Fan Fiction ❯ Forgotten Words ❯ Forgotten Words ( One-Shot )

Dominique McKay

LA, Period 3

11-8-02

Story Rough Draft #2

~*!Forgotten Words!*~

~*!Chapter One!*~

Today should have been like any other, but it wasn't. The air was so heavy the slim, winged Repliroid could feel it hanging from his lithe arms. Tendrils of some ancient power tried to capture him within their grasp, searching for the source of his strength. Aoi could practically see the pale blue tendrils of light snaking over his lean body, trying to slip beneath the plates of his armor.

There was a small grimace tugging at the corners of the rose pink curves of Aois' lips, and he sighed.

With the air so heavy on his body, it made it difficult for him to do anything, except stand around.

He tossed his head, and closed his emerald green eyes as the blue, gold strands of silken hair waved before his smooth, pale face.

A large, white wing extended from each shoulder blade, small metal platelets covering the feathers, giving them a metallic sheen, and a strange sharpness. His helmet tucked under one arm; he rested his delicate fingertips on his protruded hip and looked around again.

There wasn't much to look at, only the many smooth paneled doors with their coded locks that lined the creamy walls.

The locks were necessary for the Hunters to protect themselves.

Even at the Maverick Hunters Head Quarters, nothing was safe.

In the year of 21XX, there were many interesting people, `ploids, `bots, and…. others….

Others Aoi preferred not to think about, much less talk about. Especially the ones he had run into on his last mission.

The world today was strange and protected; fear was in every ones' hearts, and the main thought on the peoples' minds was to find shelter.

Cities were destroyed, and families killed by Repliroids affected by the Maverick virus.

Medics wore armor and had weapons to protect themselves if the Mavericks awakened.

Volunteers that cleaned up the messes were under strict protection by lower rank Hunters, but even then, they still wore armor.

Once a Repliroid contracted the virus into its' system, the computer virus would take hold, and turn the poor soul into a weapon of destruction.

They were then, called Mavericks.

Repliroids and humans signed up to help fight in the war against Sigma, the Commander that had created the deadly virus, and his troops of Mavericks.

More and more Repliroids were created by humans to become Hunters, the population was starting to swell.

But the scientists had become more reckless, not taking the time to upgrade the WILL chip placed inside all their creations, and this led to the constructs gaining power over them.

Nearly all the robots had all vanished from existence long before the Repliroids came in.

Repliroids were even more advanced; more capable to have feelings and their own thoughts, unlike robots relied on their Personality Matrix to control what they felt.

But, there was one small defect, almost for the better.

There was one robot, the most recently created by the Dr. Wily, who disobeyed all orders, reeked havoc, and followed on his own paths.

One, not to be named.

The Mavericks' also had personalities, that made them less dangerous than the `bots, but more powerful.

Others signed up as well, and went into training to be able to battle against these constructs of metal and blood, turned deadly and evil by the lethal disease.

Aoi had not signed up, he was activated, and the Hunters in the Seventeenth signed him up.

A magical being from the past years, a stranger with pointed ears, arcane symbols, and strange scars, Gate, a fellow scientist, had found Aoi a very interesting subject.

But the young Aoi remembered nothing of his past, and couldn't even remember his name, until something triggered the clouded expanses of his pain filled mind.

Aoi sighed again and looked around, trying to clear his mind of those thoughts.

When was the last time he'd gone out? It was so long ago he couldn't remember. Being on maternity leave wasn't very fun. It meant he could do nothing "straining," as X called it.

And what was even more ironic was that over half the things his lover considered "straining," weren't in his eyes.

Aoi sniffed a little, as he looked down at abnormal swelling of his midriff and looked back up at the ceiling, looking somewhat tired to anyone who happened to pass by.

Actually, someone did.

The taller `ploid was pacing down the hall when he spotted the pregnant form of Aoi, and he smiled, walking over to the younger one.

"So, Aoi…. How are you? How's your mom?"

The Red Robot smirked a little bit and chuckled, shrugging one angular shoulder when he noticed the stony look pass over Aois' young face.

"Ah, no offense intended, young'un…!"

Zero felt his widely grinning face slowly begin to collapse under the stress of the violet bots' glare.

"Uhm…."

The taller Reploid blinked as the younger one continued to glare unblinkingly, until Zero sighed and held up both his hands.

"Fine…. Fine…. I apologize…."

Aoi's glare didn't waver.

Zero rolled his eyes and lifted behind his head to curl his fingers around the smooth metal hilt of his Saber, and lifted it out of the container on his back.

He blinked his ultramarine eyes, turning a bright green color as the orbs of his eyes reflected the light of his Saber.

The beam hummed and crackled with energy as he lifted it to his own throat and pressed it very lightly against the neck of the black jumpsuit, rolling his eyes.

"I apologize from the bottom of my heart and soul, and let no words of offense be meant against you, and may anything I say be paid back in pain if I offend you again." He sighed and blinked over the beam of green light, squinting a little as he tried to make out the strong form of Aoi in front of him.

Aoi blinked his cool emerald eyes and nodded slowly, watching Zero drop the Saber from his throat.

Zero then slid it back into the silver container on his back, carefully avoiding the long gold ponytail that extended from beneath his helmet.

The violet `ploid nodded his head slowly and smiled unnervingly at Zero, with a great deal of feigned innocence; Aoi was as experienced as they came.

