Shine Aqua Illusion
The first thing I do upon waking up is to smack the soft alarm going off outside my capsule. "General Leviathan," I announce to the empty air as the last of my systems finish booting up. "What is it?"
"We just received an interesting message," Harpuia's voice tells me from an attached speaker. "It's from Dr. Ciel. Report to the meeting room when it's convenient."
I'm immediately wondering what's happening. From Ciel? From the Resistance? It must have been attention grabbing. Harpuia doesn't call me for small-scale business. "I'm on my way now," I say, climbing out of the capsule and hurrying away as fast as dignity and decorum will allow.
The screen goes dark as the presentation finishes. I turn towards Harpuia and Fefnir, letting my awe and wonder speak for me. The pretty boy and the battle nerd are having similar reactions, despite this being the second time they've seen it. "...It has promise," the former admits. "Assuming it works, this 'Ciel System' she crafted would go a long way towards diminishing the energy shortage. Perhaps even halting it completely."
"That's 'pessimist' for 'this idea is awesome'," Fefnir translates. "I realize this is Ciel we're talking about here, but was there anything off about what she was saying? Anything at all?"
"Not a thing," I answer with a head shake. "We all know the reason that she's part of the Resistance was because she couldn't stand seeing Reploids suffer. If anyone could seek out a solution without hesitating, it would be her."
"That's the gist I got. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't just me."
"Accept her offer..."
All three of us start at this strangely familiar voice, whirling around. Fefnir reflexively summons Sodom to his hand, but dismisses it when we see---
...! It couldn't be...!
It was. Floating behind us about a foot off the ground was somebody we hadn't seen in over a year. The last time we had seen him, he was getting ready to engage Zero, but now... "Master X!" we chorus, prostrating ourselves before him.
"Stand up," he instructs us. We follow that command: his body is distorted, wavering in and out of existence, but it's not hard to see that he's annoyed. "It is a long story and I have little time to spare, but I am not the one you believed you had been answering to. I am here because the Ciel System is the key to starting all in Neo Arcadia on the road to peace. You would do well to support its development."
Fefnir's looking hopeful, and I'm feeling the same way. Harpuia does raise a good question with his next words, though. "If you aren't Master X, then who are you? Do you have enough time to make things clearer for us?"
"The X we served was a copy?!"
I wince at the collective shout delivered from the entirety of Deep Sea Squadron, humans and Reploids alike united with one voice. Maybe packing everyone into the same chamber, no matter how big it was, was a bad idea. "That is what we just learned from a reliable source. The person who created him had good intentions, but ultimately things grew beyond her control and ours. In the end, it resulted in the current state of affairs." I point at a Reploid who has his hand raised. "Yes, HF-88?"
"Does this have anything to do with that explosion from Area X a year ago?"
I give the technician a brief overview of that scenario. Zero had invaded the administrative center of Neo Arcadia, forcing us Guardians to try to hold the line but ultimately failing. I keep quiet about how the incident forced me to acknowledge that I loved fighting him; no one knows about my and Fefnir's obsession, and I'm in no hurry to change that.
Another question, this one from a human supply administrator. If memory serves, he's one of those who keeps images of me at his workstation instead of his significant other. "If the real X has vanished and the copy is dead, who's currently in charge of Neo Arcadia?"
"The Eight Gentle Judges appointed Harpuia to act in his stead, a role he's held for the past year. Fefnir would have been a poor choice, and you know how I feel about sitting in a dusty throne room 24/7." I don't like having a dusty office either. Thank goodness they made it large enough to have its own swimming pool.
A wave of chuckles circulates through the crowd, and I let it pass before I continue speaking. "If there are no further questions, I would like to continue speaking. This morning, we received a package from Dr. Ciel of the Resistance." I jab the floor a few times with the Javelin, quieting the crowd when they start getting noisy again. "Eschew the rowdiness and let me finish. This device she sent us will be circulated among the squadrons so they can see it in action. If it sees a positive reception, Ciel will send Neo Arcadia the complete schematics for it and show us how to produce more."
I reach into a box next to me and pull out what on first glance seems to be a closed flower. After a moment, the flower opens up and hovers over my hand, humming softly. A wave of light washes over the chamber. I close my eyes for a second and savor the sensation of Energen filling my reserves; I'd engaged in an intensive duel against Harpuia an hour ago for this very purpose.
The humans are awed by the brilliant light, but the effect is much more pronounced on the Reploids in the audience. Those who had been looking weary perked up, their faces telling me that they're wondering why they're feeling full. "This is the Ciel System," I explain as the murmurs die down. "I will spare those of you who aren't as technologically savvy as your co-workers the full specifications, but she worked out a means of utilizing a Cyber-Elf's energy and a lone E-crystal to produce a great deal of power. Not only can Reploids sustain themselves on its luminesence, but just one of these can support power-hungry facilities for prolonged periods of time."
I smile as I see the rising hope in the faces of both races. Glad to see that the implications of this aren't lost on them. "And that leads me to make this announcement. None of you heard it from me, but there's going to be some serious changes to Neo Arcadia's laws in the near future..."
When the changes happened, they were swift.
