Xenosaga Fan Fiction ❯ 30 Kisses ❯ Chapter 6
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Niu Shiy-Ue 
#21 violence; pillage/plunder; extortion
Non Anime: Xenosaga Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.03.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 435 | Status: Work In Progress
#21 violence; pillage/plunder; extortion
Non Anime: Xenosaga Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.03.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 435 | Status: Work In Progress
AN: It's been a while since I've played Xenosaga and now it's all jumbled up in my mind with the animation producing . . . on second thought, I don't really want to claim this.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Wake up! Oh, please, MOMO-san you have to wake up!"
MOMO shivered and coiled herself tighter. Someone was shaking her and saying her name. She was someplace dark and cold and she didn't want to open her eyes, not if Daddy wasn't going to be there. But whoever it was was insistent, and getting rougher. She felt her eyelashes flutter once, twice, then she opened her eyes. Wherever she was, it was dark and gloomy and cold. The chill bit into her bones.
In front of her was one of her sisters, a Kirschwasser 99-series from the amber eyes and white hair. The other Realian smiled in relief. "W-where am I?" asked MOMO.
The smile dropped off the tanned face. "This place . . . this place has many names: Song of the Nephilim, Proto Merkabah, Wheel of Ezekiel are some. But that's not important now." The 99-series stood and pulled MOMO up with her. "Listen, you need to get out of here."
"Proto . . . Merkabah? Wait!" She dug her heels in as the older girl started to drag her off. "Is-is Daddy here?"
The other shook her head so violently that her hat almost flew off her white hair. "No. That was just an illusion He created so you would be lured here." She gave a strong tug on their joined hands and this time MOMO followed. They traveled along many empty corridors until they reached an airlock. "This is one of the few lifepods installed in here. I'll set it towards Second Militia." She hesitated for just a second. "MOMO-san . . . "
The pink-haired Realian looked up and amber met yellow. "What?"
Instead of answering, the other placed her hands on the side of MOMO's face. MOMO saw a flash of white then an image formed in her mind. Joachim Mizrahi, staring at a capsule that contained MOMO's body. "Soon... Soon you will be born into this world... And once
you arrive, you must do many good deeds... If you do...you can become
human... You can become my Sakura..." he said. Another flash and the image was gone.
"Was that . . . you're memory? Thank you," MOMO told the other. The Kirschwasser just smiled and started to push her into the lifepod.
"My dear Kirschwasser, what are you doing?" The two duplicate girls whipped around to stare at the figure down the hall. The white-haired Realian obviously knew and feared whoever was there because she pushed MOMO behind her as if she was protecting her. MOMO however, saw little of the tall man other than the silhouette of his head, haloed by the red light. And two bright green eyes. "And I thought you were such an obedient child . . . I'm afraid you must be punished."
"D-don't touch her! I promised Daddy I would protect her!" The Kirschwasser was shaking.
"Of course you did, but you helped me capture her anyway. And now you're trying to help her escape. No, I'm afraid you've served your purpose. Now, be a good girl and shoot yourself in the head." To MOMO's shock and horror, the Kirschwasser took two steps toward the figure, took a pistol out from under her jacket, lifted it to her temple and fired.
"How . . . why?" MOMO sobbed.
"Tears . . . how worthless they are. What good do they do? Will you make a river to Hel and bring her back(1)? Or drown yourself in them to join her? Tears are selfish. I never cry." He took a few steps forward and now she could see him.
"Junior-kun," she whispered. Actually, the man in front of her looked more like Raphael than Avnas, but even older than the director of the Kukai foundation.(2) The main difference was the unnatural green eyes and the wavy black hair that was tied back and fell to just above his waist. He was dressed in black and white motley, like a jester in a book Marguilis had shown her. (3)
"Junior? Who's that?" A few steps forward and she was backed into a wall. "Oh, it doesn't matter. You'll tell me soon enough." He reached out and placed his gloved hands on her shoulder. "In fact, you want to tell me anything and everything I want to know, yes?" His eyes, his eyes were so . . .
