The other side
Darkness, pure unadulterated abyss
It was all you could see… it was all you could make out
It was all you could think
Who were you?
Perhaps just another part of the black nothing that somehow thought itself different or maybe just a shadow of something still alive
Alive, that word…
Brought sorrow and hatred equal, as if two parts of your being were fighting for control
Something in you hurt, something in you was shaken
The world seemed to move and change beyond your wavering eyes, images of places and people you've met passing through like moving pictures
Your feet moved without you telling them but you couldn't stop even if you wanted to
With each step, something changed
With each step, something came undone
With each step, you left something worse behind
And each time you remained the same
Unchanging
You continued on for eternity
Unaware of death
Nor aware of life
Until you finally reached something… different… light came to your eyes
It didn't feel like the end of your journey, but it beckoned you toward it nonetheless with its glow
A single white flower, flourishing in this darkness
You huddled around it as if it gave you warmth and it might have for all you have experienced
It would be so easy to stop walking and rest here and yet everything in you told you to keep going
But...
Who am I
You asked that of it
You are to be death
It answered
The world snapped back to reality, flames reached you as they burned away everything to ash
It didn't matter any longer
His eyes snapped open and he sat up with a startled gasp.
All he could hear was his heartbeat it was quick and rapid as if he had been running for hours. He gulped down but it was nothing but air, his mouth completely dry and his throat sore, his mind kept running around for miles and yet he couldn't think of anything in particular.
This sensation...
...it had been quite a while...
He closed his eyes for a second and turned the world off… there was too much detail, too much to see, too much to understand… he needed to focus on something, anything really… anything to take away the buzzing sound screaming in his ears.
His nails dug into the skin of his left hand as if trying to scratch and peel away the skin out of it, it drew blood almost immediately
And he would have continued until it was raw, was he not stopped before he could go forward in his self-mutilation...
No words were spoken between the two as the girl simply engulfed him in a hug from behind, tightly holding him, burying her face in his neck as she breathed in slowly, in and out, as if trying to match his own.
They were stuck in that position for a while in complete silence.
Until finally she heard a soft gasp of air as his body sagged slightly into her hold, comfortably...
He grabbed one of her hands gently and brought it to his lips "Thank you Popola…"
Shirou felt her nod in his neck as she watched his face carefully, trying to see if anything else changed, one sole arm kept around his waist not willing to let go just yet.
After a while, she felt it was safe enough to continue...
"Do…" she spoke up her voice barely above a murmur "…you want to talk about it?"
He shook his head slowly, his eyes wavering for just a second "It's nothing, just a nightmare."
She narrowed her eyes as she brought her hand to his cheek as if checking his temperature "Really? I've never seen you like that though..."
"It hasn't happened in a while, didn't think it would again." he sighed out with regret, shame coloring his tone "Sorry you had to deal with it." he said as he turned his face away from the woman now holding him… it was an automatic response, something that he wouldn't have done any other time but he couldn't help it.
The wheezing sound from behind him told him it had been a bad decision.
"You idiot."
He cringed slightly at her sobbing voice, feelings of regret now welling up inside him… It wasn't easy to be vulnerable, he found that it took quite a lot out of him, but the twins were anything but persistent, they had slowly been peeling away at his exterior and he wasn't sure how far they had gazed into what he truly was.
It had been quite a long time since he had let someone in…
...It had been quite a long time since nobody around him died…
…It had been quite some time since he had been able to build connections…
He just wondered where this one would end.
"If you won't tell me I'll just have to keep holding unto you forever then."
Forever huh…
"That's quite a long time."
She huffed "It's just how it works." Popola murmured quietly as she embraced him once again her forehead resting at the back of his neck.
They stayed like this for a good while, in a windy tent completely disconnected from the outside world…
All good things had to end at some point though.
He grabbed her connected hands and gently pried them open, hearing an annoyed little groan from behind but not much in terms of resistance, he looked back at her and smiled apologetically while the woman simply rolled her eyes with a pout.
