Phantastic (Episode II fanfic)

[Daikarin]

http://even.no.sapo.pt/Phantastic%21.jpg

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Even_Jin on 2004-04-18 08:30 ]</font>

[RavenTW]

New.

WELCOME BACK! Heppy to see you again!

(You ARE gonna actually FINISH this one, right?)

[Tunuva]

Yes, I can't wait for the first "episode". By the way nice pics on your post.

[Neo Rei]

Thanks for the heads up, New. The site is in the works (aka my mind), anything just shout. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif



On 2003-06-06 17:42, RavenTW wrote:
New.

WELCOME BACK! Heppy to see you again!

(You ARE gonna actually FINISH this one, right?)



He finished the other one. That I can tell. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[Daikarin]

Thanks Raven, but you didn't see the ending of the previous fanfiction? Good thing PSO World adapted Ultimate Hunters into their fanfiction database.

Don't just sit there, go and read it!

*** Note: I forgot to mention something on my last post.

--- THIS FANFICTION IS FOR MATURE readers ONLY ---

"Phantastic" Does not contain pornographic situations, but it may feature scenes of extreme violence, gore, and another variety of mature situations not suitable to young readers.

Please do not read the fanfiction if you are under 15, or if you are sensitive to things such as paranormal activity, violence, spirituality, racism or Esoterism.

This is because, in order for the fanfiction to take place, the main character will confront himself with all of the earlier stated situations and discuss them.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: New Ultimate on 2003-06-07 04:22 ]</font>

[BoUnCeR]

hey dude, just here to wish u luck for this new adventure ^_^

[Cain3454]

Wow, you've put a lot of work into this fanfic already. I can't wait http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Vantamiath]

I love to see a writer so inspired and driven.

I'm anxiously awaiting the first episode.

[bladegunner]

--- THIS FANFICTION IS FOR MATURE readers ONLY ---

"Phantastic" Does not contain pornographic situations, but it may feature scenes of extreme violence, gore, and another variety of mature situations not suitable to young readers.

Please do not read the fanfiction if you are under 15, or if you are sensitive to things such as paranormal activity, violence, spirituality, racism or Esoterism.

http://www.boomspeed.com/bladegunna/EXPLICIT-CONTENT.gif

[Hunter4life]

WOOHOOO!!! He's doing it again! http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif Can't wait to read it New Ultimate.

BTW those are some awesome pics you posted, can't wait to see more of those too.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Hunter4life on 2003-06-09 19:02 ]</font>

[Cell132]

*Nods*

^-^ It's always nice ta see yur art!

[Ada]

Well... Starting a new fanfic New??? this time i'll read it http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[Namevah]

Hey. I new fanfic from New, eh. This time I'll read it from the start instead of the middle with Ultimate Hunters. Hope its just as good as your last fic.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Namevah on 2003-06-10 18:40 ]</font>

[Neonlantern]

OMG
need I say more?

[Neo Rei]

*clap clap clap* Good stuff New, congrats. =P

[Daikarin]

http://even.no.sapo.pt/episode0.jpg

---/ Episode 0: The Pioneer Project ---

Somewhere, where the human mind cannot define yet... Where action isn't material...

In the 5th Dimension:

-Yes... I can see... - Said an entity, smiling with her vision.

http://even.no.sapo.pt/evenseen.jpg

- Perfect.

http://even.no.sapo.pt/evenseen2.jpg

- He will be the one we seek.
- What!? Another human being? - Replied her mate, doubting about the decision.
- Exactly...
- However... I don't feel or foresee anything that...
- I have a hunch we will have what we want... From him.
- Do you remember what happened to the last one...? - Asks the other person - Are you sure that you desire the situation to repeat itself...? Sending someone out of his time? Into a planet which will have what it deserves?? Human beings were the ones responsible for what will happen! Let them receive what they have given the world! Not anyone can raise a hero, and not every planet deserves a saviour...!
- Be less hard and more tolerant. Aren't those two of the qualities that most human beings lack to become perfect...? We can never judge someone imperfect, whether it be one or a million. That takes away out spiritual purity... Isn't thus?

Her friend didn't answer. She just looked straight into herself, and to the way she gazed at that planet. Then the first person smiled by watching that her friend became herself again, and stated:
- I chose the best hosts for him to come to the world. I have great expectations about him...
- I'm curious to see the impact of his life, on that world... Will he pass unnoticed? Will he be considered a fool? A leader? ...A hero? - Asks the second entity.

The first entity made a sudden pause, focused on her thoughts and visions.

- Something wrong? - Asks the second person.
- I feel... An uncertain future... I foresee great negative energies in his material travel... ? Answers the first individual.
- Negative Energy...? Will we lose the hero once more?
- No, yet... Dangers... I can't tell if he will surpass these negative waves I foresee in the future...
- In that case... We shall launch several others like him. Individuals like himself, and piece by piece, we shall draw their common fate!
- ...I'm afraid that won't be enough...
- What do you suggest, then?
- ...I'll have to help him on that matter, sending a soul mate from the past...
- A fellow soul from another age... As emotional support...?
- ...And more than that. I'll have to slowly study what I foresee. But all I know... Is that he must be sent. The future of mankind depends on this...
- Indeed... And if we send him, we can also speed up the perfection of the human race and its similars... - Added the second person.
The first entity smiled upon her decision and begun preparing the birth.
- I hope I don't deliver another mistake... It is time.

...

http://even.no.sapo.pt/index_image.jpg

Coral.

The world of man and other species: Tame, wild or intelligent.
Technology... Reaches limits far beyond the reality of the reader. Here, buildings drill through clouds, Physic laws are broken with the material/dematerialisation technique, and here data travels in giant sizes at light speed.

Recently there has been a great technologic leap, by discovering the photon manipulation science. Changing the photons frequency to tremendously fast levels, we can excite and multiply the photon particles, creating? "Solid light".
This was applied in several areas, like in industry, air travelling or even weapons, changing the world as we knew it.

Another discovery that occurred along with the last one... Was the material teleportation.
By changing the material bodies into digital data, (using the photon manipulation science) it became possible to warp a body between two points in space, up to unlimited distance between the points, at light speed.

This happened by changing every atom on the material body into data: The data was assimilated by the first teleporter (dematerialisation). Once this was done, the data is sent through electro-magnetic waves to the arrival teleporter. Once they did, all the second teleporter had to do was read the data and build the body (materialisation).

According to the rough work behind this discovery, it was considered THE most safe mean of transportation.
They decided to test this technology in laboratory rats, to see if it was possible to teleport living beings.

The brain waves of the animals were measured. During the milliseconds (Or seconds, depending on the distance between the teleporters), The living beings would become unconscious while being warped.

...Basically the body slept while the spirit travelled through the electro-magnetic waves (during the trip between the teleporters) and would wake up when the body and the mind were as one again.

And thus a new age was born: Designed as the age of "Everything, here and now". People, packages, objects, digital data... It was indeed possible that everything could get anywhere, at any time.

The average human being had an IQ of 130... Some slightly more intelligent would be smarter than Einstein (in theory, of course)... The human race and its similars were in the climax of modernism, with an unrecognisable technology in just 100 years.

...

But the great flaw in the human being at this (and any) time...
Was his spirituality.
The human being was deeply connected to the material world.
The physical emotions, or the emotions acquired through material pleasures...
Was ALL that ever mattered.

The human being became more negative and corrupt than at any other stage of his evolution, for being very addicted to the material world, to the social image, to the ego, vanity, the search for an extreme emotion, acquired from the modern objects and ideas.

The money.
The power.
Physical pleasure.
The self-appreciation.
The psychological pleasure (When another one suffered psychologically/physically for that).

Any of these would be the reason for happiness on any Coral and Even citizen.

In this corrupt world where the Emotional Queficient (EQ, which measured one's spirituality) reached levels far below 100 (Average result in the reader's reality)...
Values such a true recognition for one...
Emotions like the thrill of true friendship...
Platonic love...
A slight ounce of respect for another one... Or even for a colleague...
Small pleasures such as nature appreciation...
...
Good Counscience...

But who cared about any of those!?
"Who has time to that "Good pal" bullshit?"
"True Love doesn't exist!"
"It's all a set-up. He's gonna betray you and enjoy it!"
"First myself, and after me, the others. WAY after me."
"Life's tough. Nothing's for free."

This and many more negative thoughts were on the minds of each citizen, and deeply written on their subconscious heart.

...Heart...?

Love...

Would that be a word that anyone would know these days...?

Even if they did... Would they understand it's true meaning...?

Polluted hearts...

The human being has dreams but... Pure ones?

Which dream wouldn't have a corrupt side these days?

Who doesn't want to achieve something to brag about it?
Who does not wish to reach the end of the race and say? "It was me and only me, NOT you!"?
Who doesn't want that person in life... Only because of his/her physical/professional side?

...

Hunters.

The most human version of man versus beast.
The most up-to-date version of man versus an animal.

Hunters are mostly humans (but lonely ones), which trust in their battle skills to work. Hunters are mercenaries, which rarely work in-group, taking missions to gain Meseta, Coral and Even's global currency.

Normally, Hunters are those who got used with battle or magic training, and have few other skills. Or, they can be lonely individuals, extracted from the world. The majority of Hunters do have a dark spirit, a betrayed/rebelled/insane mentality. They are ones whose heart is (even more) heavy, frustrated, lonely, sad, betrayed, and imperfect.

That is why...

...Many Hunters are also criminals.

Hunters are called in missions against terrorism, some even working with soldiers. But they are mostly called to fight the wild and giant savage life living on the wild and natural areas of the planet.

Human warriors have controlled wildlife in Coral since much early. And since the tradition has travelled over the years, today Hunters are the ones responsible for that.

http://even.no.sapo.pt/HUmar%26monster.jpg

In a world where wildlife and civilization are very close to each other in terms of area, warriors such as Hunters are vital.

There are Hunters of every kind: Man, women, "Newmen", Android ... Of all races, styles, sizes and types.
These various types are divided into sub-categories.


Hunters who were warriors armed with blades, as swords, daggers, sabers, or simply bare-fisted, were simply called Hunters. They are the best in hand-to-hand combat, due to their enormous strength and muscular resistance. Due to modern technology, the modern athlete can be much stronger than a Hercules, due to artificial DNA modifying to increase human capabilities. It's really true. Genetic manipulation is legal and profitable. Hunters are the strongest of their kind, physically.

Another Hunter class are the Rangers. These Hunters are the best with long range weapons, as guns, shotguns, Machine guns, snipers, Etc. They are skilled marksmen with an accuracy above normal, with natural instincts to long-ranged combat. A good Ranger can hit all the creatures around him before they can even get close to him, if one has the adequate skill or weapon for that. Rangers can defeat enemies distant to them, as flying enemies, something Hunters would have trouble with.

http://even.no.sapo.pt/RAmarl.jpg

The last Hunter class are called Force, which are mainly wizards with supernatural abilities to use magic. They are trained to make use of their inner power, using one's spirit as a main weapon, which feeds the spell energy. The Force can use magic of various elements: Fire, Ice, Electricity, Healing? And also possess the ultimate spells with devastating power, hidden to the other Hunter classes, and can still use support spells, which increase muscular strength or resistance.

To all Hunters, Rangers and Force we simply call "Hunters". This is because, although they have various fighting styles, they are all basically mercenaries taking jobs for their salary to support themselves.

Hunters work alone and are many times gazed with hate by the rest of society, mainly because there are Hunters hired to kill or enter criminal groups. The general people doesn't appreciate the idea of men hired to do whatever it is for money, and the majority of people considers Hunters "inhuman".

In fact, most Hunters are just that.

But of course, exceptions occur everywhere.

Even in this modern age of corruption.

...

The dream of living in the moon was finally accomplished. But greed was the fuel used for that end. Land waiting to be used... Lunar tourism... Frozen water... Free Earth... Space... Money...

http://even.no.sapo.pt/lua.jpg

Lunar colonies were installed on the lunar satellite that orbited Coral (named Even on the ancient times, for being white as the snow, Neve), creating thus another planet for one to live on.

Of course things such as oxygen, nature, life... Which were missing on the dead planet, were replaced artificially by man?s creations.

Due to population growth, in few dozens of years Even was overcrowding with inhabitants.

Several cities were built, inside giant glass shells, wide enough to cover whole cities with enormous skyscrapers, with a base area that reached up to 20 square km.
Small tubes connected the glass shells, connecting thus the cities, where the most used means of transportation travelled, coming in and out of the cities inside the shells, thus being the transportation routes between the moon city blocks.

Modern technology filled the dark and empty landfills of the moon with giant glass bubbles, which reflected neon lights, giving life to dead Even.

http://even.no.sapo.pt/luna.jpg

Many were those who wanted to live in Even, maybe for the simple fantasy of living outside the main planet... Who knows.

...

18 July, A.U.W. 3070...

All the global population was paying attention to the world president Lugen, who was going to comment on the result made by the research of a team of scientists. The reason for the president's speech was to deny or confirm the rumour that Coral was destined to perish.

A world-class videoconference was organized. Each citizen would hear the president's words through the television set, and at the same time could ask permission to enter visual contact with himself, and live to the world, through a plasma screen.
Almost like a meeting with all the world's citizens... But each member standing in front of a home television screen.

Finally the president appears to speak to the several microphones set on the speech balcony. A few second after the technical staff signalled him that everything was ready, the world held its breath to hear his words:
- ...Ladies and Gentlemen of the whole world? I am here today among all of you to discuss something on which many of you are worried about.

Many began to despair. If the president's speech was THAT formal, it was clear that something was wrong. If not, the president wouldn't have any trouble denying the rumour from the start. But after a short pause, the president rises his eyes to the spectators and goes on:
- According to the studies made recently, we can indeed reassure that Coral's atmosphere is slowly deteorating due to, in the majority of the cases, the aging of our sun, known as "Polaris", which is reaching the end of its time, and at some ages ago began his transformation process to a "red giant". All indicates that in 5 years all the oxygen existing on our atmosphere will be replaced by toxic gas, the radiation from "Polaris" will be too hot for any living being to resist, and that 99,98% of the creatures in Coral die until those 5 years pass... and among those creatures, the Human being himself.

Another pause. The president lowers his eyes to the speech draft below him while a glacial silence is felt that seemed like an eternity. Lugen then quickly rises his face to the camera.

- This is because that, just in approximately 2 years it would be a danger to walk out on fresh air, knowing that all the Coralian atmosphere would be composed of approximately 70% Helium...

Interrupting him, a plasma screen appears right in front of the president's face, showing a furious citizen:
- WHO CARES ABOUT THAT SHIT! WE'RE GONNA DIE! - He grumps.
- HAHAHA!! WE'LL ALL DIE!! - Another plasma screen pops, showing a citizen going crazy
- YOU FUCKING LIARS! THIS IS ALL JUST A SCAM TO RAISE TAXES!!! - Another one interrupts.
- SHUT UP AND LET THE GUY TALK!!!
- NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
- Hi mom.
- DIE! WE ARE ALL DOOMED, THIS IS THE WRATH OF CHRIST AND GOD!!!
- IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE ALL ALONG! THE APOCALIPSE!!
- THE END OF THE WORLD...!!!

http://even.no.sapo.pt/ppl.jpg

- Please... Let's all calm down, my friends - Raising his hands, asks the president.
- CALM DOWN?!? WE'RE GONNA DIE, DARN - The connection between the spectators who were rebelling and the conference was cut by the security access cyber policemen, to all who were causing trouble, and the various plasma screens who showed the spectators "participating" on the event were suddenly gone, along with their voices.

There were many other despaired citizens, releasing anger on the videoconference, and the security cyber policemen launched several visual requests, asking the spectators not to interrupt the speech for a while, disconnecting those who did at the same time.

The air, polluted until the endless horizon...
The sun showering radiation hot enough to burn flesh...
The human race... Extinct...
Death to everyone and everything.
No wonder many went mad.

When nobody else was interrupting, Lugen goes on.

- Indeed, I won't deny anything I said. I did say the human race will be doomed to perish if we don't think of a solution. But calm down, my dear people... I also say that we have found a solution to this problem. Or at least... A teardrop of hope in this devilish scenery. Scientists have studied the possibility of emigrating the human race?