He then turned and started to walk slowly down the hallway, one gentle hand sliding over the wall as he did so.

The red Repliroid watched Aoi walk down the hall and glared after his retreating back, shifting his angular shoulder, hearing the shoulder plate click lightly against the corner of his chest plate.

Light bounced off the two large green orbs on his chest plate, one on either side of his chest, directly over each breastplate. He sighed a little and turned on his heel, walking down the hall, opposite the direction in which Aoi was heading.

Aoi whimpered as he lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, small flashes of pain spreading themselves over his body as he tried to remain still. He closed his eyes as a wave of darkness spread over his mind, making him moan and bite his lip to keep from crying out loud. The pain steadily increased from small flashes, to an all out blinding rage that made him toss back his head and scream, his voice rising into an almost beautiful crescendo that no one could hear; the walls were sound proof.

Actually, it has been his lovers' own idea, tired of strangers hearing odd noises from within the rooms, and paging the occupants to see if anything was wrong.

Aoi silently cursed X and screamed louder, hoping that someone would wonder where he'd gone.

There was a brilliant flash as Aoi shut his eyes, seeing the brightness through his eyelids.

The column of violet light funneled down from the ceiling, and then faded, leaving a dark figure in its' absence.

Aoi started to breathe a little faster, as he watched the newcomer look around the room, and then down at him; he knew the figure was staring directly at him, though its' eyes were hidden in shadows.

The darkness loomed up in his room, and slowly stretched out into a thick blanket of black.

The violet `ploid screamed again and tried to reach for his Saber, but couldn't reach it; the weight of his changing body and the extreme pain kept him down.

Another scream burst from his lips, this time joined with anger and fear; he could see the shadows merging into one tall figure, and he knew what the figure was there for.

A pair of glittering crimson eyes appeared out of the rising blackness, and then narrowed as a flash of white fangs appeared from beneath the ruby orbs.

There was a faint humming noise as a familiar energy ball formed inside the buster cannon as it was pointed directly at his chest, and Aoi stretched up one hand as if to ward off the attacker, but it was no use.

The energy blast caught Aoi in the chest, and ripped right through the chest plate, sending his life source, the blue gem in the center, to tumble into the air.

The warmth of his blood flowing from the hole blown through his chest made him gasp, but Aoi choked on the blood spurting over his lips.

White-hot pain raced along his body, as the darkness loomed over again, and everything faded away…

~*!Chapter Two!*~

X ran, and tripped, down the hallway, half blinded by the grief that formed artificial tears in his eyes, and made a knot in his throat. He swallowed; trying to clear the bulge in his throat, but found it would not clear away. Nearing closer to his lovers' room, he saw a few `ploids and helper `bots scuttling around, their feet making small splashing noises as they shifted their weight nervously.

Splashing….?

X roared throatily and charged down the hallway, rushing through the small crowd that was gathering at the door to Aoi's room.

He burst through the doorway and froze in shock, sliding through the dark liquid on the floor. His purple eyes widened in shock and hatred at the sight before him.

Aoi's limp body was stretched out on the bed; a gaping hole existed where his chest should've been. The scientist leaning over the bed was holding a small bundle in his arms, and when he turned after seeing X, the bundle moved.

X stared at the unmoving body of his beloved Aoi, and felt his mouth start to drop open, the artificial tears flowing freely from his eyes over his pale cheeks.

Dr. Cain sighed and straightened the tiny bundle in his arms, and slowly approached X, a small look of suspicion on his wrinkled face.

"X…" He muttered gruffly, having to clear his throat several times to get his message out.

"X…" The doctor repeated and motioned for the blue `bot to lower his head so they could talk easier.

The `ploid nodded slowly and obediently brought his head a little closer to the doctors.

Dr. Cain sighed deeply, cast one glance to the limp body of Aoi behind him on the bed, to the wrapped up bundle in his arms, and back up to X, and it was obvious to see he was thinking hard.

"X, you can see we have a problem…. I'm sorry that we couldn't help Aoi…. But…. We know now what's happened to him…. And why he's not responding…."

The scientist cast another wary eye over at the "dead" body and sighed.

"It seems," he said softly, "that a portal had opened into the MHHQ, or more specific, in this room itself. The intruder entered into our HQ via the portal, and found Aoi in the way…. You can obviously see how much in the way he was, too…."

X nodded slowly, choking a little around the lump still in his throat, and he started to cough.

The doctor gently thumped him on the back, and let his hand remain on X's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, X…. This has come as a great shock to you…. I didn't know you two were lovers…."

These words spoken, Dr. Cain remembered something and nodded, removing his hand from the rounded shoulder plate to lift up the blanketed bundle in both hands.

"This…. Is Aoi's gift to you…. When we found him, he had enough strength to give him to us… He has a name…."

By now X had taken the bundle, and stared with awe at the beautiful boy that was wrapped up in the blankets.

"Oh…." He whispered as one of his hands slowly caressed his sons' head, gentle fingers sliding through the black and gold strands of silken hair.

The boys' eyes were closed, but X could detect a small spark of violet beneath the tender eyelids.

The doctor let one feathery eyebrow lift again sardonically as he watched the stronger form of X gently kiss away the protective film of liquid that still remained on the child's skin.

"His name," muttered Dr. Cain slowly. "Is Sekicu… Aoi said that it meant `mystery' in another language. He didn't specify which…."