He stretched his arms as he stood up from the pull-out couch grabbing some cloth to clean the blood from his hand, the wound had already healed but the blood remained… thankfully it didn't seem to splatter anywhere
Popola grabbed her legs and rested her head on her knees, a unique want in her eyes as she looked up at him watching carefully as he did his morning routine, a clear debate running inside her head…
Did she want to continue questioning him, or perhaps it would be better to wait until he was ready…
He looked better now right? Everything was good...
"Where's Devola?" he asked as he looked around the room for the last of the red trio "Did something happen while I was asleep?" he asked but was given no answer as the woman simply bit her lip, a nervous air surrounded her.
Something had clearly gone array and if she wasn't going to tell him then he'll just find out for himself.
Well, that was the idea before another set of familiar arms took him in rooting him in place, the teasing little giggle as they did so told him enough about who it was.
...he relaxed immediately to her hold...
"Jeez I leave here for a second and it's like the world ended." Devola said with an everlasting smirk and a twinkle in her eye as she caught his sideways gaze…
Before he could say anything though she put a plastic bag in front of him and dropped it for him to catch.
"I got something for ya." she said as she twirled around him, he looked down at her with suspicion which only caused her smirk to widen "Welllll…" she drawled out "...aren't you going to open it?"
Shirou continued to stare for a while longer shaking and grasping at the contents on his hands… it felt soft to the touch and malleable kinda like plastic but far stronger.
Devola pouted at his lack of trust and punched his arm as a form of retribution, he didn't budge though, and simply took out whatever was inside.
Popola got up from the makeshift bed her own curiosity getting the better of her "Is that…" she said tilting her head in confusion "… armor?"
"Yep, yep." Devola exclaimed in a chirpy tone "White gave it to me, she heard that you were walking around with ripped clothing."
The man frowned as he put the clothes to the side looking at them and feeling slightly put off "I see…"
Plastic had been a good way to describe the black material that composed the long shirt, it felt strong enough and not really restrictive so that wasn't really a problem though he could do without the tri-pronged symbol of Yorha in the chest plate, which wasn't his biggest issue… not by a long shot.
He knew what it was made out of… he had seen it before.
"This is…" he started lowly a frown marring his face.
Popola nodded as she ran her fingers over it "Yeah… this is what they use under the skin of Yorha androids." she sighed as she noticed his displeasure "Well… at least we know it's strong enough right?"
Yorha androids were made for combat and were meant to take quite a bit of damage, so this was probably alright… but she could understand his displeasure.
Devola merely shrugged "I don't think it's that bad though it could do with a bit more color…" she said before another mischievous grin erupted "Which is why I grabbed you this."
She grabbed another bag that she had kept hidden and with a flourish held out the item within…
It was a long jacket almost as big as the woman herself which seemed appropriate as it was red as her hair too, it looked a bit old and worn out with a few stitches here and there… clearly something that had been fixed and refixed a few times.
Devola looked at him with a wide but nervous smile "What do you think?" she questioned loudly her eyes wavering slightly as she fumbled around it, now hiding behind the clothing as if afraid of his reaction "I found it around the city and decided to fix it a bit… do you think it looks good?"
The man in question looked at it for a second, It didn't really offer anything practical so not quite his style, but he would never allow himself to tell her that, so with a chuckle filled with fondness he answered "It looks great Devola, thanks."
The relieved and content sigh that came out from behind the jacket made it worth it… now he just had to wear it.
He grabbed it gently from her shaken hands revealing her thoroughly blushing face, it was a bit funny to see the usually boisterous woman so nervous, especially at something she did so thoughtfully… perhaps he was simply underestimating how much they reacted to him even after so long.
This was good though, all of it, these moments seemed to peel away the earlier stress and he felt far lighter than he did when he woke up.
Though a part of him asked if he deserved any of it and he couldn't help but find himself wanting in such cases.
He shook his head…
It didn't matter as long as it made them happy, making him happy was just a bonus.