Behind president Lugen was a screen, showing a logo of the Coralian Republic, which is quickly replaced by an image of a green planet.

- We have succeeded in finding a new home. We began a project years ago known as... "Pioneer Project", which consists on the search of a new planet, ready to support life, and on the human migration towards that planet. We have found that planet, called "Ragol". This project, born from remote previsions of several years ago, consists on sending a unmanned probe, artificially programmed to find us a new lair among the stars. The probe found Ragol, and in a few months a ship of the first human team will be sent, called Pioneer 1. This ship will confirm if Ragol is suitable for human life support, and if so, will start building homes and buildings for... the Pioneers. We are quickly building thousands of ships, each with the capability to transport 20 000 individuals to that planet, where we can find a human place on the universe again. In 7 years we would be gone from Coral, and land on Ragol, through an enormous voyage on those ships, prepared to detail, creating an artificial eco-system to support the human being for 7 full years, and up to a maximum of 8. Each ship was called Pioneer, and a number following the name, and we expect them to be the mean of transport which will save us from total annihilation. We've got nothing to fear, the plan is already running and hope isn't vain: We will survive this global threat. Let us face this as an obstacle: one which the human being has the potential to leap over, as any other. We need to have that well printed on our minds... We've gone through a lot, we won't end here and we will pass this. We WILL rise up the victory flag when our sons will be grown, when we arrive to the new planet with us, and think? "We made it..."! The human race lives and always will! There's not a single danger unsurpassed by man! We shall CHOOSE to live!!!

A computer simulation passes on everybody's screens, right after the president abandons the balcony. The simulation showed the probe finding planet Ragol, the spaceship Pioneer 1 launching on 20 November later that year, and thousands of ships (The Pioneers), which carried millions of citizens out of Coral, in 3077. The estimated date of arrival in Ragol by the Pioneers would be 3084. Each Pioneer ship would need 7 years to travel on the great cosmic distance that separated them from their new home...
The majority of the population on Coral and Even cried, but this time tears of relief and emotion were released, which wet and relived again their dry, darkened, despaired faces. Their fears were senseless.

The human race erased their obstacles once more.

Or is it...?

--- End of Episode 0 /---

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: New Ultimate on 2004-02-16 08:33 ]</font>

[Ada]

....not bad....starting good....

[Cannibal-Snowman]

That was pretty good. I liked that last picture.

[Hunter4life]

Sweet, so far so awesome. Keep it coming New.

Edit: Oh, I read through the 1st episode again, this time with the music. It really made a difference. Putting it in there was a great idea.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Hunter4life on 2003-06-18 06:22 ]</font>

[Namevah]

Yeah, good start. The last picture was pretty cool. I was kinda confused at the start but quickly sorted it out in my mind.

[Tunuva]

You are a great writer New

[blazeking240]

awsome New

[BoUnCeR]

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: BoUnCeR on 2003-07-02 07:11 ]</font>

[Daikarin]

To anyone who reads these lines:

You might have noticed this has been dead for a while. I didn't quit this fanfiction, and I don't plan ever to. I'm just having my final college entrance exams. Next Wednesday I'll have the last one of them, Physics.
But I assure you I already have half of the next chapter done.

Sorry for all this, thanks for the compreension.

See you later! http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

[AYY-BEE-CEE]

Well I thought it dragged on a bit =P

[Daikarin]

Surprise! I'll talk to you after the episode. Enjoy! http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

http://informationminister.no.sapo.pt/Episode1.jpg

---/ Episode 1: Anarchy's Biologs ---

Greetings, how are you? My name is Anarchy, I'm an old female but rare northern model HUcaseal for hire.

My metal plates are purple, green and white in texture. My eyes are green, my height is around 1,77 meters, I weight around 140 Kg, and I'm a bit over 1 year old. My head is a rare model that seems like a mixture of the HUcaseal head #3 and the RAcaseal head #1. My body is also a cross between RAcaseal body #5 and the HUcaseal basic model. I'm currently on level 30 of experience.

The following information which will be presented to you was copied from file 23 from my memory archive, biolog #46089 titled as "Annie".

I'm currently on planet Even, one of the two moons which orbit Coral, the main world. I'm living on block number 883 from the city of Leonora. The cities here on this moon are encapsulated inside gigantic quadruple (as in "four layers of") glass domes, due to the lack of atmosphere. The cities are then connected by quadruple glass tubes with transport lines inside. But it's not about this planet that I'm here to speak to you about.

I was hired by a japanese man from this planet called Katsu Masuyo. He is also a Hunter like myself. He is a tall HUmar with short brown hair (Haircut type #1 for Humars) and brown eyes. He usually wears a Humar type #12 suit, a brown one with white and black stripes along some edges of the uniform. His skin is very bright, the brightest skin I've seen on a human. Luckily for me, he speaks english, and very well. In fact, he told me he had british ancestors.

Master Masuyo is currently on Hunter's experience level 109. He is, with no doubt, a skilled veteran, with 47 years of human age. He recently retired himself, as every human Hunter does so very soon on their age, due to the requirements the body demands to work which an aged human can't easily support. It is a fact that, after the age of 45 years, there is rarely any human Hunter who still Hunts. Although I notice Master Masuyo isn't at his young lively days now, I can easily say you can't guess his age by merely seeing himself. He is a warrior with a sense of honor which comes second to his moral beliefs and well-being. You can't guess that behind such a kind man there lurks someone who used to be the role model of some and the worst rival of others, about 20 years ago. Now he is living on Even, one of Coral's quiet and peaceful satellites.

He gave me this job to do the main chores in his house such as cleaning, washing, cooking, shopping, and such as a maid would do. I also have to take care of his first and only son, Katsu Akiyo.

Master Masuyo and his son like to call me "Annie", simply because Master Masuyo "believes" that "Anarchy is very unproper for a house-maid."

Master Akiyo is a bright young man, very honest and pure. He is only 4 years old and yet I find in him more intelligence and wisdom than in the average adult. I can assure myself of this by knowing his results on both the IQ and EQ tests that every child is put through at a very early age. He likes to laugh and socialize a lot, always expressing clever ideas and suppositions. He is sometimes naive, due to his young innocence, but never to the point of being considered a fool. He wants to become a strong Hunter like his father, whom he looks up to as his hero. In fact, they are both psychologically alike, except that Master Akiyo likes to have a bit more fun than his father, something very common on intelligent lifeforms at his little age.

I accepted this quest temporarily to increase my skills, since I never applied for a quest like this. I thought I could expand my knowledge and wanted to enrich myself in experience by educating a human boy and taking care of an apartment. I never had practice on washing, cleaning or cooking either, therefore this quest seemed useful to myself.

Some humans found this quest to be, as I heard them say, "shameful", "boring" and "stupid", a quest where you act like a maid. I ignore those feelings, mainly due to the absence of an "Emotion engine" in my CPU. I can define certain feelings such as what is considered right or wrong (hence why I can educate master Akiyo) but I cannot understand feelings or terms such as "boredom". I understand the essential of "shameful" and "stupidity", but unlike humans, I ignore these feelings, such as almost every old-model android does, on a basis that something intelligent is being made. In this case, I wanted that quest to increase my number of qualities as a Hunter, so I don't mind if I don't understand that feeling of "honor" that would supposedly draw me away from doing "this kind of job". The Guild lady also told me that an android with an "Emotion Engine" was required for this quest. In fact I do not understand "love" to educate master Akyio, but master Masuyo confirmed I would fit perfectly. (Possibly due to the lack of staff interested in this quest. Please note that, an android with an "Emotion Engine" finds this quest to be "shameful", "stupid" and "boring" and prioritizes this kind of feelings over the meseta or skills you get in turn for this job, but that's something I'm sure you know better than me)

Let me talk more about young master Akiyo. For you to meet him, I will present the following biolog to you, so that you can also conclude your opinion on himself. The following memory file contains the essential moment where I concluded that master Akiyo had an intelligence above the average, at his age. It also contains one of the moments where I face some question marks concerning ourselves, androids:









- OFFSET 23780026, Memory biolog #46089 at June 8th, A.U.W. 3070, 07:37 A.M. -

- Play -



...

....

......

(...)

Young master Akiyo is already up, as he does so everyday soon. At least his bed is empty, with its sheets scattered everywhere. I can see that this time his bed is dry so there's no need to wash the sheets. Master Masuyo is nowhere to be seen, he is possibly in his room sleeping.

According to the work schedule I made for myself, I have to clean for the morning, and check up on master Akiyo every 10 minutes. This house has 7 divisions: The living room, separated from the two bedrooms (master Masuyo's and Akiyo's) by the main hall. The kitchen links to the living room through a door which is generally open, except when I'm cooking, to avoid the smoke and smell from invading the rest of the house. And then there's the bathroom. The balcony is usually only for cleaning matters concerning itself. I should clean up the living room first as a way to watch out for master Akiyo on the same time.

I enter the living room where master Akiyo is sitting down on a pillow in front of the TV plasma screen, and just in front of the large sofa. I walk around the room to clean the table behind the sofa. Apparently he's watching a replay about yesterday's news, an article about a murder on Coral. Apparently no scenes of violence or gore are visible by the moment, yet my basic educating program tells me to advise master Akiyo not to watch that channel on that moment.

- Young master, I ask you to please change the channel. It's not good for your young sensibility.

He doesn't answer. I see him from behind, facing the various screens the TV shows, along with the light the screen provides, the only lighting the dark room in this morning.

- Young master? - I ask once more.
- Annie - As he always calls me - what makes people kill?

It was not his usual sophisticated english with a british accent that surprised me. Neither that kind of question, because any ordinary 4-year-old child would think about it.

It was when he looked at me and I could detect, even before distinguishing his facial expression, a teardrop shimmering in his right eye.

It's that situation again, when someone cries.

- Master Akiyo, are you crying?
- Eh...?

He takes his eyes off of me and uses his sleeve to clean it, then smiles and shakes his head sideways to deny what I asked while I approach him. Young master keeps standing, while I sit down to match his small height. We both look at the screens on display, of some witnesses being questioned about the murder.

- But - he continues - I always thought the world was full of people like mother and father... Ladies and gentlemen...
- ...That's not possible. My experience tells me humans and newmen are very different among themselves. They respect certain ideas, certain goals, and think different, individually speaking. Their "beliefs" are different, altough I do not know very well what that word means.
- ...Oh.
- But... How do you know about your mother? I thought she died when you were a newborn child.
- My father keeps talking about her to me. He told me she was the most beautiful girl in the three worlds, and that she was this and she was that... But I don't remember her. I don't have a clue on what she really was, aside from father's stories...

It seems he built his own version of his mother to himself.

A scene of some humans crying follows on the TV projection screen. Possibly family of the victim, crying over their "loss". They are holding each other tight while crying, grinning their facial muscles to the maximum while weeping silently.

Then, I look back at master Akiyo. His tear is shimmering again, this time I can see it clearly. Could it be that he was "feeling" something not because someone was killed, but because others "felt" it too? Those humans were crying. Master Akiyo reacts when they act that way. It's normal for humans to cry when something "bad" happens. That's something that I do not deny, but that's also something I cannot see any explainable, logical and objective reason for it. I... can't think logically like this.

...

"Love"... Does every android without an "Emotion Engine" like me think this way? Do they ponder themselves on questions with no answer?

If I someday install an "Emotion Engine" in myself, all these question marks could become clear.

I grab the remote control and switch the channel immediatly, something which makes young master turn his attention at me.

- Master Akiyo - I justify myself - My knowledge tells me you're too young to see this. I think it would be better to focus your thoughts on life and not on death. For the time being, do not worry about if you're going to feel grief like those humans did, or about dying at all. Just keep watching your favorite cartoon and anime shows like you do every saturday morning.
- Then it's true... - He adds - I now can assure myself of it. You didn't cry.
- ...?

I was about to continue cleaning when I turn around to him, expecting to somehow find the meaning of that phrase. Master Akiyo faces me seriously.

- I heard you and father talk. You can't tell the difference in "Good" or "Bad", like a primitive robot.
- ...I don't see your point, young master.
- I also found it strange that whenever I want to see what you're thinking, my mind only receives streams of "0"s and "1"s.
- "See what I am thinking"...? What...?

Interrupting my question, master Akiyo raises his arm violently and points to the TV screen, still looking at me with a serious face.

- ...That family was murdered by a Hunter, Annie. One hired to do so.
- ...!
- ...An android. With NO "Emotion Engine", the machine that makes you different from us, from what I know.

I think something harmful to the child's education will come out when master Akiyo starts getting somewhere with this conversation.

- I have a question, Annie. Would you kill me if somebody hired you to do it?
- ...

I couldn't see it coming. Not from a 4-year-old human. Once again, master Akiyo's intelligence surprises me. I enter in conflict. "To always say the truth", "To educate the child using my basic knowledge of 'good' to do so", "Not to 'Scare' the child using sentences of actions that are not in harmony with my laws of 'good' ", ...

One of my head chips blasts. The sound heard in the living room is of a small "zap". My primitive auto-regeneration system starts fixing the damage while I try to find an answer to master Akiyo's question.

- I...

Young master keeps peering into my eyes awaiting anxiously for an answer.

- Master Akiyo. You are very young to worry about such subject. My current quest is to educate you, to take care of this house and to assist your father on additional services. Therefore you must only worry about living your young life. When you're older you'll understand the meaning of my words, as well as the meaning of your question.

Knowing that I said all I could, I stand up and leave him to clean the table behind the sofa, while I notice master Masuyo up and leaning against the living room entrance.

He smiles. That's a "good" thing. It seems I'm doing my job well.

Master Akiyo's maturity still is a surprise for me. His mind is evolving faster than the average 4-year-old human. Only newmen can evolve this fast, but if master Akiyo was a newman lifeform, he would be taller and physically older. I conclude that master Akiyo is an over-gifted child, with an impressive future ahead.

I return to cleaning the table, but I can't find the...



(...)

- Stop -












You must be wondering where is Mrs. Masuyo, Akiyo's mother. I did so too. In order to explain what is currently her whereabouts, I will open the following file, which occured on my second day on the Masuyo residence.












- OFFSET 11502549, Memory biolog #38561 at May 1st, A.U.W. 3070, 20:12 P.M. -


...

.....

.......

(...)

I move on to clean the TV projection device. I pass the wet towel cleaning the dust on the device, when I notice a picture next to it. Master Masuyo smiling, while holding his son, master Akiyo in both arms. I figure young master should have 2 to 3 years of age at the time that photo was taken. There's the sky behind them, and planet Coral is perfectly visible. I deduct the photo was taken here, on Even.

I spend a part of my memory to wonder. I have probably seen all of the photos in the house. Master Masuyo, his son, Akiyo's grandfathers and his only uncle... But no Mrs. Masuyo. I start to think if master Akiyo is adopted, especially because he has some physical marks such as his fangs, slightly, but very slightly larger than a human's. And I do detect some unnatural intelligence in his young age, all marks of a newman. But his ears are short, and his 4-year-old body stature matches that of a normal human.

I interrupt my work schedule for some minutes to ask Master Masuyo for information concerning these questions. I hear water running. Young master is asleep on the sofa, so the probability is high that it is master Masuyo who is on a shower.

Knowing his probable location, I walk towards the bathroom to then question him. I hear singing. He is indeed in the shower, I recognise those sound waves as his voice. I enter the bathroom and see his figure dancing inside the shower division. Fog is everywhere, here.

- Master Masuyo? Will you excuse me?
- I'M ON THE MOOOOOOON!!!- I hear him singing - DON'T BOTHER ME BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I'M ON THE MOON!! AND SOON I'LL REACH HEAVEN...!! WHERE YOU'LL BE...
- Excuse my presence, master. Do you have some time right now?
- ...GAAAHHHH...!!!

Apparently my presence in the shower division somehow "scared" Master Masuyo, enough to make him slip on the wet shower surface and fall. I use my Hunter reflexes to catch his arm but I lose my balance and fall towards him.

I land up on him, and we both fall inside the shower division. Master Masuyo suddenly starts bleeding from his nose at a rapid rate while grinning strangely, and his eyes seem out of the regular mood. I use my arms raise myself and scan his nose better, while the shower keeps spraying us, and his nose keeps spraying me.