The Ciel System was met with high marks from all of the city's major squadrons, prompting Harpuia to contact the Resistance and accept their offer. As the months went by, more and more of Neo Arcadia switched to this new power source until the entire city and its outlying facilities were fully integrated. The energy crisis that had marked Copy X's reign was finally over.
With that crisis went the segregation and poor treatment of Reploids. No longer are they discarded like trash whenever the slightest thing goes wrong, but they are starting to be treated more like the equals they are. In addition, I've been hearing reports of plenty of humans who have experienced epiphanies related to said treatment. Good; it means they've finally started thinking things over.
And with the factors responsible for its formation dealt with, there is no longer any need to be on our guard against the Resistance. Two days after the last of Neo Arcadia finished transitioning to the new system, Harpuia contacted them and "ordered" them to stand down and surrender (you can hear the quotes in my voice because it was really a polite request). Ciel accepted, on the grounds that those under her command received a fair trial.
The Eight Gentle Judges were remarkably skittish about that, strangely, but ultimately they relented in the face of Harpuia's displeasure. In the biggest trial Neo Arcadia had ever hosted, the Resistance as a whole was pardoned, barring a few die-hards whose vendettas with us were too personal for them to let go. In addition, with the reveal of the truth behind Neo Arcadia's rule being circulated--alongside the capture of that power-hungry fool Elpizo before he could instigate a disaster--Zero was exonerated, regaining his status as a hero.
The Resistance was repurposed as a support squadron of sorts, keeping an eye on the fringes of civilization and dealing with what Mavericks are still out there while under orders to call Neo Arcadia for backup. They also act as personal guards for Dr. Ciel, who maintains her laboratory at their base and continues seeking ways to assist both races as only she can.
I've met up with Zero a few times for duels since the trial. A time of peace hasn't made him lose his edge: no matter what tricks and tactics I try, he's always a level above me. He's even made it fairer by not using that accursed Fire Chip, and I've still not won a single fight against him. It's been the same for Fefnir and Harpuia, from what I hear. Frustrating, but it's what makes fighting him so fun.
It's been a year since we received the Ciel System prototype. As Zero shoulders the burden of combat and Maverick attacks reach an all-time low, the Guardians' focus has shifted. With our resources freed up, we have returned to repairing the damages caused by the wars of old. And with those unending tasks has come an opportunity to do something I thought I'd never have the chance to do...
-"Honoré? It's me. I realize you might still be upset at me for the stance I chose to take years ago, so you have every right to refuse... X in cyberspace, this is difficult for me to say, so I'll just come out and say it: I'd really like to be friends again. Please, if you have time to talk, contact me at the enclosed number."-
The human male, somewhere in his mid-to-late thirties in age, snorted disbelievingly and looked at the one who delivered the message disc. "I never expected one of that copy's lapdogs to willingly reduce himself to an errand boy. Leviathan couldn't take care of it herself?"
There was something about the snide tone coupled with the comment that got Fefnir laughing. "It might surprise you that she's the most socially awkward of us, sir," he said in-between chuckles. "Have you ever heard of the Valentine's Day affair?"
Honoré had. Leviathan had always been something of a symbol where the city's citizens were concerned, and each year people would send her countless packages of synthesized chocolates because of that symbolism... and because everyone decided to randomly forget that Reploids got no benefit from human foods. He never understood why they were so desperate to get her attention that they would disregard that fact.
One year, Leviathan got it into her head to try to return all of the chocolates that were sent to her. The whole thing was already hopeless, but somehow she thought that returning them in person instead of redirecting some mechaniloids or Pantheons to the task was a good idea. There were a few people that took her rejection in good humor while silently vowing to try again later...
...but those people were far outweighed by the ones who saw Leviathan at their doors with boxes of chocolate and took her presence as an admittance of love.
The Reality
"Sir or Missus, as much as I appreciate this token of your appreciation, I wouldn't be able to enjoy these in any way. Why don't you give these to your wife or husband?"
The Fantasy
"I am thrilled that you gave me these yummy chocolates! Please go on a date with me!"
The Conclusion
When it was all said and done, few could actually recall what transpired and Leviathan refused to discuss it in detail. But at the end of it, it became known as one of the few times that Copy X had passed any major edicts concerning humans, where previously his focus had been on Reploid affairs. "Any humans who harass my Guardians for arbitrary reasons will spend a week in prison and pay a minimal fine," he had gone on record as saying.
Every year after Valentine's Day like clockwork, the prisons became filled and the electronic coffers were replenished. When asked why they'd persisted despite the edict, most of their replies could be summarized as "worth it". Meanwhile, Leviathan had learned her lesson: what few boxes of chocolates that made it through security were given "anonymously" to the humans on her staff instead.
Honoré shook his head as he finished his recollection. "You would think that someone like her would be better at interacting with people. With that in mind, it's not so surprising that you're here."
"There's been fewer Maverick attacks, and Zero handles most of those," Fefnir happily remarked. "I was alright with doing this. I've had a lot of free time on my hands recently. Been spending most of it helping people directly and finding an actual life beyond fighting."
"And making amends for those Reploids that were killed in that Copy's name?"
