FanFic: Legend of the Violet Mantis- Chapter 8,9

[Neith]

Well, it's taken long enough. This has been a few years in the making really, and is basically a story I developed over the time I played PSO, as a way to link my characters with a backstory. This is the first time I've ever tried to write a fanfic at all, let alone one this complex. I'm in the stages of rewriting the story, so for now, I only have the beta versions of the prologue, and the first real chapter. One thing I need help with is some clarification on PSO's 'MOTHER' project, as it's a large part of the story. Any inconsistencies, let me know.

Legend of the Violet Mantis follows the story of my HUnewearl from PSO, Teika. What I will say is that because of the way she is, I wouldn't recommend reading it (especially the later chapters) if you're easily disturbed. Unfortunately, I can't make her out to be nice, it's just not who Teika is, sorry. Anyway, as I said, this is my first ever fanfic, so try and be constructive, and don't just tell me it sucks. I'll update as I write the rest, but I don't know how often updates will be. Anyway, onto the story, enjoy it I guess.

CHAPTER I: PROLOGUE
The ‘MOTHER’ Project- designed to create new forms of technology, incorporating MAGs, and eventually including the creation of new life forms. Dubbed the ‘Newman’ race, they were created artificially with increased mental capabilities over the standard Human. Once the race had flourished, it was left to its own devices, seamlessly integrating into the society of Coral, and later, the Pioneer 2 citizens.

Although the Newman race enjoyed its increased mental capabilities, they did suffer from a fatal flaw. Their genetic code was unpredictable, which made their life spans extremely random. Many would live to 100 or more years, while others would perish while still infants.

Fast-forward to AUW3084, and Pioneer 2 is investigating Ragol to identify the whereabouts of its predecessor, Pioneer 1. The MOTHER project has branched into several smaller operations, each manned by a small team of great scientific minds. Of these was Dr. Osto Hyle, a leading scientist in the field of D-Cellular lifeforms, who had been assigned to a top-secret part of the project. His job was a secret mission assigned to him by unknown assailants. All Hyle knew was that they paid well, and vowed to keep him safe for the duration of the project. What he didn’t know is that they couldn’t keep him safe from his own creation…

The purpose of the project was to attempt to utilise the Newman race, to create a small cadre of super-soldiers. This would be achieved by isolating the DNA strands and processes which are used when a living being acts on their so-called ‘killer instinct’- the same instinct that drove our prehistoric ancestors to catch their own food and fight to survive.

The experiment began by creating, from scratch, several host bodies. In previous tests, many of the male subjects had not responded well to treatment, and were terminated humanely. Because of this, every test subject was now classified as female. The first experiment was BMP-006 (Behaviour Management Program). Hyle was not one to get attached to his subjects usually, but there were three bodies which seemed to show astounding progress above all the others. He decided to informally designate these three as Uriko, Terra, and Teika.

Uriko was the first of the experiments, and the first one Hyle considered a success, regardless of the threats issued by the Pioneer 2 government if he were to continue. He was protected anyway- no harm would come to him. After several psycho-conditioning experiments on Uriko, she was hailed by the research teams as a success, and placed back into stasis- ready to be dispatched by the group funding the project. This is when everything began to go wrong for Hyle’s team. Four months into testing, Uriko became increasingly violent, to the point of needing to restrain her during tests. Eventually, on a night four months and three days into the testing, Uriko managed to break free of the facility, disposing of anyone who tried to get in her way. Though she has never been seen again, a recon android was sent to bring her back, or assassinate her if necessary. Neither has returned, and now it is assumed that Uriko is deceased after so long on the run.

The second experiment, Terra, turned out much differently. After receiving extreme prejudice from the Government after Uriko’s escape, Terra was not given as much experimentation, in a vain attempt to reduce her violent tendencies. When it emerged her targeted genes were suppressed, she was released into the public, and not regarded as a danger. As a side effect from the experiments, Terra consistently suffered violent nightmares, and visions of the brutal experiments she and her sisters were forced to undergo.

Now we reach the third and final experiment. By this time, Hyle was becoming increasingly agitated at the lack of an ‘acceptable’ result, and the insolence of the Pioneer Government. With no regard for his own, or anyone else’s safety, he took it upon himself to give Teika the most intense psycho-conditioning of all 3 experiments. He knew it would provoke the girl, but before he would inevitably be jailed, he wanted to see one of his experiments flourish. This girl would become known as the Violet Mantis...

CHAPTER II: SALVATION
Time passes so slowly here. I have no idea what the year is, never mind the day. All I know is that I have been held against my will since I was created, and subjected to all kinds of horrific experiments every day. I do not know who this person standing before me is. He calls me ‘dear’, and says I am his salvation, but then makes me undergo these experiments. If he really cared for me, he would let me go now. In fact, I would prefer a quick death to remaining here for my years… “Ah, Teika, my precious creation… how we will have fun today” the man said. He was dressed in white surgical gear, with only his greying hair signifying his so-called humanity. Whatever this man used to be celebrated for, he had certainly fallen from grace. The ‘mad scientist’ was certainly disturbingly true for Osto Hyle. Approaching a large panel of buttons, a quick succession of beeps told Teika it was time for her to undergo this nightmare again. On a mechanical arm, Teika’s naked body was lifted from one of the stasis chambers, and placed onto a cold, steel table. She did have clothes, and was ashamed to be forced into this, but the experiments had become so frequent, there was little point in dressing between them. Then, there was darkness.