- Did I damage you? I don't detect any internal flesh wound in your nose.

Master Masuyo's nose suddenly stops bleeding. He tries to look away from my eyesight.

- Uh, Ahem. ...You know, there's a policy about humans needing their privacy. Not that I am "complaining"...
- I'm sorry for my lack of experience on that matter, and for interrupting. I wanted to ask you about a certain subject.
- ...You didn't need to barge into my shower like that.
- Forgive me if I disturbed you.
- Never mind. Now could you please get off me? You're also getting wet. And please watch where you place your knee.

I noticed that the shower kept running while I was lying down on master Masuyo. I get up and start my heating system to dry myself off, while master Masuyo is "nervously" searching for a towel. Finding one, he quickly covers his lower body part with it. Then he takes some toilet paper and places it on both his nostrils. I stand up and go next to the door, waiting for Master Masuyo's attention. He catches another towel and dries up his hair while walking towards the bathroom mirror.

- Now - he asks, while making sure his nose isn't bleeding anymore - what did you want to ask me about?
- About Akiyo's mother.

Master Masuyo's facial expression changes. He stops touching his nose with his finger. His head then slowly faces the sink, and he applies his hands on it, as if he was going to fall towards the mirror.

(...)

I follow him, still wearing his robe, into his room as he asked. He doesn't turn the lights on.

- Master, would if be better if we...
- No - He interrupts - That's ok.

He walks to one of the two wardrobes in his room, and opens the two largest doors in it. The doors reveil some kind of small japanese shrine, with a picture of a newman woman on the top shelf, who I deduct to be Akiyo's mother. Several candles where scattered around the shrine, and master Masuyo starts lighting them slowly, one by one, using the matches from a box which was also inside.

Master Masuyo then guards the match box on a drawer below the shrine and kneels in front of it like any oriental man would do so in order to "pray". He joins his hands in front of his chest, closes his eyes and leans his head down a little. Then a moment of silence ensues. I assume he is "praying".

I take the moment to analyse the shrine. It consisted of two parts: The upper part which had one shelf, and the picture of the newman woman (non-japanese, by her looks), possibly Akiyo's fallen mother, surrounded by colorful flowers from all sorts. Possibly non-artificial. Two candles were in each side of the flowers. Above this shelf, and hanging from the back part of the wardrobe, is some kind of paper scroll, opened and showing off some japanese/chinese characters which I happen not to recognise. The lower part, below the upper shelf, had two other shelves: The one in the middle, with possibly a weapon lying on it (a Gladius, I think) with its power turned off. A candle was near it. And the lower shelf had a little more distance from the middle shelf, also having a big pink candle on the middle, a small Buda statue on the left with a miniature gong, and a strange bowl on the right with a few sticks of incense, unlighted for the moment. Ashes were inside the small bowl, indicating that the incense had been used before.

One thing that surprised me were the flowers. I mean, it was really dark inside the wardrobe, even with all the candles lit, and the natural flowers seemed to be "alive". Even without the support of a water jar, the flowers seemed not to dry. Even without the nutrients from the soil, or the sunlight required, they seemed to bloom normally.

Master Masuyo opens his eyes and stands up. Without closing the doors of the wardrobe, he crosses his hands behind him and slowly approaches the access to the balcony, where he could see the psychadelic lights of the city.

The only lights in the room where the small aura from the candles which came inside the wardrobe, and the outside neon lights. Occasionally, an airship zooms by close to our building and flashes the room with its lights for a split second.

A little moment of silence. Master Masuyo gives out a deep sigh as if he was about to start talking:

- ...It happened on the day Akiyo was born, 4 years ago. Just after his birth, I went to visit my wife, Emi, on her hospital room. I left a few moments later to work.

I start to build up the scene, based on master Masuyo's words, creating my vision of what happened:

The hospital room, after master Masuyo left, very early in the dark morning. Miss Emi, who just gave birth. She was a HUnewearl, with long light-brown hair and brown eyes, pink lips and light skin color. She was dressed with her patient robe, sleeping peacefully on her bed after the rough work she had just been through. Newborn Master Akiyo sleeping on his cradle, next to her bed. It was raining outside, and a white lightning bolt, cracking the purple cloudy sky along with its loud thunder noise, wakes up miss Emi. She got up in a sitting position while breathing fast, frightened by the noise, but quickly notices that it's only a rainstorm. Having calmed down, she exhales and leans down once more to rest. She looks her left and sees young master Akiyo sleeping in his cradle, undisturbed by the thunders. She smiles as she sees everything normal, unlike in the "bad dream" she just had.

She looks to her right into the window. The heavy rain falling from above... Silent cracking noises of the distant thunders...

Then suddenly, a lightning bolt hits nearby. The extreme light fills the room, forcing Miss Emi to close her eyes and look away from the window. Then the loud thunder is heard.

When Miss Emi opens her eyes and looks again to the window, a figure is seen standing on it. Miss Emi recognised the figure as possibly a HUcaseal. It had green glowing eyes, which somehow scared her, along with a dark body. Miss Emi rises up to sitting position, nervously searching for words.

- ...Wh... What are you? What is it?

http://informationminister.no.sapo.pt/silh.jpg

The figure doesn't answer. She keeps still on the window edge, leaning like a monkey and glaring at Miss Emi with scary glowing demon-like eyes.

Another thunder blows in the distance.

Twenty floors below, Master Masuyo is exiting the hospital entrance. When he hears a female scream coming from above, he looks upwards against the rain.

Something is falling in his direction. Something bigger than rain. The small black shadow on the purple sky above quickly grows into a giant dark-green body, and then the figure lands half a dozen feet in front of him. Master Masuyo knew that it was no ordinary being, to jump from such a height and to be able to resist such a brutal landing, and as it lands with both its feet and one of the hands, the water on the wet ground is lifted up to 2 meters all around the being due to the ground impact. Before the water dives again into the ground, the figure focuses its green "devilish" eyes on master Masuyo, and as it splashes again in the ground along with the rain, master recognises a baby crying on the other arm of the figure. He also identifies the being as an android. A HUcaseal, with body textures never seen before. Dark green and black. The head was head #1 for HUcaseal models, with glowing eyes.

A thunder flashes the scene. Master recognises the baby. Akiyo! Instead of "scaring" him, the "frightening" glare made master Masuyo "furious".

The darkened android talks.

- Don't be a fool. Your wife is dying, and you'll die anyway if you confront me.

Master's eyes became pale white. "Your wife is dying?" Did the HUcaseal kill Miss Emi? He wondered, as the "fear" for her life struck him a lot harder than the heavy raindrops.

Without another word, the android gets up and runs away towards the crowd, fleeing from master Masuyo, who is too nervous to make a decision. To go after it and save Akiyo, or to make sure his wife doesn't die? Master slamms his foot on the wet ground in indecision.

A few miles away, the HUcaseal stops jumping and lands on the roof of a tall sky scraper. She looks down 50 floors to look for master in the distant crowd. Even zooming in, master Masuyo is nowhere to be seen.

The HUcaseal then slowly puts the baby and the sheet around him on the ground and reaches for her arm computer. The rain pours on both, and young master Akiyo cries while the android touches some buttons on her arm PC and starts a voice chat link.

- I lost him - she says - and I got the child.
- Are you sure he's out of the way? - A voice replies from the computer speaker.
- He lost my direction, and even if he knew where I am, he would never arrive here on ti...

She hears a small humming noise. She looks back and sees an airship approaching.

Lying down on the roof of the airship, is master Masuyo, hugging the upper part of the vehicle and pressing his feet against the rear engine so that he wouldn't slip off with the extreme speed. He furiously waiting for the ship to zoom by the building.

He had quickly done a HUcaseal search on his arm PC, by using a couple of hacking tools to access the satellite radars. When he detected a HUcaseal on the roof of a tall building alone, he took the clue and immediatly got on his way.

As the ship gets closer to the HUcaseal, master tries to get up and faces the building on his left which keeps approaching. Then in the perfect moment, he jumps into the air, on a distance of 10 meters, in a leap with more than 200 feet of altitude, to grab the ledge of the building.

He keeps flying across the air and approaching the ledge but... He won't make it. He won't grab the ledge, and there is nothing else to grab on to, since the building's wall is purely made of flat cement and glass windows until the deep bottom. And he doesn't have the speed necessary to break his entrance through the windows below him, since he's almost just falling down now.

Master Masuyo then has a quick thought and draws his Pallasch, turning its photon energy on and stabbing it on the cement wall right below the ledge. The rest of his body then thumps the wall and hangs down from his weapon. Master Masuyo exhales for a moment and uses his saber to pull his body up on one single but great effort and get hold of the ledge with his emtpy hand.

- Impressive. - says the android - I can see now why everyone makes up tales and legends about yourself, and why there's so many articles on the media available about you. I can see why you're considered the strongest...
- Shut the fuck up - master interrupts - AND GIVE ME BACK MY SON!!!
- ...Negative.

Master then walks across the wet floor towards the HUcaseal, who approaches the HUmar as well. The android equips a katana, and master Masuyo, while tightening both his hands around the Pallasch handguard, equips a mag. It was shaped like the rear wing of a high-speed airship, it was a Durga mag.

Both Hunters stop walking when they're 30 feet of distance between each other.

The HUcaseal equipped with a katana. The HUmar with a Durga and a Gladius. Standing in front of each other, both ignoring the rain in their body.

The rain gets harder and thicker. The wind blows stronger, and slowly moves the clouds away from an area in the sky, revealing some stars and the crescent moon in tones of orange.

Both Hunters gaze at each other, waiting for some signal to strike.

A thunder cracks down on the horizon, right in front of the moon, and when it flashes away both Hunters are already clashing their weapons against each other, with a large photon blow sound that is heard miles away. Both Hunters press into each other, using their arms, legs and eyes. Then the android speaks.

- You're strong, but only human.

Having said that, the android lifts the front foot a little and slamms it into the ground, using the force from the foot to push Master Masuyo backwards. He almost falls back by losing his balance, but gets a hold of himself and notices that the HUcaseal hit the ground so hard that it carved a hole on the cement, shaped like her footstep.

- Give up now - She says - and I have orders to spare your life. Go and assist your wife before she dies from the wounds I gave her.
- ...GIVE ME BACK MY SON!!!
- ..."No" is your answer?

The HUcaseal dashes towards master Masuyo, who gets hit on the chest by the bottom of her katana handguard on a ferocious tackle that throws him backwards.

- UOOHH...!!

Even before he touches the ground, the android jumps towards him and cuts a horizontal flesh wound on his stomach.

- GUAAAHH!!!

And then he falls on the ground, on his back, splashing the wet ground while coughing blood. His mag follows him and stays behind master Masuyo at all times. Master quickly tries to get up, and slowly stands, feeling his stomach burn while still coughing some blood.

- You're right - He says - I AM human.

He places his palm on his chest, and his body starts to glow gold. Small golden sparkles of light spin around him as he heals himself with a Resta spell.

- Now, from the beggining.

A moment of silence. The HUcaseal gets in the saber defense stance, awaiting her opponent's attack.

Master tightens one of his fists and throws a Gizonde spell at his opponent. A small thunder comes out of his left palm, towards the android at light-speed.

She instantly blocks it with her screen shield. Master throws several other lightning bolts at his opponent's body but she blocks them all with her shield.

- Congratulations - he says - I never had an opponent with such lightning-fast reflexes. But let's see...

Master lets go of the Pallasch, moves his hand to meet the other, and shows both palms at the android. His weapon loses its photon energy and falls right next to his foot, diving in the small pool made by the rain.

- ...if your shield can stand this.

Several sparks start flowing out of the two hands, something that catches the attention of the HUcaseal. Masuyo smiles while his palms sparkle, and speaks.

- I have named this spell, a combination of two Gizondes...

Master's hands start to shake and glow white. The android knows this won't be no ordinary spell, so she backtracks a few steps and awaits her opponent's move.

- ...RAKURAI!!

A giant lightning bolt blows out of his hands, with over a meter of diameter, along with a loud thunder-noise. The giant lightning ray crosses the rainy scenery like a mad train, while the wind moves the rain in the direction of its path. Master Masuyo struggles to keep the ray on a steady position. His arms shake as he sends his spirit force out of his arms as electric energy. His feet also struggle to keep him still on the same position, and his mag also tries not to get carried away by the wind created by the blast.

The HUcaseal waits for the spell to approach her, and in the last minute she dodges it by leaping quickly to her left side, enough for the giant ray to pass right past her. Altough some sparks hit her right shoulder, she runs towards Masuyo, attempting to strike him now, that he is defenseless without his Pallasch.

Master sees her coming, and quickly slides his foot under his Pallasch's handguard. He quickly raises his foot, flipping the Pallash up while splashing water upwards as well, and then stops emitting the thunder energy through his hands to grab hold of the Pallasch, instantly turning its photon energy on in time to block the HUcaseal's attack.

The enormous lightning bolt hits a building in the distance, creating an electric explosion which throws rock, iron and glass everywhere as it flashes the screen. Some chunks of the building land on the roof of the building where the two Hunters were measuring forces.

After pushing against each other for a while, they start another wave of attacks. Master Masuyo keeps getting cut, being unable to keep up with her inhuman speed, faster than lightning.

A cut on his arm. He blocks. Then his shoulder. He blocks. Then the HUcaseal hits her knee on Master's stomach, making him spit. She spins her body and kicks him on the face, making spin his body as well a half circle and then making him land on the ground with his kness and arms.

- This is it. I'll cut your head in two.

Having said this, the HUcaseal jumps towards master, attempting to strike down his body and cut him to death. Master slowly gets up, looking at her. Then he stands still as she approaches him, falling down to slash him in half.

The android's katana blade hits master's forehead, but doesn't cut through. Master Masuyo's whole body starts glowing yellow, and the HUcaseal feels like her opponent's forehead is harder than iron.

The katana starts cracking and the continuous touch with Master's skin makes it explode in tiny pieces of sparkling yellow iron. The android doesn't understand what's going on, and even before landing her feet on the ground, master Masuyo attacks.

- KYUUTSUKU!!

He flips his flashing body backwards, slashing the android as he does so like if he were a human saw, and when his feet touch the ground, he jumps towards the android, hitting her on her abdomen with his Pallasch in a pierce-like move. The blow throws her into the distance, making her hit the wet floor on her back and slide a bit away from master.

She immediately gets up, knowing that her circuits are bursting on her abdomen area. She tries to understand what just happened with master Masuyo's body.

- You're gonna regret not having a mag, slut. My Durga has been accumulating all the damage you gave me so far. And not only he unleashes that energy in the form of a golden iron shield around my skin...

The ground slowly starts shaking. Then the whole building shakes violently as an earthquake was taking place.

Several thunders blow in the distance.

The wind slowly starts to blow around master Masuyo and his mag, like if they were the center of a small hurricane.

The clouds above them start moving in a circle, slowly accelerating and leaving an open hole in the center of the circle.

A thin white light line starts drawing a circle around master Masuyo and his mag. Then it draws a triangle inside the circle, and a small circle on each of the triangle's edges. Letters, characters and symbols are drawn by the misterious white line around the figure, as it slowly spins like it were some kind of hologram.

http://informationminister.no.sapo.pt/pb.jpg

- ...WE'RE ALSO GONNA PHOTON BLAST!!!

Master raises his fist into the sky. A shockwave is sent everywhere around him, forcing the HUcaseal to push against the wind that blows against her. Both his mag's body as his glow white, and the wind moves up in a spiral around them.

The ground around them begins to crack, as it keeps shaking.

Small light sparkles appear and, one after another, they all move to the point right above master's fist, forming a small white figure, which grows as more and more sparkles join up to form its body.

http://informationminister.no.sapo.pt/Masuyo_PB%281%29.jpg

Moments later, the white glowing figure shapes up to that of a fish, and when the white light fades from it, a dolphin-like creature with no eyes and some lines of light crossing its body appears, the Estlla.

The HUcaseal cannot move. She struggles to set free, but her body is held by some kind of powerful energy that numbs her entire body, cutting off almost her entire electric energy.