Fefnir's expression turned solemn. "Yeah. That, too. None of us liked it, but Leviathan in particular took our late leader's true identity hard. When it finally sunk in that we were essentially killing our own kind for no reason, I had to physically restrain her from snapping that Javelin of hers in half. She kept muttering something about someone being 'right all along'."
"Probably me," Honoré said dryly. "We were friends once. I met her while the original reclamation programs were still underway."
"I remember those." Fefnir's tone was uncharacteristically wistful. "Good times."
"I appreciated the work she was doing back then, and I told her as much. We talked a while more, and agreed to stay in contact. Eventually our conversations turned from work to the more mundane matters of life, of the current struggles of humanity and Reploids alike... there was even a point in time when I legitimately considered asking her out." If only...
Fefnir's face soured. "And then the copy happened?"
"And then the copy happened." Honoré's eyebrows furrowed as he recalled that last conversation. "Our calls started taking a turn for the negative, to mirror the actions she was taking in support of him. I kept telling her that what was going on was wrong, but she wouldn't listen. One day I let my anger get the best of me and accused her of 'dancing to the tune of a madman'."
"Harsh, but true," Fefnir admitted, shrugging. "We all were."
"She made a half-hearted attempt at defending her actions by claiming she was bound to X's orders, and that they were intended for everyone's safety. That was the last straw. I yelled at her, saying that she was referring to the safety of humans specifically instead of both races. It was obvious to me that she wasn't going to change her mind, so I ended the call and set up my terminal to block any transmissions from her." Honoré shook his head, disgruntled. "Hasty, perhaps, but..."
"Well, we've all been trying to make things at least halfway right. Try at least giving her a call?" Fefnir suggested. Unknown to the human, he'd heard Leviathan's side of the story already. "You know, judge for yourself whether or not she's dancing to a different tune nowadays? I don't need to be an expert in these things to know it would mean a lot to her."
Honoré considered this. With the copy long gone and the situation having improved, the Guardians were under no obligation to follow his orders anymore. If anything, Harpuia had been doing a fine job as Neo Arcadia's head since the truth had come to light. Maybe it was time to give Leviathan a second chance. "Perhaps I will." He offered his hand, which Fefnir accepted and shook. "Thank you for delivering the message, sir."
Another interesting day.
Right after I'd asked Fefnir to run an errand for me, Harpuia asked me in turn to meet him at his office. From what I had surmised, Dr. Ciel had decided to drop another bombshell on us, and he wanted me on hand to listen to her presentation.
And boy, did she ever.
At some point, X had appeared to her and Zero the same way he had appeared to us. He'd disclosed to them what was in that tower at Neo Arcadia's center... or more accurately, who. Apparently, his original body is acting as the seal to the most powerful Cyber-Elf ever created. It had been the end goal of Elpizo's rebellion, and would have let him unleash disaster upon Neo Arcadia if he'd been successful in obtaining it. If Zero hadn't caught him before he could reach X's chamber...
Speaking of Mister Two Minus Two, Ciel dispatched him on a mission to a sunken library that we'd more or less forgotten about. He was able to retrieve information on what we now know is the Mother Elf... or rather the Dark Elf, the name change being due to her corruption by the long-exiled Dr. Weil (where is he, anyway?). Between that information, the research that had led to the end of the energy crisis, and several other factors, the good doctor now believes that she can undo the corruption and restore the Mother Elf to its original state. This in turn would remove the need for X's body to be used as the seal, allowing him to return from Cyberspace on a more permanent basis.
Though I'm able to temper my enthusiasm, I support her plan wholeheartedly. Do you think I'd pass up the chance to interact with the real X in the metal, as opposed to his copy? There are so many things I want to be able to talk to him about. The history of Reploid-kind, whoever it was that first built him, the state of the world prior to the Elf Wars...
...and most of all: why he seemed so sad and depressed the one time we interacted with him before his disappearance.
Harpuia's on board with it as well. We make arrangements to send a team to escort Ciel to the top of that tower. Several soldiers from her rechristened Sentry Squadron and a few combat Reploids---specifically Zero and someone named Craft---will be along for protection just in case. A journalist will also be on hand to document the procedure for the records.
And then my personal comm rings. I check who it is...
"Excuse me, but I need to take an important call, and this can't wait. Hope your ideas bear fruit, Dr. Ciel!" I blurt out, interrupting what Harpuia is saying to her. I take off running out of the room, hustling towards my on-site quarters where my personal terminal awaits.
...
...
"...Does anyone know why she left all of a sudden?" Ciel wondered after trading puzzled expressions with Zero. "She seemed anxious."
"Her behavior is decidedly unusual," Harpuia agreed after a moment's thought. "I've never known her to interrupt a meeting like this. But I'll ask her about it after our business here is finished. It didn't seem like it had anything to do with your new project."
My first conversation with Honoré in years has me feeling awkward.
It's common knowledge that I was in the wrong for siding with Copy X. Additionally, it's well-known that we've been trying to fix things as best as we can, even though for thousands of Reploids it's far too late to do the same for them.