…

Opening her eyes, Teika realised she was back in her stasis chamber, and that blood was running from her waist. For whatever delight of Osto’s, there was a stitched-up wound there, which would inevitably leave a scar. However, this was not troubling her as it would normally. For some reason, her stasis chamber had not been reactivated, as was the usual procedure after an experiment. The idea was that the regenerative powers of the chamber could heal any damage caused by the previous experiment. Today however, things seemed different. For a start, the security breach alarm was sounding. Could someone have come back for me? Is my saviour here? No, that isn’t it.

Teika then noticed something extremely disturbing, and no less strange. There was only one guard on duty, when there were usually two teams of five which rotated. If this wasn’t a signal to her, she would have been blind. Now was the time for her to escape. Pulling her arms free, she jumped out of the chamber, and grabbed her clothes from the nearby locker. She had grown attached to these clothes, Osto had delivered them one day, saying they were a gift from an admirer. Who this admirer was would for now remain a mystery, but she was thankful all the same. Most of the other Newman women here did not have such luck. Pulling on her various pieces of clothing, she was reminded that she liked the colour. The entire set was purple, and extremely intricate. Bell-bottomed tights which hid heeled boots, short pants, and a delicately-made top comprised the set, which was finished with a frontal and rear tabard-like piece of material which almost touched the floor. This was an almost perfect match to Teika herself- her pale skin, and lilac-coloured hair flowed so that the costume looked like somewhat of a natural extension of her.

With her pride relatively intact again, Teika’s thoughts immediately turned to the other Newman women trapped in this project. For some reason, be it compassion, or guilt, she felt as if it were her duty to free these other women from Osto’s clutches while she had the chance. Sneaking over to the nearest chamber, she was shocked to discover that it was empty, as was the one after it, and all the rest. Why am I the only one here? What have I done to deserve this? Why am I treated the way I am? The thoughts in Teika’s head just made her more confused, and gave her a headache. Dropping to her knees, her arm hit the side of a chamber, and made a loud clanging noise.

The lone guard outside seemed terrified of whatever had broken into the facility, but took a breath, and entered the room with his gun. Seeing Teika on her knees, he mistook her for an injured member of the group running the project, and relaxed his pose. Walking over to her, he felt his nerves building- as if something was changing around him. The lights began to flicker, and a dark shroud fell over the entire facility. Fumbling around in his belt, the guard finally managed to reach for his torch, and turn it on. The girl was gone. Visions of the horrific D-Cellular beings that Osto had investigated came into his eyes, and the guard began to shake, terrified. Then, a soft voice whispered in his ear. “Is this right?” The guard didn’t appear to understand the question, and just looked as if he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Again, the voice came to him, this time in a much sharper tone. “Is this project really necessary?” This time, the guard braced himself, and answered in a stutter. “It is…for the greater benefit…of our civilization”. The voice was silent again for a few seconds, and then laughed under its breath. The large scale of the room echoed the laughter, which again made the unfortunate guard scared for his life. Then, a final sentence came to him. “Then you are not in my interests.” The guard’s world went black, as he felt an arm around his back, before feeling his neck snap. Blood coughed from his mouth as he embraced his death. Searching the dead guard’s pockets, Teika came across a key, which appeared to be to the guard’s armoury. She did not appreciate clumsy weaponry like the guard’s rifle, so decided checking the armoury may be an idea.

As she headed to the armoury, she began to be more and more drawn to the dead guard’s blood, which had left a deposit on her hand. After a few minutes, she became conscious of it, and proceeded to wipe the blood off, thinking nothing of it. Dispatching a few more guards en-route, she began to realise that she was getting an odd amount of pleasure from killing those who were opposed to her. Resting the blame on the experiments, she worked her way through the winding maze of the facility, until she reached the armoury- now no longer guarded. Whatever was infiltrating the complex was certainly aiding her escape. Whether it was friend or foe remained to be seen, and she didn’t want to stick around to find out. All that mattered now was to escape, then wreak revenge on those who endorsed the project.

--Chapter II END--

I'll update when I can, if I get enough feedback on it I guess. I've had this backstory scattered around for a while now, and I thought I may as well try to bring it all together as a FanFic. Whether it's going to be a successful one, or a load of rubbish remains to be seen http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: UrikoBB3 on 2008-03-02 06:41 ]</font>

[lethe]

I like where this is going http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif
I like the amount of detail you put into describing everything, gives the reader a good mental image http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif, which i didnt do for mine and is probably why it isnt very successful http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime2.gif
But i do like this one

[Neith]

Thanks. I don't usually read fanfics to be honest, but I might check yours out. I'm used to detailing things a lot, but I haven't actually written anything since school (5 years ago).

I've just finished re-writing Chapter 3, so I'll probably post that up before the end of the day. I just realised I need to put proper paragraphs in the first two chapters too, C/P'ing into a post removed them.

[CupOfCoffee]

I definitely like it! Fan Works has traditionally been more about the visual than the written, so it's always great to see a new fanfic sprout up. I think this one has a lot of promise, too--I can see it going in several directions successfully, but I'm thinking it will probably take the form of a revenge epic. Which I like, so yeah.

One thing I might warn against is that you seem to have a pretty standard beginning here, content wise. The "unconventionally powerful test-tube-experiment person goes on a psychic killing spree" has been done a lot throughout the years, even in PSO fan fiction. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, though, because even cliches can come frighteningly alive when painted skillfully enough, and you obviously have a pretty solid handle on the mechanics of creative writing. So keep it up! Make it work! Don't abandon it at chapter 6, like so many other stories posted on this board in back in the day(!)

[Neith]

Thanks for the input- I don't really want this to be the conventional 'rawr go on a killing spree' story that even I've seen too many of. I'm not giving too much away really, but most of the fight will be inside Teika, rather than just owning everyone she comes across http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif

I'm looking at getting Chapter 3 up soon, it needs revising a bit though. After that, probably looking at 1-2 chapters a week at the most, and I have no idea whatsoever how long this will be http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

[Neith]

Update: With the 1Up Cup, I've been on PSU far too much to put time into this. Next chapter will be posted by mid-week at the latest.

