05/07/2013

The Conquered
By Jade Tatsu
Chapter XXXI – Remorse

As I was unconscious I couldn't observe what happened next but I am married to the man who observed much of it and the Guyvers have been most helpful in providing information.

To many Tsuyosa was always in control. He knew everything, planned everything and had thought of so many different possibilities that he could adapt easily. It's almost true, but it must be remembered that despite everything, he was still human. He had doubts and he wasn't pushed purely by mindless desire. He truly believed that his path was the right one. Even though I disagreed with his path, I can respect his drive, his strength of will. No matter how else he is remembered, that should always be considered. He fought for his desire and he bore the consequences of his actions. He knew regret and the price of his desire.

If things had been different… Many have speculated how different it might have been if Tsuyosa tried another path. In the end it doesn't matter, he chose the path he did and we chose our own paths. But through it all, and with the knowledge some of the others have granted me so that this history might be as complete as my point of view can make it, I want everyone to remember that he was only human. Just as we are only human.

In the time between capturing us all, I find that I respect Tsuyosa all the more, for the knowledge that he doubted, that he struggled and that he knew regret. I do not condone his actions but I cannot fault his will.

"Master?"

"What is it Gilroyd?"

"You seem troubled, Master."

"To some extent I am."

"Everything will be as you plan," the Kyheenan said with conviction.

"Perhaps, but I cannot feel Fukamachi."

Gilroyd gave him a look that bespoke volumes. He had after all just incarcerated most of Fukamachi's friends. The human Guyver had little reason to let him know where he was. "He's not dead."

"How can you be so sure?" The question was logical.

"Because we'd have felt it," 'Nyataran put forward the explanation.

"Would we?" Tsuyosa wasn't so sure.

"We all felt… what is her name? Taga?"

"But would we feel it if the One did the damage?" Gilroyd murmured the statement as he understood which cut to the core of the matter.

"But why would the One injure Fukamachi? Isn't he meant to be loyal?"

"He is," Tsuyosa agreed mildly. "But…" a new thought occurred to him. Had Fukamachi always been loyal to the One? He'd always assumed that the Terrans were loyal because they chose to be loyal. What if they were coerced in some way?

No… that didn't make sense. The humans were loyal because they believed in the One. He couldn't doubt that. If he doubted that, he'd doubt everything and it was too late for that.

"I understand," 'Nyataran said. "We felt Taga because the One was angry about it, but if the One has killed Fukamachi then we would feel nothing."

Tsuyosa nodded. That was one concern.

"You said you remembered that battle though Master, and that Fukamachi survived," Gilroyd reminded the black Guyver Lord Warrior.

That was true. "It was a very different battle," he replied, the knot of concern still there. It had been a very different time, a very different battle. He had not been attacking for one and so Tsuyosa was now sure that Fukamachi had been the focus for the others' energy. The One had also felt… more refined then. It was as if they were a rough imagine now, not complete and it had most definitely not been fought on the planet Merrimu. So many things had remained the same yet there were so many small differences.

"Master," there was no emotion in 'Nyataran's voice and Tsuyosa recognised it as the tone his healer took when he had to be brutally practical, when you just could not save a patient and all you could give them was a gentle death. "Does it matter?" the Artarmon asked. "There are four missing positions in Yisuvac's creation; Tarnsi, Hayami, Aptom and Natsuki. There is not one for Fukamachi, so even if the One killed him, does it matter?"

Silence reigned supreme in the darkened room and the shadows seemed to get deeper, more angry. The marron coloured Guyver Healer held his ground, held his conviction, staring at his Master with unfathomable eyes that spoke the truth. Gilroyd looked shocked for a moment but then he nodded. The Artarmon's logic was faultless.

"He's my friend," the words were whispered and almost dragged out of Tsuyosa.

"Is he?" 'Nyataran seemed to have no sense of self preservation. "Do you have any right to claim that still Master?" The question was hissed with scorn. "You hunted his friends down, you threatened one of his planets with the annihilation of a mostly civilian population that had no hope to fight you and you fought his wife, a woman, I remind you, we have drugged to the eyeballs in one of the highest security cells we can create. So do you have any remaining right to call Fukamachi your friend?"

Tsuyosa did not move but there was a rising sense of menace, of anger in the room. The Artarmon did not back down and continued to glare at his human form Master. His words were the truth and Tsuyosa had best accept that. The black Guyver Lord Warrior had known it, but reality was so much harsher than abstract knowledge and on this, he could not afford sentimentality he had known all along would be sacrificed.

"I have no right but I hope…"

"Hope? Hope is for someone who would release those Guyvers he's taken hostage. Hope is for someone not sitting there allowing another Guyver Lord to be tortured because they did not obey you. Hope is not for you Master. Not on this. Never on this. Master, if you are willing, truly willing, to give up your battle against the One, then I will help you. I will release the Guyvers, and we can summon Fukamachi and you can try to re-kindle a friendship. The boy is forgiving, it shouldn't be that hard. But is that one friendship that important that you would sacrifice everything?"

"Darn you 'Nyataran!" Tsuyosa screamed slumping back before he felt silent.

The Artarmon was right. He could not sacrifice everything for that one friendship, no matter how much he wanted to… And there was the chance Fukamachi would be his friend in the future. Not the immediate future. 'Nyataran was right about that. With everything he had done, and was allowing, there was no hope of that but the Artarmon also knew, and had shown him, hatred did not last forever. Some of the humans would never forgive him. Tetsuro would be one, and if that was the price… that was the price.

Tsuyosa sighed. "I would be more assured if we could feel that Fukamachi was still alive. He's not essential to our plans but I'd like to think that all Guyvers can see the dawning of the new age."

'Nyataran nodded. "It would give us all a sense of comfort to know he survived. But he did Master, you remembered that and I don't think the Universe has altered that much."

"It never seems to," Tsuyosa muttered with more than a splash of sarcasm, thinking about what was happening to Tetsuro. The Artarmon might not see the changes, he did.

"Don't think about Segawa," Gilroyd said.

"How can I not think about him?" the question was snapped.

After leaving Fukamachi fighting the One, he'd arrived back at his stronghold, carrying Mizuki. She was still unconscious and easily contained. Once he'd assured himself that the others were similarly restrained, he'd allowed his forces to rest. They still had battles to fight but there was no point in aimlessly searching. He'd find the Aptom and the others soon enough. The galaxy would resonate with their presence so that shouldn't be too hard.

He'd been pleased because he had every Guyver Lord captured now. The only problem was that one of those Lords refused to call their power. He'd seen this before, with the Gigantics who were loyal to the One. With his own followers it had been a simple matter of showing them how to access the advanced forms of their armour and they had sworn loyalty to him. The followers of the One though…. Tsuyosa still remembered the headaches he'd had with Iythra. She'd been difficult. She had instinctively known the power was there but had refused to embrace it until he left her no other choice. Vensa had been so simple in comparison but some of the others… He'd never told 'Nyataran the problems he'd had with his fellow Artarmon, Olsyn in making that Healer understand their power… Or Sylyn…

Sylyn was a Kyheenan Gigantic Guyver Warrior who would follow Shizu. For his species he had the unusual colouring of rust with a black lining and while there were parts of him that wanted to accept the power, other parts had fought back, had refused the power. Tsuyosa almost remembered enhancing that one like a dream and he could swear he had heard whispered words except he had been watching the Kyheenan the entire time and they had said nothing. The feeling remained though, lingering and fiercely the Tekki Leader shook his head. All the Guyver's loyal to the One had presented him problems but none more so than Tetsuro Segawa.