X continued to gaze in wonder at his son, starting to feel the simulated tears slip down his cheeks again.

Dr. Cain smiled sadly, trying to get the `ploid to feel better, and patted his shoulder again.

"X…. Don't worry… I'll try my best to fix him up before you return."

The Repliroid blinked and looked up from his boy to the doctor.

"Return?" He questioned, looking a little surprised.

The doctor nodded.

"Yes," he replied. "You, Zero, and young Sekicu are going out tomorrow… To bring back this…."

He swept his hand over the spot where Aois' chest should've been, but had been blasted out.

X blinked and tried to remember what the armor had looked like before. Purple and gold surrounding a large…. Blue… crystal….

X felt his eyes widen as he looked around for a multi faceted crystal, but he did not find it.

"Even if we repaired him," the doctor explained. "He still wouldn't live without it…"

Dr. Cain blinked and nodded slowly.

X growled at the doctors' words and looked up again, eyes of amethyst flaring with anger.

"What do you mean, `If we fix him?' That's not an option! I am the Leader of the Seventeenth! I have more power than you! I can decide whether or not you fix him, and I say you are!! Do I need to repeat myself?!?"

The doctor flinched away from X's rage and cowered a little, and slowly shook his head.

"No?" X sneered. "Good, doctors seem to have better brains these days, it seems."

He spat and walked out of the bloody room, carrying the still sleeping Sekicu in his arms.

Once he glanced at his son, and tried to keep from crying as he walked down to the cafeteria.

The doors were wide open when X clicked down the hallway to the cafeteria, and when he entered, every single `ploid looked up at him.

"X!"

A familiar voice rang out from his left side as a brown haired blur enveloped him in its arms.

Iris sobbed a little as she hung gently from X's waist, cap askew as she pressed closer to him.

"Oh, X! I'm so sorry! I heard all about Aoi… I-I never knew…"

X sighed and nodded, awkwardly patting the girl on her head, trying to smile without allowing his tears to spill.

"I know…." He whispered softly. "No one did… It was supposed to be that way… But apparently someone doesn't care about love."

Iris sighed a little and looked up, tilting her head to see around the bundle in X's arms.

"Uhm…. X? What is that…?"

She pointed at the blanketed shape.

X opened his mouth a little to answer her, but found another voice had already started to explain, one that was not his own.

"You mean, `who is that,' I trust…?"

The voice had a soft, sleepy quality to it, like the speaker had just woken up.

It also had a high-pitched voice, much like that voice of a younger child.

The azure `ploid looked around, not recognizing the voice from anyones he'd ever heard at the MHHQ, or anywhere.

"Look down, Daddy…."

X froze and let his eyes slide down, and saw a large pair of violet eyes staring back into his own, flickering with strange powers and intelligence that made him think he was looking at more than one layer of person.

Sekicu blinked slowly and smiled, shaking his head, letting the tendrils of black and gold hair waving in front of his face.

His face was smooth, with high cheekbones, and rather pale, much like Aois'.

But unlike Aoi, and more like X, Sekicu had no strange markings underneath his eyes.

The former Aoi had a small black swirl and dot under each eye, he couldn't explain it, and he said they'd always been there.

"Hello, Iris, I'm Sekicu, or Seki…. If you can't remember my name…"

X blinked again and looked down at his son, then looking around to see if anyone was trying any tricks on him.

No, he had seen Seki's lips moving, forming each word perfectly and without any trace of hesitation.

Sekicu blinked and looked up at his dad, squirming a little in the tight grip X had accidentally created in his surprise.

Iris stared at the young baby, and X watched her jaw drop, as she looked up at X, a strange look coming over her face.

"I must be hearing things, either that or I'm mad!"

At this moment, Iris was wringing her hands, and looking at the ceiling, and she started to walk away, pretending to pull out her hair.

The young boy looked all around with a look of perfect, angelic innocence on his fair face.

He looked very satisfied with himself, too.

X blinked again and glanced down at Seki, then looked around to see if anyone was watching them.

Unfortunately for his dignity, about twenty pairs of eyes were fixed on him and his son.

He grinned nervously and turned around and started to leave, deciding he wasn't that hungry after all.

Suddenly, there was a small scream from the level of his arms as Sekicu waved his slim arms around.

There was a figure in red armor approaching them, and X swore under his breath.

Oh God…. It's Zero...

"Hi, X! How are you doing? I guess you heard about Aoi, huh? Pretty sad, `ey?"

X rolled his eyes up to glare at the ceiling and looked over his shoulder at Zero.

"Yeah, Zero. It was, and still is. Now leave me alone. Now."

The red Repliroid blinked and looked over the elders' shoulder, completely unfazed by X's angry tone, and looked down at the blanketed bundle that X had desperately tried to hide.

"Hey? What's that…?"

X clenched his jaw, waiting for the worst.

"I trust you mean, `Who's that?' You should, for I am not an `it,' thank you very much."

Zero's jaw dropped, and X took that distraction to run out of the cafeteria, and back down the hall, not leaving Sekicu enough time to finish his introduction.

The young boy looked rather discouraged, but he didn't complain as his father ran back to his, err… their room.

X breezed through the open door, and slammed it shut behind him, locking it as he walked over to the bed, setting Sekicu down on the covers.

He lifted a finger angrily, trying to reprimand the younger one.

