Chapter 30: King

"So this is Internet City," Red said as he glanced at the surrounding grey buildings in awe. Green had expressed earlier that she would like to see the home of the navis, so Yellow had gone out of his way to find Rockman and Lightman to ask them if they would take him and his siblings to go explore Internet city. Yellow was slightly surprised that Lightman and Rockman so readily accepted.

"We didn't have anything like this in Eon," Red said a few moments later.

"Really?" Rockman asked. "But didn't Echo-san say Earth and Eon were very similar?"

"Well, in the fact that we had forests, towns, fields, cities, and what not," Yellow explained, "but not a city like this. I don't really know how to explain how they are similar. Maybe both are not man-made and not like the net?"

"Well, Eon looks a lot like the sub-Eon Net that you saw," Green chirped in.

"So it's kinda like a western medieval fairytale place," Lightman mused.

Yellow shrugged. "Wouldn't know. Never seen a 'western medieval' place," he said.

"Fair enough," Rockman said.

"Ne, Rockman-sama, Lightman-sama," Green said. "Why is everything so grey?"

"Ahh…" Rockman and Lightman looked at each other at a loss for an answer. Why was everything in Internet City grey?

"It's okay if you don't know," Green said sweetly. "It's still cool and I'm glad you took the time to bring us here."

"I'm glad you like it," Rockman said.

"So… what do you guys want to go s…?"

"Rockman, Lightman!" Lightman was interrupted by two small voices.

"Aquaman! Iceman!" Lightman said.

"Oh, Rockman-sama! Lightman-sama! Are these friends of yours?" Green asked.

Rockman and Lightman both nodded. "Yeah," Rockman said. "This is Aquaman and Iceman. Aquaman, Iceman, these are our friends, Red, Yellow, and Green."

"Pleasure to meet you," Red said as he politely bowed. "Any friend of the warriors is a friend of ours."

Iceman and Aquaman awkwardly returned the bow. They then turned to the twins.

"Do you want to play with us, pyuu?" Aquaman asked.

"What are you playing?" Lightman asked.

"Hide-and-seek, desu," Iceman said.

"We were trying to find Bubbleman too, but we can't find him, pyuu," Aquaman added.

Green clapped her hands together. "Oh, it sounds like fun. And what better way to explore a place than by playing hide-and-seek."

"It does sound amusing," Red said. His brother nodded in agreement.

"I'm in!" Lightman said as his hand shot into the air.

"Fine by me," Rockman said.

"Okay, desu," Iceman said. "Not it, desu!"

"Not it!" The rest cried out at close intervals.

"Rockman's it, pyuu!" Aquaman said.

Rockman covered his eyes with his hands and began to count. "Ichi, ni, san…" The other navis and Eonites took off at a sprint, looking for a hiding spot. Rockman continued to count: "Juu-hachi, juu-kyuu, ni-juu! Ready or not, here I come!" Rockman removed his hands from his eyes and scanned the area. Of course, none of his friends were in sight. Because of their link, Rockman had an idea of where Lightman was. Rockman, however, decided to look for the others first because of this disadvantage Lightman had with him as "it". Not to mention, he did not want to listen to Lightman whine the whole night about being at a disadvantage and Rockman taking advantage of it. So instead, he opted to jog in the opposite direction of Lightman, where he was sure he had heard others of his companions run off. After awhile, he had found Iceman, Aquaman, and Yellow, Yellow relenting reluctantly that he had been discovered.

"Now for Red, Green, and Lightman-san," Yellow said as the four navis walked in the direction they had started and toward the other three. Well, hopefully, the other three. He really only knew that Lightman was in that direction.

A twinge of fear ran up Rockman's spine, which caused him to halt. Iceman and Aquaman stopped and just saw as Rockman's eyes went wide. Yellow ran into his blue companion.

"What's the matter, Rockman-san? Why'd you stop like that?" Yellow said as he rubbed his nose.

"Lightman's in trouble!" Rockman said. As the words rung in his ear, the reason why he had had a chill run up his back finally clicked and he broke out in a run.

"Rockman-san!" Yellow called out. He then turned around to the other two companions. "You two go home! I have a feeling it's going to get really messy real quick."

"But how did Rockman know Lightman was in trouble, desu?" Iceman asked.

"How doesn't matter!" Yellow snapped. "Get home now!"

"Can't we help, pyuu?" Aquaman asked. "Shuu-neechan can help!"

"No," Yellow said. "We'll take care of it. No offense, but I doubt you can take on Myst. Now, leave it to us."

With that, Yellow disappeared down the street much like Rockman had just a few moments later. Reluctantly, the two small navis logged out to relay what little they knew to their net-ops.

Lightman bounced quickly from rock to rock. He had hid himself from Rockman in a store that sold rocks. Why such a place existed in Internet City, Lightman didn't know, but then again, he did not know why a lot of things existed in Internet City. The diet shop made no sense and he had never cared for the clothes shops either; he thought the idea of dressing navis silly and had never gotten into the whole navi dress-up thing like Meiru had. In fact, the rock shop made more sense than the clothes shops. After all, with cyber-rocks, you could make cyber-gardens.

Or complex battle fields.

Lightman skidded to a stop and summoned a bronze fist. "Eat dirt!" He yelled as he used the battle chip to not aim for his opponent but for a rock. The rock broke apart and huge parts flew toward Lightman's opponent. Unfortunately, this particular opponent was faster than Lightman had anticipated and he dodged the flying boulders.

The Eonite laughed. "This be the great power of the Twin Warriors!" he yelled. "Tis truly pathetic!"

"I'll stop you're laughing!" Lightman said.

