XENOGEARS: POWER, TRUTH AND LOVE
by: Joshua Loomis (jeloomis@planetx.bloomu.edu)
DISCLAIMER
This fic is being written without the consent of
Squaresoft or any of it's affiliates. I am making no
money from this endeavor, so I am in no way
compromising their copyrights. I'm simply doing
this for fun, and because I have far too much
free time on my hands. -_^ Here endeth the
lesson.
NOTES
-C&C is very welcome. I accept all comments that
come my way about my work. So don't be shy, please
tell me what you think.
-This fic is, obviously, based on the Square RPG
'Xenogears'. It's no problem if you haven't played
it, but you'll certainly enjoy it more if you have.
-This fic refers to incidents that took place in
Amber Michelle's wonderful fic, "Shadows Falling."
Go here to read it. www.zenogias.com/fanfic.html
* * * * *
CHAPTER THREE
* * * * *
"Where is Rico?"
Bart sighed. The question came from Billy, as the
former Etone stood outside his new orphanage. Sigurd
shook his head.
"He's tied up with things in Noturne. The reconstruction
is expected to take weeks, if not longer. He can't leave."
"The boy *had* to go and be the one to succeed, just
because he happens to be related to the Emperor..."
"And Maria?"
"Not unlike Rico," Sigurd began, "Maria is assisting in
the reconstruction of Shevat. Last I saw her, she and
Seibzehn were helping reassemble the Gate generators."
Billy shook his head.
"I just have this awful feeling... " the young preist
said quietly. "If you had come to me sooner, we all could
have gone after Fei together..."
"Hey, don't stress about it," Bart replied confidently.
"I mean, c'mon, Doc, Elly, and Emmy all went out there, and
together I bet they could beat up Xenogears!"
"I think that's exaggerating a little," Sigurd said.
"In their Gears, I mean," Bart hurridly corrected.
"Still..."
Billy found himself smiling. Bart seemed to always
have something to say that brightened the mood. He turned
and looked over his shoulder at his kids.
"Will they be all right?"
"Sure! Now that El Renmazuo's been loaded up, ol' man
Maison'll look after the little tykes..."
Indeed, as Billy watched, the old knight chased several
of the children around in an effort to control their
frenetic movement. The preist chuckled.
"Guess I better go with you... wouldn't want any of you
to get hurt with no one to help you..."
"That's the spirit!" said Bart, clapping Billy on the
shoulder. "Sig even did us the pleasure of digging up your
old man, so all four of us can have a drink or three before
we go save everyone else!"
Despite the fact that he had to shake his head at that
comment, Billy had to smile at that. It was almost like
coming home...
The huge hands, easily as tall as the biggest worker,
not to mention as wide, hefted the assembly of the Gate
generator into place, and Shevat workers crawled all over
the assembly, rivetting it into place. Even though she
wasn't directly involved in the work, Maria Bathlazar felt
fatique creeping into her bones. From her perspective on
the top of Seibzehn's head, she could easily see that this
generator, the last of the four, was almost done.
When Seibzehn had inexplicably reactivated, the first
thing Maria did was run to Queen Zephyr to find out what
was going on. While the Queen said she honestly had no
idea, she did suggest that Maria and Seibzehn help out in
the reconstruction effort.
As the titanic Gear bent to place the outer plate of
the Gate generator on, Maria heard rather than saw the
Yggdrasil fly overhead. She looked up and was surprised
to see Andvari and Renmazuo flying down towards her. The
two OmniGears came to rest next to her. She smiled as
Seibzehn stood, towering over the other two.
"Bart! Billy!" Maria called.
"Heya Maria! What's shakin'?"
"Not much, Bart... just helping my people rebuild.
Shevat should again be airborne within the week."
"That's wonderful news!" Billy praised. "And how is
Seibzehn?"
"Fine, as far as I can tell...he seems happy to be
doing something that doesn't involve blowing things up
or tearing them apart."
"I know that feeling," the former Etone said quietly.
"Well, Maria, unfortunately this isn't really a social
call," Bart began. "As you can tell, our Gears are all
workin' again. Some nut reactivated Zohar, and Fei ran off
all by himself to find out who. Elly, Doc, and Emeralda
went after him, but I figured I get us all together just
in case this guy turns out to be another Krellian."
"Or Grahf," Billy added, and Renmazuo seemed to shudder
a bit.
Maria, too, felt a chill. The mere mention of the name
of the so-called "Seeker of Power" was enough to strike fear
into those that had faced him. Even though, in the end, he
had sacrificed himself so they could defeat Deus and save
Elly, they all remembered how badly he had wanted to destroy
them all...
"So what do you say, Maria?" Bart said, breaking into
her thoughts. "You want to-"
"Of course I'll come!" Maria interrupted. "They might
need us. Besides, it'll be good to see everyone again!"
"Al~ll right!!" Bart yelled, and Andvari threw a punch
in the air. "Let's get moving, folks, time waits for nobody,
no matter how much ass their Gear kicks!"
* * * * *
He came to slowly. He was dimly aware that his body
was not responding to his command to get up. The straps
of his command couch didn't help. He tried to look at
the console, to see what condition Jubei, his Gear, was
in, and to see how long he'd been out.
But the darkness was everywhere.
"Where am I?"
~The Zohar Modifier.~
He bolted around, and ended up tearing his shoulder
even further from it's socket. He yowled in pain.
~I wouldn't move too much if I were you. You have
only recently awakened from your coma, and your body
is not in very good shape.~
"Wha...what happened...where's Aiyuko?"
~This is what I can peice together, from what is
left of your flight recorder. You and another Gear...