After emitting a loud cry, Estlla backflips and charges towards the android, leaving a trail of golden light, and cracking the ground beneath it as it dashes forward to master's paralysed opponent.

The extreme collision is heard everywhere, and the ground beneath is caved in with the energy released from the impact. The shockwave blows master Masuyo a few steps back, and the powerful tackle shoots the HUcaseal away from the roof, making her fall into the distance as Estlla disappears into a million sparkles of white light. The ground stops shaking, and the wind changes direction as the crumbling noise slowly fades away. The lights around master Masuyo and his mag disappear as well and we can only hear the rain again.

Master Masuyo walks to the ledge and is relieved to see the HUcaseal plunging into the psychadelics lights below. Diving deeper and deeper until until she no longer can be seen. She finally fades from view, which signals the end of the fight and the respective winner. Even if she survived both the fatal collision and the fall, which seemed unlikely, she wouldn't have the energy needed to come back.

Master sighs in accomplishment. He then smiles at his Durga, before unequipping it. He walks across the crumbled wet ground to pick up Akiyo in his sheet. Altough crying, it seems no harm was done to young master Akiyo.

Master sighs again in a double "feel" of "relief" and heads back to the hospital with his son on his arms.

...

.....

I stop building my version of the story as master Masuyo stops narrating it to me.

It seems master Masuyo is making a small pause, with a long sigh.

Another airship passes by near our building, flashing the dark room for a split second.

- When I got back to the hospital with Akiyo on my arms - He continues - the nurses were trying to reanimate her desperately. I was told that Emi's heart stops and restarts pumping constantly, as if she was really in the verge of dying. When her heartbeat stops, a few seconds later it restarts, as if she is struggling not to let herself go. They didn't let me see her, forcing me to keep my distance while the nurses were doing everything they could to keep her alive. I could only stand a few meters away from her while the nurses ran around everywhere, getting this or that tool to try and reanimate her. A few moments later, her heart kept beating constantly. Then we all see Emi's eyes open. The nurses scream in joy and hug each other. I start to smile and hug Akiyo tighter... And then Emi looks at us. I see her smile, possibly because Akiyo was safe with me. And then... She finally goes. After closing her eyes, her heartbeat indicated by the cardio machine is shown in the form of a perfectly horizontal green line, and a constant beep is heard. She was gone for good, and the heartbeat never restarted from that moment on.

Another small pause. Then master keeps talking.

- It seemed she couldn't let herself die until she finally saw that we were both safe.
- Thank you very much for satisfying my doubt. - I reply. But master Masuyo keeps talking.
- ...After her funeral it was hard for me to keep living on Coral with Akiyo. Those bad memories chased me. Everywhere I went I only had flashbacks. Even when going to work, I couldn't forget the moments we teamed up. So I decided to retire myself. My retirement paycheck was enough to support myself and master Akiyo. And not only did I retire, I moved away with my son from the planet where I could no longer live on, afraid to face the memories that destroyed my happiness in the presence, as well of the thought of Akiyo being kidnapped again without my presence. That's how I ended up here, Even, hiring maids for

...

- I'm sorry - I reply - It seems I had to have you go through those "sad" memories. I have a few questions though.
- Shoot.
- How did you know about the conversation of the HUcaseal on her transmitter, before you arrived on the roof of the building?
- Just after the HUcaseal jumped from the hospital window, Emi had the strength to call the police. They immediatly tried to locate a HUcaseal around the area using satellite radars, something I did too on my arm PC to find her. They also established hearing channels on all the communications from arm PCs from androids at that moment, and the conversation of the HUcaseal with its partner was reveilled to me after Emi died, and identified the HUcaseal as "Silhouette", one of the most wanted criminals. Apparently Silhouette was an android with a "Negative Emotion engine", so that her CPU doesn't conflict when she kills somebody or commits crimes. Somebody had hired her to kidnap or even kill Akiyo.

Master Masuyo finally turns his gaze away from the city and smiles at me.

- But when I remember that Akiyo is alive and well with me, I can only try to smile and live my future like Emi wanted me to, as a happy father.
- Silhouette... Did she "die"?
- ...Nobody found her body, so I assume she's still out somewhere in Coral.

Saying this, master looks up and sees the main planet in the morning sky, shining bright blue and browned-green.

- But that doesn't matter anymore, it's in the past. I only now have to worry about taking care of Akiyo, and making him grow to become a stronger man than myself, who couldn't stop my wife from dying.
- ...I believe it wasn't your fault, master Masuyo.

He smiles again at me.

- Ah, don't worry about it. It's just a way of saying that I am looking forward for Emi to see from wherever she is right now how her son turns out to be an special someone.

After this, he gazes again at Coral through the big windowed door. I "feel" as if the conversation ended.

- Master, thank you very much for answering my question.
- Hey, anytime. - He answers, still looking away from me and into the sky.

I leave, but notice a teardrop run down master Masuyo's cheek. It seems he is crying. My basic knowledge tells me that, when this happens, one should ask the reason to the person who cries. But I already knew that reason, altough I don't understand it.

I decide to leave master Masuyo alone and return to remove the dust from his picture with young master Akiyo.

(...)

- Stop -












I believe that, with these two biologs and my additional report, you have the essential information about our current situation, about master Akiyo and his father, about Miss Emi and about myself.

Excuse me, but now I must pick up young master Akiyo and his friend from pre-school.

Today is August 18th, A.U.W. 3070 at 15:45 PM, and I was your narrator for this first chapter. Thanky you very much for your attention and forgive my lack of narrating experience. I look forward to next chapter, which will no longer be told in first person by myself.

Good bye, and until next time.

--- End of Episode I /---

***

Well, I finally got some time off to think about writing. I used to like to write the previous fanfic, as a way of expressing myself and train my creativity. That's why I managed to find some free time to continue this fanfiction.

Now, I don't promise anything of the kind "I will finish it" or any blah blah of that kind, other than I will do my best to get some free time to write it, so don't ask me if I'll finish it. I'll keep adding chapters, slowly shaping up the story I have in mind.

Sorry but I drained myself out of words after reviewing Episode 1, to check for english mistakes, making me tired to type decently to you guys right now http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime2.gif

Feel free to ask any questions concerning the fanfiction, the characters, or anything at all.

Hope to see ya next episode!


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Even_Jin on 2004-07-26 07:46 ]</font>

[Skett]

Wow. Great chapter. No, no, no. Awesome chapter. I'm glad to see your writing again. And your drawings are very nice.

That last chapter, although long, was well worth it. If the whole story is as good as that first chapter then I might have to make up a new score for my review when its done.

Yosh...

[Ada]

hey new, great episode.. starting good.. a bit long but extremely good (and you do error correction... something i don't hehe http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif)
Well, you know what happen to my fanfic.. i'll need to redo chapter3 after that incident.... cursed washing machine... grrrrr......

[Daikarin]

On 2004-02-03 12:36, Ada wrote:
Well, you know what happen to my fanfic.. i'll need to redo chapter3 after that incident.... cursed washing machine... grrrrr......


You're telling me your fanfiction went to the washing machine? What kind of excuse is that for the delay!? =P

[Ada]

LOLOLOLOL good one new.. but i'm almost done... again lol
hey.. want me to send you the little pice of paper that was my fanfic after going to the washing machine?? http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[Sagasu]

I guess I've had my self esteem killed now http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_no.gif my own efforts pale by your side considerably. But I guess thats all the more reason for me to continue and try to work my way even farther. Your return is as to be expected, and overall I think you put out some of the most professional work on this site. (no offense anyone)

See you around, and continue with the excellence we have all come to aknowledge.

[Daikarin]

On 2004-02-04 13:26, Sarunakai wrote:
I guess I've had my self esteem killed now http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_no.gif my own efforts pale by your side considerably. But I guess thats all the more reason for me to continue and try to work my way even farther.



Geez, don't say that. I'm not here to compete, I'm just here to write what I imagine.

The only thing you need to improve your work is to find a way to express yourself using the words you know. Heck, even a portuguese guy like me can do it in english, I imagine how you would write if your whole potential was touched. Keep working, I commend your effort http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Daikarin]

On 2004-02-04 11:03, Ada wrote:

hey.. want me to send you the little pice of paper that was my fanfic after going to the washing machine?? http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif



*double posts*

It must have all kinds of things on it, like cookie crumbs, dust or even soap. No thanks =P

[Daikarin]

http://bladegunner.no.sapo.pt/episode2.jpg

---/ Episode 2: The enlightened child ---

June 9th, A.U.W. 3070, 2:03 AM.

Silence blesses the whole city of Leonora, located in Coral's most distance satellite, Even.

Akiyo is sleeping peacefully in his bedroom, with his belly facing up. His mouth is slightly open, just enough for his silent snoring to come out.

The blinds in the room's window were half-opened as his father wanted them to be, for the room not to become neither too bright or too dark. On that night, however, only the blue light coming from the outside city enters Akiyo's room through the blinds and prints itself on his bed's sheets.

Next to his bed, is Anarchy. The maid HUcaseal was sitting perfectly still on the floor like a life-less metal statue. The outside lights shimmer in her right metal shoulder and cheek, as ships pass by. The night stars are perfectly visible in some of her metal plates.

Anarchy was recharging her battery and had her system saving up energy while doing so. As a result, all the lights in her circuits were off to save as much energy as possible, altough she was still "conscious". And there she stays for the whole night, without any emotions to make her feel bored about her "Idle" position.

The silence is rarely interrupted by an air shuttle or two, passing near the building.

Then, the stars shimmering in Anarchy's metal plates start to shine with more intensity. They seem to grow in size, and, when large enough, they merge with each other like water drops to create one big bright figure. That white body shines intensely enough as if a star itself was just outside Akiyo's bedroom window.

Several flat rays of very bright light were shinning through the blinds in the window, lighting up Anarchy and hitting Akiyo in his bed. For some reason, the HUcaseal doesn't react to the light - it lighted up the whole room, but still she doesn't move as if it weren't bright.

Akiyo eventually moves his head away from the strong light that hit him straight in the face and didn't let him rest. But after a while, he starts to lose his sleep. He faces the light, opens his eyes slightly and looks- at the window, curious to know what was that bright light that was showering all over him.

He finds the light to be warm, and soothe his spirit somehow. As if the warm sunlight was shinning on him during a nice afternoon.

And altough the light shines as bright as the sun itself, the extreme intensity doesn't hurt his eyes, somehow.

A calm melody is heard, slowly gaining volume. Akiyo looks everywhere to see where it comes from. His PC was turned off, and nothing else seemed to be playing music.

It sounded as if an invisible and distant choral with female voices could be heard silently inside the room, helping him feel relaxed along with the light. Akiyo wonders if those were angels singing.

He then pays attention to the source of the white light, outside his room window, shinning between the blinds. He can distinguish some kind of being, white as the rest of all its shinning body. He distinguishes two friendly, beautiful and curious eyes between the blinds, focused on him.

The figure outside the window resembles a ghost, since it was glowing an intense white, and hovering slowly in the air. But somehow, instead of fear, the presence of that white spirit makes the boy feel confortable, as if it were a close relative, a friend, or someone very dear to him. It seemed to be more of an angel than of a ghost.

It is strange. Akiyo feels a deep bond with the strange being, altough they just met right in that moment. A deja vu feeling with some entity that seems unreal to him.

While the being keeps peering into him for some moments, the soothing singing voices keep building a beautiful silent melody, as the light keeps shinning straight into Akiyo.

He eventually gets up into sitting position, curious about that presence, just as the entity seemed to be curious about him. He sees that Anarchy doesn't move, while at other nights she would arrange his sheets if he even coughed in his sleep. He found it strange that she wasn't disturbed or even seeing the bright light coming from the being, or that she wasn't hearing the melody. Or that she didn't see him awake. Normally when he would awake in the middle of the night, she would be already standing up to ask him if he had a nightmare.

Akiyo keeps exchanging his curiousity with the white being, and finally he moves his sheets away from his legs, getting out of the bed.

When he places his feet on the ground, he feels that the melody was slightly louder, as if coming from the entity. It seemed as if the music was surrounding itself, as if it were some kind of mystic soothing aura.

He also felt some lack of weight, as if gravity didn't exist. It was strange to feel this light, but the being interested him a lot more than this.

He slowly steps torwards the window, as if the being was calling him silently. The music gets louder as he get approaches the glowing being.

He stops half an arm's reach from the blinds, and can now see the being's eyes through the blinds with more detail. Who is this being? What does it want? Why is it here? Are its intentions good, as Akiyo felt them to be?

All of a sudden, Akiyo's steps are nervously interrupted by a strange moving mechanism noise, making him send a slight chill down his spine. He nervously looks everywhere for the source of the noise and then notices the blinds scrolling up before him. He looks left and sees that the switch to pull up the blinds was pressed, altough no one touched it. Akiyo felt kind of nervous wondering how the blinds could suddenly open by themselves, but, somehow, he felt no reason to be afraid. In fact, while in the presence of the being, while seeing the light it provides, while hearing the soothing music, while feeling the low gravity and the nice warmth, Akiyo couldn't feel fear. It's as if his subcounscious, or something else was constantly telling him...

- "It's all right."

The blinds kept rising, slowly revealing the white being's body to Akiyo from bottom to top.

A glowing white dress, made of silk, apparently.

Two delicate, female white hands that met each other on the being's lower trunk area.

The dress was supposedly a robe, which was waving along with the wind.

The entity had a white light aura around it, and was hovering in the air.

Akiyo began to wonder how could she just be floating there, 78 floors above the ground.

Before thinking too much about her, the rest of the being is reveilled.

A long silk strip wrapped around the being's waist, holding the robe. White as well.

Then Akiyo could see the shape of breasts, then the small opened chest area, the delicate nude neck with a small tail of white hair hanging from the back of her neck, waving in the same direction as the robe.

A smile.

Two delicate, thin cheeks and a small nose.

The two friendly eyes which were peering on him earlier, were now to Akiyo prettier than ever.

Short hair. Waving slow like white grass.

http://informationminister.no.sapo.pt/angelady.jpg

Akiyo was feeling a little confused. Who was this attractive lady, which triggered in him this state of deep confort? Why did he feel that there was a deep bond between them, altough they have just met? Why was she glowing in a shimmering white, like a ghost or some kind of spirit? Why was she there, hovering 78 floors above the planet's ground level? What was just happening, exactly?

- "It's all right." - Akiyo felt once more, echoing deep down in his mind, leaving all his questions and fears aside.

He also felt as if she wanted him to approach. No, he was positive that the spirit wanted him to approach, altough no words were mentioned from her.

The window was too high for him to reach, but he felt that, since somehow the gravity was weak or non-existant, he could float like she was doing outside. Somehow, everything which was seemed impossible was now surpassed by the power of will.

So, just by thinking, Akiyo's feet leave the ground and he propells himself up towards the window with just the power of wishing. He slowly floats upwards until the female spirit's face is just on the other side of the glass, with her constant sweet smile. The music once again gains volume as comes closer than ever to the lady.

Akiyo couldn't believe that he was actually flying inside his room. And to think it was that easy, was unbelievable. Then, Akiyo looked at Anarchy, thinking she would notice something, but she didn't. She was still in the same initial position as if nothing ever happened, and as if he was still asleep in his...

When Akiyo looks back at his bed, he sees someone sleeping in his place. It was...

...him...?

- What the...? - Akiyo thought, when seeing himself sleeping peacefully in his bed, not moving a finger or even snoring.

...

- If I'm here... - He continues to think - And that's me over there...

Not wanting to believe this possibility, he faces the lady.

- Am I... dead...? - He wonders, looking straight into the lady's eyes.

Akiyo senses an answer. Something tells him that he's not dead, and that there's no reason to worry. Then he realises that all those mental messages he's been mysteriously receiving came from the female entity. Was there some kind of astral link that made her send him mind words? Akiyo was thinking if this was some kind of telepathy, altough he didn't know the term for it. The lady kept indeed speaking in that way, in the form of mind messages, which are felt, and not heard:

- You only left your body for a while - She tells him, as Akiyo faces her frightened by what was happening - Your spirit is still connected to your body by the cosmic string, which only breaks when you die. It's all right...