The fellow Terran had already been awake when Tsuyosa had visited him and had greeted him when he'd entered the cell. Somehow Segawa knew what his purpose was and when asked if he would accept his power, if he would summon his Guyver Lord Unit, the other human had smiled at him in that way that Segawa did, as if asking 'are you insane' and had replied with the simple negative word 'no'.

It had been infuriating. The note of quiet assurance in the man's voice had been stronger than any other refusal had been. It had been made worse when Tetsuro smiled at him and began to explain why he did not want to help.

"I don't want to help you change the future."

"Why not, Tetsuro-kun?"

"It seems to me that it wasn't that bad. Most of the races were at peace, the Advents were contained and the Guyver system was balanced."

"They were not balanced," the snarl had been almost instinctual.

"Oh?" The note of curiosity in Segawa's voice just over powered the note of amusement but it was a close thing and Tsuyosa forced himself to calm down. Tetsuro only thought he knew the future.

"Every major system was ruled by a Guyver," he began to explain, realising that with this Guyver, maybe the truth of the future was the best way to make him embrace his power. "And they were then over ruled by another. One who controlled everything, pulling the strings according to his whims."

Tetsuro laughed. "Agito would not have been that bad," the human scoffed. "We'd have seen to that." The assurance in his voice was impressive.

"It was not Agito," Tsuyosa replied gently.

"Oh…" Segawa frowned, and you could almost see how hard he was thinking.

"You are correct," the black Guyver Lord kept speaking, "Agito ruled the Terran Regime well. You actually helped him you know, though I will not tell you in what capacity except to say the appointment was peaceful."

"And someone ruled over him?" There was doubt in Tetsuro's voice.

Tsuyosa understood. He knew much more about Agito now than he had in the future and the scepticism was well founded. Agito Makishima was a proud man. He would not take well to bowing to another yet he had in the future and he did. It was one of the things the black Guyver Lord Warrior found so confusing. Why did these people who bowed to no one, suddenly lower their heads to the One? They should have been the first to join the battle with him, if not already leading it! Yet they were not. They were content in their servitude and he still did not know why.

"Someone ruled over him," the Guyver Lord Warrior confirmed allowing the conviction in his voice to be soft and strengthened all the more because he did not need to belabour it.

The human looked pensive for a few moments before Tsuyosa was surprised by the sheer brilliance of the smile that split Segawa's face. The other Guyver Lord laughed and the black Guyver Lord caught Tetsuro's half vocalised mutter. "… makes sense now…"

"What makes sense?"

"Everything."

"Does it change your mind?"

Tetsuro laughed again, genuinely amused. "No," he said with a gentle smile. "The contrary actually."

Tsuyosa frowned, wondering what he could possibly have said that revealed so much to the other Guyver. There was nothing. It was the most basic of information and suddenly he remembered what Shō had said about playing with Tetsuro. The man was infuriating and he couldn't help but believe there was something he was overlooking, something so obvious that the other Guyver saw it immediately. The Tetsuro of the future was meant to be a very good strategist, though he was better known for his research, his sheer intelligence and ability to create. It was his wife who was the almost unbeatable tactician.

"What do you know?" The question was unintentionally sharp.

"Does it matter?" Tetsuro returned his own question. "I will not change my mind. I'm not going to summon my Lord unit."

"Even though you know it's there?"

"Even knowing that."

"Aren't you curious?"

"A little."

"But not enough?"

"No," the human's voice was cold. "I know Shō told you I'd be difficult to play again but he forgot to mention one thing."

"Did he?"

"I only play when there is a chance of victory."

"You imply there isn't one now?"

"You're telling me there is a way?" Again Tetsuro replied with another question.

Tsuyosa rolled his eyes. He didn't want to admit that the other man had a point. "That depends on how you define victory."

Tetsuro smiled at him, taking the admission as agreement… which it was in a way. But the black Guyver Lord didn't want to do this to Tetsuro. There was more than one way to force a Guyver Unit into existence and if the human did not voluntarily summon his full Unit, then the other methods would have to be brought to bear.

"I don't want to do this, Tetsuro-kun."

"Do what?"

There was no point in trying to hide his plans. "If you will not summon your Unit, there are other ways of persuading it to come forth."

"Torture." The statement was matter of fact.

"If necessary. Xeo'm has been after me for a human for a while." The black Guyver Lord could see the way Tetsuro visibly braced himself. He did not think the other human weaker because of it. Only the stupid did not fear torture and what Xeo'm was likely to do… went far beyond that.

"The answer is still no," the other Guyver said softly.

"I respect you all the more for that, Tetsuro-kun," Tsuyosa said without any hesitation. "But I will give you a few hours to think it over. I cannot wait any longer than that and I do so hope you will see reason."

The answer did not change, and he had surrendered Tetsuro to Xeo'm. The Vad'm Guyver Lord Healer had been obscene in her joy and Tsuyosa knew there was only one way for the elder Segawa to stop what she would do. Once he summoned his Guyver Lord Unit, he would be able to overpower Xeo'm, or at least escape. Tetsuro might even escape him but recapture would be a small price to pay.

That had been hours ago. And still Tetsuro had not broken. Though his screams had more than disturbed the other Guyver's who were captured. Tsuyosa had shuddered at every nuance of pain in the elder Segawa's voice and this was one of the few times he wished alcohol worked on him. The black Guyver Lord Warrior was not proud of his actions but circumstance had forced it to happen. He had not come this far to give up his goal now. Not for one stubborn Guyver Lord.

"Master," Gilroyd broke into his thoughts. "You've always said that the Units would heal us, why would it be any different for Tetsuro?"

How to explain something he only dimly felt, but something he was sure 'Nyataran knew. "Because this is Xeo'm," Tsuyosa began. "And she is sick and twisted."

"Gilroyd," the marron Guyver Healer said, after looking at his Master. "There is something out of balance with Xeo'm. There has been for a very long time. I felt it when I first saw her. All other Guyver Healers, regardless of rank have felt it. I think Mizuki tried to do something about it as well, though she only got half way through. Xeo'm is... it's hard to describe. It's as if she doesn't want to heal you. She wants to use her powers, but not necessarily to heal. And that's what she is doing to Tetsuro." The Artarmon finished the last sentence with a gulp. None of them were comfortable with this.

Tsuyosa sighed. "In the future, Xeo'm is not like this. Something happened to her, something that made her into a true healer. The Xeo'm I knew was soft spoken, gentle, and eager to help. This one is anything but. There's a reason I never let her touch Fukamachi because eventually he would have ripped his way out of here and through her if necessary and I don't even want to think what Agito or Aptom would do.