The revving of machinery from outside broke away those thoughts.
...and the duo of androids winced noticeably at the sound...
Something weird was happening… something that the twins didn't want him to know or worry about.
"What's that about?" Shirou asked with a forceful tone unwilling this time to let it go.
The two looked at each other with a frown, they seemed to be debating among themselves on what to say before Devola sighed and nodded...
"There was a small earthquake, it wasn't really noticeable but Yorha is monitoring everything around the city." she explained "The thing is it couldn't be natural…"
"Is it the machines?"
The woman shook her head "No idea but you know…" she shrugged "...probably."
Shirou's eyes narrowed "Another attack?" he murmured to himself.
"We don't know that yet." Popola exclaimed suddenly her eyes wide and fearful… she stopped as she noticed the way Shirou looked at her, taking a moment to calm down she spoke in a much softer tone "Let Yorha do their jobs, they have to be useful at something."
It was unneeded stress for him and he shouldn't continue to worry and work on every little thing there was a whole department behind him now
The way he woke up kept playing around in her mind...
Devola looked at her weirdly for a second but shrugged it off soon after, it's not as if she didn't agree, though she would probably say it in a less extreme way… her eyes narrowed though...
She was acting kinda funny, especially when it came to their male partner.
Something must have happened while she was away…
These thoughts and worries were put aside as another presence was felt in the tent.
It was a Yorha android one of few stationed near his tent to defend it just in case… he felt like it was a waste of resources but he also knew there was no way they would take a no for an answer, so he simply did his best to ignore it.
She was wearing the same type of dress he had seen on those more combat-oriented androids, skirt, high heels, and all… must be an android thing to not have their feet hurt. Her hair was black and her eyes were hidden behind a blindfold though that didn't really keep her emotions unseen from the way she was shaking…
She seemed quite nervous even while trying to keep an emotionless facade.
"S-sir..."
The woman started with a high-pitched startle more akin to the voice of a child than a warrior, something she clearly took great embarrassment from as she spluttered further her face growing redder and redder by the second.
Finally, Shirou took pity on her "At ease soldier." he said in a serious tone like a captain talking to his unit.
That seemed to actually help as she conformed to routine, her back straightening "Sir." she exclaimed while saluting "Commander White requests your presence."
"Did she say why?"
The android merely shook her head.
"Fine tell her we'll be there in a few minutes."
She nodded and left with a last quick glance.
"Now we gotta deal with this huh…" Devola sighed with a frown "...hopefully it's nothing serious."
Popola rolled her eyes "Coming from White I only expect the apocalypse… at best."
Shirou huffed, a grin appearing on his face "C'mon now, don't be mean you two." he said before turning serious motioning towards the outside with his head "We should go might be something important."
The twins looked at each other again a silent message passing through both of them.
That's what we are worried about…
(Forest Entrance)
"Why are we here again?" Emil called out nervously as he hovered around keeping a look out towards the distant broken skyscrapers "We barely got out and now you want to be near Yorha territory."
The woman said nothing in response simply standing there like a statue as if debating something, her face completely blank.
Emil sighed… things weren't looking good, she hadn't said a thing while they ran away from the cave in and now she wouldn't move or even budge from her place, he couldn't even begin to think what was passing through her head.
They had been here for a good couple of hours only slightly hidden by the foliage in clear view of any passerby… not that it really mattered as Yorha seemed to be preoccupied with other stuff, namely stuff they did. It seemed that the cave in had made Yorha busy on the opposite side of the city so there wasn't much to worry about for now, but their time was quickly running out.
He wasn't a coward by any means but the thought of grabbing the stonewalled woman and flying away towards the desert had passed through his mind more than once… though he didn't really know if he could deal with the consequences if did do that.
Thousands of images of his face being caved in by a womanly foot passed through his mind.
Might be better to deal with Yorha after all...
"Emil."
Her thunderous voice called out to the alien being, almost making him fall out of surprise and slight fear.
"Where exactly is that machine village."