So why in the world am I struggling to formulate such a simple sentence? What is it with pride that causes it to be such a detriment towards basic apologies?
At least Honoré seems to be feeling similarly. "Leviathan," he finally greets me, his expression neutral. "You seem to be doing well."
Say something, girl! "Honoré," I speak to him, eyes anywhere but the screen. "Um... you, too."
...Say something intelligent, girl!
Honoré saves me, though it's just a temporary respite. "How long has it been since we last talked? Close to a decade?" He gives a bitter huff. "I don't know anymore."
I bring myself to look at his image. He's gotten a few lines on his face since I'd last seen him, and his eyes have gotten harder. When we first met, he'd been fairly handsome, charming, and optimistic that the world was heading in a positive direction. The energy crisis and the years of putting up with Copy X's rule have gotten to him. "...You've... gotten older," I manage to say with some hesitation.
"That's the downside of being human," Honoré replies sardonically. "We start off young, but we don't stay that way. Meanwhile, you look as if you haven't aged a day."
Not for a lack of effort on Zero's part, given that he's seriously injured me in combat around ten times by now---focus, Leviathan, focus. "Honoré? Um... about what we talked about earlier. Is... is it too late for me to apologize? To admit that you were right all along?"
"Wait a few more years, and it might be." The bitterness in his chuckle isn't gone yet. "Unlike you, I've been getting older every day. Who knows? I might kick the bucket at any time."
I can feel my temper rising at that. "Aren't you supposed to be more supportive in this situation? If someone's struggling to make amends, you're not supposed to discourage them."
"You had all that self-confidence when you were working for the world's betterment," Honoré answers coolly. "Don't tell me you lost it all just because you let yourself be misled. If you're going to apologize, just apologize."
"I..."
There it is again. I know that it needs to be said, so why am I not saying it? "Well, I..."
Why?
"I'm... I..."
Just... WHY?!
Honoré doesn't say anything, instead just staying where he is. He isn't reaching for the terminal to end the transmission. All he's doing is... waiting.
But the words just don't want to make themselves heard! "Why is this simple act," I sigh angrily into my hand, "the most difficult thing to do in the world?"
"Apologies often are," Honoré admits, his voice softening. "Some have an easy time with it, but most often there's any number of things that get in the way. Take your time. I've waited years for an apology. I'll wait until I'm old and wrinkled if that's what it takes."
Easy for him to say. He's not the one stressing over it.
... It takes a second of realization for me to realize that I have both hands on my helmet, lifting it off my head. There's something about it that feels natural to do, which I immediately question. I don't think I've ever done it in all my life, so when...?
In any event, I set the helmet off to the side and go through the motions of taking a deep breath. I raise my head to meet Honoré's eyes; both of his eyebrows have lifted in what's probably surprise. "230 lives," I murmur. "230 Reploids that I killed who had done nothing inherently wrong, who were just trying to live. Yes, I killed them on that copy's orders, but that doesn't change the fact that I killed them. And yes, I've been trying to do what's right since the truth came out, but it's not going to reverse what I've done. It never will. Still... I feel I have to force myself to do this.
"I..." My voice chokes up without it meaning to. "You were the first human I'd met who was willing to talk to me as an equal, to see me as a friend. I might have done a good job of hiding it from others... from myself, even... but I missed being able to talk to you. I'm... I'm sorry, Honoré. I'm sorry for not listening to you, and for deliberately ignoring everything that said that I was wrong just because I didn't want to believe it. Please..." My hands slam down on the edge of the terminal. "I want to be able to talk to you like I used to. Just please don't shut me out again!"
...
A long moment of silence passes. At the end of it, Honoré gives me the sort of smile I'd been waiting to see from him for years. "I'm glad you sent General Fefnir to give me your message. He'd hinted that you had changed for the better."
Relief, like being able to sit down and rest after a strenuous workout. This is one of those times when I'm envious of humans: at least they have tears they can shed if they feel like having a good cry. "W-well, even he's right once in a while," I quip, rubbing my eyes on impulse. "Thank you for giving me this chance."
"Thank you for being brave enough to admit your mistakes," Honoré answers. "I don't know too many people in Neo Arcadia who are willing to go through that."
"That was the real difficult part. No matter what I told myself, the words didn't want to leave me."
"Whether it's the humblest of workers or the greatest of warriors, it happens to all of us." There's a hint of nervousness in his voice that I'm wondering about. "And speaking of difficult things to say, there's something that I want to talk to you about. It's something I wanted to say a long time ago, but that copy's rise to power and your change in attitude made it impossible for a while."
I clasp my hands on the terminal. "You were willing to hear me out. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't let you do the same thing. What do you need, Honoré?"
He sighs, then answers me with complete seriousness. "That's the thing. It's not something I feel I can talk about on an open channel. Do you have time on your schedule for an appointment?"
Hmm... it must be serious. Not terribly so, since his tone doesn't strike me as being particularly urgent, but serious all the same. I take a second to mentally check my schedule. "I'm going to be leaving to handle some cleanup along the continent's southern coast this afternoon, and that's going to take up most of my time for the next few days..."