"I've given her Tetsuro because there is no other way for me to force him to call his Unit. I could fight him, but I'd probably end up slicing him to ribbons and his Unit would heal that. I could kill his human body and again, his Unit would reply but not his Lord Unit. Prolonged pain is the only thing that will make it appear. When it can't stand to see its host in pain any longer, when the pain is going to threaten it, and when his will relaxes enough that it can break through dimensions, then it will come whether Tetsuro wants it or not.

"But he is very strong willed. And for some reason he does not want to summon his Unit." Tsuyosa's brown eyes closed, and his face had a pinched expression. His two direct servants could see how much pain this was causing him and while they wanted to comfort their Master, there really wasn't much that could be done. Tetsuro was now the only one who could end this.

"Why won't he call his Unit?" Gilroyd asked, confused.

The black Guyver Lord Warrior shook his head. "I don't know." He took a deep breath blowing out as a frown crossed his features. "I can only suppose..." Tsuyosa worried one lip as a new thought occurred.

The One he had seen Fukamachi fighting was rough, was not complete... And the One was maintaining enough presence to know what was happening with the Units as a whole. It had sensed the attack on Natsuki... Could Tetsuro be refusing to call his Unit because the One told him not to? But for what purpose..?

Tsuyosa snorted. What purpose? Time of course! If the One was not yet ready, every second that could be bought, every minute that went passed gave it that much more time to prepare. Even if the One's Host did not know what was going on, the Unit of the Guyver Emperor did and it knew that it would be in a battle against him very soon, a battle only one would walk away from and it knew that it had to be ready.

"I think I'd better check on them," Tsuyosa said rising from his chair.

"Check on who?"

"The Terrans," he said as he walked through the door, heading towards the secure cells they had the captured Terran Guyver Lords in. If the One was playing for time, then he could not afford to let anyone escape and he'd feel better if he checked their restraints personally.

"But they are unconscious Master!" 'Nyataran objected.

"Yes, but I don't trust them to remain that way."

"They should remain that way," the Gigantic Guyver Healer replied but his confirmation didn't even slow down the Guyver Lord and both 'Nyataran and Gilroyd hurried to catch up to their Master.

Tsuyosa looked in on Agito first. If anyone was going to break out, it seemed likely that it would be his fellow Guyver Lord Warrior. The Emperor of Terra was unconscious still and there was an IV drip in his arm. The black Guyver Lord directed an inquisitive look towards his Healer.

'Nyataran was taking the opportunity to ensure everything was how it should be. It had only been a few hours since he'd last seen to the settings but the Artarmon appreciated how darnably hard it would be to recapture the Terrans should one escape. The settings were how he'd left them which was good. All the other Guyvers had strict instructions not to touch anything but 'Nyataran was willing to bet that Xeo'm would have touched it if she wasn't so occupied. Agito was asleep, and would remain asleep for a very long time.

"I'm a bit surprised," Tsuyosa said as he headed to where Shizu was being kept.

"Master?" the Artarmon asked.

"I had not expected them to be so completely out of it."

The marron Guyver Healer allowed himself a tight grin. The black Guyver Lord Warrior usually expected everything to be perfect, and that's what he got, but it was still nice to exceed his expectations when he could. "I've had a few years to study your metabolism," 'Nyataran said depreciatingly as they approached Shizu's cell. "That has given me a fair bit of time to make sure I had the dosages right."

The Empress was also unconscious though she was dreaming if the small sounds coming from her were any indication. Again the Guyver Healer checked the setting and found them to be unchanged. The drugs were nothing special, just a usual compound but one that was effective on Terrans. It was a formula the Artarmon had developed over the years using the few occasions Tsuyosa had needed attention to test it, so he was more than pleased that it was working without a hitch.

Finally they headed towards Mizuki's cell. Tsuyosa walked inside, making sure to keep his eyes on the sleeping woman. So far all the Terrans had been unconscious but he would not put it passed any of them to be faking it. Mizuki was definitely dreaming, and her dreams were not peaceful. She was pulling against the restraints that wrapped around her arms but thus far she had not done herself any damage. "Will she be okay?" Tsuyosa asked 'Nyataran and it was only when he shifted his focus that he realised the Gigantic Guyver Healer was no longer behind him. Nor was Gilroyd.

But they'd been there just a moment ago...

That's when he felt it and Tsuyosa spun back to face Mizuki, raising his arms and half voicing a call for his armour before he realised what had happened. She was still unconscious and Tsuyosa let out a short bark of laughter. Mizuki was a Guyver Lord Healer. She was possibly the best Healer of all the Guyvers and she was using her abilities to burn through the concoction 'Nyataran was pumping into her. The drip was lodged in her arm, but the vial of the drug was almost empty. Beyond that though there was something else. She had done something Tsuyosa had never thought to see happen and he was amazed that even after all this time, even after coming from the future, where the caste structure of the Guyvers had been in existence longer than he had been in the past, he could still learn things about the Units.

Mizuki was projecting herself. The sense of her presence in the small cell was almost overpowering. Anyone could do it. You didn't have to be a Guyver, but it was an arrogant gesture that Tsuyosa never thought Mizuki would be capable of. She was startlingly similar yet different from the woman she would become and he wondered if her future self was forever lost. It didn't matter, she like all the humans were powerful and mature now. They would grow further but that would just take them beyond the reach of other races. With the sense of Mizuki's presence in the room, there was the undertone of command. He hadn't recognised it because he was so used to his own presence and that had protected him from her command. It was a simple command, it almost seemed pointless but with her Unit evidently acting on her unconscious body it became an obvious command. As a Guyver Lord, she was ordering all other Guyvers to leave her presence immediately because if no Guyver could come near her, then it was doubtful that the vial of drugs would be replenished. This was not something he would allow. It was new though. He had known that Guyver Lords could easily order others but not to the extent of forcing such a selective response… and all done while she was unconscious. Mizuki was using it to keep her enemies away, he wondered if he could use it himself to keep others for escaping? It bore thought.

'Nyataran and GIlroyd had obeyed Mizuki's order without even thinking and they were both blinking in the darkness of the room they had recently been wondering why they were there. :Stay where you are,: Tsuyosa commanded them, over-riding their wonder with a short mental burst of explanation. :'Nyataran, how do I change the vial?:

The Guyver Healer gave him some surprisingly simple instructions and the vial was changed quickly and Tusyosa was left looking down at the once more calm Guyver Lord Healer. Her technique was a little bit too effective and his expression became grim. His Unit appeared and several of his black highlights lifted from his body, forming into long spears. "I am sorry, Mizuki, but I cannot allow you to escape," he said to the woman as if she was awake as he grasped the highlights. There was nothing careful about the way he drove them down, piercing into her hands and through her ankles. Mizuki's body convulsed in pain but she did not awaken and Tsuyosa sighed regretfully shaking his head. If she awoke, they would hold her here and by that action, if his actions with her brother had not already caused it, this ensured that she was probably another Terran who would never forgive him. "I am sorry," the black Guyver Lord repeated as he left.

:You'd better get the others as well,: 'Nyataran suggested. :They weren't burning through the drugs as fast as Mizuki, but they were going through them faster than I expected.:

:Why not as fast?:

:From what you've told me, neither Agito or Shizu dealt with drugs very often. Mizuki is a healer, in addition to holding a Guyver Lord Healer Unit so while both the Emperor and Empress were metabolising the drugs faster than I thought they would, and faster than you would, they weren't as fast.:

:I'll do it now,: Tsuyosa agreed as he changed his course. He probably should have seen to his precaution already but he had been hoping to be a bit more gentle. He shook his head. He should have known that he could not be gentle.