Once again, those words, or better yet, that feeling she mentally sent made him feel warm and confortable. So he forgot about all the question marks that haunted him to try to understand the moment, and gave in to the lady's confortable messages.

Feeling as if the lady was blessing him with love each second, Akiyo starts wondering.

- ...Are you my mother?
- No - She answers, as usual, by telepathy - She asked me to come instead.
- ...!?
- She...? Where's she?
- At home. In the 5th dimension.
- What? Were do you mean, dimension...?
- Some of you call it "Heaven". A place above the limits of this universe.
- ...!

Akiyo slowly moved across the air towards her, until he was almost touching the glass. They were face-to-face, less than a meter away, separated by the window glass. He felt that the female spirit was extremely pleased to meet him, while he was more curious about her identity. They slowly looked at each other feeling the strange bond they felt to exist for longer than it seemed...

- Can you take me there? - Akiyo asked - Can you take me to Heaven?
- The time has not yet come.
- I wanted so much to see it... And see my mother...
- Don't worry, child.

The glowing lady slowly moves her glowing white hand up, gently placing her palm on her side of the glass.

Akiyo does the same, moving his small palm to meet the lady's hand. They touch the same part of the glass, but on opposite ends, with both hands being now only separated by the cold glass.

Then, Akiyo feels a question arriving at his mind, sent from her.

- Do you want to come with me? - She asks.
- What? To Heaven, after all?
- ...

Akiyo just makes a moment of silence, curious, staring at her, waiting for the answer. The background music slowly rises of volume, louder and louder, as Akiyo's curiosity burns stronger.

He doesn't know what to think, or say, uneasy of what she meant. He didn't feel attrated to earth as he would normally be, so anything could happen now. But that lady... He felt he could easily be safe as long as she was there with him in this or any other kind of transcendental reality.

The music keeps getting louder, to the point that it covered the rest of the sounds inside and outside the room. Those mystical voices singing were all they could listen.

Akiyo remembers that the lady made him a question which he didn't answer. Reminding himself about his manners, he opens his mouth and speaks. And suddenly, the singing voices stop and it's silent again as Akiyo answers:

- Yes.

The spirit's smile widens, and her fingers quickly cross through the glass to catch Akiyo's hand. Before the boy realises her fingers just passed across the glass like a ghost would do, the lady suddenly dashes away from the window, pulling Akiyo with her. The boy warps through the window and is pulled towards the sky at light-speed by the misterious flying spirit.

He sees the spirit lady pulling him up towards the stars with the same smile as ever. When he looks back, his giant apartment building is already far below him.

He then sees his whole block far away, in one single perspective.

Then the whole city.

Then, the lady and Akiyo merge into the several layers that shielded the city of Leonora from outer space, and both were shot into Coral as a comet.

Akiyo faced forward, and saw that the lady was keeping her eyes on him, showing her back to the target that they were heading to. The boy looks away from her, and sees Coral's first moon, Zong, approaching them very fast. Apparently they weren't heading for it, since they passed through its surface on a tangent. While warping past Zong's dead mountains and artificial cities, Akiyo could look beyond at their destination: The gigantic world of Coral, hanging in the space horizon. Akiyo had trouble identifying that planet, since everything was happening so fast.

http://informationminister.no.sapo.pt/FutEarth.jpg

The boy and the lady approached Coral very quickly. That giant blue, white and brown sphere slowly grows in size, as they both plunge into its atmosphere, several times faster than the speed of sound. Akiyo wondered if this was "The speed of light".

- Where are we going? - Asks Akiyo, telepathically - What planet is this?
- I need you to see something important - She answers.

Then Akiyo felt that the planet was Coral, as if she answered him so in his mind. All this time, while warping through space, she didn't take her eyes off Akiyo. As if she knew the path behind of her, while travelling towards Coral, and preferred to stick her attentions on Akiyo.

Still being pulled by the lady in white, the boy dives into the clouds of the planet very quickly. They both start to slow down when they emerge from the clouds, stopping in the air. They now are hovering a few hundred meters above the ground level.

They slowly start descending, and the two take a moment after the extreme ride to get a good look at the wonderful scenery they could assist from that high spot.

Akiyo in particular was more than thrilled: He saw an immense blue sky with giant "cotton wool" portions slowly moving across the sky with the direction of the wind. Clouds? He wondered. Thousands of meters of earth and water all around the area below him, mountains, rivers, green prairies, trees, a beautiful white beach that separated the sea from the land, waves in the ocean, birds flying across the sky, some animals running on the far horizon.

Akiyo was taking time to see a "living planet" for the first time since he was a new-born. He found it somewhat familiar...

He was extremely young during his first and only days spent on this planet, and he spent a lot of his life on the artificial world of its dead moon, Even.

So, the amount of life present in every wind breeze, every tree, every single amount of green, every warm rain of sunlight, every cloud in the sky, every wave in the limitless ocean, every bird on the sky gave him a pleasant and nostalgic feeling.

But suddenly, Akiyo remembered his father's stories about his mother. This is the world where his mother died. He tightens his fists with rage but the warm feeling he constantly felt kept him from exploding, soothing his spirit on the other hand.

When comparing it to Even, he wondered how could anything that horrid could happen in this world where life and harmony could be seen flowing and blooming everywhere. That scene didn't just fit in this scenery.

It seemed no human life was visible. Animals, trees, birds, prairies, the distant sea, the fresh wind, clouds. But no man. Akiyo began to wonder if they were on a non-populated area, as they were approaching the surface.

- Do you know why I brought you here? - She asks.

Those words catch Akiyo's attention, altough he didnt't know what to answer.

Then, he keeps his silence when he feels that she was going to answer, or at least react to that question.

After a moment of silence, the clouds start to accelerate, gather themselves and dash in every direction as thunders are heard roaring. After a while, more and more dark clouds keep appearing until their mass concentration makes the sky turn grey and heavy, totally opposite to the sunny, open sky of before.

All that was happening so fast that it seemed that time was dashing forward... or backwards. Impossible to tell.

The scene didn't gave Akiyo a chill down his spine, due to the positive messages he kept receiving from the lady. Or at least from that state of well-being he was in.

After the clouds stop warping, they slowly keep moving at the normal wind speed. Rain starts to fall, which turns into a storm a few seconds after it started. Infinite heavy and thick rain drops are shot through Akiyo and the angel lady's skin like if they weren't there. A couple of lightning bolts tickle the ground, far away, triggering the sound of thunder a few seconds after.

Akiyo and the angel-like lady keep descending, slower than the raindrops, towards the grassy surface.

When they were a few dozen meters above the ground level, Akiyo could distinguish two figures close to each other, near the forest area they were aiming to land.

Two men. Possibly humans. Definitely Hunters. One on the right, possibly a man, with a large pig-tail hanging from the back of his neck, wearing a blue/white HUmar suit. The other one, on the left, seemed male as well, and had red long hair, wearing a red/white HUmar suit. They were approximately the same height and seemed to be talking to each other, standing 6 meters of distance away from each other.

http://informationminister.no.sapo.pt/Herodevil.jpg

They seemed not to detect Akiyo and the lady's presence, just as Anarchy didn't before.

Akiyo sees the lady slowly closing her eyes, and joining her hands as if she was about to pray.

She stops smiling, and her glowing face reflects a sad expression.

- Tell me child. Who do you see? - The lady asks.

Akiyo, who was wondering why she wasn't smiling anymore, now pays attention on the two men to try and answer to that.

- ...Two Hunters.
- No, no. I mean, who are they?
- ...What? I don't know, I never saw them before.

The lady makes a moment of silence. Akiyo sees that the blue-haired HUmar seems to be furious, showing the rage in his glare against the other HUmar, as if trying to pierce him with his eyes.

- You're only thinking with your eyes - she continues - and memories, something common to he who exists in the 3rd dimension. With the eyes you can only see their bodies. With the way you're using your memory, you can only try to remember their identity. Do not use any of your five senses. Use your spirit, and tell me who those two men really are. Think with your heart, and rely on the instinct to bring you the answers.

The child saw little logic in her words but closed his eyes, trying somehow, to guess who those two were. Nothing comes into his mind, and after a few moments Akiyo shows some frustration on a small sigh.

- No. Relax. You're thinking too much. Don't think of anything. Remove every thought in your mind like water from a jar. Let the oxigen reach your cells, so they can rest easily. Let go of all those thoughts that cause uneasiness or worries.

His breathing slowed down gradually. He followed her words, and his mind was pure from all kinds of thought for a moment.

- Now... Ever since you were born, that you feel you can see inside anyone's mind, isn't this correct?

Indeed it was, the boy thought. Ever since little, merely by looking at someone's eyes he could decode what they were saying. As if he read their thoughts like a book. He wondered how could he read minds, something that possibly no one else could do.

He slowly began trying to read their thoughts as well, breathing slower by the second.

- Try to see into their essence, and tell me what their brain waves are sending.

...

Akiyo closed his eyes again, took a deep breath and tried to focus on those two men.

Again, he cleaned his thoughts.

Kept breathing silently, slower and slower.

He sensed something.

He sensed their presence. He knew those two men were right in front of him, altough he couldn't see them. He just felt their presence like someone would feel heat from a flame, a few meters away. He instinctively calculated their presence in the space around them, using his feelings.

The angel-like lady smiled again at him.

- Empty your mind. As you do so... your counscient self lowers down to another sub-level. It lands on the deep world of the subconscious soul.

Akiyo's mind was pure from all logic thought, as clear as the natural water from a mountain spring.

Aside from initally feeling the Hunters' presence, he also senses some kind of aura, electro-magnetic field around both of them. But Akiyo had trouble feeling those fields that constitute one's spiritual energy.

- Those magnetic fields which you sense around the two men are very weak, almost non-existant in physical terms. Akiyo, you have managed to enter your subcounscious level of the mind, were you can be sensible enough to feel the electro-magnetic waves one radiates through his life-energy, the Ki. This is only the beggining of one's true potential.

It made sense. The two Hunters were alive, therefore constantly releasing life energy. That energy, flowing from outside their spirit could be decoded into feelings, thoughts, emotions, states of mind, and much more. Akiyo sensed the two Ki from the two men, like two magnetic fields around two magnets. He became sensible to their soul, their feelings, their emotions, themselves.

- Now. Concentrate on their life energy waves and tell me what are they showing.

As he does so, a burst of several emotions, coming from both Hunters, rush and shower Akiyo's mind, like thousands of small irons to a single giant magnet. The boy was receiving a lot of information in the form of feelings, by tuning his mind into their life energies. The magnetic flow was extremely fast and dense, making it hard for Akiyo to understand what he was feeling.

Frustration... Devilish delight... Fury... Life... Death... Too much... Too fast...

- Don't let your mind stress due to the extreme flow of information. Relax, and descend deeper into your subconscious... Allowing yourself to tap into one's self.

Little by little, Akiyo could trace down the emotions, decode the patterns of feelings, and adjust them to the vital energy the two Hunters emanate. By doing this, he starts to see what is happening in the scene, on a first perspective view, from two different perspectives. So, he slowly began to describe what was happening:

- I sense... A polar opposition in this field. There is a good man, and an evil man before us. The good man... is the man on the... le... no, ...right... ...right side. The man on the left is very evil... no, ...purely evil in his whole spirit.
- Do not be afraid, child. - She tells him.

A moment of silence follows. Apparently the boy was trying to describe the moment, with more detail.

- I feel a deep bond with myself and the good man. I think I know that Hunter, altough I can't determine who he is, similar to what I felt when we first met... When I sense his mind, the image of the the good man arrives to me in the form of "a hero"...
- Precisely - she interrupts - And what is this "Hero" feeling right now?
- The "hero"... Is angry at his evil opponent... ...I see... ...I see images... ...visions of a crime...

Akiyo starts entering in stress as he sees the scenes of a murder.

A photon blade crosses one's forehead, piercing through and starting a strong spring of blood.

That evil man's smile, and his psychotic eyes.

The "hero" was seeing the crime, but apparently he could do nothing to prevent the event. He could only release a couple of oral words out to express his grief:

- "Da... Da shi...!!"

Tears, tears and many tears fall down like rain. The tears dive into a pool of red wet grass.

A scream that is shot against the rain, more powerful than the thunder that blasted in the distance.

The "hero"'s fury.

- That... "hero" - He continues - is there make amends... To avenge his teacher/master/tutor. Blind rage is felt all over his spirit... And yet all that angry powerful energy seems to please the evil one...

Another moment of silence. Akiyo was doing the opposite of "focusing" in order to become sensible to the energy force field that emanated from the spirits of those two opponents. If one would focus, their mind would stress up when forcing itself to become linear on one single thought. The boy was thinking of nothing, so that the thoughts of others could fit inside his mind, and for that he was constantly emptying his mind. But in order to interpretate the emotions, Akiyo needed to think, which is contrary to what he has to do to receive the emotions. That is why he had trouble describing the event. He needed to think and stop thinking in the same moment.

- The evil man... Resembles the image of a real demon. ...It's strange. The evil man isn't human. He isn't a normal being, contrarily to the "hero"... I sense in him more strength than in the "hero". Much more.

A small pause.

- ...He... - Akiyo hesitates to continue - ...He knows... that...!!!

Suddenly, Akiyo receives a cold, dreaded message on his mind:

- "I see you, boy"

Akiyo opens his eyes wide, his whole body receives a chill and he falls, sitting down on the ground while shaking in fear. The boy keeps aiming his white eyes at the evil Hunter, who suddenly rolls his eyes on to Akiyo. The boy is immediatly frightened with his devilish glare, and slowly crouches backwards, with the rain passing right through his soul like if he were a ghost.

- N-No... No...! - He whispers, overcoming with fear.

A loud and insane laughter fills up Akiyo's mind, coming from the bad entity. The boy places both hands on his head and shuts his eyes tight, trying to stop it. But the evil Hunter keeps laughing and laughing, louder and louder, stressing up his mind.

To the "hero", it only seemed that his opponent was staring at some empty place, laughing out loud. This made him feel confused.

- What's so damn funny!? - He asks - I'm gonna cut you to pieces, shitface!

The evil Hunter ignores the "hero", continously laughing at Akiyo, who, having had enough of that noise making loud echoes in his head, slowly opens his eyes and turns to the lady, struggling to even ask for help. He sees that the lady is crouching next to him, smiling while peering into his eyes.

She doesn't answer.

"It's all right" - Akiyo remembers.

- Don't be afraid. Darkness can never prevail when a strong light shines. Believe in your infinite light, clear your mind and erase his evil waves which try to corrupt your self-confidence.

Still shaking, Akiyo nods and closes his eyes. In the beggining, the laughing makes him feel afraid, but remembering the lady's words, he starts to build up courage.

Relaxing and relaxing, slowly the echoes in his head start to lose volume, with Akiyo feeling his self-confidence rise.

- Do not fear the enemy - She adds - Accept him, respect him, and use your approval towards his existence and your differences to fight him.

The boy understands the truth in the message she gave him. The evil Hunter was striking him with hate waves, creating fear. Hate can't be fought with hate, that only creates more fear, more hate and more struggle, therefore pumping an endless cycle of chaos and hate. If Akiyo respected his enemy as just another living being, accepted his existence as an obstacle to tackle, then he was fighting with the pure essence of light as a weapon.

He starts to feel the music he sensed when he first saw the glowing lady. But it was very hard to hear it with all that laughing, like if the music was coming from far away or very weak in tone. But as Akiyo accepts the truth he just found, the music approaches him, and the maniac laugh loses volume.

When finally Akiyo didn't hear any more laughs and only the soothing loud music, he stands up, still with his eyes closed. The evil one stops laughing and loses his, looking surprised at Akiyo.

- I pity you, evil one - The boy says, while opening his eyes - but I know even you can have redemption. That's why... we love yourself for what you are. Because deep down, you want to see light. You just didn't found yourself yet. It's not too late.

The glowing lady is proud of Akiyo.

- Well done, child. You have found your light within.

The boy's head and chest slowly start glowing white. The intensity of the light keeps gradually growing as Akiyo draws an innocent smile on his face. The evil one's eyes widen as he sees the light surrounding the boy, causing his memory to snap a familiar face.