"I do."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Shion and chaos ran after Junior. Armed with the blueprints of the Proto Merkabah, they only hoped they were in time to rescue MOMO. Shion wasn't sure about trusting Junior's sixth sense on this, but Raphael had said it was the most accurate guide they had. Actually she was confused about many things, KOS-MOS, the song that only she and Raphael and Junior could hear, how the Merkabah avoided being pulled into the black holes around Militia, even the number on Raphael Kukai's hand. She decided it didn't matter, Junior's sensation of something calling him may or may not help them, but searching the facility level by level would take too long.
Avnas finally came to a halt and she nearly crashed into his AGWS. "It's here. This is where . . . " he stopped.
At first, Shion couldn't see why. After a few minutes her tracers picked up MOMO's signal, right by the reactor. As she focused her visual sensors finally detected someone standing right in front of her.
She heard Junior hiss, then he climbed out of his AGWS to confront the man holding MOMO. "Junior-kun," said chaos. "Don't! You can't allow-"
"Shut up!" the red-head shot back. He had finally reached the ground. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing to MOMO!?!"
"Have you been so wrapped up in these mistakes that you've forgotten me, Rubedo?" The voice reminded Shion of the Director of the Kukai foundation, but older and dripping with bitterness. The man raised his face from MOMO's hair and looked at Junior. She didn't recognize him, but Junior turned white as a sheet. "I'm not surprised. You have so many new toys to replace this broken doll."
"N-nigredo? We believed you were dead."
Shion upped the magnification on her visuals and focused on the man's face, just in time to see it twist into a sneer. "Believed or hoped? It would have been so convenient for you, if I had died! You only ever cared about yourself!"
That seemed to snap Junior out of his shock. "I don't need to listen to someone who sold himself to UDO!" He raised his guns and pointed them at the tall man's head. "Nigredo, if you don't turn MOMO over to me right now, I'll blow off your head!"
"How pitiful you are, Rubedo. Always clinging to the wrong things, the wrong people. Are you afraid I'll kiss her before you? Oh well, I've already taken all I can from her." The man tossed MOMO down to the floor. From behind him, Shion saw a giant AGWS appear; she thought it had been called Simeon. "Now, en garde!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"It looks like I lose." The broken body of another Kirschwasser was tossed out of the AGWS. "It doesn't matter."
"It doesn't matter? How can you say that Nigredo!" Junior was panting harshly.
"Avnas-kun, calm down," warned chaos. You don't want to-"
"Avnas, hmm? How appropriate." The large AGWS began to draw back. "Rubedo, there is only one way for you to find your redemption. If you truly wish to atone for what happened fourteen years ago, follow me. Leave behind your toys and I will give you peace. That is . . . if you can."
Shion asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"This reactor is already fully charged." The reactor behind the AGWS opened, revealing a Gnosis inside.
"Damn," said Junior. "You combined the Gnosis . . . with the reactor . . . ?!"
"You must first destroy this in order to stop Proto Merkabah.
You do realize that... Oh, almost forgot the time! Hmmmm, not much left
now... I'd say five minutes, at best." replied the black-haired man.
"Goddammit, Nigredo!" Rubedo's AGWS started forward, but was pushed back by a strange, shifting green barrier.
"Farewell, my dear older brother. I'm sure we'll meet again."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(1) In Norse mythology, after Hod (and Loki) killed Baldur, his mother Frigg was told that if she could get every living thing to shed a tear for Baldur, she could make a river to Hel and bring him back. But one giantess (Loki in disguise) refused to mourn for Baldur, thus rendering her efforts useless.
(2) I cannot find where Gaignun's name came from (other than the cat, but we all know that); I think someone once wrote that it's the name for the horse of Famine, but I can't get any other confirmation for that. I was originally going to call Albedo Charlemagne, in keeping with the Durandal, but I decided to take his name from Rubedo. Thus Rubedo is now Avnas, a demon who takes the form of a flame and hopes to be redeemed after 12.000 years and Albedo is Raphael, 'Healing of God'. Rubedo's nickname is still Junior though.