"Sekicu…! That was very embarrassing to me what you did back there, and I never want you to do it again. People are not supposed to know how intelligent you are! Heck, I don't even believe it, and I'm your father. So let's just keep this our little secret until I need it, okay…?"

He wanted his tone to sound angry, but his son kept flashing him these little hurt looks, forming his face into an almost sickeningly cute expression, and trying his fawn eyes on him.

X sighed and gently reached forwards, tickling the young boy over and over, watching the way Sekicu's eyes lit up with delight.

The elder `ploid suddenly realized his son did not actually follow the lines of newborn appearance.

In fact, he looked more like a two year old!

He had enough hair, not to mention long, to be classified as a toddler, and he moved around just find.

Also, he was just plain adorable, but X would've thought so too if he had been a newborn.

Sekicu squealed a little and thrashed with one hand at his fathers' fingers, giggling in a high-pitched voice that made X almost forget about his grief.

Finally, Sekicus' squeals became quieter and softer, and it was easy to see he was getting tired.

X smiled slowly when he watched his son yawn, and he wrapped both arms gently around Sekis' body, lifting the little boy up off the bedcovers, and carried him across the room.

Aoi had set up a small bed for his son, with bars around it like a crib, so young Sekicu couldn't get out.

X blinked and gently lowered his son into the bed, and sweetly lifted up the covers, and watched in surprise as Sekicu shook his head and closed his eyes.

A small tremor went through the young boys' body as a few sparks appeared out of the air and drifted towards him, each touching one limb.

The sparks glowed ash gray and then touched his skin, sending their gray light over Sekicus' body, and then materialized into the familiar jumpsuit all the Repliroids wore beneath their armor.

Sekicu blinked and exhaled loudly as X watched him curiously.

"Wow," the elder whispered softly and smiled down at Sekicu, before leaning over the rail to sweetly place a goodnight kiss on his sons' forehead, then drawing the covers up over his sons' body.

X sighed softly as he watched Sekicus' violet eyes slid shut, and his breathing rhythm change slowly as he fell asleep.

The azure `ploid blinked and smiled again at the sleeping form of his son, then straightened up to walk over to his bed and lie on top of it, reaching one arm over his chest to flip open the arm panel on his arm, and pressed one of the largest buttons.

The air around him shimmered as his armor glowed bright blue and then disappeared, safely stored away, out of sight and out of mind until he needed it again.

With this done, X slid his eyes shut and drifted away into slumber.

But sleep would not come, for his mind was filled with horrible images of grief and fear, swirling pictures of darkness and pain.

Cold, crimson eyes glared out at him from the darkness, white fangs dyed red and black from his lovers' blood.

The shadowy `bot extended his clawed fingers, reaching out for him, the light streaming from above illuminating the marble features striped with a shocking violet beneath the eyes.

The Shadow Cobra.

Forte.

X knew him well; he had done much research on the legendary Shadow Cobra before; X liked to know about enemies that he would possibly have to face.

The cobra crested `bot had been created to destroy Rockman, the prototype from which X had been designed from.

Also, to destroy anyone else who came in his masters' path to glory.

But the ebony `bot was cunning and followed his own rules, never listening to his elders, and randomly disappeared.

Once, he never came back all together.

X moaned softly and shook his head, delving deeper into the pillows, tears starting to soak the soft cloth beneath his face.

The azure hunter tried to keep his sobs under control, and to not awaken Sekicu, but when he heard a soft rustling from across the room, and then a quiet patter of small feet on wood, he silently cursed himself.

Sekicus' young face was held in a small worried look as he climbed up onto his fathers' bed, and very slowly crawled across the bedcovers to gently tap his fathers' shoulder.

He whimpered a little and gently laid his head on his fathers' chest, wrapping his little arms around the elders' upper arm.

X opened his eyes slowly and tilted his head to one side, and smiled down at his son, gently reaching out to draw the young boy into his arms, sobbing into the silken hair.

The little boy sighed a little and pressed against his father again, letting his father cry himself out into his hair, and only pausing every few moments to take a muffled breath.

Slowly, Xs' sobs began diminish, and he began to stop shaking, Sekicu smiled and hugged his father around the neck again.

"Feeling better now, Daddy…?"

The elder blinked and nodded, sitting up in the bed, and then climbing out, sweetly laying Sekicu down into the crib again, and covering him with the blankets.

"Much better, Seki…. Thank you…"

X nodded again and smiled, stretching his hand in to caress his sons' forehead with his fingertips.

The shadows began to grow larger as X walked back to his bed, and crawled under the blankets, smiling in the darkness.

The calming waves of slumber rolled over him again, and the elder `ploid slipped far, far away.

~*!Chapter Three!*~

The next morning, Iris had brought some food in a bag for Sekicu, still trusting that the young boy wasn't that intelligent, and that he was just a little boy.

She explained her mind was playing tricks on her.

X noticed Sekicu giving him little smirks, but he kept up his half of the bargain, and remained silent, except for the occasional mewling noise or incomprehensible baby talk.

The azure `ploid continued to smile and talk to Iris, agreeing that, "Yes, today is the day," and, "No, whoever did this won't last much longer."

Iris beamed at him and shook her head a little bit, letting her brown hair fly all over the place.

Sekicu snickered in the background, but quickly started babbling again when he saw his father glare at him a little out of the corner of his eye.

"Mmm… mmm! Wanna bikkit!" Sekicu burbled disdainfully, rolling his eyes as he made up little nonsense words.