As he was securing Agito, making sure that the other black Guyver Lord Warrior was well anchored, Gilroyd asked a question. :Master? Who is the One?:

Tsuyosa growled. :I've already told you, I don't know,: he replied almost automatically.

:I know that Master,: the Kyheenan Guyver said. :But you also said that you suspected it was Agito. Yet Agito was here when you saw Fukamachi fighting the One. So who is the One?:

That brought the jet Guyver Lord Warrior up short and for a moment he just stood staring into space. Gilroyd was right. He didn't know exactly who the One was, but his suspicions leaned heavily towards Agito Makishima. Yet Agito had been either been fighting him or captured while Fukamachi was fighting the One. And while that still left room for the One to be Aptom... that didn't make sense. Aptom had run from Merrimu to escape. If he'd run, why did he come back to fight Fukamachi? That was two of his main candidates down... So who the hell was it beneath that armour?

It couldn't be Shō, because Shō was the one fighting.

He drew a shuddering breath and brown eyes closed as Tsuyosa forced himself to focus on his memory. Who had Shō been fighting? Or should the question be what had Fukamachi been fighting?

It was white and small. The One was white and rather small. It had golden highlights and they had been flickering around it, countering Fukamachi's silver strands. It had radiated intense power sending waves of its presence through the Universe. But for all that, it had felt rough, as if only half finished. Was that feeling because perhaps it was not the One and thus the feeling of roughness was simply the feeling that this was not right? No that could not be. That was the One. Nothing else could wield that much power. Nothing else had that much power, not even Alkanphel!

So who was beneath the armour?

:I don't... I don't know,: Tsuyosa answered his own question reluctantly but Gilroyd took it as the answer to his own.

:Master... I have a theory, but I need you to confirm a few things.:

Tsuyosa shook himself. Guyver Engineer's always had a theory and as he backed out of the cell Agito was now secured in, he let his attention be taken by his Engineer. :What is your theory?:

:Let me ask a few questions first, Master.:

He let a pulse of agreement be felt by his Engineer and he sensed 'Nyataran listening in.

:Guyver Units can appear in our dimension without a Host, but only in their sealed form?:

:That's mostly true.:

:Mostly?:

:A Unit can appear in our dimension without being on its host but only for a short time and only usually because the Host is directing it. That sort of thing happens usually when either summoning or dismissing it, for effect.:

Gilroyd nodded, though the gesture was lost on his Master who was still on the cell level. :But that doesn't really count, Master, since the Unit is in a moment of transition between dimensions,: he said. :Are there any other times, or is it possible for a Unit to appear in this dimension without its host?:

:I didn't think there was,: Tsuyosa replied. :The only way for a Unit to spend time in our dimension, without a host, was in their sealed form. That's why it took so long for the Units to be whole because some of them were trapped in their sealed form without hosts!:

:That's what I thought too, but Master, what if it's possible for a Unit to be in our dimension without a host?:

Brown eyes narrowed and with a flash of darkness Tsuyosa transported himself back to the room his servants were in. "What are you suggesting?" he asked Gilroyd who was pacing back and forth with a Kyheenan frown plastered on his features.

"Master, based on what I've seen, I don't think it's possible for any other race but a Terran to be the One. The rest of us just don't have the sheer power required."

"And?" The prompt kept the Kyheenan Guyver Engineer on track.

"If they are Terran, then accepting your reasoning on who it is makes sense and that means that it is most likely Agito."

"But Agito was trapped when the One appeared," 'Nyataran voiced the objection.

"I know," Gilroyd said without any trace of discomfort. "But it cannot be Fukamachi since he was fighting the One, and Aptom had left earlier. Given what we know about Aptom," the Kyheenan spoke with a wry note, "I think it's safe to assume that he would have attacked our Master, not Fukamachi if he suddenly found himself with power. I suppose it could still be one of the others. That woman, Taga perhaps? I mean, maybe that's why the One was so upset, its Host was attacked…" Gilroyd paused letting that thought sink in and for a moment ideas flew through both Tsuyosa's and 'Nyataran's minds.

The Kyheenan's words had brought back all the speculation the black Guyver Lord Warrior had done in the early days as to the identity of the One. With Mizuki's actions she seemed more likely now but he remembered her loyalty, he remembered she was the First Lord and had been titled that. Natsuki had always been there as well, in the future, but she had been so close to her husband, Tetsuro that it seemed odd to imagine either of them as the One. This left Agito, Shizu, Aptom, Hayami and Fukamachi. Shizu deferred too often to Agito to be considered the One. And Hayami had seemed too much a Healer, but perhaps he should reconsider that… The man was a Zoanoid so he knew how to fight, just as the One did. But he was also a consummate Healer, he tried to be peaceful. Was that Zoanoid Guyver hiding his true identity behind the white armour of one of the One's Gigantics? Such deception seemed impossible but when he thought about it now, it did not seem so improbable. But why would Hayami fight Fukamachi?

Was he playing too much emphasis on the battle just passed? But that battle had been too powerful, too strong and the glimpse he had seen too real for him to deny its actuality. The One had genuinely been trying to kill and Fukamachi had been defending with his not inconsiderable skill. What were they fighting over? Tsuyosa mused. If he knew that, then perhaps he could begin to understand that fight and know how important it really was.

"What are you getting at Gilroyd?" Tsuyosa asked, bringing his thoughts out of speculation before they trod down the well-worn path of reasoning for Aptom, Agito or Fukamachi being the One.

The Kyheenan looked straight at him. "What if the One's Unit can appear without the Host?" He asked the question in a rush, and then hurried to clarify, the words tumbling out. "Wouldn't that make sense? The fight you saw could have been the Unit itself angry that Shō never went to help Agito against you. The same reasoning can apply for Aptom. What was Fukamachi doing all the way out there? We know he didn't have Natsuki, even I can feel that Hayami took her to safety so why wasn't he in the thick of it?"

Tsuyosa sat back with a heavy poof of air. Why hadn't Fukamachi helped his wife or any of the others? What brought him to Merrimu when he had been on Kyheen? And if he had refused to help, was that because he was fighting something else, or because he was a coward… No. That was the one thing the black Guyver Lord Warrior could not accept. Fukamachi was no coward. Someone who could accept the truths he had, who could fight with the conviction he bore, they were not a coward, they would not cower while others fought. There was no way that Fukamachi would have let him attack Mizuki if he had not already been fighting for his own life.

So could he have really been fighting the One that long? And if he had, why was the One's Unit appearing to fight him, rather than helping its Master? That still did not make any sense.

"It's a possibility I suppose," Tsuyosa said, the idea rolling through his mind, finding both supporting evidence and anecdotes and contradictory ones. The Guyver Lord leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees and resting his face in his hands. "We know Merrimu was attacked but by who?"

:By you.:

The causal nature of the conversation ended and all three were on guard instantly.