- It's you...! - He tells Akiyo - ...Kuh...! Ugh...

The evil one starts to feel something vibrating in his soul. When Akiyo's smile reaches its peak, his spirit suddenly shines as bright as the sun, sending a loud bass sound everywhere. The extreme light hits the eyes of the evil Hunter, forcing him to cover his face with both arms, and the loud bass sound made him feel that his very soul was slowly being erased away by some powerful holy force.

The "hero" still doesn't understand why his enemy was acting that strange. When he looks to the place where the evil one was looking at, he only sees the rain hitting the grass.

- No... ...NOOOOOOAAAAAGHHH....!!!!! - The evil Hunter screams in pain.

The aura coming from Akiyo is so bright and loud that collides with the dark and corrupt soul of the evil one, slowly breaking it.

The "hero" is uneasy, not knowing what was happening. It seems his opponent was suffering, so it was the right time to attack. He quickly equips an S-rank Saber, and charges at his opponent, thinking that it was either now or never.

- RaaaaAAAAHHH...!!!!

Just in that moment, the lady speaks to Akiyo.

- That is enough, child. We have interfered more than we should here. The important task is done. Let us leave.

Having said that, the lady quickly points her shinning palm at Akiyo, sends some kind of force at him and both dash away into the clouds, warping away from the planet, leaving the two Hunters alone on the stormy scenery.

With that, the white flame the evil one felt consuming away his soul disappears. He quickly equips a katana, the Sange, and blocks the "hero"'s attack.

- It seems you were too late - The evil one says, still feeling his soul ache - Your master was stronger than you were, and yet you think you can attack me with that piece of weapon?

The "hero" is surprised at his enemy's words, while pushing his saber against his katana, and fear starts to build up in him.

The evil one's fists that kept hold of his Sange start to glow red, catching the "hero"'s attention.

On the place they were measuring forces, comes out a fierce explosion along with a loud bomb noise that throws the burning "hero" away into the wet grass.

- Aghhh....!!! - He cries, feeling his chest burn and his clothes on fire, when he tumbles.

The place where the explosion took place is now the center of a giant forest fire, where a dark figure emerges from, the evil entity. It seemed he was no longer feeling pain.

- I will enjoy slaying your spirit away from this reality - The dark one speaks - as I did with your foolish master!

Those words trigger the "hero"'s rage. His eyes turn white in pain, then red in rage. He immediatly stands up and on guard.

- I WILL finish what he started, bastard!!! - He says, free of any form of fear, extremely furious.

Still smoking from the burns all over his body, the "hero" charges once more against his opponent, making him smile again in amusement.

- TREEEAAAAHHH!!! - A giant battlecry is heard all over the forest, as if it were another thunder.

Far away, and slowly travelling in outer space, is Akiyo and the lady, now both glowing as two stars moving across the universe.

- Lady - He asks - This light... Does it come from me?
- Indeed. You have found your light within, your hidden inner strength that takes the form of your spirit. Once you accept the enlightened path, you too become light.

Akiyo felt pure, complete, perfect, filled with light, and altough this was a new experience to him, he came across a "deja vu" feeling. Like if this was his real self all along.

- You were sent into these worlds to make a difference, Akiyo. I made you see that scene for you to realise that. You have a very important role in the future, for you're no young and ordinary entity.

Hearing those words, Akiyo started to think. What scene was that? And who was the "hero" which he felt a strange connection with. After a few silent moments lost on his thoughts Akiyo asks:

- ...Are you saying... ...That what we just saw was a scene from the "Future"...? We travelled in time...? And that the "hero", actually was...

The lady looks at Akiyo as both keep flying across the universe and smiles.

- Don't worry about such details, my child. The important is that you found the truth. That was the true purpose of this moment: For you to realize your value, and therefore prepare you.

Wondering with the meaning of those words, Akiyo faces forward, lost on his young thoughts.

- You're much older than you think, young Akiyo. The reason you were sent to the living world, the 3rd dimension, once more, was to finish your previous task on your last planet you lived, and accomplish a new mission as well.
- "Mission"...? "Lived"...??

He wonders, as he slowly floats in space with the angel lady on his left. She didn't express a thought, just kept smiling and nods as an answer.

That makes Akiyo wonder a lot about the meaning of this.

The boy also wondered if "this" was some kind of weird dream. He felt the moment too real, too nice, too peacefull for it to be real. But he was definitely somewhere else from his confortable bed.

Or was it that all these nice feelings he keeps receiving constantly, like soothing music, warm, confortable sensation, turn out to be nothing more than the feeling of well-being he felt while sleeping in his warm bed, which his imagination transformed into some kind of nice dream?

He ponders about this transcendental experience:

A nice, beautiful lady... whose spirit glows as bright a star...

An out-of-the-body experience...

The cosmic string, that keeps the spirit connected to the body while one is living...

The 3rd/5th dimension... Coral System/Heaven...

Was his mother in the 5th dimension?

And did that mean that there's actually a "Heaven" somewhere in this universe...?

If that was true... What unlimited truths could it also mean...?

The whole dialogue made in telepathy, which one communicates with thoughts...

Strange psychic powers which denied the physical laws...

Space-travel at light-speed...

Coral, a planet full of life...

The "hero"/demon Hunters...

The way to "Feel" something, instead of "Seeing" it...

The strange undiscribable connection between Akiyo and the "hero"... Who was that man, and his opponent?

An enlightened spirit...

And after that, it seemed they travelled through time as well... Did they travel to the future...?

And all this that was happening... could it be false?

A dream...?

At least, there was logic explanation for what was happ...

Before Akiyo could wonder a little more about the experience, he senses the lady's attention on him. when he looks at her, she is already peering at him, with a serious expression on her face.

- You're afraid, child... - She says.
- ...What? Afr...
- Yes. You feel that this is actually happening, and yet, since it's something out of the possible limits of the 3rd dimension, you fear that this is impossible, since there is no coeherent explanation that can describe this moment.
- ...Yes. I never experienced anything like this. I don't know what to believe in, right now...
- ...Be open-minded enough to believe that life doesn't start and end on the limits of the 3rd dimension. To believe that there's more to life and to death. To believe that you really are special and unique, altough your logical thinking tries to not understand it. To believe that the material world is substancial. Because if it weren't so, there was no real meaning for anyone to feel emotions at all, or even to exist.

His eyes turn white in shock. Akiyo had been thinking that way ever since he was born, at least on a sub-counscious state. He believed in angels, altough many other kids and adults thought it was childish to believe in something of that kind. He believed that there was something else besides his life. Something bigger than his body, and also bigger than the limitless imagination.

- It is foolish not to believe in what you don't understand, and consider that to be "rational". - She adds - Do not become a square-minded human being. Believe in what your heart feels deep down, young one. Believe in me, in yourself, in us, in all this.

Akiyo kept staring at her, wondering how she knew it all. As if she had all the answers to any question, any counter arguments to a statement.

- ...Time's up. - She says.
- ...Eh!?

While travelling across the stars at a slow rate, Akiyo hears a noise. A beeping noise. But it sounded different from what he had been sensing up until now. Seemed something out of that reality.

- What's this constant beeping noise? - He asks.
- It's the sound that calls you back into your body.
- ...What?
- Goodbye. Time for you to wake up, child. Do not forget my words...
- ...This meeting is over? No, I don't want it to end. I feel so good here...

Akiyo started to fly faster than the angel against his will. He starts to drift away from her, his speed increases with each beep. He looks forward and sees the giant figure of planet Even in front of him.

- No, I don't want to go back... Not now...

He flies faster and faster towards Even. He looks back and sees that the angel lady was distant, reaching her hand towards him from a distance.

- Whenever you need us, we will be waiting for you. We will always be by your side...

She closes her eyes and widens her smile.

- ...My hero.

Akiyo warps away from her, flying back into planet Even at light-speed.

The child sees planet Even rapidly approaching him, as if it were a giant metal ball about to collide with him, and then quickly distinguishes all the cities in its surface. He sees the whole city of Leonora's buildings and roads just as his spirit passes through the glass shields that shield the city from outer space, then quickly dashes back into the window of his room through the glass again and enters his body, which is sleeping in the bed in the initial position when he first left.

All that happened very fast, in a fraction of a second, and it was almost impossible for Akiyo to tell really what was happening.

Then, all is dark.

But the beeping sound is still heard in the same intervals of time, with each beep being louder than the previous.

Akiyo opens his eyes.

He feels heavier.

The soft and soothing background music is replaced by the freshness of morning, and Anarchy's voice asking him to wake up.

He raises his head to see his room, looking around to realise the dream was over. He felt awake again. That same feeling of being "normally alive" was back.

- ...Was it really a dream? - He thought.

He looks to the left and sees the sun shining in the middle of the black sky behind Annie, who is up by his bed and looking at him. Apparently her battery was fully recharged.

- Master - She says - It's time for you to go to Summer Hunter school classes. The shuttle will arrive in approximately 45 minutes, so let's get you prepared.

Akiyo makes his head drop back to the pillow and sighs. He was awake again, and that dream already tasted like a bitter sweet memory. That dream actually felt better than most feelings he could sample on his normal life, when awake.

He turns his head over to the window and looks up into the stars. Was the angel watching over him from such a distant place? Did Heaven actually exist? Was she one of those shining dots? Or was this all made up by himself? A trap of his imagination to make him feel better?

Akiyo pulls the sheets away and steps out of the bed, as Annarchy hands him his junior Hunter uniform, for him to dress himself. Spiritual encounter or not, it was time to get out of that warm bed and start a new, normal day on the normal world. With his one-piece uniform on, he looks into the stars one last time before leaving the room, wondering if that was the last time he would go on a similar dream/experience.

After he leaves, Anarchy looks up into the dark stars as well, questioning herself about the boy 's curiousity towards the sky.

--- End of Episode 2 /---

Whew. Finally corrected most of the errors, and finished the work.

Enjoy it, tomorrow or next week I'll talk a bit more about this chapter.

I'd like to thank user "OMGWTFBBQ" for hosting those pictures for me.

[Skett]

Wow, that is one strange dream. I see another great story in the making, New. It also makes me wonder when the rest of the characters from the art you had Rei post are going to be shown. Anyways, awesome chapter.

Er, one final question: how did you change your name from New Ultimate to Even Jin?

[Daikarin]

I did it by speaking with Saladwood, just PM her.

Well, let's see. What can I say about the making of this chapter?

I wanted to introduce the kid to something bigger than Coral, Ragol or something of the kind, something which will try to explain the meaning of life itself.

There is much hidden plot in that chapter, altough you can't understand much of it yet - Much of it you'll only understand in a long time from here, on the latest episodes.

That angel lady was inspired by my first crush. Of course she wasn't that perfect, but heck, neither is any of us. I tried to make that angel the purest of female characters, according to my model.

I also wanted the reader to think a little about that dream. Didn't you ever had a dream which it made you feel extremely well, and yet felt too real? Well I've been having a lot, and I can't say what they are, just write my theory of it in a story. Dreams? Or something bigger? Right now, you should think that it's both, and not assume that's any of those two suppositions.

I was planning on introducing another scene on that dream, but if I did so, the episode would be a lot bigger. So I'm saving it for some later episodes.

If you'd like to have a taste about the "Background music" the boy feels, try hearing some of these music files:

Silver - The forest of Verdante
Sarah Brightman - In Paradisum
Martian Sucessor Nadesico - Requiem
Enya - Sheperd moons
Enya - Deireadh an Tuath
Enya - Cursum Perficio
City of Angels soundtrack - An angel falls

Those were the main songs that inspired me to create the dream atmosphere felt by "Akiyo".

This chapter may feel a bit less action-packed, funny and realistic, but that's what I wanted this episode to be: holy, and something purely emotive. I even added my personal perspective on God, and Heaven and all, something which can offend some non-believers. But heck, this is what I call expressing. I didn't write a story for you to believe in its content, but for the reader to have a good time exercising his imagination with my words.

A friend of mine told me I was writing in a too epic form. I didn't even write a chapter about a flow of events, so far it's been:

Episode 0 - The introduction
Episode 1 - A report made by Anarchy
Episode 2 - A report of a dream

Next chapter I'll begin with the actual story, on the (yes) real world.

Thank you for reading this, see you soon! http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

P.S.: I've updated character bank with Akiyo's father profile, aside from Anarchy's. Be sure to read them if you want to see information concerning the guys on the story and other stuff. I'll possibly make a note here when a new profile is released in the Character bank.
More to come soon.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Even_Jin on 2004-04-02 15:12 ]</font>

[Ada]

.....
......
.......
eh.. you were right.. didn't liked it much...
maybe is the spirit thing lol..
oh.. btw YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S ALWAYS EATING COOKIES!!!

[Daikarin]

I only ate cookies when you guys came over to my house. Other than that, I obey to a strict diet.

http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

Well, be sure to check out next chapter.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Even_Jin on 2004-04-01 12:15 ]</font>

[Daikarin]

http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/24583/Episode3_2.jpg

---/ Episode 3: Spontaneous combustion ---

Quiet and slow tile footsteps echo inside a long, weak-lit hallway that extends itself into an area without any light ahead. The walls around it are decorated with digital pictures/paintings of all colors and sorts of expressionism art. Serious faces, beautiful, surreal landscapes, erotic figures and psychotic mixes of colors are printed between the frames fixed on the walls, along with small neon lamps above each one painting that give just enough light only for them to be visible inside that dark hallway.

The area without light ahead, at the end of the hallway with the paintings, turns out to be the meeting point of two hallways under the form of a "T" junction.

A small green light comes out from the left side of the horizontal hallway in that junction, slowly gaining intensity along with the footstep sounds. A small song is heard, from a male voice. A few moments later, an android slowly walks out of that left place.

A security officer (which, in fact, resembled a HUcast) in charge of the night shift was patrolling the museum, wandering over the hallways in the facility. The green light came from his two eyes, which made his true-color night vision possible. An unknown song came from the officer's voice speaker, on a low tone.

It was around 1:30 in the morning, and the lights in the facility corridors were kept at minimum intensity. Therefore, a wave of night silence haunted every corridor, but was broken by the wandering security officer, every now and then.

Feeling bored, the officer holds his steps right in the center of the "T" point, crosses his hands behind his back and turns his attention towards one of the nearest paintings, the one on the wall opposite to the vertical hallway.

The officer checks the picture's title:

- "Death" -

In the picture itself, was portrayed the imaginary impersonation of Death. A humanoid creature with a giant dark cape which covered all of its body and reached up to its ankles, where two old boots could be seen. A big dark hood made its face impossible to be seen, but a scythe was clearly visible by its arms. The figure was in some kind of battle position, as if about to slash the viewer with its giant scythe weapon.

- My favorite painting. - A spooky Dracula-like voice comes from the officer's arm PC, scaring the hell out of him.
- ...GEEZ, STAN! - He nervously replies - Why can't you beep first like regular people!?
- What? You were the one who forgot to close our latest chat session. As a result I had to put up with your horrible singing attempts until now!
- ...How did you knew I was seein' the painting, anyway?
- Geez, is your memory already THAT full? We have cameras on every junction of the museum, remember?

The android officer looks up above the painting, and near the ceiling, and notices that a camera is strategically placed on that spot, aiming straight at his head. Feeling more relaxed by finding out how he was being watched, the officer replies.

- ...And you made use of our security system to scare the heck out of me? Smart, Stan, really smart. I knew we shouldn't have let you in charge of the monitor room. It's always the same shit, you and your darn childish pranks of yours.
- Chill out will ya? As far as I know, androids can't have a heart attack. So don't act like I almost gave you one.
- Well, it wasn't good for my circuits anyway.
- ...Were you watching #13?
- Yeh. "Death". I still don't understand how can some people make up some kind of dude to symbolise an event.
- You're an android. You aren't afraid of dying. Therefore you can't be an artist. But I think that, having an "Emotion Engine", it's possible for you to feel some kind of a chill down your metal spine by just merely looking at that... thing, right?
- ...Well, you got THAT right.
- That giant scythe... And his attacking stance... Like if he was about to jump forward at ya and take your life away with that giant blade...

The android takes time to watch the painting while paying attention to his colleague's words, and feels a slight goosebump.