(3) I was actually thinking of the clothes Utena wears in the movie. See a picture of them here. Sorry those were the best pictures I could find.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Wake up! Oh, please, MOMO-san you have to wake up!"
MOMO shivered and coiled herself tighter. Someone was shaking her and saying her name. She was someplace dark and cold and she didn't want to open her eyes, not if Daddy wasn't going to be there. But whoever it was was insistent, and getting rougher. She felt her eyelashes flutter once, twice, then she opened her eyes. Wherever she was, it was dark and gloomy and cold. The chill bit into her bones.
In front of her was one of her sisters, a Kirschwasser 99-series from the amber eyes and white hair. The other Realian smiled in relief. "W-where am I?" asked MOMO.
The smile dropped off the tanned face. "This place . . . this place has many names: Song of the Nephilim, Proto Merkabah, Wheel of Ezekiel are some. But that's not important now." The 99-series stood and pulled MOMO up with her. "Listen, you need to get out of here."
"Proto . . . Merkabah? Wait!" She dug her heels in as the older girl started to drag her off. "Is-is Daddy here?"
The other shook her head so violently that her hat almost flew off her white hair. "No. That was just an illusion He created so you would be lured here." She gave a strong tug on their joined hands and this time MOMO followed. They traveled along many empty corridors until they reached an airlock. "This is one of the few lifepods installed in here. I'll set it towards Second Militia." She hesitated for just a second. "MOMO-san . . . "
The pink-haired Realian looked up and amber met yellow. "What?"
Instead of answering, the other placed her hands on the side of MOMO's face. MOMO saw a flash of white then an image formed in her mind. Joachim Mizrahi, staring at a capsule that contained MOMO's body. "Soon... Soon you will be born into this world... And once
you arrive, you must do many good deeds... If you do...you can become
human... You can become my Sakura..." he said. Another flash and the image was gone.
"Was that . . . you're memory? Thank you," MOMO told the other. The Kirschwasser just smiled and started to push her into the lifepod.
"My dear Kirschwasser, what are you doing?" The two duplicate girls whipped around to stare at the figure down the hall. The white-haired Realian obviously knew and feared whoever was there because she pushed MOMO behind her as if she was protecting her. MOMO however, saw little of the tall man other than the silhouette of his head, haloed by the red light. And two bright green eyes. "And I thought you were such an obedient child . . . I'm afraid you must be punished."
"D-don't touch her! I promised Daddy I would protect her!" The Kirschwasser was shaking.
"Of course you did, but you helped me capture her anyway. And now you're trying to help her escape. No, I'm afraid you've served your purpose. Now, be a good girl and shoot yourself in the head." To MOMO's shock and horror, the Kirschwasser took two steps toward the figure, took a pistol out from under her jacket, lifted it to her temple and fired.
"How . . . why?" MOMO sobbed.
"Tears . . . how worthless they are. What good do they do? Will you make a river to Hel and bring her back(1)? Or drown yourself in them to join her? Tears are selfish. I never cry." He took a few steps forward and now she could see him.
"Junior-kun," she whispered. Actually, the man in front of her looked more like Raphael than Avnas, but even older than the director of the Kukai foundation.(2) The main difference was the unnatural green eyes and the wavy black hair that was tied back and fell to just above his waist. He was dressed in black and white motley, like a jester in a book Marguilis had shown her. (3)
"Junior? Who's that?" A few steps forward and she was backed into a wall. "Oh, it doesn't matter. You'll tell me soon enough." He reached out and placed his gloved hands on her shoulder. "In fact, you want to tell me anything and everything I want to know, yes?" His eyes, his eyes were so . . .