[Neith]

Sorry for the delay, kinda got sidetracked (lol, 1Up Cup). Anyway, here's Chapter 3. Enjoy.

CHAPTER III: ASCENDANCY
Using the key she stole from one of the dead guards, Teika unlocked the armoury door. Consisting of a long alley-like room, the armoury was lined with lockers, each containing different types of firearms. As part of her training with Osto, Teika had been taught various combat methods, for the time she would be assigned to the unit running the project. Although she had flawlessly passed each martial art and weapon style she was introduced to, it was noted by Osto in particular that she possessed incredibly high proficiency with dual swords. In the event the experiments were successful, Osto had personally asked for custom weaponry to be manufactured for each one of his creations, and had assigned two weapons for Teika to use when on an assignment.

No-one will miss a few weapons and I’ll need all the help I can get to uncover this place to the Government…. With that, she opened the locker marked with nothing more than her code number. Does he really care for me, when he only assigns me a pet name? As she looked around the locker, her thoughts slowly shifted from stopping the persecution, and instead began to fill her mind with a lust for revenge. She would expose the facility, and the perpetrator, by leaving him for dead. She had her doubts, but this kind of place shouldn’t have been allowed to exist at all. Something drastic had to be done, and she was the one to do it.

After scouting through each locker, she found a small selection of bladed weaponry, which was much more to her tastes. A glowing orange pair of photon swords, with ‘Asuka’ engraved on the handle. Taking both swords, she spun them around her wrists, and made a couple of practice strokes. These were high quality- some of the best weaponry she had heard of. She would have gone on her way shortly after taking the Asuka, but something else caught her eye.

A glass case, protected by a laser field housed an extremely large two-handed sword, lined with golden coloured photon energy. Using her newly acquired swords, she disintegrated the power unit, clenched her fist tight and punched through the glass, and reached for the sword. Upon touching it, she felt as if the sword somehow were bound to her- not physically, but mentally. This was no ordinary weapon. Her curiosity was interrupted when a sudden flash of images entered her head. These images were similar to what Osto had told her of her ‘sister’, Terra’s nightmares... Dropping her sword, she put her hand to her head in pain, and then slumped to her knees. After a few seconds of silence, Teika rose to her feet again, and picked up her sword. This sword… it was meant for her. It was telling her something. Exactly what it was telling her she did not know, it was as if the sword had a will of its own, or some mind-manipulating power. It was obviously one of Osto’s side projects. Glancing over her shoulder one last time, she noted the codename of this sword…‘Scourge’.

Hoisting the sword over her shoulder, Teika exited the armoury, only to be discovered by a group of elite guards. “Stop right there, and put down the weapon” the lead guard yelled. Cackling under his breath, a hunched white figure emerged from the guards. It was Osto Hyle. “I wouldn’t tell her what to do, if you value your life” he gestured at one of the guards. Teika’s mind started rambling again. Now he does not want any harm to come to me? I can’t understand…, why am I being spared? Osto continued lecturing the guard squad. “In fact, I’d suggest you put YOUR weapons down. Do you have any idea who she is? Do you place any value on your own lives?”

The guards dismissed Osto’s pleas, and took aim with their rifles, believing that eliminating the Newman now was their only hope of survival. Not usually one for communicating, Teika decided that she should say something, before the guards took more drastic action. “Do what he says and you will not be harmed. I will be on my way.” Teika's manner of speech was somewhat strange. She had, since her creation, and since being able to, had always talked in a very quiet tone, with a slightly rough edge. Osto had assumed this was an error in her creation, that her vocal cords had not developed to the usual extent.

Pulling the Scourge from over her shoulder, she re-iterated her point with no words necessary.One of the guards decided to comply, and laid his rifle on the ground, putting his hands in the air. “Good, now leave” she beckoned to the guard, and he took no time in making his escape. The other guard stood firm in his beliefs, and refused to back down. “You do not see the suffering you have caused. Whether I kill you now, or expose this facility, you will be punished for your actions.” The HUnewearl’s voice shook the guard, but still he remained in position.

Taking no time for small talk in a vain attempt to remove the guard, Teika sprung into a dash towards the guard, but caught a glimpse of Osto, and diverted towards him. Raising the sword above her head, she went in for the killing blow. As she tried, she felt something holding her back, and was unable to finish the stroke. “Would you really kill your creator? If not for me, you wouldn’t even exist- you are extremely ungrateful, do you realise that?” The words of Osto rang true to an extent- without him, she wouldn’t have known life at all. Muttering under her breath, Teika decided to return the comment. “Without you I wouldn’t have known of the suffering me and all my sisters went through, because of your idiotic experiments. You will pay Osto, you will regret to see me leave, and you will lie awake each night dreading my return.”

Lowering her sword, Osto made use of the time to run for his life, while Teika pivoted into a 360 degree slash, cutting the remaining guard clean in half. Watching his body fall to the floor, Teika raised her head and laughed. Again, the feeling of warmth returned. Why did she enjoy such a vile act? She didn’t know, but it was starting to deeply disturb her. Shaking her head, she moved onwards, towards the exit, where more dead guards lay. This was not her doing- again, the work of her unknown aid. I will be sure to thank you, whoever you are… Teika thought as she stepped outside the facility for the first time in her life. The outside world would take some getting used to, especially now that the authorities would be inevitably in her pursuit…


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: UrikoBB3 on 2007-10-25 12:24 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: UrikoBB3 on 2007-10-25 12:25 ]</font>

[Neith]

I've been busy lately, so apologies for the delay. Here's chapter 4 of the Fic, hope you enjoy. Chapter 5 will be soon, but it depends on how busy I am.