- Uuuh, tryin' to chicken me out again? - He asks, to disguise the fact that he was nervous.
- I'm personal here, man. That guy in the picture sure gives me the willies. It is said that, everyone who is a split second away from dying, sees it coming to slay your spirit away from your body, and that you die as he does.
- ...You mean this... Death character...?
- Yeah... And that hood... An entity whom you can never see its face... Doesn't it make you wish you at least saw his ugly mysterious face before going?

The officer sees the painting again. He focuses on the strange, scary being with a black face, impossible to see. He feels a chill down his spine.

Suddenly, a distant boom is heard. Like an explosion, crash, or loud tumble, somewhere inside the facility, which scares the officer:

- ...What the hell was that!?
- Wait - Stan takes his time to reply - It came from the entrance. I'll go check it out.
- Aw, don't tell me that another darned ship crashed into the entrance gates AGAIN!? It's the third this year, for God's sake!
- No, the sound wasn't as rough as something like that. I think Danny's messing up in the storage room.
- Well, call him and ask what the fuss is all about.
- I don't need you chicken orderin' me around! Over.
- ...Bah. Just tell me somethin'. Over.

The officer turns off that chat session and looks to his left, into the darkness where the hallway leads. He doesn't see anyone, so he searches in the other two hallways, but no one is there. Indifferent, he crosses his arms behind his back in a chill out stance and keeps staring at the scary painting. The scary humanoid with his feet in an offensive position, standing like if he was about to slash down to the viewer using his giant, long scythe... As if the creature was about to jump out of the painting and attack him. When the officer thought of the painting on that point of view, it gave him a realistic feel of danger, altough he knew it was only a figure in the digital picture.

Without any warning, a loud explosion noise is heard, and the wall just behind that picture explodes, moving itself against the officer. A giant shockwave of cement and wind throws the officer away from his position, before he could understand what was going on, and tears out the picture, also throwing thousands of rock chunks everywhere in a circular area in front of the wall, some hitting the officer while he hits the ground on his bottom, and then on his back.

- WHAT TH...!?

Even after tumbling into the ground, he still feels rocks of all sizes falling on his metal body parts, some even damaging and breaking through.

When all the confusion is over and the last pieces of rock stop falling and rolling on the ground, the officer moves the thin layer of rocks on him while trying to get up and see what just happened. When he looks back at the painting, he sees a giant hole in the wall, with around two meters of diameter (Where the previous picture position as its center), from which came a strong, blinding light from the room inside which stuns the android's vision momentarily.

But his eyes quickly adjust and focus to adapt to the new brightness level. And when he looks again at the hole, he sees a tall, muscular, manly silhouette in the middle of the bright hole, standing in front of the light. The figure was supposedly a HUmar with spiky hair holding a long, long, LONG sword. Since the man was in front of the source of light, it was impossible to see his clothes, face, or anything besides his shape.

- I have nothing against you - The HUmar speaks - So I leave it up to you: To Run away in safety or stand in my way to see death for the last time.

Before the figure could finish his words, the officer was already nervously trying to get up. He does so in a clumsy way, shaking, showing that he was tremendously scared. Small rocks fall down from his metal body as he stands up, steps back to gain distance and equips his Handgun with both arms to aim at the HUmar, still nervous, vibrating in fear. Small drops of water appear in his metal plates, similar to a human's sweat effect.

- Sta... Stay still you!! - He orders, while nervously shaking his Handgun - DON'T MOVE!!! P-PUT YOUR HANDS YO-YOUR HANDS UP WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!!! RIGHT N-NOW!!!

The mysterious HUmar didn't speak again. Understanding that he was no ordinary Hunter, the officer ceases his attempt to intimidate him, and starts thinking. Should he run away? Should he stay and try to shoot him? Was he the reason of the first explosion-like noise? Did he blew up the wall using his bladed weapon only?

When he sees the weapon which the Hunter was holding, he clearly recognizes it as one of the exhibition artefacts in that same museum. He deducts that the Hunter is a thief, at the very least.

The officer's circuits pump faster electric current by the second, similar to the human/newman's fast heartbeat. Hesitating, he finally makes up his mind and shoots twice at the Hunter.

The HUmar slowly lifts up the long sword using his right arm only. Suddenly, he smashes the bullets with two lightning-fast sword blows, drawing the shape of an "X" with his sword. The photon bullets disappear in sparks, and the HUmar slowly lowers his weapon again.

The android starts to sweat with more intensity, not wanting to believe what he just saw before him. That man had just destroyed two bullets using a couple of sword moves! Shocked to death, he backtracks again, desperate since his weapon was apparently useless.

Then he remembers the camera, when he nervously looks up, wishing for it to still be intact. And it is. The camera's still on the same place, inches above the cracks in the wall made by the explosion. The officer quickly takes the right hand off the gun and uses it to type his left arm PC, starting a chat session with earlier his peer.

- STAN!! STAN!!! I FOUND SOMEONE, IT'S A HUNTER! CALL REINFORCEMENTS, I URGENTLY NEED BACK-UP, OVER!!

Shaking, the officer awaits an answer from his arm PC, while continuously looking at his arm PC and back at the Hunter, which didn't move from his initial place and kept silent.

- STAN!? STANLEY!? DO YOU READ? OVER!!

The officer wondered what happened to his partner. And the most obvious assumption boosted up his fear factor.

A digital screen, showing the scene happening in the hallway junction, with the officer and the Hunter. Several digital screens, showing other dark, empty hallways.

The monitor room, with several screens showing various parts of the museum, including the junction where the android officer could be seen aiming his Handgun at the HUmar.

The monitor showing that scene was the one in the exact middle. Below the screens was a desk filled with keys buttons, mini-disks, and notes sticking around everywhere. There was also a chair next to the desk, empty, which led to the fact that no one was present, no one was there, monitoring the screens.

On the ground, a small pool of blood slowly grows in dimension, as if someone had just triggered a leak of blood in there.

Someone was murdered in there, and was spilling blood all over the floor.

Back in the hallway junction, the officer nervously bangs his arm PC keys, thinking it was some kind of connection problem. When he realises that he won't get an answer, he shuts off the chat session just in time to hear the Hunter speak.

- Don't make me repeat myself.

Scared by the roughness of his voice, the security officer realises that he's on his own with this dangerous man, and he's also going to have to deal with him that way. His "Emotion Engine" starts developing the fear he initially felt into a state of almost panic. But then he realises that he can't run away. His fear starts to turn into courage as he speaks:

- You... You expect me to run for my life!? Y-You think I'm just gonna save myself and have it your way!? YOU THINK I'M GONNA... I'M GOING TO RUN FROM MY JOB!?... MY DUTY!? - He replies, still aiming at the Hunter's heart with a shaking and sweating Handgun.

After a few seconds of silence, a smile is drawn in the Hunter's dark face.

http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/24583/Episode3_4.jpg

- A wise decision. - He replies.

The android freezes in terror, understanding that he was about to attack. The Hunter then starts walking out of the hole in the wall and to the android's direction, who suddenly backtracks. The HUmar raises his sword, while the officer keeps aiming at him, paralysed in fear, and without any courage left to shoot. In his eyes we can see the reflection of the HUmar, slowly approaching... and approaching... and approaching.

His horrible scream is the last thing heard inside and outside the museum facility zone. This immediatly turns on some lights in the neighbouring buildings, as a reaction to the scream that could be heard almost anywhere at that hour of the night.

8:03 A.M.

On another edge of planet Even, Masuyo is inside his apartment, next to Anarchy. Sitting down in the sofa on the living room, with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands crossed right in front of his serious facial expression, Masuyo pays attention to a holographic projection of a 3D news broadcast, which was being shown in the center of the distance between him and Annie. A voice could be heard in the living room in surround sound, reporting a crime which occurred in the museum last night. A few moments later, Masuyo signals Anarchy to turn the device off as he gets up and calmly walks towards the balcony's windowed doors to once again gaze into the horizon of tall, modern buildings limited by the mountains of Even, and the image of Coral, above, and to be lost on his thoughts. Anarchy notices that her master seems disturbed, and follows him to a distance.

- I have never seen you so concerned with news such as this time, Master. May I ask what the problem is?

Masuyo doesn't answer for a few seconds.

- Master? - She insists.
- ...It's nothing. I hope.
- Do you happen to know something about this "Serial Killer" in the city museum?
- I once knew a man who was also called "Zeke", like him. But that's probably just it. It's probably just a coincidence, don't worry yourself about this.
- ...If it is probably a "coincidence", why are you apparently so "concerned"?

Masuyo didn't answer again. He just wanted the talk to end right there, but Anarchy wasn't helping. He didn't knew the words to end the discussion, so he instead faced his gaze up at Coral, while releasing a deep sigh and closing his eyes in grief.

- Please - Masuyo prayed, to himself - God... Please let it be the wrong Zeke. For the sake of the three worlds...
- Could I acknowledge what is currently in your "mind", Master?
- ...Has Akiyo already left for Hunter school?
- Yes, approximately 26 minutes and 18 seconds ago. I saw him catch the air shuttle to school approximately 19 minutes and 0 seconds ago.
- ...Good. I also think it will be better to talk about this. I'd like to share my story with you. Would you like to listen?
- Yes, I would indeed.

Anarchy walks back to the sofa she was sitting on before and looks at her master, awaiting for the start of the story. Masuyo was standing below the landscape to planet Coral and the dark, star-filled space sky that could be seen across the giant dome that shielded the city of Leonora from the outside cosmos, and stood there as he searched his memories to start the tale.













- Akiyooooo!!!- A girl screams - AKIYOOOO!!! Wait for me will you!? Why are you're so mean to me?!!
- Don't call me that!! - He replies - You know I hate my first name!!
- Don't run off ahead, then!!
- Aw, come on! I thought you'd be better trained to face off your first day in Junior Hunter School!! What's the matter with you!?

Without another word, Akiyo uses his small but quick legs to run away from his friend and towards the entrance gates of a large and tall facility:

The Junior Hunter School.

It was a reasonably large building, with around 20 floors high and around 400 meters wide, without counting the space occupied by the giant empty fields of grass, chalk and dry dirt all around it, which were split into sections. It was the only Hunter school facility in the whole planet Even. In fact, there was no real logic in installing Hunter academies in one of the moons, since there was no wildlife as we know it. Most Hunters who graduate from Junior School were transfered to one of the many senior schools on planet Coral, and then to the superior academy to then become official licensed Hunters, altough this Hunter school's also intended to be some kind of sport or martial art summer hobby for the young ones.

The Junior Hunter School starts every 9th of June, and ends around the end of September, when public schools start their schedule.

It was their first day, when Akiyo and his friend both were old enough to become Junior Hunters, and he couldn't hold the excitement in his legs. He was running along the stream of children, who all walked along the tile path in the middle of the grass playfield/garden in front of the building that led towards the main building's entrance doors.

He easily got the attention of other children, and some other older ones who took time to notice that Akiyo was a first-year, when seeing his purple male junior uniform and his unrecognizable appearance.

"A Newbie", many thought to themselves, while others told to each other.

Another kid runs past the stream of children, chasing Akiyo's path. A girl, also from an oriental and human race, like Akiyo. But unlike him, she's chinese. She has short black hair, (purple when seen from up close) with two pigtails hanging from the bottom-behind of her head. She is dressed in a red female junior one-piece Hunter suit, as any first-year girl was. She is called Mei-Yin, a long-time friend of Akiyo from ever since he first arrived to planet Even with his father. She usually sticks around him almost anytime in their freetime, anywhere. They are easily seen as best friends.

http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/24583/Episode3_1.jpg

But she has a crush in Akiyo, a secret passion that lasts as long as their friendship. But that crush is something which she tends to hide with her shy, tomboy character. Like Akiyo, she wants to be a powerful Hunter, and dreams to become the strongest HUmarl alive. But part of that ambition is to get Akiyo to notice her, since she knows he has this same dream. She also tries to get his attention in anyway within the possible, but Akiyo easily ignores her feelings, and sometimes doesn't understand certain obvious quotes she states to try to get them to be more than friends. Unfortunately for Mei-Yin, Akiyo is completely naive and obliviousab on this matter, and doesn't have the slightest clue on how she really feels towards him.

- Are you fat or what!? - Akiyo teases her, since she was still far behind.
- ...What did you just say!? You... STUPID JERK! ME!? FAT!? DIEEEE!!!!

Furious, Mei-Yin starts building up speed with her legs, creating large amounts of smoke with her feet which is thrown at everyone she passes through, immediatly starting a wave of choking students. She easily knocks over everyone in her way while charging like a mad bull in Akiyo's direction. ~

Surprised, he kept staring at her in the entrance of the building, shocked when realising her sudden burst of speed, and also stood there to see if his joke made her angry.

- I'LL SHOW YOU FAT!!!! RAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

With a loud roar, Mei-Yin punches Akiyo right in his nose with her left hook, smacking him away to the entrance, until he smashes himself into the several litter containers near the wall which was opposite to the entrance. Crushed pieces of paper, empty soda cans and hungry cats are thrown everywhere as Akiyo crashes.

While Akiyo's eyes spin like two Dreamcast logos, Mei-Yin calm down, shakes her head and comes to her senses to see that she overreacted... once again. She blushes when realising the mess she just made up, gets a hold of herself and rushes over to Akiyo's crash site.

- I-I'm sorry Akiyo... I think I went too far. Are you hurt?
- Ooohhh... Don't call me that...! - Akiyo mumbles, still feeling dizzy - Ow... My nose... Geez... How come you're stronger than a man!? I thought girls were supposed to be delicate, but you're even more brutal than I am!!

One of her veins become visible as she was angry enough to hit him again. But she eventually got a hold of her fury and helped him get up, while the other kids around watched in fear, understanding Mei-Yin's furious strength.

- Don't worry, I'm fine - Akiyo answers - but you really got to get a hold of yourself. (Damn, my nose hurts!)
- Why do you like to tease me like that!? (It's just because you're act like a jerk at me.) Sometimes you're such an idiot. I don't even know why I like you!

Realising what she said, she stops talking, quickly blushes red again and nervously rolls her eyes at Akiyo. He was already looking straight at her, shocked and amazed. Understanding that he did hear her words, she quickly tries to correct what she just said.

- ...NO! Never mind what I said! I, er... meant... I don't even know why I don't kill you! Yeah, that's... ...that's...

Akiyo doesn't stop looking straight into her, which makes her get a hold of her speech and turn nervous for each second that goes by.

- ...what I... meant... - She finishes.
- ...Mei-Yin...

Her face is visibly painted in a faint red, and her heart quickly rushes its beat by the second. She turns herself away from Akiyo and twitches her fingers in a shy way, looking at somewhere else.

- ...Y-Yes...? - She manages to ask.
- ...You really ARE fatter, as I can see right now!!! - He says, poking her belly.

Mei-Yin quickly completely blushes red and gives Akiyo the surprised look with shocked eyes.

The citizens past the outside entrance gates of the facility could all hear the loud slap noise that scared the cats from trash containers and the birds out of the garden's trees.

A few moments later, Akiyo is walking down on one of the corridors inside school, next to Mei-Yin while they both look for the new student lists so that they find out what class they were signed on, what section I.D. they were given, as well as their classrooms they were placed on.

Of course, Akiyo had a giant red handprint on his left cheek, something which draws the attention of anyone who passed by those two.

- (Everyone's looking at us...) - She whispers to Akiyo.
- (Of course they are. They all saw your brute force, and let's just say this giant mark on my face isn't hard to notice.)
- (It's just because you act SO stupid! Saying all those things right in front of...)
- What!? I wasn't lying! You ARE fat! I don't know if Santa gave you extra weight on last Christmas, but you ARE a bit fatter!
- What did you say!? You are SUCH a jerk!! Saying all those things... You never care about what I feel, do you!? FINE! See if I care, too, loser!!

She rushes her steps on an angry and quick way to gain distance from Akiyo.

- Mei-Yin! Wait...! - He asks, moving his hand forward.

But a few seconds later, Mei-Yin had already merged into that giant crowd of children streaming in that corridor. Realising he just messed up, Akiyo rests down his hand and stomps his foot in the ground as a reaction, releasing some anger.