I tap a quick sequence of buttons on the terminal, and some beeping is heard from Honoré's end of the transmission. "I just sent you a guest pass for the Deep Sea Squadron's main base, good for any areas that aren't off-limits to civilians. I'll be back there this coming Monday, and you can visit me anytime after 8:00a.m. That's the earliest I can make it."
Honoré nods. "That will work. I need to take care of some business of my own anyway, so I don't mind the wait. I'll see you then." He starts to reach for the button that'll end the transmission, but pauses and smiles at me once more. "And before I forget, Leviathan? It's good to see you doing what you do best again."
I think he's complimenting me...? I don't believe that he's poking holes in my combat ability; just because I keep losing to Zero doesn't mean that I'm a poor fighter. Cleaning the waters is important, and it's how we first met... yes, I know that's what he means now. "Thank you, Honoré. Take care. I'll see you Monday."
It took place while I was busy outside of Neo Arcadia, but after several hours of concentration and work, Ciel's theory was proven accurate. With some assistance from several programmers and X's Cyber-Elf form, she was able to undo the Dark Elf's corruption and set it free in every respect. I've been told that upon being released, the Mother Elf hovered over Ciel and Zero for a minute before phasing through the wall and disappearing. There have been no reports of its presence since then.
With no need for it to act as a seal anymore, there was nothing stopping X from returning to his body. And so it was that with everyone in the room as eyewitnesses, the greatest robot the world had ever known started to walk the earth once more.
"...It's a bit awkward speaking like this," X admits to me after I've returned from my assignment. That armor he's wearing now is a total throwback; I've never seen boots that big on a humanoid Reploid before. "The only time we ever talked, I wasn't in a good place mentally. Now I'm seeing with my own eyes how things have been progressing. I'm starting to believe that maybe someday, both races will be able to settle down peacefully in places other than Neo Arcadia."
"Speaking of, I'm guessing you have no real plans to reassume control of the city?" I inquire.
"None," X confirms adamantly. "I was tired of ruling and of fighting when I went under. I'm capable of them, but it's not my first choice by far. Harpuia's been doing a fine and dignified job on the leadership front, and Zero's already agreed to shoulder the burden of combat should it ever become necessary again. I feel my time's better spent regaining the empathy I lost during the Elf Wars. If I can avoid taking up those roles in the future, that would be wonderful. That old Reploid Andrew gave me some pretty good advice on that."
I've heard of him. Isn't he the one with a reputation for talking others' ears off? "I've been hearing rumors that Zero's recovered the rest of his memories. Any truth to that?"
"Some of them, but not all. At the least, he remembers what times were like before the wars." A melancholy visage briefly replaces his normal one. "When I talked to him yesterday, he asked me if I'd ever crossed paths with someone named 'Iris' while I was in Cyberspace."
I can't say I've heard that name before. A late friend of his? I'll have to ask Zero about it later when I'm trying to skewer him. "How about Phantom? Did you see him?"
"Once or twice," X says with the ghost of a smile. Fitting. "He sends his regards, and wishes the three of you the best. Though now that you mention him---"
An electronic chime goes off, and I hum a little in surprise upon confirming the time. "That was quick. I know I told him I'd be here after 8:00a.m., but I didn't think he'd show up right on the dot," I comment, getting out of my seat.
"Do you want me to leave? If it's business-related, I can always come back later," X suggests.
"It probably isn't too serious," I tell him. "My contact's civilian, not military. This shouldn't take long." I face the door and call for Honoré to enter.
The door slides open, and he steps into the office. He starts to greet me, but does a double-take when he sees X. "Oh! Master X! I wasn't expecting to see you here!"
"Just 'X'," the former leader corrects him as the door closes. "I'd rather people didn't call me 'Master' anymore. It makes me uncomfortable."
"Heh. I suppose that's fair." The two of them shake hands. "I'm Honoré. I work for a window manufacturing company, and I'm an off-and-on friend of Leviathan's."
"To elaborate, we were friends for a little while before your Copy took power," I explain to X. "I've only been able to make amends with him recently."
X's smile broadens, though only by a hair. "It's always good to see you and the others making friends, Levi."
Honoré's left eyebrow raises to mirror my right. "'Levi'? Where'd that come from?" I ask. Part of me wonders why that shortened form of my name is familiar.
"What? A father isn't allowed to give nice nicknames to his children?"
My mouth falls open. Did he actually say that where others could hear?! "X, why in the world---?!"
Honoré takes a few seconds to process this information, and he still sounds like he's having trouble when he speaks. "You're... related?"
"In a way," X confesses. "The Guardians were created using my DNA. That's about as close as I can get towards having children of my own."
Honoré scratches the back of his head... with some trepidation? "Well. This is going to make things awkward. I was under the impression she didn't have any parental figures. Or at least none that were still alive."
What is he... oh. "Honoré. What important issue did you want to talk to me about?" I request of him, trying to hide the quaver that's developed in my voice.
Honoré turns away from X to face me directly. He's sounding just as serious as he was when I was trying to apologize to him. "As I told you last week, I've been wanting to ask you about this for a long time. Now that the Copy is gone, the crisis is over, the situation is looking up and you've proven that you're trying to redeem yourself, I can do that. Though as long as there's an actual parent present..." He swallows nervously, then shifts towards X. "Sir? If it's allowed, may I have your permission to start dating your daughter?"