"A2 you know I'm no…"
"I'm not going to hurt them." she interrupted firmly while turning to him "I promise you."
Emil watched her facial expression carefully for a few seconds… It's not as if he believed she would lie, even about something like this, if nothing else A2 always said what was on her mind and was truthful to her own detriment... buuuuut this was quite the change from the one wanting to annihilate every machine life.
He could only ask what was on his mind…
"Why?"
The woman sighed and shrugged "I don't really know." she said tiredly… she looked exhausted actually as if she had been awake for far too long "I just… I think I need a new perspective."
If he had eyes they would be as wide as the ones permanently on his face.
He had to wonder what that machine did to change so much from the hateful woman…
Honestly, he couldn't help but be grateful, just a bit though considering the amount of pain he felt from her as she went through in that single moment.
Emil didn't say anything though, not the location or to further question her new decision… he simply hovered past her and waited for her to come along on the journey. He wouldn't give his opinion on her life or how she should live it… he would simply wait and see what this spark of change would create.
(City ruins)
"Are you sure about this?" the woman asked as she read through the mission report, her brow furrowed and eyes narrowed in concentration.
In front of her were two of her soldiers, two of her best really though it wasn't something that you could tell at first glance.
Considering one of them looked twelve… and had about the same amount of manners.
The boy scratched the back of his head "Well unless they somehow hacked our vision…" he started before yelping in pain as his partner's heel dug deep into his skin.
White glared towards them for a second, enough time to have both of them quivering "I'll ignore the quip…" she grunted and stood up "...If this is true we'll have to take immediate action."
9S frowned for a moment and stepped forward nervously, his partner, 2B, shook her head but didn't make a move to stop him.
He took a deep breath "Ma'am…" he started with a serious tone something that the commander immediately took notice of "… I don't think we should attack."
He withered slightly as her narrowed gaze came down on him but he weathered the storm.
"Why?"
It was one word…
One simple question…
One that had racked his brain as they moved back to the camp…
What should he say to stop her? There was very little to gain all things considered and much to lose, but…
This wasn't done out of compassion, he had none for the enemy as he was trained to, but as always his curiosity got the better of him.
"This is a unique opportunity, something we might not have again. The ability to talk to a nonaggressive machine… just think what we might learn."
At the end of the day that was all he could do… appeal to knowledge and hope others would see it the same way he did.
Didn't they want to understand the world and everything in it as he did?
How was it not being curious? He didn't know if he should pity them or be jealous...
The woman scoffed "You must be jo…"
She didn't continue though as another group made their presence known.
"Sorry to interrupt."
The room became silent and heavy…
"Well…" Devola muttered under her breath, though considering the lack of noise in the room it wasn't exactly quiet enough "...this isn't awkward at all."
Popola jabbed at her with her elbow, earning a yelp as an answer.
The commander cleared her throat trying to reign in her emotions and gather back everyone's attention "It's good to see you again Shirou." she smiled at him, it looked a bit awkward on her expression as if she was trying her best to do something she hadn't done in some time "Hope you had a good rest, sir."
The man in question grunted lowly "Just fine…" he sighed while shaking his head "… so what's all this about?"
White looked at 9S with a complicated expression "It seems we have some company near the city."
Oh boy…
That wasn't good…
Popola nervously gulped as she noticed the changes in her human companion… it wasn't something that anyone could discern, hell she doubted anyone but Devola and her even noticed any difference at all, but she could feel it in the air…
"Is that so?"
...his voice was short and ruff like the edge of a blade was near his throat preparing to cut.
It was always something she feared would happen when his own objections towards the war met against the tired ruthlessness of those fighting it. Would there be a middle ground? Popola didn't really think so, not one that the man in front of her would agree to at least.
Saving everything and everyone wasn't something one could do when dealing with such situations, eventually, one side would have to be sacrificed for the greater good.
You couldn't just change a millennia of history… too much was lost, and too much hatred existed.
Even for a human to ask that of them… especially a human...