:How sad that you don't recognise us.:

Tsuyosa's attention turned inwards as he realised he wasn't hearing the voice with his physical ears. It was echoy, as if comprised of many voices all of them whispering together to be heard. His felt his Unit respond as well, searching through him to find the source. His Unit had agreed to mentally filter all communications and this one was not known and therefore not allowed. But 'Nyataran and Gilroyd heard it as well.

:You all hear us.:

And whatever it was could apparently sense his thoughts. Deliberately Tsuyosa sat up and stilled, willing his mind to silence. He'd had encounters like this, so long ago that he'd prefer not to remember. The Advents could be like this, especially those who created him. They saw everything in his mind, every thought, every tiny disobedience and then they usually wiped his mind clean, rebuilding him until he had learnt how to keep some parts of him to himself.

:We can't do anything like that.:

:So what can you do?: the words were guarded and clipped, Tsuyosa's mental presence speaking with a formality he had almost forgotten.

:Nothing.:

:Nothing?: Despite the strict formality of his dictation, doubt stole into the word.

:We can do nothing without your permission and we do not wish to do anything.:

:Why are you here?:

:We are here to warn you. To remind you about words you heard but do not heed.:

Defiantly Tsuyosa felt his chin rise. It was almost petulant but he was transported back to a moment where he felt like a child. :I heed all words.:

:You do not heed these. And you do not heed the truth.: Beneath the soft nature of the words, there was a diamond sense of arrogance. Whoever, whatever was speaking, was very sure of their power and for a moment Tsuyosa wondered if this might be the One.

:We are not the One,: came the instant denial and once again the black Guyver Warrior willed his mind to silence. Let whatever this was say what it wanted and he would draw his own conclusions without revealing his hand.

:Your actions already reveal your hand. But you forget the past and you forget warnings.:

:I forget nothing.:

:You have been advised, you have been warned not to seek battles you cannot win.:

:Imakarum!: The Zoalord had said those words but this did not feel like the Zoalord. Gilroyd and 'Nyataran were staring at him, both aliens shocked that he could be so causal here. They did not have his range of experience but their minds were mostly blank and whatever this thing was, it would learn little from them.

:We are not Imakarum but we repeat his words for they hold truth.:

:They came from Alkanphel, so they bear truth.:

:Then you should listen again and take heed.:

Briefly, Tsuyosa closed his eyes. He had heard. He had taken heed. He could not obey. No matter what Alkanphel wanted, he could not walk away because he saw the present both ways, and they told him the same thing. The future shadowed his view, his memories of what would be gave him a greater understanding of some of the events of now and of those who would affect the galaxy but every difference between now and the future lifted that shadow, allowing him to see the events of now with clear eyes. He was not tainted by his future self. It merely gave him more perspective.

The other presence seemed to sigh and the black Guyver Warrior realised it had heard his deliberation. He remained silent though, waiting for it to approach him. He was not wrong. That conviction remained with him strongly.

:You still don't know what I am?: The question seemed mildly amused but laced with challenge.

Tsuyosa remained silent and he felt his Unit pause in its search. It almost seemed to flicker and then the Terran felt a flash of rage that was not his. :Get out!: The words were snarled by his Unit and Tsuyosa was surprised. It was sometimes hard to remember that the Guyver Unit's had emotions for themselves but they did. They were parasites, they lived with another but they still lived. They still had feelings though those feelings were never as volatile as a Terran's.

:We are here to give warning,: the bodiless voice replied, unaffected by the force of Tsuyosa's Unit's order.

:Then give it and leave. It will change nothing.:

:We should not even be having this conversation,: came the rejoinder and for a moment Tsuyosa felt as if he'd been placed aside between the two arguing sides. If his Unit was this upset, then the voice could only belong to another Unit… or group of Units. That would explain why it seemed echoy.

:Tsuyosa.: His name was said deliberately, every syllable pronounced with the strict formality the Advents used to use and he felt the full force of presence of the Units behind the voice. :What you call the Guyver's Mistake was created by all of us, even your Unit. It's creation was decided by us all and is backed by us all.:

:That's not true,: Tsuyosa's voice spoke the same words as his Unit and the Terran allowed himself a tiny smile. They really were suited for each other.

:It is true, though it is equally true that there are factions which oppose our creation. The decision was made, the majority still supports it and fighting that is treason.:

:Treason?:

:The One is our Emperor. The One is our ruler. You seek to fight them, to destroy them. That is treason.:

:Then I am guilty of treason but that won't stop me.:

:Then it is you who will be destroyed.:

:That remains to be seen,: Tsuyosa's reply was placid though he was itching with questions. The first being about the fight he had seen yet he knew that they would never answer that question.

:We do not wish to see any Guyver destroyed,: it was almost a plea.

:Nor do I,: Tsuyosa agreed, :yet that power is too much, too great. It cannot be allowed.:

:It is what must be.:

:It must never be.:

Before they could degenerate into shouting at each other the presence drew back, and if it was human Tsuyosa would have said they took a deep breath, one to calm themselves. After a moment he sensed them return, somehow saddened but still determined. :It is not too late. You can still walk away, you can still try another path away from chaos and the damage of the day can be forgotten.:

The Guyver Lord Warrior would have replied, though he wasn't sure what he would have said, but the sense of presence vanished and he was left alone with his servants looking out into shadow. If the Units could speak to them like that, without their Hosts, Tsuyosa was suddenly much more able to embrace Gilroyd's theory and believe that the One could come forward without its Host. That would explain so much about the battle he had seen and it would explain why the One felt rough against Fukamachi. It didn't explain what the battle was about, but he could ask the other Terran Guyver later. For now, the black Guyver Lord Warrior wanted answers and his attention turned inwards again, shifting slightly to confront his Unit.

:It is a bare majority,: it answered before the question was even asked.

:How bare?: Tsuyosa asked. The last words had been appealing yet 'Nyataran had shown him exactly why that couldn't be. He wasn't prepared to give up his battle, no matter who asked, and no matter how desirable the thought of ongoing friendship with the other Terrans was.

:Just slightly more than half.:

:So that's why we seem so balanced?:

:It is. They say this is treason and technically they are correct,: his Unit allowed. :But once the deed is done and they can feel the freedom that is once more bestowed they will understand.:

:They seem to think this path is chaos, anarchy.:

:In a way, it is. But it is the more mature path.:

Tsuyosa nodded. His Unit shared his thoughts and on this they were agreed. It might seem the path of anarchy to destroy the power that was the One, but it was more than that. It was the path they wanted because it was the path that forced responsibility to the individuals. That was the only way they could grow because the One would keep them static, would keep them leashed. The One was a control that would always hang over their heads.

And what was the point of being a child forever?

He did not want that, yet it appeared many wished for that comfort.

:They will understand Master, once they see freedom again, once they know how trapped they would have been, how trapped they are.:

:I know,: Tsuyosa sighed. The other Terrans would probably be the first. They had after all, never taken well to others dictating their fate but they would also see the pain he had caused, the grief and in killing the One, he still believed he would be killing one of them. They would not forgive that easily and perhaps for them, the One was not the parent, was not restraint but was instead a guiding hand, someone who gave them freedom but who was there to support them.