...
!!!
"What..."
...
!!!
"Wha-ha-haaat..."
...
!!!
"Whaaaaat?... Ha... ha ha... kyahahaha---"
Comprehension error. System error.
Feedback loop identified. Attempting to purge... successful. Rebooting...
Honoré and X watched as Leviathan froze up, her very disbelieving laugh cut off in the middle. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she fell to her knees. It was only because of the both of them that she didn't collapse entirely.
Worried---not just for Leviathan, but for himself---Honoré looked at X to see what he thought of the situation while they carried her to her seat. "I didn't say something I shouldn't have, did I? Nothing that would be considered scandalous?"
"You're fine," X assured him, to his surprise and relief. "And provided you do your best to keep her happy, yes. You can. I expect to remain in Neo Arcadia for the forseeable future, so you're welcome to come to me if you have any questions."
I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be hopeful, X thought, his smile broader within than it was without. He heard Honoré express his gratitude, but didn't respond with anything more than a nod. If the relationship between the two races has reached this point, I think I like my chances of regaining my empathy.
Though if he does anything to make her upset, I'm going to have words with him regardless.
Her answer when she woke up and got over her surprise was quiet, subdued... yet affirming. It was a slow start, but it would gradually pick up speed as time went on.
As their relationship progressed, they continued to hammer out the details of their continued co-existence. There would be stretches where she would need to be away from Neo Arcadia to do the work with which she had gotten his attention. In light of her mechanical existence and his age, having children was out of the question, unless they wanted to have one commissioned from a team of specialists. There was also the matter of Leviathan far outliving Honoré, barring an unprecedented disaster of some type: humans simply did not have the longevity of Reploids.
All the same, he was willing to try. As the months passed, it eventually sunk in just how much he wanted to be together with her for the rest of his life... and she, who had entertained the notion to keep her first friend happy, grew to feel the same.
Roughly three years after they had reconciled, as representatives from the Deep Sea Squadron, Honoré's businessplace, and Sentry Squadron applauded (except for Zero, who just nodded and watched from afar while in his role as part of the security detail)... as Harpuia and Fefnir respectively clapped and cheered... as X gave his only daughter away... and as the unseen Phantom observed the ceremony from Cyberspace... three words set themselves upon the loving pair's hearts:
Forever and always.
Everyone was working as hard as they could, but the recovery process could only go so quickly. Still, in time, the damage the world had suffered had mended enough for new towns and outposts to take shape. The first few were within five to ten miles of Neo Arcadia's borders, but it was still a start.
The Guardians took a dedicated team of researchers and developers out to Area Zero to see what they could learn from what was the world's sole remaining natural reserve. The team took what they had discovered out into the world, and over time the global landscape began to look steadily prettier.
As civilization spread, archaeology went with it. Two separate teams on different continents discovered the remains of robots that looked nothing like the Reploids and mechaniloids of the modern age. The first, upon being shown to X, was immediately recognized as a former Maverick Hunter by the name of Axl; what was left of him was taken to Neo Arcadia to be given a proper sendoff worthy of his status.
The other was more difficult to recognize due to there being even less left of it, but after some heavy thinking, it finally clicked in X's mind. Afterwards, replicas of a broken and battered red-white helmet (complete with shades) and oval-shaped shield held a place of honor in one of Neo Arcadia's robotics museums. Next to them was a holographic model of what they believed the world's first truly sentient robot must have looked like. Leviathan thought the scarf was a nice touch.
...
The world continued to change, at times slowly, other times quickly and drastically. Over two hundred and thirty years following Copy X's destruction, despite additional problems that required either heroes or ingenuity, it could safely be said that the world was thriving again. Some said that if satellite images of the world were shown to people of the past, they would have had trouble recognizing their own home.
And one by one, the legends of old faded away until there were only two left. One of them disappeared from the public eye almost entirely, content to follow in the footsteps of his older brother and live a simple life as a lab assistant.
The other...
A half-hour's drive from where both the husbands she'd had during her life were asleep forever, the Reploid once known as the Siren General sat down on a lonely beach. Her eyes watched the waves of the Atlantic move to and fro across a shoreline, one of many that she'd had a hand in cleaning a long time ago. She was satisfied with everything in her life, despite the rough patches throughout. She had earned her peace.
A flock of Gullwaves---mechaniloids built to resemble and mimic the seagulls of old---flew far overhead, going about their business. Their calls reached her, and for a fleeting moment she felt melancholic.
She shifted positions bit by bit until she was resting against the sand, scanning the sky and idly noting the few clouds overhead. That one up there looks like a man with a very puffy beard, she thought. Didn't X once say his creator had a beard like that?...
One by one, her systems deactivated. Feeling herself losing strength, she smiled as her eyes slid closed. Took long enough. I hope you don't think you're safe in Cyberspace, Zero. You can't get out of dueling me that easily.
Her CPU shut off, and all was darkness.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
System Reboot Initiated.
