//------------------------------// // Broken Soldier // Story: Mother X: Father // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// Moondancer was startled out of her prayers as Niiue shot awake. "Moondancer, we need to get to Mars now!" "We do?" Moondancer gasped in shock. "Why? What's going to-" "If we don't act now, the Appleseekers will be destroyed by Giegue, and everyone is doomed!" Niiue snapped. "And we need to hurry if we're to have a chance at saving Larice!" Moondancer leapt to her hooves. "I don't know if I can teleport all the way to Mars from here-" "We will *whirrr* get you there fast," the Starman Super at the helm offered immediately. "And then we will attempt to retrieve the first Apple from the forces blindly helping Master Giegue destroy himself. If we succeed, Giegue will be safer. If we fail, we will *bzzzz* be a distraction!" He then froze, seeming to realize how much he had spoken out of turn. "Unless that is *click* not the plan?" "It's a good plan," Niiue confirmed quickly, "as long as you've already set the course!" "We are now in Martian orbit!" the Starman Super responded immediately. "Loading world map. Please choose landing destination-" "That pinnacle, Moondancer!" Niiue stated quickly, pointing to an image of the second highest pinnacle visible on the map. "Got it!" Moondancer stated quickly, grabbing hold of Niiue as she teleported them both to the surface. They landed on the desolate red surface of the planet in time to see Giegue and Greyface exit a grey structure that plainly was the exit for an underground facility. Greyface started to step towards the pair, hands going to weapons, but Giegue's tendril immediately stopped him. "Go," he growled firmly. "I will deal with this." Holding up a glowing yellow object resembling an apple with a bite out of it, he floated it over to a nearby Starman Deluxe. "Take this to the ship." "As you command, *bzzt* Transcending One!" the Starman declared before teleporting away. "Whatever you say sir," Greyface offered in a surly tone, before hopping into his own small craft and flying off. "The Transcending One?" Niiue asked Giegue carefully as he floated towards them. "Is that what they're calling you now?" "It is suitable," Giegue responded simply. "I will transcend physical form, become a being of pure PSI, and thus bind all life in the system to my will. This is my destiny." "And what about me?" Moondancer demanded hopefully. "Where do I stand in that?" "The subject of a flawed experiment, nothing more," Giegue answered flatly. "You will be enslaved like any other." Moondancer gasped, shock and despair visible in her PSI aura. "No...that...that's a lie-" "I am Geeg," Giegue stated flatly. "I do not lie." "No!" Moondancer snapped back angrily. "I know you love me! I felt it in your care!" "You are mistaken," Giegue responded coldly. "I do not love. Love is a lie I am no longer capable of." As Moondancer slumped to the ground, tears in her eyes, he turned towards where three figures were exiting the facility, murderous rage in their eyes. One was a blue creature that seemed to walk on tentacles, with three eye stalks and a guitar gripped in its tendrils. One was a small pink creature about Moondancer's size that seemed to be all head, with a big nose and tiny feet wearing a tall hat. The third was a silver UFO. "Don't pick a fight with them now," Niiue warned Giegue coldly. "You don't have your complete strength anymore since you discarded me, and there's no telling how much damage Moondancer could do to you if she joins. Besides, our backup is already attacking your ship. If you want to keep your apples..." Snarling, Giegue vanished in a flash of red. Niiue knelt down beside Moondancer. "It's going to be okay..." he began comfortingly, only to sink to his knees, clutching his chest. "Niiue?" Moondancer asked worriedly. "Niiue, what's wrong?" "It's...it's nothing..." he responded quickly. I can't tell her, he thought in his core. I can't tell her...that I'm not a complete Geeg, or even half of one. Just a discarded piece...and as Giegue grows in strength I weaken...until I'll cease to be... "Who are you?" the tentacled figure asked. "How do you know that thing?" Niiue managed to get to his feet. "Please don't talk like that," he chided gently. "Giegue is - or, at least, was - Moondancer's father before this all happened. The aggression started to fade from the figure's expression. "Oh...you must be Niiue, then. Larice told us about you. I'm-" "Alinivar," Niiue confirmed. "Where's Larice? Is he alright?" "Greyface...reprogrammed him," the UFO spoke up, his voice halting...and somehow very familiar to Moondancer. "Made him give him the Apple, and attack us." "We not fight, boing!" the third figure declared hotly, his voice so oddly pitched it was hard to understand him. "But he see wrong, and break himself to not hurt us, zoom!" "...Larice..." Moondancer whimpered softly. "That's unfortunate," Niiue offered sadly. He closed his eyes for a few moments. "I've contacted some of my men. They'll retrieve his organic components and place them in a new shell, one without the reprogramming option. In the meantime, we'll stick with the three of you. My powers aren't what they were, but Moondancer's a real powerhouse." Alinivar nodded. "...alright then," he allowed finally. He then turned to Moondancer. "I'm Alinivar." "Why do you have a guitar?" Moondancer asked curiously, trying to take her mind off Giegue and Larice. "Because we're in a band," Alinivar responded, a smile in his eyes as he perked up. "Tonzura Go!(1) I'm lead guitar." "Colonel Saturn pipes, boing!" the small pink one declared happily. "And I play a synthesizer," the UFO offered. "Oh, my name is-" "Buzz Buzz," Moondancer interrupted. "No, wait, that's wrong...isn't it? You're...Zarbol..." Her eyes widening, she rounded on Niiue. "How do I know that?" Niiue stared at her sadly. "Moondancer...you don't want to know..." (1) If you know the original Mother 2, you may see the Easter Egg/future spoiler here.