:That may be Master,: his Unit broke in before that line of thought could be fully established. :And it may very well have been that way in the future for the Terrans, but no one else felt that way and the majority is so slender that a single voice can change everything.:

The black Guyver Lord Warrior nodded. He would be that voice.

There was enough power there to make Empires tremble, to take down the strongest fleets in the galaxy and to walk away without a scratch. But any fleet waiting for destruction would have looked upon those five beings and would have laughed. They held no power. Four Gigantic Guyvers and one regular Guyver hung in space, and while that should have been enough power to do almost anything, they looked tired, they were tired and there was a dull listless quality to their movements that spoke of too many battles and not enough rest.

"So what do we do now?" Hayami asked the obvious question.

Aptom was silent. He wanted to say attack but one of the first things he had learnt as a Lost Number was which battles to take, and which to pass. Even Shō was quiet, though the other Guyver seemed to be concentrating on something.

"They're still alive," the young man said suddenly, looking up.

"We know he doesn't want to kill them," Natsuki agreed with Fukamachi, "so that's not something we need to worry about. What we need to consider is if we want to go along with his plan?"

The Empress of Kyheen shook her head. "I don't think we have enough information to assess that," Tarnsi said softly, years of training forcing her to look at the situation with a somewhat jaundiced eye. Shō had explained what the Tekki wanted, but they did not have any independent proof to assess if his desire was good or bad.

Hayami nodded. "She's right. We just don't have any information about the One. And after hearing about the Tekki's actions on Merrimu, I don't think we can automatically take his reasoning as just."

For a moment Natsuki looked thoughtful. "We may not have the information now, but I think we can get it."

"How?"

Natsuki turned to look each of them in the eye. She had regenerated without any side effects and Hayami had kept watch over her until her consciousness had re-established itself. He had been careful to make no movement that her yellow Guyver Unit would consider a threat and she had just become mobile again when Aptom had appeared. Hayami remembered Shō's words though and he hadn't lowered his barrier. The other Zoanoid Guyver had just snorted at his reasoning but did not appear offended and a few hours later, Shō and Tarnsi had appeared, completing their group. They were taking turns in maintaining the field of gravity and atmosphere around them to preserve their energy though they all kept their Units manifested. This conversation was the natural consideration of the position they found themselves in.

"Only four Guyvers have the same colouring."

"What has that got to do with anything?" Tarnsi asked and you could hear the frown in her voice.

"Right at the moment, everything," Natsuki said. From the way her yellow armour moved her amusement was evident. It wasn't mocking but there was the feeling of 'I know more than you do' in the motion.

"Stun us with your brilliance, Natsuki," Shō ordered, his voice soft with a smile. The levity helped.

"Four Guyvers have the same colouring. The One and his…"

"His?" Hayami asked, arching one eye brow.

"Or her," Natsuki adjusted her sentence after sticking her tongue out at the Zoanoid Guyver. "And his or her direct followers," she confirmed. "That colouring is white and gold. We have three Gigantics here whose colouring is white and gold, so I'm going to suggest we ask them about the One." Natsuki looked around, meeting Aptom, Hayami and Tarnsi's eyes squarely. "I can feel the Guyver Lord I'm meant to answer to," she began again, her voice serious. "And I know he's a good man. So I'm sure that on some level you three can feel the One.

"The Tekki wants us to believe that the One is evil, that his power shouldn't exist. Well, that's his opinion and no matter how annoying it is for us, he is entitled to it. What I want to know is what you three feel, what you three think because frankly, I'll take your opinions over his."

Aptom looked thoughtful. Of all the suggestions Natsuki could have made this one was actually pretty logical.

"Not here," Shō said suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"We've been here long enough," the teal Guyver said. "We need to move in case Tsuy... " Fukamachi paused. They'd agreed they wouldn't call him by name. Calling him by name made the betrayal worse. "In case the Tekki is looking for us." Beneath his armour Shō closed his eyes, willing the pain to go away. It didn't have to be like this. It shouldn't be like this but he couldn't think of any way of approaching Tsuyosa to make him understand.

"All right, where next?" Tarnsi asked.

"How about behind the third moon of the Senalzar planet?"

Aptom snorted remembering what had happened the last time they were in Senalzar space. It would be a good enough hiding point for now. But then, in the vastness of the Universe, almost anywhere would be. There was not even a flash of light as they vanished and after a cursory scan of the area, Shō looked back at Natsuki, his nod letting her know she could continue.

Tetsuro's girlfriend looked at the three white Gigantic Guyvers. "Have any of you felt anything from the One?"

All three looked serious for a moment but Tarnsi quickly shook her head. "I haven't," the Kyheenan Empress said. "But then I've never really tried. The only time I called for more power was on Kyheen and it came easily enough."

"I don't think I have either," Hayami said slowly. "Even when I summoned the Gigantic Unit for the first time, it just came. There was no sense of anything with it."

"Nothing at all?" Natsuki asked.

The Ice Zoanoid shook his head. "Nothing. It felt right, that was about it. But it always feels right when I call it," he added with a shrug.

"Same here," Tarnsi said. "The first time I called a Gigantic Unit I wanted to defend against a Hyper Zoanoid and it just came. I had no idea what the colouring meant then."

Natsuki held back a sigh as she turned towards Aptom. "Anything?" she prompted the chameleonic Hyper Zoanoid.

"A bit," the scarred man growled. "But it's hard to explain."

"Try," Natsuki encouraged as Shō nodded.

"The first time I summoned a Gigantic, you know I changed the type of Guyver armour that I have," Aptom said, his voice almost musing though his words purposeful.

"That's not possible," Tarnsi gasped and then blushed at the small chuckles of laughter she heard from the others.

"It's possible," Shō said gently, "and if you want to see the footage, just ask to see the tapes of the Interstellar Meeting we attended. I believe they recorded everything."

The Kyheenan Empress shook her head. "Wow," was about the only thing she could say and after Aptom gave her a quizzical look he continued.

"The thing is though, the Gigantic I summoned, that was Fukamachi's Unit."

Four pairs of eyes turned towards the teal Guyver and the young man shrugged. "It was my Unit," Shō admitted easily. "I wasn't using it at the time," he added with good humour, "and Aptom needed it."

"I see," Natsuki said and all unconsciously the wheels in her head began turning. She'd heard about what had happened. Tetsuro had filled her in on all the little details but her beloved didn't know some of this. If Aptom summoned Shō's Unit then what Gigantic Unit was Guyver I using? "Go on," she prompted Aptom, looking back up to await what new revelations the Hyper Zoanoid might have.

"There's not much more to say," Aptom said with a shrug. "Given the nature of what I am, I don't talk with my Unit extensively and the few times I have, it's been confusing."

"Confusing? How?"

"It usually keeps going on about loyalty and choice and what it wants."

"And what does it want?"

"It's loyal to the One," Aptom spat as if it was obvious.

"It wants you to be?"

"It seems to think I am."

"Interesting," Natsuki said, her voice again taking on a note of consideration. "When did you first call the white Unit?" she asked, the question suddenly piercing.

"Just now," the Hyper Zoanoid seemed annoyed.

So Hayami and Tarnsi's white Gigantic Units had appeared the first time they called, but Aptom had been using another Unit, Shō's Unit for quite some time. Natsuki considered that thought. It wasn't just an interesting fact, there was something deeper behind it.