CHAPTER IV: SAVIOUR
Three days had passed since she had escaped the complex. She had no idea of her whereabouts, as this was her first real steps outside. Osto had shown her holo-images of the outside world, but to be outside for herself was a strange sensation.

As long as she ran in the opposite direction of the complex, Teika figured she’d be alright. The images of her and her sisters’ torment flashed through her mind day and night. Was I lucky to escape, or have I doomed myself to a fugitive’s existence? Where are my sisters now? Who was my saviour? The last question was the one troubling her the most. Someone or something had aided her escape. For that, she was thankful, but for what reason did this assailant want her to be freed?

Shaking her head to dismiss the thoughts, Teika began to realise that she had unwittingly reached Lupus Silva’s forests. She was aware of the tales, and the fate of Red Ring Rico Tyrell, and felt somewhat humbled that she was following seemingly the same direction as the stories told. Teika was no hero though- she was merely out to expose her oppressors. No matter what she did, she would not feel comfortable receiving praise. Her recent bloodbath in the complex had disgraced everything she stood for, yet she could not shake the feeling of warmth that surrounded her body whenever she killed. No, she was not normal. Never could she integrate into a functional society.

The native life here was primitive and easily taken care of if Teika was discovered. Her primary concern was to move with stealth, and not alert anyone of her presence here. Presence leads to questions, questions lead to more unnecessary killing.

Taking a small rest on a rock to strengthen her, Teika felt a rush of pain shoot up her right arm. This pain was similar to when she picked up Scourge in the complex, but much more intense. Clutching her arm did nothing to relieve the stinging pain. Removing her right glove, Teika began to shake when she looked at her arm.

Blood… Teika’s entire hand was covered in blood. Turning her palm over, she discovered a large open wound. She was confused by this- Teika knew that she hadn’t caused it, but neither had anyone else. Using her long sleeve as a tourniquet, she wrapped her hand up to ease the blood flow. Pulling it tight around her palm, she began to feel uneasy from the pain. Ragol’s night was drawing in, and she couldn’t allow herself to be seen. Dragging herself into the undergrowth, she collapsed and fell unconscious as her world fell black.

Unaware of how much time had elapsed, Teika slowly opened her eyes, feeling extremely tired. Flailing her arms around, she tried to reach for her weapon as a dark, looming figure approached her. She had no idea where she was now, but it definitely wasn’t in the Forests of Lupus Silva. Immediately, she imagined the worst. No…back here again… let me go...

“You will not require your weapon; you are in relative safety…at least for now”. The black figure walked closer. Although her vision was hazy, Teika could make out that the figure was female. “Drugged…me?” Teika stuttered; feeling exhausted. “It’s for my safety, I assure you, hahaha”. The words Teika was hearing haunted her. This was definitely no human she was talking to, but it didn’t even sound like a typical android. The voice was cold, and echoed around the room. Teika could tell that this voice had been artificially altered- no-one she knew sounded this eerie. The voice was low-pitched, and without any real emotion, yet it had just been sarcastic- not a typical basic android’s behaviour.

The dark figure leaned over to examine Teika. From where she was laid, this figure seemed to be fairly small in size once up-close. Trying to focus, Teika laid eyes on the face of her new captor and began to shake. This was the first time she had ever been truly afraid. Her initial impression was correct- this was no human, but a female Cast. She was definitely not a routine model though- long jet black hair flowed from her head, her complexion was akin to a ghost, almost white ‘skin’, whose only distinguishing feature was the black armour it was in unison with. This was not what was scaring Teika though, rather something far more unnerving.

This Cast’s eyes were fear-inciting. Deep red orbs with no visible pupils. Her entire face resembled a death mask. Still shaking, Teika decided to question the cast. “Your voice…” Turning her back, the cast put a long black armoured finger to her chin. “You have many questions, I know. You may call me Neith. My purpose was another experiment of a Dr.Osto. Like you, I became sick of his ways, and failed to report back to the complex after an assignment. This face is designed to intimidate my targets, and the voice is designed to cause fear.” Hearing the name she had become to hate, Teika pressured the cast for more answers. “Osto? What was your mission?” Neith looked as if she was struggling for a suitable reply, and began to walk away, signalling a guard to increase Teika’s sedative dose. Lapsing back into a dazed state, Teika heard the cast uttering a final sentence. “I was sent to eradicate Uriko, the one you call ‘sister’.” Writhing around in anger, Teika fell back into unconsciousness as Neith walked away, laughing through the death mask maniacally.

[Neith]

Somewhat of a necro-bump, ha. I'd taken a break from writing this so I could focus on more important things (finding a job, and getting ready for Christmas).

I have the next couple of chapters written up- I may make slight adjustments to them (nothing to change the story, but maybe explain things in some more depth.). Anyway, here's the next 3 chapters.

CHAPTER V: SHADOW OF DOUBT
Days passed by as Teika remained under a strong sedative dose. These were administered daily by Casts. In fact, this entire facility seemed to be run by Casts. Since telling Teika of her mission, Neith had only dropped by to check on her progress. Teika knew Neith had captured her for a reason, but it was unclear exactly what motives she operated under. This would change today, when Neith finally arrived to speak to Teika again.

“Decrease her dosage…I want her to understand me.” The cast beckoned to one of her assistants, who nodded in approval. Once Teika had came around somewhat from the sedative’s effects, Neith strolled over to her again.