4%... 17%... 37%... 54%... 80%... ... ... 100%.
Diagnostics Scan Initiated... ... Complete.
Current Power Output: 73% of 100%.
Energen Levels: 77%. Reserves: 0%.
Structural Integrity: 100%.
Auto-Repair Systems: 100%.
Armor Integrity: Unavailable. Unable to complete scan.
Motor Control: 100%.
Dash Thrusters: Unavailable. Unable to complete scan.
Coolant Levels: 100%.
Combat Capabilities: 60%. Mental state compromised. Armaments compromised. Unable to complete scan.
Ice Manipulation: 100%.
Frost Javelin: ALERT - Weapon not found.
Armed Phenomenon: 100%.
Variable Weapons System: 100%.
Recommended Course of Action: Unit is not combat ready. Change that post-haste.
...
The first thing I do upon waking up is to put my hand clear through a wall.
My surroundings aren't registering, and I'm ignoring the messages appearing in my HUD. I've got other things on my mind.
My hand withdraws from the wall. I bring it up to my face, looking at the fabric surrounding it but seeing something past it.
I remember it all so clearly. A world without Dr. Weil and Omega. The end of the energy crisis. The gradual reversal of the world from the wasteland it had been. My restored friendship with Honoré, and the inexplicable joy of being with him for the rest of his life. The true X's return. Many other things that would take too long for me to recount. Two hundred and thirty one years of life lived from the time Dr. Ciel approached us with that prototype before my systems finally failed for good. My heart is telling me that this is the life I've lived, and I long to return to it.
And yet at the forefront of things are what my banks are telling me are my most recent memories. Interacting with a talking pony on a rooftop, which my systems are telling me was seven hours ago. Escorting two more to... an apartment building, or starting to. My system clock claims it's the middle of the night, when my CPU's deactivation allegedly happened in the early morning.
231 years... in the span of 7 hours.
It's all coming back to me.
None of it ever happened. Neo Arcadia is still imperiled. X is deep in Cyberspace, never to surface again. Dr. Weil is a serious threat. I am still unwanted where Honoré is concerned. I am the only one of my kind in a world of sapient quadrupeds.
This is real. This isn't fiction, this isn't fantasy. This is real...
This is...
A noise akin to a sob leaves my throat---
No. Not akin to. It is.
First one, then another. And now---
Now the noises just won't stop.
...
...
In an unknown building within Manehattan, Leviathan--the Siren General of Neo Arcadia, one of the four Guardians, a fierce opponent of Zero, one of the legendary X's unofficial "children", and a self-confident warrior who rarely let herself show any serious weakness--pulled her legs up to her chest, buried her head in her knees, and let loose her overwhelming grief at the loss of a world that had never existed.
...
...
Across Manehattan, Illudere's eyes snapped open as she was roused out of an unsound sleep. Her lips parted in a snarl, red smeared itself across her eyes, and her quiet voice hissed in disbelief and mad fury.
"She's awake."
Music links for this chapter include: "Intelestellar", by Voyager; "The Happy Song", by Frank Mills; and "If You Live", from One Piece. I didn't really have too many songs in my playlists that I felt fit the mood this go around. 
Be honest with me. Given my schedule these past eleven, twelve months or so, how many of you expected to see a 7,000-word chapter this quickly since my previous update? Neither did I, to be honest. But I had a plan for this chapter that I was eager to see through, and that plan involved having Illudere doing some serious (if unintentional) chain-yanking.
One of my original plans for this story was to not have any of the other characters from Zero turn up in any way (aside from Omega). In the past, I'd made myself clear on that front to everyone who had asked me about it. In a way, that's still true: no one else from the series will be joining Levi in Equestria. So to those who'd been asking about it in the past, I hope you can content yourself with Illudere's broken visions.
As a side note, this is why I don't make any concrete plans for my writings. I get these ideas in my head, and it often takes more effort than I'd like to keep them curtailed.
Leviathan is up and at 'em, and once she finds out what's been happening while she's been incapacitated... well, might I suggest making sure you have your preferred snack on hand? I can't have popcorn due to health reasons. As to the events in question, we'll be getting into those in the next chapter or two.
Speaking of, AN ANNOUNCEMENT: Like last year, I'll be putting the main story on hold for a bit while I brainstorm ideas for the next Anniversary Chapter of questionable canonicity. See you on August 18th!
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Ah, visions of what could have been. A world restored to peace and prosperity. A perfect life, and by that very perfection its impossibility is laid bare. A fantastical dream, but even the most beautiful of dreams must end with a return to reality.
The calmest waters often hide the deepest depths. Riptides form suddenly, as does the violent storm on a placid ocean. By showing the Siren General such a cruel illusion, I wonder to what depths of wrath, of anger, of sorrow, will she descend?
I am eager to find out.
Oh, that's just fucking cruel.
So I'll go ahead and ask the question we all thought as soon as it said there was a second husband.
Murder-crush took it home?
Also goddamn. She's been slowly letting ponies past her armor, but I don't think she's ever really sat down and processed what that means. If nothing else, Illudere's spiteful prank gave her a lot to think about, but 50/50 whether it helps her confront the actual possibility of putting down roots or terrifies her away.
