portal between Earth and KunLun up behinds the two girls. She then pulls away the key, sealing the portal between KunLun and the outside world. Then, tightening her fist, she crushes the key, and next with a mighty punch, smashws the gate into pieces. "My job is done here, and shall end forever." Yeah, there will be no more immortals appearing on earth anymore. There will not be any need for KunLun to be joined with the outside world. The opening between the two worlds is now sealed forever. "Goodbye forever, my homeland." "Goodbye... forever, Selene, Ma amies..." Zhimeng whispered, tears rolling down her eyes again, as she depart from the planet she has spend her entire life in, into outer space and beyond, to The Realm of the Gods, the paradise that lies beyond our universe. Change BGM "How's the world outside? Koizumi." Asked my mother, Kyonko. "Rather bad, the robots have fully taken over the world." Was the reply she got from Aunt Itsumi. "Should we tell Haruhi this?" "She is no-longer interested in the outside world, I think it's best not to tell her." "Great, so we are going to be stuck here in this crazy place forever." Both Kyonko-Ksan and me shakes our heads and sighed. We came to Gensokyo a few years ago, just before the outside world broke into war. At first, my other mother Haruhi Okasama just wanted to say thank you to my Senseis. Unfortunately, she then falls in love with this crazy place. And made our whole family, including my aunt Kyonko-Kachan's younger sister and her family to move here with her. She even made all her friends, like Aunt Yuki, Aunt Itsuki, Aunt Mikuri and Aunt Tsuruya to move here as well. Now we have been living in her for the past few years. Well, it's better then living in the nightmare outside there. The real world, or so we called it. Which is now even more unreal then the 'Illusionary Homeland' Gensokyo we are in, A land of death, of soulless robots. A hell. And the home I learn magic has now become our new home. A crazy place. But is there any choice? It's not like we can go back outside, to what is now a steel desert. "Nagato , isn't there anything we can do about the world?" Kyonko Kasan asked her friend. "The Integrated Data Entity has no interest in the welfare of Earth's humanity, my duty is solely to observe, monitor and research on Suzumiya-san," Oh yeah, a few years ago I learned that what I have been assuming was the fairy tales that Aunt Itsuki told me were all true. Oh my god, and no, not you, Haruhi-Okasama. Yeah, the thing about Aunt Itsuki being an esper and Aunt Yuki being an alien creation. Oh yeah, I forgot to say just now, the entire organization Aunt Itsuki works for is also here in Gensokyo. "Don't worry, in the end, everything is going to be ok, I am sure about that." Aunt Mikuru gives a reassuring smile to us, "look, I am human, see? Remember I just got the flu not long ago." Oh I remember, Aunt Mikuru is actually a time traveler from the future. Which means that humanity must taken back the world in the future. "So how did we win?" Kasan and I asked her together. "...Forbidden Information!" She smiled again, saying her copyrighted statement. Too bad, it would seem that the future really holds back a lot of information from us. "Kyonka-chan! You have guest!" Haruhi-Okasama yelled from the living room. Strange, who could be visiting us in such a time? "Greetings, Kamu, bon jour, it's been a long time." Yume-chan? It's Yume-chan? It's really her? "I am an immortal now, I now reside in the same place thy Hinanai Tenshi Sensei comes from." Was Yume-Chan's reply. "it's easy to come to Gensokyo from there... so how's has life been doing? Look like at least the two of us can spend time together... unlike our good friend... Ma Amies, Selene..." No, please don't. "Don’t mention that name to me! We treated her as a friend, but what is she now? What had she done? And what is she still doing? She had long become a monster, a demon, a piece of metal with no blood or tears!" I scream, even though I live here in Gensokyo, I still keep myself in touch with the outside world. I can never forget the day she told me that she has became a robot, and suggested I become one as well. Was she crazy? Well, it would seem so. Then came the newspaper articles of her murdering people who don't want to become robots. She's so alien to me now, I cannot understand her at all, I can see nothing but a total stranger and monster in her. After so many years of friendship, I've always know her to be a kind, caring and righteous girl, why? What happen? How could she become... this? I couldn't help but allow the tears to flow down my face; there was no way I can keep them in any longer. Why? "Kamu, Ma amies, get a hold of thyself, what that hast happenth cannot be changed." She comforted me, but how could she? She should be sadder then I am. After all, she had always idolized Selene, and... unlike me, she cannot die. There used to be three of us good friends, with Selene the monster she is now, there is only two of us left. When I aged and die a few more decades later, only she will be left. My good friend, Yume-chan, Aurore Xia Zhimeng. If only... there is a way to bring Selene back. To bring our old friend, that gentle, kind, caring and righteous girl back. "There is still hope ma amies, trust me, trust me for life, there is. You must be life confident. For life is great." What? There is still hope? Change BGM "I just met up with a friend of mine not long ago, he's a two tailed alien fox spirit from this planet called Mobius, in this planet lies a great power, for it contain two artifacts that contained the power of Chaos." What? Chaos? Is Yume-Chan talking about that Chaos? Before I could ask, it seems Yume-Chan already knows what I am intending to ask, "Yes," she said, "Chaos, the fantasy force of Creation and life, the ancient all encompassing primordial energy of God, or rather, thy mother Haruhi." Please, don't drag my mother into this, besides, this is no time for jokes. "The power of Chaos dispels the orderliness of death and brings life, with this power, the metals that covers the Earth can become flash and blood via the process of sub-atomic particle re-arrangement into carbohydrates and proteins. The primitive life-force of the universe that forms the Ether and Mana, the power to de mechanize robots and bring them from the Death back to the living." "And in the Planet Mobius, there lies The Power Rings and The Chaos Emeralds, two artifacts of great Chaos Power, being guarded by a Blue Hedgehog spirit and a Red Enchilada spirit. In fact, there was a video game series on Earth that was based on their war against the evil Professor Eggman that goes around mechanizing the animal spirits on Mobius." "Sonic and Knuckles?" I face palmed. "So that two tails fox spirit is Miles?" "So thou hast heard of their names, I believe thou hast played that game before? That is good, so, would ye aid me in seeking them and beseech unto them for their aid to save our world and friends." Great, so our hope is two sneakers wearing bipedal mice with spikes. One blue one who is a daredevil with an attitude problem who thinks he's cool and a red one who is perpetually anti-social. Yeah, great. How on Earth did Sega know about them to make so many games based on them anyway? I alway's thought those games are total fictions which the Sega people come up from thin air. "So my friend, Suzumiya Kumu, do ye wish to come with me to seek hope?" What can I say? What should I do? Argh! This is so hard to decide! ...............To be continued? Author's Note: Actually, no. XD
Edited by Kounoko, Mar 17 2009, 08:00 AM.
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4:21 AM Jul 11