"I do."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Shion and chaos ran after Junior. Armed with the blueprints of the Proto Merkabah, they only hoped they were in time to rescue MOMO. Shion wasn't sure about trusting Junior's sixth sense on this, but Raphael had said it was the most accurate guide they had. Actually she was confused about many things, KOS-MOS, the song that only she and Raphael and Junior could hear, how the Merkabah avoided being pulled into the black holes around Militia, even the number on Raphael Kukai's hand. She decided it didn't matter, Junior's sensation of something calling him may or may not help them, but searching the facility level by level would take too long.
Avnas finally came to a halt and she nearly crashed into his AGWS. "It's here. This is where . . . " he stopped.
At first, Shion couldn't see why. After a few minutes her tracers picked up MOMO's signal, right by the reactor. As she focused her visual sensors finally detected someone standing right in front of her.
She heard Junior hiss, then he climbed out of his AGWS to confront the man holding MOMO. "Junior-kun," said chaos. "Don't! You can't allow-"
"Shut up!" the red-head shot back. He had finally reached the ground. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing to MOMO!?!"
"Have you been so wrapped up in these mistakes that you've forgotten me, Rubedo?" The voice reminded Shion of the Director of the Kukai foundation, but older and dripping with bitterness. The man raised his face from MOMO's hair and looked at Junior. She didn't recognize him, but Junior turned white as a sheet. "I'm not surprised. You have so many new toys to replace this broken doll."
"N-nigredo? We believed you were dead."
Shion upped the magnification on her visuals and focused on the man's face, just in time to see it twist into a sneer. "Believed or hoped? It would have been so convenient for you, if I had died! You only ever cared about yourself!"
That seemed to snap Junior out of his shock. "I don't need to listen to someone who sold himself to UDO!" He raised his guns and pointed them at the tall man's head. "Nigredo, if you don't turn MOMO over to me right now, I'll blow off your head!"
"How pitiful you are, Rubedo. Always clinging to the wrong things, the wrong people. Are you afraid I'll kiss her before you? Oh well, I've already taken all I can from her." The man tossed MOMO down to the floor. From behind him, Shion saw a giant AGWS appear; she thought it had been called Simeon. "Now, en garde!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"It looks like I lose." The broken body of another Kirschwasser was tossed out of the AGWS. "It doesn't matter."
"It doesn't matter? How can you say that Nigredo!" Junior was panting harshly.
"Avnas-kun, calm down," warned chaos. You don't want to-"
"Avnas, hmm? How appropriate." The large AGWS began to draw back. "Rubedo, there is only one way for you to find your redemption. If you truly wish to atone for what happened fourteen years ago, follow me. Leave behind your toys and I will give you peace. That is . . . if you can."
Shion asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"This reactor is already fully charged." The reactor behind the AGWS opened, revealing a Gnosis inside.
"Damn," said Junior. "You combined the Gnosis . . . with the reactor . . . ?!"
"You must first destroy this in order to stop Proto Merkabah.
You do realize that... Oh, almost forgot the time! Hmmmm, not much left
now... I'd say five minutes, at best." replied the black-haired man.
"Goddammit, Nigredo!" Rubedo's AGWS started forward, but was pushed back by a strange, shifting green barrier.
"Farewell, my dear older brother. I'm sure we'll meet again."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(1) In Norse mythology, after Hod (and Loki) killed Baldur, his mother Frigg was told that if she could get every living thing to shed a tear for Baldur, she could make a river to Hel and bring him back. But one giantess (Loki in disguise) refused to mourn for Baldur, thus rendering her efforts useless.
(2) I cannot find where Gaignun's name came from (other than the cat, but we all know that); I think someone once wrote that it's the name for the horse of Famine, but I can't get any other confirmation for that. I was originally going to call Albedo Charlemagne, in keeping with the Durandal, but I decided to take his name from Rubedo. Thus Rubedo is now Avnas, a demon who takes the form of a flame and hopes to be redeemed after 12.000 years and Albedo is Raphael, 'Healing of God'. Rubedo's nickname is still Junior though.
(3) I was actually thinking of the clothes Utena wears in the movie. See a picture of them here. Sorry those were the best pictures I could find.