Either way I doubt getting Samus'd out of half her gear will stop her for long. Especially if I'm reading that diagnostic right and they missed her big fuckoff transform...
Hmm. Alternate universe fuckery isn't exactly out of the question in Equestria, and Illudere has clearly been peeping past all kinds of veils she shouldn't. For all we know it might not have been made up at all; Levi might have just seen an actual Weil Slipped On A Banana And Fell In A Wood Chipper timeline where this happened. It can go right next to the Dr. Light Got Laid And No Apocalypses Happened one.
A couple.of Fairy's fictional interactions on Valatibrs day.
"I don't even swing that way."
"The chocolates i expected but not the plushie of a white unicorn filly with sunglasses."
11645522
Thanks. I just got a mental image of a DJ-Pon3 bobblehead doll.
11645502
I have my doubts that he moved past Iris. And even if he did, I think Levi has more class than to try and steal him from Ciel.
I realize it comes off as a spiteful prank, but Illudere was acting under orders. 🙂 What exactly those orders were will be covered in... I want to say early September, assuming I can get the 2nd Ann. chapter out on Aug. 18th.
11645541
The base being Wily's head
11645549
I understand, and I am pretty sure that people who forgive easely do exist in reality. My point is that I don't FEEL it as something solid. The thing is Gray doesn't think of what SHOULD have been. Not could have, but SHOULD have. I mean, she has got a MEAN talent out of it, she is basically... Kitty Pride, if I recall correctly? Shadowcat, or something? X-man, can phase through solid matter, and destroy any electronic device she goes through. Doesn't matter if it is a car with a car battery, or a computer. That's a great talent. And so are the kids. But she forgot that she was basically stolen from her parents, and was illegally experimented on. She could have died, or she could have become THIS:
There are a MILLION things that could have gone wrong with those mutation drugs. I mean, they were SUPPOSED to mutate the BODY, not the MIND. She was also lucky she retained her INTELLIGENCE. Speech, ego, all those things.
11645582
Yeah, she could've, but ultimately she didn't. If she had, then yeah, she would've been mad, but that's not something that really needs to be dwelled on more than necessary.
I would also like to point out that it's not likely that Gray would've forgotten that she was kidnapped. There are several bits and pieces scattered around in earlier chapters that hint at the memories of her kidnapping, experimentation, and rescue being right at the edge of her consciousness; it just took Juniper's journal to bring them to the fore.
In addition, "Trifecta - Part Three" makes mention of a court case centered around the whole debacle; I find it likely that her parents would've told her more about it when she was old enough to understand, even if they didn't have all the details as to what went down. I wouldn't find it surprising if learning that she'd been abducted would've been the impetus behind her choosing a career in law enforcement.
I was really enjoying the happy future and then I remembered that this chapter was due for a For The Man Who Has Everything recoil, and it delivered
With all the acquired tertiary knowledge Leviathan experienced in the vision though, I have to wonder how much was Illudere's power or if Cyberspace is closer to making a connection to Leviathan than she knows
It took a paragraph or two before we remembered, it's just a heartbreakingly wishful dream.
Let's see if that sorrow turns to rage...
OK, time to pull some anger out. Someone dangled a nice dream, someone DARED to taunt her. Levi will find the one responsible, and bones will be broken.
Can't wait for more.
10963892
Rouge - oug
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rouge
Rogue - ogu
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RoguesGallery
Illudere is going to be in so much trouble when Leviathan finds her. You NEVER mess with someone that dreams of a possible future that would never come true. I know she won't kill Illudere, but I get the feeling she going to give the mare a memory she'll never forget and might even make her MORE crazy, and not in a good way. Through, I wonder what the next Anniversary will have. Don't force yourself if you can't think of anything.
Oooooh...
Someone is going to suffer.
Illudere is either going to be hurting a lot by the end of this, or she won't be hurting ever again.
And at first, I though "oh hey, is this events that happened between 1 and 2?" But then you wrote X walking again, and all I could think was "this didn't happen, did it? That's a lotus-eater dream."
11647183
Whatever it is will be a great deal lighter than what we saw at the end of this chapter, I can guarantee that.
I just want to sit next to her, give'r a hug and say everything is going to be OK! That's real sad!
Illudere is about to learn just how badly she messed up by giving Leviathan that dream. Can you say "dead as a dodo. Way past the threshold"?
Also, 11645502 I loved your
! I am so stealing that for whenever a relevant opportunity arrives!
In that one moment a lot of the Leviathan×zero fans suddenly screamed a Cry of Horror
..............oh, took me ten minutes of bumbling through google images to remember that ProtoMan exists.
his name implies he's the prototype, and his permanent shades imply that said prototype doesn't actually have eyes, probably just a bunch of lenses up under there.
also, i've noticed that the early Megaman games run semi-rampant with Gundam design influences, even if most of them are rather obtuse, like the sniper joes looking like zakus and also nothing in particular.
but protoman is just straight-up Char Aznable, even has a 1:1-styled Gelgoog shield, its basically a stolen asset in 3d
two hundred thirty, nice touch
Your dead Illudere