Iris giggled cheerfully when she heard Sekicu and reached over the bars of the crib to pat his head.

"Aww…! He's so sweet!"

X watched Seki grin toothily, and he heard little snatches of, "Yeah? Yeah? Think I'm so sweet when I bite your hand off, do ya?"

He chuckled a little under his breath and smiled at Iris, watching Seki's grin becoming a little stiffer.

"So… Iris… Thank you for the food, I'm sure Seki will greatly enjoy it…!"

He smiled slowly and nodded to Iris.

The female `ploid bobbed her head in agreement and smiled cheerfully up at X, then down to Sekicu.

"Yes! I hope he does, too!"

Iris beamed at Sekicu again, completely missing his muttered insult, and skipped out the door, singing a little bit to herself.

X lifted an eyebrow and looked down at his son, who was nearly squeezing the head off a little blue elephant in his crib.

"Why I oughta…" X heard his son mutter over and over, until he finally cleared his throat and watched Sekicu jump.

"Seki…? Don't you think you were trying a little too hard…?" X said slowly, smiling teasingly at his son.

Sekicu looked mortally offended.

"No! Of course not! She's just a pretty girl, and…"

The little boy clapped a hand over his mouth and blushed, looking sheepishly up at his father.

"That's not what I meant!" He said quickly, the words almost coming out in a squeak.

X chuckled a little bit and patted his son's shoulder through the jumpsuit, a slow smirk on his lips.

"I know, I know…" X teased and gently tugged on his sons' hair.

Sekicu squealed a little and tried to pull away, and fell over when his father let the strand of hair go.

"That's what I call not fair!" The little boy moaned from the bed.

X chuckled again and lifted his son out from the crib, and gently set his feet on the floor, supporting him a little bit.

"You can stand right…?" He whispered into his son's slightly pointed ear.

Sekicu sighed almost irritably and nodded briskly.

"Of course I can stand!"

He lifted one foot into the air and danced around a little bit, showing off how well he could balance.

"I can do this too!"

This said, he began running around in small circles, before sliding to a stop right in front of his dad.

"See?" The little boy exclaimed, and grinned widely.

X nodded and smiled, wrapping both arms around his sons' shoulders, hugging him tightly before drawing him into his lap.

"I know… I knew you could be able to do that…. You're not like any other child I've ever seen," X mused, smiling at Sekicu.

Sekicu nodded and beamed.

"I know. I'm special!"

X chuckled and ruffled his sons' hair, and stood up, picking up his son with him.

"Yes you are, Mr. Special..! But today is a big day, and I want to see any other talents of yours before we have to go onto the battlefield…"

Sekicu nodded and had started to cup his hands together before X laid a restraining finger on his delicate lips.

"Promise me that you'll show me them all…"

Sekicu sighed heavily, like a teenager being told to do something around the house, and cupped his hands together again.

A few multicolored sparks appeared from the point of light in the palms of his hands, and drifted slowly up his arms and down his legs, twirling `round and `round his lithe body.

After a few moments of watching the dancing orbs, X was still in awe; his very son had abilities he'd never heard of before!

Sekicu started humming a little tune to himself, one that X didn't recognize, and he noticed the balls had begun to dance faster.

The orbs of light began to blur as they twirled faster and faster around his sons' body, and then exploded with a small pop, small sparks showering onto the ground.

Once the sparks hit the floor, however, they beamed up and formed into a whole.

The new crystal they formed shimmered with light that glowed off its' many facets, and set itself against Sekicu's forehead.

Almost immediately, the air around the boys' body shimmered with a deep violet light, as the hard metal plates of armor pressed against Sekicu's body.

The helmet was almost completely black, save for a few streaks and spikes of gold and silver, with a large purple crystal in the shape of a diamond on his forehead.

The chest plate was black and silver, hugging his lithe figure very well.

A band of gold separated the breastplates, while the area of the lower chest was silver.

The shoulder plates were ebony, with a silver area that dropped down over his upper arms.

The boots came up to his knees, the part that covered the legs black, and the feet silver.

In all, Sekicu looked familiar, the armor style reminding X of one he'd seen before… Somewhere…

He couldn't put a finger on it.

Sekicu seemed to be looking for praise, so X stretched his arms out wide and embraced his son tightly, kissing his forehead gently.

"Amazing, Seki! That's the most creative way I've seen of summoning armor I've ever seen!"

Sekicu beamed but squirmed a little bit, not enjoying his father quite so close.

X blinked and smiled, letting his son go, before taking his hand, and handing him something from the bag at his feet.

"Here, eat this, we have to get ready to go out, soon…"

Seki blinked and took the dark brown mixture from his fathers' hand, and eyed it carefully.

"…?"

X chuckled softly and smiled down at his son, whispering softly in Sekicu's ear.

"It's chocolate, Seki, no need to look so tentative…"

Sekicu blinked and continued to examine it, obviously wondering about its' nutritional values, but shrugged and popped it into his mouth.

X smiled and took his sons' hand, and slowly started to lead the both of them out the door and back down the hallway.

Zero stood idly in the hallway, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed as he waited for X.

"….."

He sighed slowly and looked back down each way, and practically cried out in glee when he saw the azure `ploid making his wall down the hallway, leading a small black figure.

"There you are, X! I've been waiting ages for you to come! But…. Who's the little guy?"

He peered curiously down at the small form of Sekicu.