“Perhaps…it is time to explain exactly what I meant all those weeks ago.” Weeks? I have been here for weeks? “Yes, I was ordered to assassinate Uriko, the first so-called successful experiment from the same laboratory you are from. However, I was not the cause of her death.” Intrigued, Teika pulled herself up until she sat upright. “I did initially plan on the assassination. I was programmed to do it, after all. However, it seems…it seems Osto had underestimated this girl’s power. I was unable to stop her.” Turning away, seemingly in disgrace, Neith continued. “I was disabled, and shut down. What stands before you now is a puppet. I was re-programmed by Uriko, and sent on my way with new instructions. Therefore, I am not responsible for your sister’s death.”

Smirking to herself, Neith turned back to Teika. “Think of me as a shadow of your sister. I am, aside from you and your other so-called sibling, the only remnant of what your first sister stood for. You shouldn’t be so hasty in trying to cut me down, haha”. Starting to feel somewhat human again, Teika asked some more questions while Neith was in her presence.

“Who do you work for now, and why have I been captured?” The Cast looked shocked. “You do not know me yet, do you Teika? Interesting… well, you shall learn soon enough, Violet Mantis.”
Violet Mantis? Does she have me mistaken for someone else? Teika’s head was interrupted by Neith’s cold voice again. “Can you walk?” Teika nodded, and at that, Neith beckoned the guards to remove her from her restraints. “Come with me, I insist.” Neith then waved to the guards, in a hand movement to get them to remain in their positions. Following the Cast through a series of long, metal corridors, Teika began to compare the base’s layout to Neith herself. They were both cold steel structures, built to last and both without heart. “We have arrived. I have a gift for you.” With that, Neith opened a locked door, and appeared again a moment later with a large ornamental case. “Open it, please.”

Upon unclipping the locked case, Teika’s eyes were greeted to a sight she thought she would never see in her lifetime- a completely pristine, polished sword. This was of pre-photonic history- the blade was completely steel, with a deep groove cut down the side. Met by a black, cord wrapped handle, decorated with golden insignia, the weapon was a sight to behold. “I took the liberty of disposing of your old twin swords. I think you will find Sange to be a much more efficient weapon.” Sange… Teika knew of this name well. She had been taught the history of both pre-photonic and modern weaponry. Along with Yasha, Kamui and Agito, Sange formed the four legendary katanas. Thought to be the most powerful weapons in existence, these swords were lost in history as time went by.

“Why are you giving me this? I am not worthy enough to wield a weapon of such power!” Neith turned to face Teika, and in a rare display of emotion, raised a hand to Teika’s shoulder. “This must all be very confusing to hear, but we have met before. I cannot say how, but it is true. I know that you will live a life of constant battles with your enemies. I also know that your biggest battle will be the battle to save your soul. Maybe this will not change anything, but at least I have given you a fighting chance. You will become the Violet Mantis by name, feared by all. Do not make the same mistake again, and let this power go to your head…it would be the death of us all, not only you.” Shaken by the words of the Cast, Teika was completely stunned. Violet Mantis? Same Mistake? None of this made any sense, but for now, all Teika could do was nod in agreement, and marvel at her newest gift.

Walking away, Neith turned her head back, and in her usual cold tone, stared at Teika uttering some final words. “Whatever you do Teika, promise me this. Do not go looking for the companion sword. As the wielder of Sange, many have died in their efforts to obtain it. You may be the so-called Scourge, but you must not give in to the will of the sword. It is said to be both a blessing and a curse…” With that, Neith walked away, leaving Teika time to explore the facility.

CHAPTER VI: VIOLET MANTIS
It had now been 5 weeks since Teika was captured by Neith. Over the course of those weeks, they had developed a loose friendship. Teika’s reasoning was that Neith was the closest thing to her long-lost sister, Uriko. As time had passed, Neith had provided vast amounts of information to Teika, mainly concerning tip-offs on her other sister, Terra’s whereabouts. Before she could embark on a journey to find her remaining sister, Teika had to find out one final thing.

While being accompanied by Neith towards the exit of the complex, Teika stopped and tried to ask a question. “What…Viol..et…Ma..ntis?”. Her words were extremely broken, and her voice was even quieter than normal. Neith turned her head and stopped walking. “Ah, that reminds me.. it appears that during your creation, Osto cut a few corners. As a result, your vocal cords don’t appear to have formed fully. Because you haven’t used them much until now, it’s straining them, so you may have difficulty speaking after using them for a while.”

As both of them began to walk again, Neith continued.
“Violet Mantis is a special codename. It was assigned to a legendary Hunter who turned rogue. This Hunter has been a constant plague on Ragol, disrupting important secret deliveries and such.” Teika walked upto Neith, curious.

“What…have..to…do…me?” Neith turned her head away. “There are reports of military units who have encountered this girl. So far, there are 47 mission reports, which have mentioned her appearing…” The cast looked down to the floor, laughing. “…of those reports, 45 of them involve fatalities from attempting to subdue her. Given standard recon unit size lately, this amounts to a total fatality count of 211 people. Teika- this may be hard to hear, but you are the Violet Mantis.”

This revelation dumbfounded the Newman, she knew that she had not killed that many people, let alone military. “No…” Laughing again, Neith turned to face the confused Newman. “I know what you’re trying to say. The reason you don’t know about this is because…you haven’t done it yet..” This just confused Teika even more, and she just let the question go.

Reaching the exit door, Neith pointed east. “This is where you should go to find your sister. As yet, there’s no official warrant for your recapture, so you should act quickly. Good luck…we will meet again…hahaha”.