It would be a bitter pill to swallow for those who had only lived in this era of war and had no other purpose than fighting for the dead honor of humanity's home.
So with bated breath, she waited for the pins to drop and see how the world reacted to the human who saw everyone's side, not just their own.
Thankfully, for now at least, White didn't seem to notice any such things as she continued to explain.
"A group of machines, numbering in the dozens, have made the amusement park their new home…" she said professionally as if talking about mission details.
Shirou nodded crossing his arms "I know."
Her eyes narrowed looking between aghast and confused "You know?" White questioned breathlessly.
Devola stepped forward as if shielding the taller man from an enemy "We went there a while ago, they didn't attack us." she said as she looked at the android duo on the side "I'm guessing it was the same for you too."
2B tilted her head her expression blank but that was enough of a confirmation.
"Yeah thought so they seemed to focus more on festivities than anything else…"
9S rapidly nodded his head "It was the same for us, it almost seemed like they changed their views based on where they were, like they evolved to fit the area they lived, do you think..."
The boy continued on laying out his hypothesis about the machines all the while the commander looked on with wide anxious eyes.
"…they didn't even have weapons, it seems..."
"9S." she bellowed as she finally gathered her thoughts once more "Enough, I'll read your report later, there are other matters I have to discuss."
The boy clammed up immediately and stood rigidly… gone was the expression of a happy scholar simply talking about research and with it came the simple soldier awaiting orders.
"You may leave."
2B merely nodded toward her superior and left without another word being closely followed by her partner.
White sighed as the tent flapped and closed.
"I called you here for something else actually, we excavated the area and found something…" white explained with a click of her tongue as if trying to find the correct words "...curious but I'll leave it for later."
She walked around the table messed with papers and reports and sat on the uncomfortable-looking chair.
"I guess it's a good thing that we're having this discussion now rather than later." she said in a professional tone as she motioned toward the only other chair in the room.
He wordlessly sat on it keeping both of his eyes on her at all times awaiting for her words in silence, while the twins took another step forward putting themselves side by side with him.
The commander looked at the trio in front of her and huffed in annoyance.
The way the twins looked at her… almost made her want to laugh.
They were guarded and defensive, like an animal fighting for territory.
As if a human could be counted as such…
What a decadent duo, still they had become important, that she could clearly see and why she hadn't bothered trying to separate them.
They were all androids after all and they all fought for what made humans happy.
...It just didn't always have to be them, that's all.
She shook her head at those meandering thoughts, it didn't matter, for now at least.
"What exactly do you see machines as…"
White decided it was best to bite the bullet so to speak, to make things fully clear.
She didn't really consider herself the best at reading people, if she was she would have seen a lot of betrayals coming a mile away, but neither was she blind and she could tell that this was going to be a problem.
Morality wasn't really something one thought about when dealing with projects like she was manning and very few were the androids who would go against doing whatever towards their eternal enemy.
But she wasn't talking to an android…
The man in front of her was nothing but a walking contradiction, even if all of her being cursed itself for thinking that way of a human, but it was true his actions didn't shed a bright enough light on his character, and his history, as hidden as it was, didn't really help either…
Other than one simple thing…
...He liked to protect others…
Even if it ended up hurting him.
That was frightening in it of itself but the matter was, and if she was reading the room right, that protection went further than even humanity or androids…
But machines as well.
At least those that seemed benign.
And that would cause quite the issue…
Shirou seemed to think for a second a hmming sound coming from his throat "You know." he started as he closed his eyes "When I first woke up in this world the first thing I saw was machines."
He seemed to take a deep breath before he continued.
"I didn't really understand what I was looking at first and when they attacked me, well..." he sighed with an odd smile on his face "…I responded violence with violence, they didn't feel quite alive so I hadn't thought much of it... though..."
He leaned in as the woman listened with rapturous attention.
"...the way they looked at me as they fell…" he stated as he finally opened back his eyes "...It was an emotion that I had seen countless times."