X lifted an eyebrow and smiled coolly at Zero.

"This is my son, Zero. His name is Sekicu, and he's coming with us. Dr. Cain said so."

Zero glared down at the small form and looked back over at X, narrowing one ultramarine eye.

"You're bringing your son into battle."

X nodded and drew Sekicu a little closer to his body, making a small clicking noise with his tongue.

The little boy smiled and disappeared.

Right into thin air.

Zero felt his jaw drop, and he looked around and around, and felt a small rush of breath against his neck.

He reached up to strike the little boy he thought was there, and was promptly kicked directly in the stomach.

The red `ploid blinked and doubled over, as he watched the smaller form reappear next to his father, smiling innocently.

Zero thought he detected a hint of smugness in his expression, but didn't think much more of it.

"See…?" X said slowly and snickered a little bit at the look on Zeros' face.

Zero growled a little under his breath and glared at Sekicu angrily.

X lifted an eyebrow and stepped a little in front of his son, shielding Sekicu from his friends' rage.

The red `ploid sighed and looked back up at X, blinking a little in the light reflecting off of the red gem on X's helmet.

There was a whisper of noise directly behind the two `ploids as the doctor Cain exited into the hall.

"Good morning, boys… Hello, Sekicu! You ready for your first day on the battlefield?"

Sekicu gave the doctor a feigned look of fear and confusion, and hid behind his fathers' legs.

The scientist chuckled a little bit, and smiled down at the little boy, then straightened up and stared seriously ahead at the two Repliroids standing before him.

"Alright, Zero…. X…! I've already found out the components for your teleporters, and X, make sure Sekicu is close to you…. Good luck, and remember, Aoi is counting on you…!"

Zero sighed and nodded, gaining a stern, determined look on his face, while X looked fierce and angry. Sekicu on the other hand, just looked excited.

The two warriors opened their arm panels and tapped in the six-digit code to the location they were searching for.

The little boy attached himself to his fathers' legs as the three of them formed into bright columns of light that beamed up into air.

Sekicu caught a glimpse of Iris waving them good-bye from the hallway before they were beamed to the battle ahead.

~*!Chapter Four!*~

Screams and blinding flashes met Sekicu's eyes and ears when he came into this new land.

Zero's eyes were wide, and he grumbled.

"Curses…. Everything's already killed! And I was hoping for a good time!"

X rolled his eyes and elbowed his partner in the ribs, rewarded with the sound of surprise Zero made.

Sekicu was shocked to see dark splashes covering the grass all over, and a few broken robotic bodies, sparking from broken wires where the limbs were ripped from torsos.

The little boy blinked his wide violet eyes at the gruesome sight, and then turned away, his body twitching.

His father sniffed softly and leaned over to gently envelop the stunned body of young Sekicu in his arms.

"Hush…. Easy… Easy…. Seki…."

Sekicu whimpered a little bit and pressed his cheek to the cool plates of armor that covered his fathers' chest.

Zero rolled his eyes and looked around him, wondering if there was anyone else he could destroy.

"Hmm…"

Suddenly, there was a piercing scream that rang out from the trees, echoing even as the first shriek ended.

"What the-…?" Zero exclaimed and looked around, unsheathing his Saber and watching it hum through the air as he shielded his friends X and Sekicu, from whatever had caused the scream.

Sekicu looked up and around, eyes blank and unseeing to the world around him.

He looked up slowly at his father, looking a little confused.

The azure `ploid looked sidelong at his son and nodded, making a small clicking noise with his tongue.

Sekicu nodded nervously and disappeared again, the air closing into the space where'd he just been a few seconds ago.

Swirls of gray and black swam before Sekicu's eyes as he shifted quickly across the blood-soaked ground, the brushes stilled by his gentle touch of his secret power.

The power he had kept against his father, X.

Leaves touched by his hands fell onto the ground, winds stopped waving his hair from side to side.

The several shades of monochrome pressed against his face, starting to suffocate him with their bland colors.

He silently flashed through the bushes ahead of him, and froze in surprise.

"D-Daddy…?"

The flickering form of Aoi was kneeling over the dead body of an unidentifiable robot.

He lifted his head at the voice, and looked right through the invisible form of Sekicu.

"Seki…?"

The little boy furiously tore apart the spell, sending small slivers of a silvery mist onto the ground.

Flinging himself at the form of his birth dad, he wrapped his arms tightly around the smooth thighs, sobbing into the black jumpsuit.

Aoi blinked and leaned down, gently hugging the small form, pushing off Sekicu's helmet to run his fingertips through the boy's hair.

"Easy, Sekicu… It's all right… Don't cry…"

Suddenly, Aoi lifted his head as both X and Zero crashed through the bushes, X's buster cannon sparking with energy, and Zero's Saber humming as he slashed at the air.

"Aoi?"

X stared at the form of his "dead" lover and lowered his buster, mouth hanging open in shock.

The lithe form of the violet `ploid turned a little and smiled slowly at X, a faint look of confusion on his face.

"Yes…?"

Zero blinked; he had never remembered the younger `ploid's voice pitched so low.

He'd always remembered as soft and comforting, maybe a little on the treble side, but not bass sounding, or loud.

Aoi smiled again, and you could see there were no arcane symbols beneath his eyes.

X growled and lifted his buster, and Zero gave him a funny look.

"X?" What the hell do you think you're doing? This is Aoi!!"