I assume one belonging to 'Aiyuko'... were engaged, along
with other Solaris units, in a battle with a detatchment
of -Seraph- Angels from Merkava. Two of them pinned you
down while a group of them destroyed your comrades, and
'Aiyuko', then blasted you into this cavern.~
He closed his eyes. He remembered that. Aiyuko's
Gear, the color of a clear sky and armed with flying
daggers, had been torn apart by the -Seraphs-. He had
screamed in rage, igniting Jubei's energy blades, and
tried to save her, or avenge her. But they had
overpowered him and blasted him into nothingness...
~You are wounded, and your Ether abilities cannot
heal you. But I can...I have the power. Do you want it?~
"What?"
~Do you want the power?~
"Who...who are you?"
~Once, I was only known as Grahf, the Seeker of Power.
However, I have come to realise that power was not what I
sought, but peace. Soon I will have it...I am dying, you
see.~
"Then how can you help me?"
~I can give you the last of my power. It will heal
your wounds, and give you control of my Gear, the Alpha
Weltall...some might even say it is the True Weltall. I
will soon have no need for them. My son... my son is...~
"What...?"
~You see, the last body I came to inhabit was that
of the father of a young man named Fei, the -Contact-.
I helped unite his fracutred soul... but it has been
torn apart again. I need to you help him... it is my
final request, and I make it of you. I can feel that
your heart is pure, and that you can help my son's
friends, even 'her'. They seek what I do... peace,
and the peace of my son. But my body is already dead,
and my soul soon will be as well. But I cannot rest
in peace until I know my son will be cared for.~
"I will do what you ask... it will be the least
I can do in memory of Aiyuko-chan. And in memory of
you... Grahf, was it?"
~My name no longer matters. I commit my soul, the
last of my power, and my final request to you, Izara
Koumei. We shall be as one. Take my power, take my
Gear, and bring back my son. Make him whole again, as
I make you whole...~
Izara opened his eyes again. His body was healed.
He unstrapped himself and exited the cockpit of
Jubei, his dead Gear. It had served him well, and
proven that he was truly one of Jugend's best... even
if he was really a -Lamb-. He reached into his
cockpit and pulled out his swords, the only connection
to his past, and hopped down from the wrecked Gear.
The cavern was abandoned save for a huge
monolithic structure, and the crumpled form of
another Gear. Izara walked over to it and passed his
palm over the cockpit activation panel, almost hidden
amongst the gray body. It glowed softly and the
cockpit sighed open. He climbed inside, and the Gear
came to life, as if all it needed to live was his
mere presence...
* * * * *
Even in her cockpit, Elly felt cold.
As before when they'd been here, on this icy polar
plain, she'd cracked the heater in her cockpit. But
still, as she, Citan, and Emeralda approached the
gaping hole where the Zohar Modifier was, she felt
very cold. And she got a feeling it had nothing to
do with the subzero conditions outside of Regrs.
"You all right, Elly?" Emeralda asked. Elly
looked over at her Gear. The armless Crescens had no
facial features, but Elly was sure it would be
displaying concern if it could. She smiled.
"Yeah... just worried about Fei."
"Me too," the nanotech colony agreed quietly.
"I shall go in first," Citan announced. Fenrir,
true to his word, leapt into the gaping hole, sword at
the ready. Elly followed, and Emmy came in last.
The cavern was abandoned. The Zohar Modifier
glowed softly, and the form of the Alpha Weltall, the
Gear of the deadly Grahf, lay prone before it. Elly
looked around.
"There's no sign of them," she sighed.
"I am going down for a closer look," Citan
replied, and Fenrir bent to one knee. The cockpit
opened and Citan emerged slowly. Elly nodded and
also dismounted.
"I'll stay here in case anything happens,"
Emeralda said. Citan nodded.
"That is very wise," the scholar agreed. "We
do not know what Weaver might want further here."
"Citan..."
Doc turned to face Elly. She was kneeling down,
looking at something wedged in a crack in the rock
floor. She carefully wiggled it free, and it
glittered in her hand. Citan walked over to her...
and drew in a shocked breath.
A pendant of Nisan rested in the palm of
Elly's hand. Fei's pendant. A representation of
his very soul...
"This is not good," Citan whispered at length.
"Fei..." Elly seemed to choke slightly on the
words, and Citan could see tears coming to her
eyes. "Something has happened to my Fei..."
There was a sound, a low growl, almost like
a dragon awakening from slumber. Citan spun to
look. Elly seemed lost in her thoughts. Crescens
rose a meter higher, wings flung back, ready for
combat. As he watched, Citan blanched.
The Alpha Weltall, Grahf's signature Gear, as
much a symbol of fear and death as Grahf himself,
slowly rose to float before the Zohar Modifier. It's
eyes glowed a soft amber. Citan swallowed.
"This is even worse."
* * * * *
Joshua Loomis ("`-''-/").___..--''"`-._
English Major `6_ 6 ) `-. ( ).`-.__.`)
& (_Y_.)' ._ ) `._ `. ``-..-'
Jedi Master _..`--'_..-_/ /--'_.' ,'
(il),-'' (li),' ((!.-'
email: jeloomis@planetx.bloomu.edu
cougar_jel@hotmail.com
homepage: http://members.xoom.com/cougar_jel/
"Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" -Percy Bysshe Shelley,
"Ozymandias"
"The lunatic, the lover, and the poet Are of imagination all compact."
- William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream
(Act V, Scene 1, l.7-8)
"Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda
"The worst foe lies within the self."
-Parasite Eve
"Don't think you are...know you are." -Morpheous
Follow your heart and you'll never get lost.