She narrowed her eyes and gripped the table…
"It was fear, not of me..." he shook his head his eyes both staring with complete attention and at nothing at the same time, like he was looking for something that wasn't there "… but of dying."
He chuckled with derision an utterly bitter sound to her ears... she couldn't help but wonder what made him feel this way, a part of her was begging her to help but someone else had already beaten her to that.
Popala's hand touched his shoulder and that simple act seemed to be enough for him to continue.
She had that sort of power over him already and all she could do was watch.
Her expression didn't change even as her nails bit into her skin.
He sighed and shook his head "I don't want to kill those that are unwilling to continue… it should be a choice given to any sentient life."
Life…
They were alive because they feared?
The woman leaned back into her chair her lips set into a deep frown.
"How were they at the start commander?" the man suddenly asked breaking away from her thoughts.
She stared at him for a second with narrowed eyes trying to understand where he was going with this.
"Like a machine." she said shrugging her shoulders "Uniform but organized."
Shirou nodded "And the war was almost lost at the start, correct."
White clicked her tongue and crossed her arms "That is indeed correct, while I wasn't there to witness it, the reports detail that most of the earth was part of machine territory."
"Why do you think they stopped? It's a question that's been on my mind ever since I woke up, a mindless insurgence would have simply been destroyed with overwhelming numbers." Shirou pondered aloud "I can attest to that myself."
White didn't say anything but the way she deviated from his stare told him enough.
The twins on the other hand simply listened in quietly, they had this debate countless times and they had very little to add...
They had seen and witnessed both violent and peaceful machines, they had stared death in the face, and it usually looked very machine like though that's not to say they had never seen an android try either.
That didn't exactly inspire much pity, but truthfully they had never truly been a part of this war. Before Shirou they had just been meandering souls without a future, they lived just for the sake of it… for the sake of each other.
Devola frowned and Popola gripped his shirt more tightly...
At the end of the day, they would be happy as long as they lived in the same world as he did, whether or not machines were wiped out wasn't really something they cared about.
What was, was the fact that Shirou wouldn't and couldn't allow it… it's just how he was and they wouldn't dare to try and change him.
"So is it fear again?" White asked with slight derision "Did that stop them… sentience as you said? Being 'alive' stopped them from wiping us out." she shook her head "They were and are the aggressors here, making nice after our history…"
She left her silence to carry the rest of the sentence.
"I'm not here to speak on behalf of the machines, commander, neither am I trying to take away from everything that's happened." he said resolutely but firmly in his stance "But…"
He sighed tiredly as if he had been in this very situation countless times.
The man took a deep breath "…but maybe it's time to try something else… see who the individual machine chooses to become."
White almost scoffed before stopping herself, this wasn't just anyone she was speaking to after all… regardless if it was an impossible thing to ask or not.
"Perhaps if they were hundreds of kilometers away from the city, it would be a different story." she tried to explain her voice mixing in different emotions, exasperation, anger, and a bit of fear "But I can't have an organized group of machine's so close after an attack… no matter how peaceful they seem."
"Because of me, you mean."
"YES." she yelled out stunning the android duo beside the human, she calmed down soon after with a look of regret plastered on her face "I just…" she took in short and rapid breath "...we can't have something like that so close."
An impasse it seemed...
Android and human stared at each other both unwilling to budge.
"They actually helped us, you know…" Devola said suddenly "...when we were there I mean, there was a machine that was killing androids inside the theater…"
She shook her head trying very hard not to remember the state her fellow androids were in by the time they reached it.
"...they told us about it beforehand and to be careful around it."
White swiveled her head towards the other android, her glare deepening "So there are violent machines there."
Devola rolled her eyes "That's not what I…"
The commander interrupted her by raising her hand "It doesn't matter…" the woman sighed, rubbing her temple as if nursing a headache "...I'll be keeping the region monitored, if we get an inkling of violent behavior…"
She let her words trail off as she stared directly across, at the man in front of her who simply nodded in gratitude.
White let out a deep breath, her body sagging slightly in her seat.