The elder `ploid glared at Zero, shaking his head as his cold violet eyes began to narrow.

"No, Zero… This is no lover of mine."

But something deep inside him crumbled, and he lowered his buster again, looking at the ground.

There was a rush of silver as the violet `ploid raced forwards, Saber sparkling in the light.

He slashed at Zero standing shocked next to X, and buried the shining, sparkling blade deep into the red `ploids stomach.

Zero blinked his ultramarine eyes, opened his mouth to curse at Aoi, and froze as spots of blood and oil flecked over his lips.

"You…."

He had no more time to say anything more; he thudded to the ground, as the other pulled the blade free.

"No!" X screamed and lifted his buster again to charge it up, but he had hesitated too much.

The stolen form of Aoi rose into the air, powered by the magnificent wings that sprouted from his shoulder blades, and brought the Saber into a downward swipe.

X barely jumped out of the way as his lovers' blade arched through the air towards him.

"Sekicu!" The azure hunter screamed as he was pressed against the ground, trapped by the glittering blade.

"Sekicu!!! RUN!!"

The little boy hesitated and froze, unmoving.

The tall form of the violet `ploid loomed over Sekicu, Saber crackling with flames that raced along the silver blade as it swiped through the air.

X roared furiously as the stolen form of his lover advanced on his vulnerable son.

"NO!!!!!"

Sekicu felt his mouth drop a little bit as a soft whimper emitted from his lips, staring up into the crimson eyes of his father.

Crimson…?

His fathers' eyes were supposed to be as green as emeralds; that's what X said.

Aoi stretched out his other hand, the hand wrapped around the hilt of his Saber lowered to his side.

"Come…. Sekicu…. You are my only son…. Without me you would not have lived…. Look at all I have done for you…. I have given you the greatest gift a father can give to their child. Life."

The little boy whimpered again as his fathers' bored into his own, ruby orbs that burned with fire and ice.

"Come, Sekicu…. Come to your father…."

Sekicu pursed his lips, and clenched his little hands into fists, one hand rising into the air to point accusingly at Aoi's face.

"No!! No father of mine would kill a fellow Hunter! You are not my father!! You don't exist!!!!"

The face of Aoi formed a scowl as the pale skin began to crumble, revealing the marble white flesh, shocking flashes of bright purple beneath each flaming crimson eye.

Small sparks fell to the ground as the illusion melted away from the true form of the `ploid.

Sekicu felt a small gasp escape his lips as he recognized the ancient enemy standing before him.

"Forte!"

~*!Chapter Five!*~

"Forte!"

The ebony `bot nodded slowly and sneered down at Sekicu, the light from the stolen silver blade reflecting off his black and gold armor.

His other hand held a small, glittering object, the light shining between his white-gloved fingers, curved like claws.

The little boy whimpered again and backed up a little bit, feeling how much power was radiating from the deadly Cobra.

Forte smirked slowly and spun on one heel, the silver blade snaking through the air towards the boys' chest.

There was a small cracking noise as the blade hit the chest plate, and slashed right through, still traveling down by the momentum the ebony `bot had delivered into the blow.

"NO!!"

X screamed at the top of his lungs as he watched his son collapse to the ground, a dark liquid starting to soak the ground where he had fallen.

Forte snickered again and almost gently prodded the fallen body with his toe, and turned to glare down at X.

"You should've known better," he said almost sympathetically. "It's very dangerous to take young children onto the battlefield, especially if you don't know who you're up against."

The ebony `bot grinned nastily, the white fangs glinting in the light from the silver blade.

"Accidents…. Happen…"

The ebony `bot smiled sadly down at X below him, and gently leaned over to extend his hand, a strange, yet familiar, light flickering in his crimson eyes.

X recognized that look and pointedly ignored the outstretched hands, nerves straining to keep from shattering all his control.

The azure hunter growled as Forte smiled again at him, that strange look still lingering in his unblinking eyes.

X glared at the much older robot and shifted both hands behind his back, clicking his right arm into the familiar buster cannon.

He ground his teeth together, and watched Forte furiously, hesitating to let enough time past for his buster to gather enough energy to hopefully make a mark on the ebony `bot.

"So, whoever you are…." He spat, although he already knew the elders' name; it was difficult to forget.

"Forte," interjected Forte.

"Fine then, Forte," X growled in his terrible anguish.

This god-forsaken robot has killed three of the people he most cared about; Aoi, Zero, and now his only son, Sekicu.

He bit his lip to keep from showing his tears to the cobra crested one and continued to glare, the unshed tears sparkling in his cold violet eyes.

"What are you going to do now? You might as well kill me; my life holds no pleasure anymore; you've destroyed everyone I've really cared about…."

X swallowed again, trying to clear his throat of grief.

The shadowy robot was watching him in a speculative silence, but X noticed with surprise there was a startling sparkling spot of moisture slowly falling down one violet striped cheek.

The azure `ploid couldn't keep glaring at the elder, and he dropped his gaze, the simulated tears falling freely from his closed eyes.

There was a rush of cool air against his face, but X automatically assumed it was just the wind.

But when a blurry white object starting to lift up his chin, he started to realize what was really happening.

Forte closed his crimson eyes for a moment in bliss, finally realizing what it meant from the blush that always seemed to cover his cheeks when he took the form of the violet `ploid.