- Darn.

Akiyo furiously crosses his arms, looks up and thinks to himself for a moment.

- Oh well, I can always find the student lists by myself. - He concluded.

With that, Akiyo walks ahead and disappears into the stream of kids as well, hoping to have some luck.






Anarchy was sitting in the same sofa, as Masuyo asked her to. He was also resting on the small single-sofa next to her, searching for the right words to start his story, lost in gathering his memories. A few silent moments later, he raises his head into the ceiling, gives off a deep sigh, and begins:

- After I graduated from the "Superior Hunter Academy of Frederic Tyrell" (SHAFT), in the north-east of Coral, me and a friend of mine were granted a special permission to specialize ourselves in Hunter skills, by training under the guidance of a very unique tutor. Both me and my HUcaseal friend, Gabrielle Kaso, received a strange formal e-mail from a secret, but legal source, asking us if we were interested in developping our martial arts and spirit skills a level further into the limits of the possible. Gabrielle was very excited, so she immediatly agreed to go with the trainning. I did too, altough the source sounded a little far-fetched.
The man who sent us the letter entitled himself "Kun Rong".

Masuyo stopped his narration, and looked at Anarchy, waiting for some kind of reaction from her.

But she only kept looking back at him, silent, as if waiting to hear more.

- ...You don't know who Kun Rong is? - Masuyo asks, surprised.
- ...That name isn't on my memory database. - She answers, after a short pause.
- You sure? You never heard of Kun Rong!?
- No, not in a particular case.
- Not even about the event of the "Virus of the three systems"?
- No, I don't know what you mean.
- ...Well, it's a long story, but I think that I can sum it up for you, before I start to put Zeke in the story.

Masuyo turned his eyes away from Anarchy. He inhales as his eyes unfocus, as his mind was again searching for the right words to start.

- ...Around 120 years ago, a mysterious being came to Coral. A humanoid devilish creature who considered man and its alikes to be the most inferior of all the living species, in each and every aspect. Therefore, he and his legion of corrupted men, women, and demons charged forward through the green plains of Coral, turning them into wastefields as they passed by, towards the human metropolis scattered around the planet, where, one by one, he began to possess as if they were his, using violent and terrorist methods which even the police and Hunter forces couldn't match. The creature slowly began to conquer the whole planet, terrifying the people with the installation of martial laws on each city they passed through. Of course the united nations considered this a case with top priority, as Coral never looked like hell as on those times, and declared essential to kill the man responsible for this chaos, whom they called "The virus of the three systems". But, their mistake was to think they were dealing with a single man, a simple leader of a new dangerous movement. Every spy, every sniper, every soldier, every squadron of elite soldiers sent by many/any of the nations of Coral failed to end the life of the , for this was no ordinary man. Some said that he was the reincarnation of the devil itself, since his first name was... "Lucifer", and since he promised to punish everyone to show the fact that human beings are doomed to "burn in eternal hell flammes". He promised a life beyond any mortal's to those who were with him, and his extreme, limitless, inhuman power made a fool out of anyone who tried to go against him. Each spy sent was captured, each sniper was shot, eeach and every soldier sent disappeared without leaving any kind of trace, every army sent to battle the threatening devilish clan easily perished, and those men who lived were condemned to an extreme torture and humiliation, harsh to the point of which death seemed like a bliss, compared with it. It was only when it was getting too late for world order, that the remaining government nations took great measures to solve this hazard. But not matter how strong the bombings to get him were, how powerful the explosives used to target him, how precise the plan was to finish Lucifer off, the date, the place, the moment for things to take place, no matter how much budget was invested, how serious the attempts to definitively destroy the "Virus of the three systems", for some or no known reason, they all failed. They were never enough to finally declare peace in the three worlds or the end of the threat in the system. The end of the war. The return of peace, order, and a civilized world. Either the bombings failed, the explosives left a gigantic crater in the place of a city, also leaving the creature immune or for other reasons no brilliant war strategyst could explain, Lucifer would always stand. He would never fall for good. He made every humanly possible attempt to world peace seem like a worthless, useless escapade from the chaotic destiny anyone could predict by that time. He was thought to be immortal, and the demon god in charge of Coral's doom. And so the planets slowly and easily fell into the hellish dominion of their new demon leader, with more than 40% of the planet destroyed, wasted, lifeless, and with the rest of the planet with rebels everywhere, with small pockets of civilization hiding somewhere in Coral.
- ...
- But one day - He continues - The sun broke through the purple clouds that haunted the sky and spread light across a region of the planet, where Lucifer and his group were settled by that moment, filling it with sunshine. Sunlight which wasn't seen in a long time, ever since darkness came over the worlds. The distant small hill which was blessed by the sun caught Lucifer's attention himself, especially when he could notice two men standing on it. He immediatly and subcounsciously felt some kind of threat, or bad premonition, and approached the hill by himself. He could distinguish the two men better: A middle-aged man dressed in chinese clothes, and a young adult Hunter with a ponytail, possibly his pupil. Looking straight at Lucifer's eyes, despite the large distance between them.

http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/24583/Episode3_3.jpg

He immediatly felt them to be different: Not ordinary humans. He felt the first type of fear effect when he sensed their spirits. Even before trying to recognise the two humans, he heard a voice:
"Lucifer" - The old man speaks, with a chinese accent making his english accent imperfect - "Forgive us, but there is no other way to get rid of a virus other than removing it from the system! With death!". With that said, the old man and his pupil equipped two intense blue photon swords each (The Yamato) along with their mags, and then dash down the hill to deal with the demon, shouting in offense as they were decided to give their best shot at the demon.For the first time in known history, Lucifer equipped a photo-type weapon. (Which by the way, was a dark purple photon katana. I don't know its name.) Anyway, the battle for the world then took place. Two men were giving their shot to achieve what every other men, newman, android, weapon, heavy weapons of mass destruction failed. And surprisingly enough for everyone in the clan assisting the battle, and for everybody else in that time and still today, there was balance from both sides. Somehow, the two men who engaged in an godlike photon battle with the being, didn't face the destiny thousands of elite soldiers did. They kept up with him, in a mad storm dance of photon swords, hits, blocks and dodges. The two men surrounded the demon, striking him with everything they had. Their attacks were so fast and powerful that it was impossible to distinguish their weapons and moves, one could only see multiple linear photon trails from their weapon's glowing sabers, showing their movements. Sparks flew everywhere. Several photon blows were being delivered and blocked by the second. Each blast, block or hit, sent shockwaves to the ground that blew away the tiny portions of dead grass still stuck in the soil. After a few moments the old man was the first to fall, powerless. When his pupil had the clear disadvantage over Lucifer, he soon followed the path of his master. Their efforts of saving the world seemed vain for some moments. But, the energy from the blows they took from their godlike, inhuman enemy was stored by their mags. Knowing this, they combine their efforts once more and charge two photon blasts at their enemy, creating the most powerful energy blast known by man at that date, releasing all that power that Lucifer used against them back at himself. It is said that a single photon blast shot by a high-level mag had more power than an atomic bomb. Lucifer didn't resist, and the two blasts were indeed enough to erase his body away from existence. Thus the world was saved, and the war for peace in Coral was over. Peace as we knew it would return, to possibly stay forever, altough there were problems with the rebels in the years that followed the battle for the worlds.The old man perished in that same battle when using all his energy to add to the perfect photon blast explosion, but his pupil lived through all those years up to this day to tell the tale. His pupil's name was Kun Rong.
- ...I see now...
- But soon after that battle, Kun Rong was nowhere to be seen. It was confirmed that he was alive, but he disappeared, without leaving a clue. Some thought he went to live like a hermit by himself, others state that he didn't live past the battle. Truth is, that both me and my partner Gabrielle were invited by that same man who saved the world years several dozens of decades ago to train under his guidance. We didn't knew if either to feel honored by the event or to wonder if the invitation was really true.
- So what did you do to find out? And where does "Zeke" character fit in this story?
- ...My next step in the story will describe all that.

Masuyo slowly exhales while getting up, and slowly walks to the balcony entrance, where he can get a glimpse of the tall dark buildings with lights sprayed on them, which decorated the landscape he could see from the height of his apartment. He prepares to tell the final part of his tale, where the last pieces of the puzzle would fit in perfectly, as he looks up into the sky.








Printed in the space above the distant life-less mountains of planet Even and the giant glass dome shield around the city, was the giant shape of planet Coral, and its closest moon, Zhong. Its bright blue/white/brown strong colors gave life to that view.










http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/24583/planet.jpg











Also watching the same planets, was a lone golden-spikey haired Hunter dressed in a black HUmar suit, on the roof of a skyscraper. He was sitting down on a the large open terrace space with nothing to lean back on, with his long dark sword leaning vertically against him.

He was quietly watching the planet and the moon as well, lost in his own thoughts, when he felt a presence from near the ceiling entrance door. He quietly reaches for his long sword and pays attention to anything that he senses coming from that area.

- Friend, foe or just fool? - He asks, out loud.

He slowly turns his eyes to see the person. A mysterious, unknown hooded man was standing still around 10 meters behind him. The lack of atmosphere in Even, together with the weak lighting in that area made it almost impossible to distinguish his face.

- The great Zeke - The hooded man speaks - I've heard several tales involving yourself, and many others. And after also reflecting upon the recent and ancient facts, I decided to come here by myself to choose you for my purposes.

Zeke gets up, grabs on to his long and dark sword by its handguard using his right arm, slowly spins his body and points the long weapon in the hooded man's direction, to reflect a sense of offense.

- ...Who the hell gave you the right to address yourself to me? I made you a question, fool.

Zeke awaits an answer, while still aiming his sword at the hooded man, who didn't even move, keeping himself silent for a few moments.

- ...It pleases me to know that you're still burning with the same intensity from when you were rejected. Your spirit is like a giant hungry flame. But it is, in fact, understandable. Who wouldn't react like that, knowing that one was rejected and had to let go of all those dreams and personal ambitions regarding the future? What kind of Renegade wouldn't hold in immense amounts of hate, denial, non-acceptance and, consequently, the hungry desire for revenge?

The hooded man's words send a spark down Zeke's memories, causing his eyes to turn white for a few seconds, as he for a moment remembers something. But then, he grins in anger, tightens his sword's handguard, and furiously asks:

- ...Who the FUCK are YOU and WHAT the HELL do you want!?
- ...You can consider me a friend. I am here to help you kill your hunger for revenge and, at the same time, accomplish my own wishes that way. I have a mission for you which I believe you'll most promptly accept. Aside from the obvious rewarding payment fee I have for you, I will supply you with informations which I believe to be of interest to you in your revenge against... the man known as "Kun Rong".

Zeke's eyes flash white again for a moment. Then red in a deeper state of fury. He smashes his right foot on the ground, causing cement to crack from the ground, and the whole terrace floor to shake for a few seconds.

- ...Don't you EVER say that name again IN MY PRESENCE!!! - Zeke shouts - And how the HECK do you know about HIM and about ME!?
- Well, let's just say I've been searching for allies. People who share common interests with me, and wouldn't hesitate to help me out. It's one of the best ways to deal with a problem, don't you agree? To find sources of support also interested in solving a common problem. And I happen to stumble upon you, Zeke. We both have the same wish, and yet I'll pay you to accomplish that same wish for both of us.

Zeke stood skeptic at the hooded man's speech, still holding his sword as a precaution.

The hooded man then reaches one of his hands inside his long cape that covered all his body, apparently searching for something. Zeke kept his attentions on him, in the case of a possible attempt of attack.

- Catch. - The hooded man asks, while throwing a small thin object at him.

The object flips in the air towards Zeke's direction, who then catches it with two fingers.

A piece of paper, an envelope. Zeke lowers his sword, unequipping it. After another moment of delivering a skeptical glare at the hooded man, he starts ripping and opening the envelope. While doing so, he looks back with challenging eyes at the man on regular intervals as a way of suspecting from his intentions. The hooded man didn't speak or move, just awaited for Zeke to be done.

After opening it, Zeke turns himself so that Coral's light enables him to see the inside of that envelope has. He takes out a set of around a dozen photos, from the envelope. A young boy, with dark blue hair with a small ponytail on the back of his neck, is seen on each of the photos, in several places and situations. As Zeke takes time to see them, one by one, he doesn't seem to recognise that boy.

- That will be your target. The child with the small ponytail. I want you to kidnap him, to get his parents' attention and possibly kill both him and his parents.

After looking through the photos for a while, Zeke stops and then looks back at the hooded man.

- I thought you said this had something to do with Kung Rong. And besides, I don't do my work with kids. I don't see the connection between this kid and my revenge. Instead of assuming this is some kind of mistake, I'm just gonna ask: What's the catch?
- Heheheh... A good question indeed, Mr. Zeke. I see that you're smarter than the average Hunter as well.

While the hooded man speaks, Zeke looks back into the photos and keeps seeing them one by one, this time in more detail, trying again to recognise the boy and the others in the photos.

- You see, that boy is of a great nuisance to me. What you see as an apparently innocent and harmless child, is in fact an obstacle to tackle. I need you to kidnap that kid, to attract the attention of his parents, specifically his father.

Zeke reaches on to a very familiar photo, where the boy isn't on it, but instead an adult Hunter in his place. His memories gain life again, and his shocked eyes recognise the man in the photo.

- ...Because that boy's father is none other than...
- ...KATSU MASUYO!!! - Zeke finishes the sentence, screaming the last two words.

Zeke bites his teeth, slowly building up rage and breathing heavily as if his heart was burning like the Sun's core. His face changes into an expression that cannot be recognised as of being of either joy or madness. Zeke crushes the envelope on his left hand, moves his face up and growls towards Coral, releasing the rage and hate he felt for the man in the photo, as well as the excitement for finally finding a way to fulfill his long-awaited revenge.

The printed image of Coral in outer space remains indifferent to Zeke's lion-like growl, but some of the resistant glass layers from the shield that protected the city of Leonora vibrate as an answer, as if shaking in fear of what was to be.

--- End of Episode 3 /---

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Even_Jin on 2004-06-03 16:27 ]</font>

[Daikarin]

Sorry for not commenting on this episode, but at the time I posted it I was full of correcting the final version and from scanning the drawings that I didn't have strength to write anymore.

This last chapter/episode is basically to introduce the new character Zeke, which is the impersonation of hate itself, based on a feeling of revenge. I basically wanted to create a super-strong Hunter with a sense of hate and uncontrollable rage which surpassed his common sense. You'll find out on Episode 4, altough you may already have a clue if you fully read Episode 3, about his background.

I personally liked this character turned out a lot, and plan to make him appear more times throughout the series.

This episode should be the one which took me more time to finish. I wanted Zeke's introduction and the storyline about the Heroes of Coral to be perfect, so I erased everything and rewrote as many times as it would have to be for it to be really good. I also spent a good amount of time polishing it up, and personally like the way it turned out.

I started on this one in the beggining of March, and only finished it yesterday!

Theme songs used for this:

The Battle for Coral:

Phantasy Star Online Episode III: Let The winds blow - Tower of Caelum
The Lord of the Rings - The Breaking of the fellowship

Zeke's theme songs:

Sonic X - Shadow's theme #2
Sonic Heroes - Bullet Station
Dead or Alive 2 - The shooted
Dead or Alive 2 - Exciter
The beach soundtrack - Moby Porcelain

Hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will finish this mini-saga. Until then, enjoy!



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Even_Jin on 2004-06-04 17:34 ]</font>

[Daikarin]

In case someone missed it and simply want to know more about Zeke, I've updated the character bank with his profile. Access it here:

http://www.pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?topic=52842&forum=12&start=180&191

[Daikarin]

I decided to finish my work in this fanfiction.

I currently have little time for it in my agenda, especially with all the college business. And besides, I've been feeling limited for quite a while, for writing fanfictions. I decided I wanted to have a little more freedom in my projects, rather than just sticking to plot and creating story from it.

I also want to involve myself in something that has to do with my future. I wouldn't want to say what just yet.

It is with sadness that I decide to finish this, but life's based on decisions. And I think this one is necessary.

Thank you for reading so far, I will do my best in the other projects I will start as of shortly.