Cutting through the terrain as she had been taught, Teika followed up on Neith’s information, hoping to finally re-unite with her lost sister, Terra. The plans Neith had shown her indicated the seaside regions of Tener Sinus, on Gal Da Val Islands. From where Neith’s subterranean complex was, this was only a short trip through a jungle area. Using her new weapon, Teika cut through undergrowth and creature alike, rushing to get to her destination. She had been told that ever since Terra was released into the public, she had been re-tracing Uriko’s steps on this island, hoping to find some clue as to her disappearance. Finding someone who’s searching too…this could be difficult..

Neith had told her that the seaside region was an area where she was commonly seen, always alone. As happy as Teika was to be on the verge of meeting her sister, she knew it would be difficult to get Terra to trust her.

CHAPTER VII: TRUST
After walking through a day’s worth of heavy terrain, and stopping for rest on the night, Teika had finally arrived at Tener Sinus. She had been thoroughly scouring every corner of the area, and still she could find no sign of her sister. Dropping to her knees in one of the more enclosed, rocky areas of the beach, she began to weep. Is it really my destiny to be alone forever? Are all of my sisters damned to this too?

As she wept, Teika was interrupted by a rustle from the undergrowth behind her. Turning on her heel, Teika sprung to her feet, bringing her blade up to guard herself. As the rustling became more pronounced, one of the overhanging pieces of foliage began to spawn a tall shadow which grew humanoid form. It was a Newman Hunter, like herself, wielding a large sword with a serrated, spinning blade. Significantly taller than Teika, with a darker skin tone, the way she held her huge weapon with one hand was more than enough to tell Teika to be cautious. Her hair flowed, but was significantly shorter than Teika’s, and was a dark brown colour. She wore an all-grey outfit of high boots, tights, short pants and a tight top. It appeared this was a veteran of many battles- tears and slashes marred her clothing, and her sword was dulled from the taint of blood.

As Teika looked at the woman, she noticed a recognizable feature. The woman’s left eye was completely covered by a black eye-patch. The eye-patch! Neith told me of this…could this really be my sister? Neith had told Teika that Terra wore an eye-patch, after an acidic spray from a native creature had blinded her in her left eye. Ashamed of losing her looks, she now wore an eye patch to hide her injury from other people.

Despite her tough appearance, the Newman did not look hostile, and instead sat down on the beach near Teika, looking out over the horizon with her one good eye. Without averting her gaze, she began to speak softly. This caught Teika off guard- someone so clearly battle-hardened spoke with an extremely gentle voice. Sensing no immediate threat, Teika sat too while holding her sword hilt at the ready. “I have visited this place for over a year, each and every day. Not once have I seen you here, and considering your weapons, I do not believe you are from the Hunter’s Guild.”

Still struggling to speak, Teika decided she didn’t want to strain her voice for the meantime, and began to use her finger to write on the sand. “Yes, and I know of your plight”. This appeared to enrage the other Newman, and she rose to her feet, crossing her arms. “Is that so? You have no idea whatsoever of my misery. I am an outcast of society, and my other sister is missing, possibly dead. And you ‘know of my plight?’ Please, take your condolences elsewhere!” With that, the Newman turned her back, and reached upto her face. Teika could hear her crying quietly to herself, and decided now was the time to try and establish a bond.

Walking up behind her, Teika gently placed a hand on the other Newman’s shoulder. “You…Ter..ra….yes?” Wiping her good eye clean from the tears, the other Newman turned her head towards Teika’s hand. “Yes… I am the one who was named Terra…how do you know of me?” Overcome with emotion, Teika put her other arm around Terra. “You…are…my…sister…” Terra turned, and placed her eye-patch back in the correct position. “But…I only have one sister…her name is…” “Uriko, I know…” Teika finished Terra’s sentence for her. “I was…created…after…you esc..aped…”

Terra kneeled, and beckoned Teika to do the same. Taking hold of Teika’s hand, she began to smile. “You are my sister…I can tell by your eyes. They remind me of Uriko’s…she looked very similar to you. Tell me, what is your name, sister?”

Finding her voice had disappeared again, she wrote “Teika” in the sand, before wiping it out to erase evidence of her being there. From nowhere, Terra turned away and muttered under her breath “I’m so sorry…it should have been me…”. Confused, Teika kneeled down next to Terra. “You are the third, correct?” Teika nodded in agreement. “Then that means…NO!” Terra jumped to her feet, picking up her sword. “I will NOT lose another sister!” Shaking her free fist in the air as if to challenge a deity, she continued. “Please, let me check something…could you show me your waist?” Teika had no idea where Terra was going with this, but felt she could trust her. Lifting her purple garment high enough, Terra began to investigate the large scar on Teika’s waist, which she herself had noticed when she had originally escaped.

“This is a recent wound, and I am terribly sorry to tell you this. While I was imprisoned, you were only in the first stages of development. Osto kept telling me he had a ‘special something’ to enhance us…” Crying again a little, Terra hesitated, before continuing. “That ‘special something’ was to infuse us with cells from his D-Cellular lifeforms. I escaped before he had chance to infuse me, but you…”

Before Teika knew it, Terra had both arms on her shoulders. “Please, sister… remember your humanity. Hold onto it with both arms, just as I hold you now. As days pass by, your body is changing…not so much at a physical level, but mentally. You have been cursed with a similar fate, although it appears to a lesser degree. The D-Factor is spreading through your body more and more each day, and if you give into it, you will become a monster. For your sake, and for the survival of our sisterhood, remember who you are…” Removing a wristband, Terra placed it on Teika’s wrist. “Take this as something to remember me by. Know that I’ll always be with you, even in your darkest days. When it’s hard to go on, look at the wristband, and remember our special bond…”

Terra then turned her back. “I do not want to leave you, sister, but surely you know I have a task ahead of me. I must find Uriko, and re-unite us. Know that I will be here… I shall always be here, awaiting your return, for as long as we may live. I know you wish revenge on our oppressors…that is your destiny, which I must leave you to fulfill. Good luck, my sister…” With that, Terra vanished into the shadows.

