XephonBlack Ballad 3: Memories

I just sat there, shocked at what the strangely nostalgic and familiar voice said to me.

“Blood?...Does that make me a killer?” I asked myself,

“Yes, I guess it does, but it also makes you a protector,” said the familiar female voice. “Now please step out of the O-part, Fallen Olin.”

I don’t know who this “Fallen Olin” is, but I guess she meant me, so I got out of the control console, and stepped to the front of the cockpit. Suddenly, I found myself floating…, yes floating, down from the Xephon in a yellow warm light. The military tanks had moved in perfect monotone formation towards the Xephon.

I looked around the bridge from where I landed, and was shocked and disgusted. The blue blood covered half the bridge like a new wet coat of paint. It was even slowly bubbling in some places. Also, the bus was still on its side, but people were being helped out of it by the military. The windows were smashed, and my classmates look worse for the wear. Thank god they were so shocked, that they did not notice that I was gone.

“Aargh!” I shouted. My head was pounding like drums with the sound of the ballad playing loudly and proudly, which made me think that the Xephon enjoyed fighting. I didn’t have long to be disgusted, being the pacifist I am, because a troop of soldiers we walking my way.

“God, the monotonicity is killing me inside,” I mumbled while rolling my eyes. A girl dressed in camo pants, standard issue boots, a brown, tight t-shirt, and a camo hat led the way. Although the clothes were standard issure, they accentuated her curves. She had tan skin, bright brown eyes, and mid-back length black hair, tied together in a ponytail. She had a cute face, which made her look out of place with the group of soldiers.

“At ease, men.” She commanded to the group. She had an air of bossyness, and as soon as she raised her hand, the troops stopped. “Good afternoon, Fallen Olin.”

“Yea, yea. What’s with the ‘Fallen…Olin’ thing?” I asked, my spite for the military getting to me. I noticed that the girl looked me over. I was about 5’8”, dark skin, braids tied back, and anger-filled ebony eyes. I was wearing my swimming trunks, and windbreaker that covered my face from site, but since it was unzipped, it showed my lean body, and some tennis shoes. I did not know why, but this girl’s voice and attitude seem familiar, and the mystery was getting to me.

But just as I became more confused about my situation, one of the deities or gods decided to give me a hint. A song that has recurred to me in many dreams lately, and had deep meaning from my past started playing in my mind. The instrumental of “Garden of Everything” was playing as the usual ballad died down.

“I called you Fallen Olin because that is the pilot of that machine behind you, the O-part.”

“What the hell is and O-part? Don’t tell me you’re talking about Xephon.”

“Yes, the Mu Xephon or whatever you want to call it,” The girl said with a sigh and an annoyed expression. To tell the truth, I was 5 seconds from slapping her.

“Err, wrong. It’s called XephonBlack,” A tall, lanky blond man in a scientist’s cloak walk towards us from the military’s camp. He walk towards the girl and put his hand on her shoulder and sighed. “Vasquez, please stop acting all high and mighty and bring the boy over to the camp so we can examine him.” As soon as the girl’s (yes I don’t have any respect, so I call her a girl) name was said by the tired looking doctor, “Garden” started playing louder giving me the biggest headache ever, and yes, I started humming it. Ugh, now I’ve lost it.

Then I heard it cut through the instrumental like a hot knife through butter. A simple chuckle from the latino girl brought back memories of times that I played with a girl with that same chuckle. I would hear it every time I humiliated myself in front of her. I guess she still had it. That single chuckle brought back so many memories that, coupled with the song playing in my head made it feel like my had was splitting in half. But I knew her, I knew Maria Vasquez, and I wasn’t going to forget her again.

“M..M..Maria?” I asked with a pained voice, stopping the her chuckle instantly.

“Hmm, how do you know my name?” She asked, curiosity in her voice. I took off my hood and made her look me in the eye, a wide cheesy grin we used to share plastered on my face.

“Remember me, V?” I asked as her eyes shot open in shock and recognition.

“My Tajjy?...Tajjy!!!,” Maria exclaimed as she jumped up and hugged me.

“Yea, it’s me, Tajin. It’s good to see you V,” I said softly. Her small frame felt so good against me, so warm, but as I was enjoying the moment, that stupid doctor had to ruin the moment.

“VaaaasQUEZ!! Bring him over, NOW!,” the scientist yelled.

“Ooooh, I’m gonna kill that Shawn!,” V muttered so only I could hear her.

“Please, don’t mind if I join you, V,” I muttered with a smirk. Maria just hit me playfully and led me towards the camp, and away from the bus. I looked back, and the first person I saw was her. She was helping our classmates, but saw me immediately. She gave me a nod, and that told me I was making the right move and that we would see each other again.

“Em…,” I whispered. Maria, seeming to notice where I was looking, whispered “You know there’s a small chance of you ever seeing them again Taj. Are you ready to leave them behind?” All I did was look at my classmates, then to Maria, and smiled.

“Yea, my life is over back there. Let’s go.” I muttered to her. As I said that, it started to rain, getting progressively harder by the second. As the rain hit the hot, blood covered highway, steam rose, and as we walked towards the camp, we disappeared behind it. I really hope Maria had a shirt or towel to give me.