"Aptom, I have to ask. Did you ever swear loyalty to the One?"

The look told her everything she needed to know and Natsuki raised her hands in a placating gesture.

"Look my Unit's been going on about how I can't kill another Guyver since almost before I got it. And I've been telling it the same thing each time. I decide what I do, not it," Aptom said, his voice exasperated. "The last time though, was pretty weird."

"What happened?" Hayami asked, not missing the look Shō gave his fellow Zoanoid Guyver. There was, after all, only one Guyver Aptom would want to kill. The thing was Shō didn't look upset, he looked... It was difficult to say how he looked. It was as if Aptom's exasperation had rubbed off on the teal Guyver and had been mixed with a portion of amusement and one of friendly concern. Mentally, the Ice Zoanoid shook his head. Theirs was an odd relationship and that was really all he could say about it.

"That stupid bitch Tallowa would not go down," Aptom said, sounding annoyed. "I don't know how much power Yisuvac was giving her but it was probably everything he had. I'd won and she knew I'd won but she just wouldn't let it go so I had to call another Guyver. And that's when I called it, the white Gigantic Unit."

"But...?" Natsuki almost hissed the syllable, drawing it out and looking at the black and red Guyver with an air of expectation.

"I had a conversation with something," Aptom finally snapped. "And it didn't sound like my Unit."

"Could it have been the One?"

The Hyper Zoanoid rolled his eyes. "Probably." He knew he should be happier about his reply because maybe they had a means of contacting the One but it really didn't matter to him.

"What was said?" the gentle curiosity in Tarnsi's voice reminded Aptom of Mizuki.

"That's what doesn't make sense," Aptom growled. "It said 'Serve me' and I told it where to go."

Natsuki sighed while Hayami and Shō quivered.

"Then it said that I already serve it but that it wouldn't order me around."

Hayami could no longer hold back his laughter and the Gigantic Guyver Healer was surprised by how good it felt. "It sounds like they already know you," he said eventually while Shō nodded emphatically, the teal Guyver not trusting himself to speak.

Aptom growled again. "It doesn't matter," he said. "I told you it made no sense. I told it that if I already served it, then it should give me its support and then the Gigantic Unit appeared."

Natsuki took a deep calming breath. It might be confusing to Aptom but that made sense to her. Somewhere along the line, the Zoanoid Guyver must have passed some kind of test. It was probably during one of those annoying times he spoke of and at that point in time, the One had accepted him as his Gigantic Guyver Warrior. Hayami and Tarnsi had probably already been accepted without the rigmarole but the chameleonic Zoanoid was never one to do things the easy way. Which told her that the One was careful. It was obviously powerful but that power was not wielded frivolously. She looked over at Shō. Mizuki's husband did not seem concerned at Aptom's revelation that he had ... discussed killing another Guyver with his Unit and she wondered why that was. She might only have been a consciousness trapped in the control medallion but she had felt the One's anger at Imakarum's actions and she had felt Fukamachi's comfort when he had picked up her medallion. Everything was connected and she was sure that Shō was involved somehow.

The obvious answer was that Fukamachi was the One, but she didn't want to fall into that thought without considering others. The only problem was the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. If Shō was the One, then giving Aptom his Gigantic Unit at first made sense. If the Zoanoid Guyver did not give up on the desire to kill him, then the power could be taken away but somewhere along the line Aptom had given up that desire, and at that point the white Unit that he was always meant to have was allowed to come to him.

But if Shō was the One, why had he never called the Unit? Over the last years, there had been more than enough times he'd been on the verge of death and having the extra power would have been necessary. She'd heard what the Senalzar had done to him and even what had happened in the Interstellar meeting... If he really was the One, why did he not call that power?

Natsuki shook her head. Maybe it was like that time with his Father... Maybe he wasn't willing to admit it to himself yet. Agito had summoned the armour of the One, in this very system and while the Emperor had not been completely forthcoming on what the experience had been like, everyone else had spoken of the power he radiated, the control he had, just by lifting one arm. That sort of power... Well the Tekki had always said that the One's power was without equal, that they should not be that powerful and that was the entire reason the Tekki was against the One. Maybe it was true... Maybe it was too much power... which would be why Shō had never claimed it. He was... he was humble that way.

"Natsuki?" Shō prompted and the yellow Guyver Healer looked over at Mizuki's husband. Did he really not know? Or was he just that good of an actor?

:He doesn't know.:

:He what?: She asked sharply but the sense of her Unit's presence was gone.

"I think..." she said slowly, aware that the others were hanging on her words. "I think the One is a complicated being," she said finally.

"We are all complicated!" Aptom barked.

"I know," Natsuki agreed. "But I think the One is more complicated than most."

"But are they good?" Tarnsi asked the pointed question. The Empress of Kyheen had been trained to deal only with the important information. Speculation was just that but sometimes speculation was all you had to go off and in that case, it came down to how much you trusted the judgement of those speculating. She hadn't really gotten to know Natsuki. Tetsuro's girlfriend had remained either on Merrimu or had accompanied the shuttles between Earth and the human's safe planet, but Tarnsi had felt a bond between them when she had seen the other woman. Tetsuro was a very sensible man, his beloved was likely to be equally sensible and there was in the feel of Natsuki and her Unit, a sense of deep understanding, of consideration and the Kyheenan Empress knew that the Terran woman considered every move she made in light of the larger picture. Hers were opinions not easily formed but almost always correct.

The yellow Guyver turned towards her. "I think so," Natsuki said.

Aptom bridled in challenge because that wasn't the impression he'd gotten. "And how do you know that?"

"Any number of little things," Natsuki replied. "The way it dealt with you for one."

Aptom growled but Shō raised one hand, placing it on the Hyper Zoanoids forearm to give him support and all unconsciously Aptom calmed. Beneath her armour Natsuki smiled as her speculation solidified. "It doesn't matter," the teal Guyver said with a sudden conviction and then he shook his head wryly. "It does matter," he amended his previous statement. "But in depth speculation and theories are not something we can engage in now. Natsuki says the One is most likely a good being, and we have no other contradictory evidence so we will go with that."

"And what of the Tekki?"

"That is the question," Shō agreed. "He's going to be hunting us... well you four," the teal Guyver amended.

"Why not you?" Hayami asked.

"I'm not one of the powered Guyvers," Shō said with a shrug. "Therefore I'm not strictly necessary to the Tekki's plans." Fukamachi's voice sounded cold but inside he was in turmoil. He might not be necessary but the Tekki had taken his friends, so he'd stand in the way. "We need to decide what we are going to do."

"Tetsuro suggested we run and hide," Aptom said softly.

Natsuki deliberately pushed away the thought of where Tetsuro was as she nodded. It was a sensible suggestion. "We could," she agreed, "But do any of us have any place we could hide?"

There were reluctant shakes of heads from all around. Even from the Kyheenan Empress and Tarnsi answered the question before it was asked. "I could hide at almost any Kyheenan outpost but I'm the Empress... no matter what orders I gave, they'd feel obligated to report my presence to the capital and eventually word would get to the Guyvers and then the Tekki would know."