---END---

I'm now trying to focus on this, so I'll be trying to update it every week or so.

[Neith]

If you haven't guessed by now, I'm really sporadic as to when I update this http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif I've been working on a lot of other things, and looking for work, so it kinda took a backseat for a while. For now, 2 more chapters.

CHAPTER VIII: DUSK
Since meeting her sister Terra two weeks ago, Teika had began to take a slightly more positive view of her life. Before the encounter, she had assumed she was totally alone. Terra had shown her that there were things left in this world to fight for. The way she viewed it was that while she had at least one of her sisters alive, she would continue to feel alive herself. Of course, the thought of the D-Factor inside her was extremely troubling- as deadly as Teika could be in combat, she would never think of harming someone close to her. With the D-Factor inside her, it might become difficult to distinguish friend from foe. In that respect, maybe it was better that Terra had gone searching for Uriko, rather than staying with Teika.

The train of thoughts in Teika’s head helped her to pass the time during the day. She was certain that she was likely being pursued by the military, so moving in the daylight seemed a dangerous option. Because of this, Teika had opted to only move during the darkest hours of the night. During the days, she would retreat to a hiding space, and think. It was getting late now, and the night was pulling in. She had spent today cleaning her weaponry, and sharpening them where needed. Now was the time to begin moving again.

Sheathing her long, slender sword, she began to prepare for her night of running. Reaching up to her hair, she unfastened the clips holding it in place, and let her lilac hair flow over her shoulders. She did not change her appearance often, but after seeing Terra with a similar hairstyle, she wanted to be unique for a change. It was not until now that she noticed her hair’s length. Coming to halfway down her back, it had grown a lot since she was in the complex. Running her fingers through it, she then let it lie over her back, and proceeded to move out.

Watching from the shadows, Teika tracked the ground for any sign of movement, before making her own. Stalking silently through the undergrowth, only the sound of the nocturnal wildlife broke the silence of night. As she made her way to an open part of the island, she realised she had been heading towards the mountainous region known as Gal Da Val Cliffs. Once home to a giant altered beast by the name of Gal Gryphon, the cliffs had been a source of nothing but beauty since the Gryphon had been forced out of the area. Looking out over the cliffs, Teika felt the sea breeze on her cheeks. This was the first time she had ever felt at ease in weeks. Closing her eyes, she cherished the touch of the wind as it gently stroked her face.

All of a sudden, a sharp, winding pain shot through Teika’s stomach. Opening her eyes, she looked down to be greeted by a large, purple glowing blade sticking through her torso. As she began to cough up blood, the sword was withdrawn, leaving a large, open wound. Turning around in agony, Teika looked up at her attacker. Laughing hysterically, it was Neith.

“Why…” As Teika waited for an answer, she realised something was wrong with Neith. Her eyes were not the red they used to be, but instead were black pits of despair. Shaking the blood off her sword, Neith immediately jumped and came down with her sword aimed squarely at Teika. Seeing that negotiation was not an option, Teika unsheathed Sange, and parried the cast’s attack. Screaming in pain from her wound, she began to deflect every attack the cast threw at her. Eventually, owing to a lack of strength, Neith managed to land another hit, scarring a long streak of blood across Teika’s right arm.

Seeing her own blood littering the cliffs, Teika began to panic. Dropping her sword, images of death entered her head. Again, the nightmares of Terra resurfaced. After a second or two, the images of death began to become accompanied by a recurring flashback of when she had picked up the Scourge weapon. After a little while, the flashbacks ended.

Hoisting the huge sword from over her shoulder, she dug it into the ground, using the handle as a prop. It was then that she noticed something strange. As the blood flowing from the wound on her arm dripped onto the sword, it did not leave a deposit. Instead, the blood smoked. Every time a drop of her blood singed on the sword blade, Teika felt an almost animalistic sensation come over her. It became more and more intense with each drop of blood. Neith noticed that something was wrong, and stood with her sword ready. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Teika felt her body begin to lurch. Picking up the Scourge with one hand, and Sange with the other, she began to stagger towards Neith. Inside her head, Teika was beginning to lose her internal battle with the D-Factor.

Due to her massive injuries, Teika had actually died. However, due to the D-Factor presence deeming her to be a necessary host, she had been revived under its control. The hunter moving towards Neith now was not Teika, but a twisted version of her, possessed by the powers of the D-Factor. For now, Teika’s presence was repressed. As Teika moved closer, Neith noticed the Newman’s nightmarish appearance. Blood was running from her open wounds, her eyes had become almost white, and her laugh echoed like the cry of a monster. How she could lift two swords of large size in her injured state somewhat worried her. For her sake, she was content with ending this fight now.

Teika suddenly stopped, looking the cast right in the eyes. Laughing under her breath, Neith readied her sword, bringing it back, ready for an attack. After a second or so, Teika sprung into a sprint, bringing Sange in front of her as a guard. As Neith lunged forward with her sword, the sound of steel hitting steel rang true, and both fighters became deadlocked. It was then that Neith noticed the power of whatever was controlling Teika. While Neith was using both arms to hold Teika back, Teika was using one. Screaming wildly, Teika kicked the cast away, and resumed her advance. Hit after hit was parried by each of the two, and again, they found themselves deadlocked. Using one of her legs, Neith managed to trip Teika on her back. While she was down, Neith brought her sword up, and stabbed down. At the last second, Teika rolled to her side, catching the cast off-guard. Still screaming, she performed a 360 degree slash, hitting Neith directly across the back of the legs.