"Canst thou make me?" the other grinned.

"Watch!" Lightman said. "Ice tower!"

His opponent jumped out of the way, but Lightman was ready. Using the ice and the rocks, he slid quickly toward Myst's lackey. As soon as the enemy had landed on another rock out of the way of the ice tower, Lightman was already there and easily slashed the Eonite. Lightman was ready strike again when he was stopped by a sudden, desperate cry:

"Stop it! Please!"

Both battlers look in surprise as they saw Green standing on the edge of the ice field. "Please stop this, Father!"

"Father!" Lightman said as he turned to his opponent. "What are you doing, working for Myst!"

Red was the one to answer as he appeared behind his sister. "Echo explained this, remember?" he said. "He's let bitterness and hate take hold of his heart."

"Doest thou believest that, son?" King said as he struggled to his feet.

"I do," Red said.

"But, Father, we also believe you can come back!" Green said. "Live in peace with us! We'll beat Myst and things will go back to the way they were."

"Things canst not ever be the same!" King scoffed. "Furthermore, Lord Myst hast promised his kingdom to…"

"He's lying!" Red barked.

"What knowest thou!" King said angrily. "Ye be but a youth!"

Red and Green looked sadly at King.

"Why can you not see you're being played, Father!" Green cried.

"I am not being played!" King snapped. "It be ye who art the blind ones!"

"You're just afraid to admit your wrong," Red said sadly. "If you could, if you can, then you'd be able to come home."

"Ye fools! Home is gone! It be all gone! There be no home but the onest Lord Myst is creating," King cried. "And I, King, Lord and King of all Eon and the Eon Net, and soon the whole Earth, both Net and otherwise, will helpest him!"

"Can't you see!" Red cried out in frustration. "How can you be ruler is Myst is ruler! Would Myst really just give it to you! Wake up, Father! You're being manipulated."

"Hold thou tongue, Red!" King cried. "I am not being manipulated!"

Shadows covered Red's eyes. "If you will not see…" he murmured. Green looked sadly up at Red: she knew what would follow, what had to follow…

Her older brother summoned a sword and then looked up, determination and sadness in his eyes. He pointed the sword at King. "If you will not listen or see, than I, by my own hand, will strike you down. This is my duty as heir to the Eonite throne and I will not let you hurt our people nor those who have saved us in our darkest hour," Red said furiously.

King grunted and summoned his own sword.

"So be it, foolish boy."

The two leapt at each other and the battle began.

"Green!"

Green looked back and saw Rockman and her other brother running toward her. She then turned back and looked back earnestly at the battle unfolding before her.

"What's going on?" Yellow asked as he and Rockman finally reached her.

"It has begun," she whispered.

Yellow looked at the battle. He could see his father and elder brother pushing against each other with their swords, neither losing but neither gaining an advantage either. He could not bear the sight of it and looked away.

"Rockman!"

Rockman received his brother as Lightman nearly slammed into him. "What do we do? We have to help somehow, but…but…" Lightman said

"Calm down," Rockman said.

"We should be fighting him, not Red! That's his father, dang it!" Lightman said.

"Let it be," Yellow said.

Both Lightman and Rockman looked at Yellow in surprise.

"How can you say that!" Lightman yelled. "That's your brother and your father out there! Fighting each other!" Rockman grabbed his shoulder.

"I know," Yellow said. "But Red knew he'd have to fight him some day."

"Oh, Yellow!" Green slammed herself into her brother and wrapper her arms around him. "Why! Why won't Father see? We plead and plead with him! Red's still pleading! Why does he refuse to see!" she cried.

Yellow held onto her shoulders and shook his head sadly. "I don't know."

"We'll do it for you! We'll fight!" Lightman said.

"No," Yellow said. "This is our battle. Yours is later."

"But, Yellow," Rockman said. "He's your father."

"Your right. He is our father and that is why we must fight him ourselves," Yellow said. He then smiled slightly. "Thank you for your concern and your offer, but we knew someday this would happen. As much as we hate it, we know this is better for our people, your people, and for him."

"Him?" Lightman asked.

Yellow nodded, still holding onto his sister. "Yes. I do not think he is happy but he is too stubborn to admit he is wrong. If this goes on any more, he'll only suffer more."

"Yellow…" Lightman said.

Yellow shook his head. "Don't pity me. If anyone deserves your pity, it's Red. He has to bear the brunt of it, as the eldest."

Rockman and Lightman turned and looked back at the battle. King and Red had broken off the grid lock and were jumping from rock to rock and place to place, to avoid being hit by the other's blade. Red's face was one of fierce determination, but the pain in his face was also evident.

King's face was also worth noting. It was hard to tell what he was feeling about this battle. Anger was clearly there, but there also hints of pain, sorrow, and even fear. Fear for his own life or the life of his son, it was hard to tell, but the more they looked, the clearer it was.

King was afraid.

And then, before anyone had realized it, the battle was over. King kneeled before his son, blade stuck through his chest. The Eonite ruler whispered something, but Red was the only one to hear it: Red would be the only one to know what the Eonite's last words were. Then, in a shower of fragments of light, not quite like the deletion of a navi but similar, King dissipated into thin air and it was Red's turn to fall to his knees, weeping.

Green ran over to her brother and wrapped him in her arms. Yellow stood silently by them, crying even though he hated to cry. As for Rockman and Lightman, they could only watch behind silently, wondering how far this battle would go on and how many more would be hurt before it ended. It had already divided the two equals, Echo and Myst, and the two siblings, Light and Dark. And now, it had forced a son to slay his own father.

How much more could go on?