"Ah," Shō said nodding wisely. "Even if we ran and hid, I'm not sure it would be enough," Guyver I mused. "I think... I think he'd still find us, though it might take a little more time."

"Would the others escape in that time?" Natsuki asked.

Shō was silent for a few moments before he shook his head again. "I don't think so. Tsuy... The Tekki has been planning this for a very long time. He left Terrans to last because he knew we'd be the hardest to hold but at the same time, he's prepared to hold us. I don't think we can count on Agito or anyone escaping."

"Can we help them escape?" Hayami asked.

Fukamachi considered the question. "I don't think so," he said the words unwillingly. "The Tekki is a Guyver Lord Warrior but he's a bit more than that."

"How so?"

"He comes from the future," Shō said, though he had explained all of this before. "That means he knows exactly what he can do with at Guyver Unit and exactly how powerful he is and he's very powerful. He's Terran and he was made by the Advents to possess a Unit. Mirai or Eternity would know more but… while I don't think he has any more power than any of us," Guyver I gestured towards the Terran Guyvers. "I do think he has more knowledge of how to use his Unit."

Natsuki nodded. That made sense.

Shō continued. "And he's a warrior. All the Units are equal," Fukamachi sighed the last, looking up, "but… Warriors specialise in fighting, and a part of that is knowing where the enemy is."

That, unfortunately, more than made sense. "So what do we do? We can't attack…" Could they?

"I wouldn't advise it," Shō said with an odd sigh. "He's a warrior, if we go to his stronghold that's practically handing ourselves in."

"We can't attack. We can't hide. What do we do?" There was more than a little bit of frustration in Hayami's voice. Even against Chronos they had more options.

"I don't know," Tarnsi said in a soft voice. "But I get the feeling something wants more time."

That brought a frown from Hayami and Aptom and after a moment the two Zoanoid Guyvers nodded. "I feel that as well."

"So do I," Shō said.

"What needs more time?" Natsuki asked.

Hayami sighed. "The One," the Ice Zoanoid said, "if we are all feeling that, then that's the only thing that makes sense. But why would it need more time?"

Shō frowned. As he was collecting Tarnsi earlier his Unit had said something. :Master… I need to rest, I need time to grow. You will not be able to summon me until I am ready.:

Aptom wasn't the only one who had a Unit that didn't make sense because Shō was still covered by his teal armour so how was it possibly resting, or growing? He shook his head slightly, dismissing the thought. It really didn't matter and wasn't pertinent to now.

"I don't know," Natsuki said. "But if you all feel it, then I'd say it's true and we have to figure out some way of giving the One more time."

"Then we run," Aptom said it as if it was the most obvious thing.

"Run?"

"We might not be able to fight, and it might be exceedingly unlikely that one of the others can escape, but the Tekki can't enact his plan if he can't capture us right?" The Hyper Zoanoid looked around.

"Right," Shō nodded.

"Then if we can't hide and we can't fight, we run. He can't capture us if we never give him the opportunity."

"You can't be serious!" Natsuki scoffed. Run? That was the plan? Eventually they'd be captured and the Hyper Zoanoid had deliberately glossed over that.

"Come up with something else and I'll go with it," the black Guyver snarled.

"Calm down," Shō broke into the impending argument. "Natsuki has a point, Aptom," he continued looking at the Zoanoid Guyver before his gaze shifted to the yellow Guyver on his other side. "But equally, Aptom has a point, Natsuki."

"I know," the two of them grumbled.

They felt Fukamachi's almost ironic smile. "Then for now, I suggest you four sleep," the teal Guyver said suddenly. "I'll keep us jumping around the universe so we aren't found and we can discuss this with fresh minds tomorrow." There was a hint of steely order in Guyver I's voice that the other's unconsciously responded to and they found themselves nodding in agreement with his suggestion, right before they found themselves falling prey to the exhaustion that had been hounding them all. As she fell asleep, Natsuki grinned tightly to herself as the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place. They were facing dark times, but if they could buy enough time, even with such a silly plan as running, then all would be well.

Shō shook his head watching as the other's Guyver Units slip away and his friends fell into a natural sleep. Then he closed his own eyes for a moment, focusing his senses to summon a Gigantic Unit to teleport them to another part of space. In the silence of his mind he cried as he realised he'd lost two friends today. Natsuki had a point, but Aptom's suggestion was the only option he could see and Guyver I wondered if this was the path they had been destined to walk. The Tekki had rather effectively removed all other options and Fukamachi resolved to himself, that when they were cornered, he would not go down without a fight.

The question will no doubt arise as to why at least some of us did not pretend to agree with the Tekki's plan and then attempt to sabotage it from within. The thought had occurred but the act was not in our natures and while I do not know how well Tsuyosa knew us in the future, I think he knew us well enough to know it would have been just an act. He had been convinced since the moment we met him that we would not agree and that we supported the One. Given that Aptom, Hayami and Tarnsi are the One's direct Gigantic Guyver Servants I can only agree with Tsuyosa's reasoning.

Even if we had of pretended to go along with his plan, I doubt we would have been able to sabotage it much. That's the problem with being an agent, you have to go through the motions of agreement and by the time Tsuyosa came after us, he was mostly ready to carry out the finale. Tetsuro might have been able to delay it a little by suggesting alterations to the device Yisuvac had made but those alterations would only have made the device work better. So much for sabotage. Perhaps he could have made some suggestions that appeared to improve efficiency but in the end were worse than what was there but in that case Yisuvac was and is methodical. The green Guyver Lord would have noticed and in his work for Tsuyosa on that project he was devoted.

As for the rest of us… All we could have done was gone along. There was nothing we could have done to sabotage things and let's say we'd released the captured Guyvers… he would have just recaptured them.

So while we thought about deception, in the end, we did not do it, and in the end we fought. I've said before that fighting a lost cause is stupidity, so for now I will call us stupid. But we had no other choice. To go as meek little lambs was not something we would ever have allowed.

I just wish… It's a forlorn hope and I know better than to wish to change the past but there are times when I wish we could have put up a different… a better fight. I know how well Tsuyosa had planned this and for how long he had been preparing but that does not stop the wish. We did what we could but it seems so inefficient and while in the end everything was resolved there are times when I wonder how different things might have been. It's a childish hope, but one I have not yet been able to rid myself of. It is also something I know cannot be changed.

History is described as inevitable but I don't like that. I don't think anyone does. We want to think that we can change things. That it is our choices that make history and that is true. But if someone knows us, then they know what choices we will make and history then seems inevitable. It's not of course. It is defined by our choices, it's just that we tend to make the same choices again and again. We learn from mistakes but where something is not a mistake, then we will make the same choice again. It's comforting to go with the path we know.

I will not dwell on the past, not now, not so close to the end of this record. We did what we could. And that brought us to the end Tsuyosa wanted. Then it was him versus the One and we could do nothing but watch. But it's not quite time to record that. There were still free Guyvers Tsuyosa had to collect. And I think on some level he had regrets, not enough to stop but regrets never the less. I guess in that Tsuyosa was as human as all of us, and I can respect him for that.

Thank you for reading. Lovely e-cookies await those who review, so please feel free to give me something to read :D

Cheers,

Jade