As sparks began to erupt from the broken wiring inside Neith, she staggered, and fell to the ground. Showing no mercy, Teika walked forward, and tossed Sange aside. Taking hold of her Scourge weapon with both hands, she raised it above her head. Bringing it down on Neith with all the remaining strength she could muster, the sword’s impact smashed Neith's body into a mess of broken shell and wiring. As the killing blow was executed, Teika felt a searing pain on her hand, and let go of the Scourge. It was as if the sword was telling her when to use it.

Looking down at her own body, she was somewhat stunned. The attacks she had received from Neith were enough to fatally wound anyone. Although the wounds were still visible, they had already sealed up and had formed a scar. How have I survived this? Clutching her aching stomach, Teika decided it would be best to seek shelter and let herself recover. One question was prominent in her mind though. Why had Neith- who had showed her friendship- attacked her so violently? As she began to think of the events which had just transpired, Teika felt her legs give way from under her, and fell to the ground unconscious.

CHAPTER IX: AWAKENING
I guess I should start by introducing myself, yes? My name is Uriko Takamura, though most of my friends call me Uri for short. If you can’t tell by these ears, I’m a Beast. I’ve been living on the GUARDIANS Colony for 3 years now, since I was 16. I advanced pretty quickly through my training, and I’ve already been asked to be an instructor. Mind… I guess it’s not surprising, considering the state of the Gurhal System lately… every last Guardian is being called on to do double or triple the normal amount of work…

Anyway, I originally was told to be the instructor for a Human guy, but he made a few too many um… ‘advances’ for my liking. When I asked if I could change, I was told there was a special request, which didn’t involve a new recruit. Apparently one of our instructors, a young Newman woman fell very ill lately, and was unable to continue tutoring for the mean time. My job that I was assigned was to visit her daily to check on her progress, and attempt to get her back to health so she can continue her life as an instructor. It sounded like pretty simple work, little did I know what I’d let myself in for…

“Ow! Agh! Ok! Ok! I’m getting up! No need to be so aggressive!” It was an annoyance, but Uriko’s day had started the same way ever since she joined the Guardians. Her Partner Machine, Izanami was a strict one, and wouldn’t let her have her own way. Whenever Uriko overslept, Izanami would pull at her ears to wake her up by force.

Sitting upright on her bed, still half-asleep, Uriko was not a pretty sight in the mornings. Her hair covered her face, and she had a habit of being extremely sulky until she woke up fully. Izanami giggled and looked out of the window. “This is the 4th time this week you have overslept, Uriko. You should know I will repeat this course of action until you learn to wake up at an acceptable time.” Stretching, the Beast let out a long yawn. “I know, I know. I don’t need to be lectured by someone half my height either!” Shaking her head, Izanami continued. “It would also be advisable to wear some clothes. I do not believe Guardians can perform their duties wearing such…minimal clothing.” Looking down, Uriko realised she was still in her underwear, and quickly pulled the bedsheet round her before running into her changing room. After taking almost half an hour to present herself, she finally came out of the changing room, and asked for her daily schedule.

“You are to report to the medical room as soon as possible to attend to Ms. Suzuki.” Before leaving her room, Uriko searched her pockets for sweets. “Ahem.” Turning around, she noticed Izanami in front of her- hand held out. “Oh, fine, here.” She didn’t know why, but her Partner Machine had always liked sweets. Maybe it was just to stop Uriko from eating them, but it was unusual. With a sigh, Uriko left for the medical room.

Upon getting there, Uriko met the team of doctors who were trying to ascertain what exactly was wrong with Uriko’s ‘partner’, Teika Suzuki. She had been in a coma for over a week now, with no sign of either improving or getting worse. Apparently, she had collapsed mid-mission, and had to be resuscitated back at the Colony. After stabilising her condition, she had slipped into a coma. Originally, the doctors thought Teika had a new strain of the SEED-Virus, but after long periods of experimentation, it had been determined that this was not the cause.

Walking over to Teika’s bedside, Uriko turned to a doctor. “How is she doing?” “Well, there’s been no real change in her condition, but…” Beckoning the doctor to continue, Uriko sat next to Teika, and held her hand. “…well, we monitor this facility continuously, you know, incase of an outbreak from a SEED-Virus infected patient. We put Teika here because we’re not exactly sure what it is that’s wrong with her.” “Get to the point, if you will”. “…well, last night, we caught Teika speaking. What’s unusual is that it seemed to be semi-conscious. She didn’t move, and her brain activity remained very minimal. In other words, she was still in a comatose state.”

Stratching her ear, Uriko was just as confused as the doctors. Whatever had happened to this girl was a one-off case. “This might sound stupid, but what did she say?” The doctor looked away. “Well, a lot of it seemed to be in some kind of unknown dialect- although it’s possible that her speech is simply scrambled as a result of the lowered brain activity. However, we did catch her saying the words ‘Pair Exist’. As yet, we have no idea what this means, but we decided that seeing as this is a one-off case, we should have our researchers look into this- especially considering this girl’s past.”

Oh, that’s right, I forgot to mention this. Everytime I was assigned a new Guardian, I checked up on their past, to see if we could establish a common tie. I guess if you both enjoy something, you can work better as a result. Well, when I looked up Teika’s past, it was really odd. The only records we have of her is that she joined the GUARDIANS around 8 months ago. Before that, it’s like she didn’t even exist… She has no recorded family, no friends, not even a home address. Because of all this, she was (before her coma, anyway) avoided by many people, who seemed freaked out by her. Personally, I think she was just misunderstood, maybe a little protective of her past, which is fine by me. She owes me for helping her through this, so I’ll ask her when she wakes up, I guess...if she ever does.