This hadn't been easy and having to be confrontational towards a human took a lot more out of her than she thought it would, she didn't want to be at odds with him, it was a difficult weight to keep a hold on but it was her mission… only she could it.
Oh well, unto other matters… she had a surprise to give after all.
"Well…" White started with a tired-sounding voice "...now that that's done, I believe I have something else to show you."
She stood up and walked off to the side going past Popola into the rightmost corner of the tent.
There on the ground something, or rather someone was hidden below a blanket of sorts the woman gripped it and pulled…
The twins gasped in unison…
There splayed on the ground rested a familiar face, though far more broken than it should ever be.
Shirou stood up and walked slowly towards the body, that impossible image getting burned into his mind.
He kneeled and with a shaky hand he touched her cheek.
"It's a machine…" he said breathlessly.
"Why does it look like me." Devola said in utter disgust her face set into a snarl while Popola simply looked to the side unwilling to watch any further.
"We found it underground, it seems there was a spaceship below us all along…" White explained in a professional tone "...everything was already dead for quite a long time, that thing seems quite new though."
Shirou moved the machine's head to the side, as to not look into the mess of wires and broken down metal, her right side was completely destroyed "Nothing to worry huh." he murmured under his breath before sighing "Do we know why or how they did this."
White shook her head "No, we're still clearing debris from the spaceship, nothing of any real value has been found but no real threat either so I count this as a win, for now."
A win huh, while doing nothing but waiting for the other to make their move…
He gently caressed the machine's cheek…
If so... why was this machine still smiling as if victory was within its grasp.
(Castle)
She should've known…
Of course, somebody would be squatting here after she left it… empty.
"Emil good to see you again."
The machine wobbled around as fast as it could towards the hovering being.
"It hasn't been that long Pascal."
Emil grabbed its hand as the machine, now known as Pascal, shook it fiercely.
"Has it?" the alien lifeform asked its voice filled with merry "Sorry I just missed you… we all missed you."
It stopped after a while finally noticing the woman just to the side a bit away from the two.
"Who's that?"
Emil turned his head, his ever-grinning face peering down at her.
"Aaaah…" he voiced out nervously "...that's… a friend?"
Pascal's head tilted "I see…"
It let go of the hand and wobbled a bit further now standing right in front of the imposing woman.
"A friend of Emil's is a friend of mine." the being said as put his arm up for her to grab the same way Emil did.
She looked at it for a bit with a narrowed gaze, simmering with both anger and tiredness… after a while though she grabbed it forcefully.
Pascal's head dipped closer "I hope you won't cause any trouble for us…" he murmured only for her to hear "...our people have gone through a lot and we have no means, to defend ourselves if you want to kill us like you did the rest."
She gritted her teeth, her face set into a snarl…
So he knew, huh…
It didn't matter, not really.
"I'm not here to cause any trouble."
"So what are you here for?" it asked.
She looked down at the unblinking yellow eyes of her supposed enemy… rage and hatred came easy to her but this was far harder than any battle.
But she couldn't continue to live like she was…
She gripped the metal hand harder, almost enough to hurt…
...almost...
"I'm just here for a different perspective."
It's been a bit huh...
Well sorry about that, my life's kinda reached a new chapter, got a new job (a really good one) but haven't had the time to get into fanfic for the past 2 months, it's just been a bit hard to equate that little free time i have into writting don't worry though it's just a matter of getting into a routine i guess... anyhow hope you enjoy this one, it isn't the most exciting, it's just another building block for what eventually will happen later on into the story, hopefully everything works out and i can finish this fanfic by the end of the year. I'd say it has around 10-15 chapters left, depending on a few things, my objective is to finish before the year ends or early 2024 though considering how slow i've been in updating that's a pipe dream.
Oh well...
Next story is A wanderer, i had a chapter on my mind for a bit and i want to write it down before anything afterwards though it's going to be the return of a fake knight.
Thanks to Ivan Tridelan for all the help.
PS: please do review..