Nier: The Last Human

by StardustSprinkle

Omen

"Glory to Mankind!"

"Glory to Mankind!"

"Glory to Mankind!"

The androids salute as Sunset walks by.

"Come on, guys," Sunset says: "What's with you all of a sudden? No need to be so formal. Just call me Sunset."

"My apologies, ma'am," an android says: "We are created to serve humans, and..."

"Ok, I get it!" Sunset says, trying to keep herself composed: "You are the 10th person to say this today! Isn't ANemone your leader? And y'all still call her Anemone instead of ma'am. If you guys can do that with her, then why can't you do it with me?"

"I am sorry, ma'am," another android responds: "But it's hard."

"Very hard, you are our creator, and it's our duty to..."

"Ok..." Sunset says: "In this case, Glory to Mankind, and now y'all can go back to you daily chores."

Sunset walks off before any of the androids had a chance to say anything.

"Anemone! Thank goodness you are here!" Sunset walks into a tent, ignoring other androids on her way: "Could you please tell them to stay put? What's with everyone all of a sudden?"

"Glory to Mankind!" Anemone salutes as Sunset enters the tent.

"You too? No..." Sunset says, covering her face with a hand: "Why..."

"Sorry, Sunset, but you are our creator after all. It's hard just to act casual." Anemone answers: "Here, you were looking for Devola and Popola, right?"

"Yeah," Sunset says, hand still on her face: "At least you call me Sunset."

"What does everyone else call you?"

"Ma'am," Sunset answers: "And they won't call me Sunset even at my request."

"Well, in this case..."

"No, don't you even dare."

"It's just a joke! Relax." Anemone says: "Anyway, the twins are in an expedition. They should be back soon, though."

"I see," Sunset says, removing her hand: "I need to talk to them in private."

"May I ask why?" Anemone asks, pouring Sunset a cup of water: "Here, hydrate yourself. For all I know, humans would suffer severe malfunction without enough water."

"That's one way to put it," Sunset says, taking over the cup: "Say, Anemone, why did you tell everyone that I am a human? Aren't we supposed to keep this a secret?"

"That was the plan," Anemone shugs: "However, things have changed, and the plan had to change."

"Say, I really am the last human left, aren't I," Sunset asks, staring into the cup.

"Unfortunately, yes," ANemone answers after a moment of silence: "I am sorry."

"It's okay," Sunset says, hands on the cup: "It's not your fault. However, I need to speak to the twins about it."

"Are you saying they did it?" Anemone says, eyes wide open.

"No, but have you ever wondered what they did?" Sunset asks as her eyes are focused on the water: "No one here seems to like the twins, and everyone knows they did something before. But when I ask, no one knows what they did. Wanna take a guess?"

"No way...Did they really?"

"Not exactly," Sunset says, putting the cup on a table next to her: "They are not the ones directly responsible."

"Then who did it?"

"You wouldn't know his name," Sunset says: "It was 7000 years ago, and he was human."

"Human? Are you telling me..."

"Enough about this," Sunset cuts Anemone off: "We humans are many things. We are physically weak, and yet we ruled over Earth. We had no fangs nor claws, and yet we survived. No one but ourselves can defeat us."

"I see," Anemone looks down on the ground: "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize," Sunset says with a smile on her face: "I am sure Devola and Popola felt horrible about that event. You know, Anemone, something I am just worried about them. They always work hard, talk to no one, and...I don't know. I am just worried for some reason."

"Worried, eh?" Anemone says: "You sure are forgiving, aren't you?"

"No, Anemone, I am not," Sunset replies: "It's just...nothing feels right. Maybe it's because of the 9000 years I spent in a hibernation chamber, but nothing feels right."

"Tell me about it."

"First of all, what's with the 'Emotions are prohibited' thing?" Sunset asks: "2B always say things like this."

"Yorha units aren't allowed to be emotional even if they are given emotion." Anemone says, handing Sunset the cup of water she poured earlier: "It's a bit counterintuitive if you ask me. I wonder who made that rule."

"I know, right?" Sunset says, taking a sip from the cup: "I mean, if you love someone, better show them some appreciation before it's too late."

"Yeah, happened to me before," Sunset says, taking another slip: "Never told my friend Fluttershy how much she meant for me before she turned into a pillar of salt."

"Oh, my," Anemone says: "You've been through a lot, haven't you?"

"It's nothing compared to you," Sunset says: "Didn't you lose a lot of friends and loved ones before?"

"Yes," Anemone answers, pouring herself a cup of water: "A lot."

"I am sorry, Anemone, I truly am." Sunset says: "As a human, your creator, I failed to protect you and..."

"It's ok," Anemone replies: "There's nothing you could have done. Actually, why don't we talk about something less serious? It's getting sad here in this tent. Sunset, why don't you want others to call you ma'am?"

"The same reason why you don't want to be called that," Sunset says, finishing her cup.

"I prefer Anemone, but ma'am is ok," Anemone pours Sunset some more water into her cup: "but why do you hate this term so much?"

"I don't know," Sunset says: "That term sends a shiver down my spine."

"That's odd," Anemone says, taking a sip from her cup: "Now to think of it, I haven't heard that term in a while."

"I'm not what's wrong, but I don't want to be called ma'am." Sunset says: "Perhaps it has something to do with my friends. We used to use this term a lot while joking around. However, my friends all turned into salt, one by one."

"That must be the reason," Anemone says: "I can tell other androids to stop calling you that."

"It's ok," Sunset says: "No need to do that. It just feels weird because the ones whom I called ma'am all passed away, and now everyone starts to call me ma'am. Also, I failed to show my appreciation to my friends before they passed, and now I learned that Yorhas are not allowed to be emotional. It all seems pretty weird."

"It's weird," Anemone says: "but hey, everything is ok, isn't it?"

"Of course," Sunset says before finishing her cup.