"Oh…" He whispered very softly, too quiet for the younger one to hear, and lifted X's head a little higher, forcing the taller one to stand up.

X trembled a little under the touch of the cobras' fingertips on his face and blushed a bit, starting to grow rather uncomfortable, not liking Forte so close.

"….."

He growled under his breath, amethyst eyes narrowing until he could hardly see the robot in front of him.

The elder shook his head quickly, sense returning to his eyes, replacing the vague look that had overtaken them.

He let one eyebrow rise as he looked up at X, violet cheeks covered with a faint sheen of red from the blush on his face.

Another strange look came into his eyes, and the younger `ploid couldn't help but pull away from Forte a little.

The cold crimson eyes suddenly snapped open sharply, then narrowed to form a nasty glare.

X trembled a little when Fortes' fingertips snaked to his shoulders and added a little pressure, squeezing almost as if they were restraining him.

There was another pause in which the elders' eyes were staring deeply into the others'; lips parted a little to reveal his sharp fangs.

But Forte lunging his head forwards and capturing Xs' startled lips in his quickly broke this pause.

X whimpered against Fortes' mouth and tried to push away, disgusted and repulsed by his enemy's eagerness.

But he found his arms had no strength, and whenever he tried to press his hands against the elder as if to push him away, Fortes' clawed fingertips squeezed his shoulders again.

Another soft whimper escaped Xs' lips, and he finally managed to lift his buster up under Fortes' chin, trying to get the elders' attention.

He apparently succeeded; for one crimson eye opened very slowly and dangerously, and revolved down to see the entrance of the blaster cannon.

Forte growled a little and brought one arm down so fast there was a blur.

His hand curled around X's elbow and jerked it down.

The buster lowered rapidly and in his surprise, X let loose one of the energy blasts he had been charging.

There was a bright flash of light as the blast erupted from the entrance of the buster, and streaked past Fortes' hip, shedding its' light over the ebony metal of his hip armor.

The elder `bot blinked and rushed ahead at X, knocking them both onto the ground, and pinned the younger robot to the dirt.

He deliberately put both arms on the others' elbows, and knees over either side of X's hips.

"No."

Forte growled again and pushed down harder, darting his head down again to brush his lips over the youngers'.

X screamed and tried to pound at the elder, but with Fortes' hands on his elbows, it restrained him from escaping, or even rising up.

The elders' hands swiftly pulled off his chest plate, and yanked the top part of the jumpsuit from the youngers' chest, darting his head down to sink his fangs into the others' neck, letting the warm blood fill his open mouth.

The mixture of blood and oil was sweeter than most of the victims he had attacked, and he eagerly drank his fill again and again, relishing the taste of the younger.

X whimpered and moaned as the unbelievable pain and shock of the ordeal made him scream and then freeze, the cold of the elders' armor biting against his bare chest.

The shadows stretched up over his eyes as the world faded from view.

~*!Chapter Six!*~

The ground was cool and wet beneath Xs' bare skin, but he barely noticed the cold.

All he felt was the warmth of his blood flowing from the bite on his neck, then to the sensation of the elder lowering his lips to the wound, and drawing out the mixture of blood and oil.

Forte had the same taste for blood as a vampire, but he left his victims normal and almost untouched, except for gaping wounds on their neck.

Usually.

And unlike a true vampire, so-called repelling charms such as garlic and crosses did nothing to him.

Although he did not like the day, he would venture out into the sunlight, and live, and he didn't need the blood of others to survive.

He just liked it.

Long ago X had given up fighting him, and he lay in frozen anguish beneath the ebony `bot.

Forte chuckled again and gently licked away the blood from the youngers' neck again, whispering small words of comfort.

X moaned softly and started to feel his breaths coming in short, sharp gasps, pain etching along his chests as he tried to get enough air.

The elder `bot lifted his head a little to gaze down in stunned silence at the younger one, awed into silence by the beautiful form of the azure `ploid.

Dark brown hair, almost black, framed the slim handsome face.

The cheeks were flushed with exhaustion and pain, probably from fighting Forte.

His body was slim yet strong, with perfect muscle tone.

Tall, balanced, hands of a healer and a fighter, he was the perfect fighting weapon.

Too bad he would have to die…

The ebony `bot rocked back on his heels and lifted Aois' blade from the ground, and prepared to give the young X a quick, painless death.

He felt merciful, almost strained to kill the azure `ploid, but it had been his goal in life; to destroy the only ones who would ever have been able to defeat him.

He scowled again and lifted the silver blade high above his head, aiming right at the bare chest of the `ploid.

The flames started to flow along the surface of the blade like quicksilver, striking out with stabbings of light that seemed to be directed towards himself.

There was a great deal of power radiating from behind him, and Forte turned his head a little to try and see where the energy was coming from.

A small-strangled gasp echoed up from his throat when he realized what was happening.

What he saw was Sekicu, hands outstretched and holding a small ball of silver light, matching the color of the blade.

And like the blade, the orbs' surface was swimming with the same appearance of the Saber.

Small sparks hovered over Sekicus' hands, as his lips moved, forming words that Forte couldn't catch, much less understand.

Feathers drifted in the air around his head, giving off a strange ghostly aura.

Feathers…?

Forte blinked and looked harder, focusing in on the misty feathers that were swirling around the boys' body.

His crimson eyes narrowed until he could barely see, and then he found what he was half expecting.

The tall form of the violet `ploid was standing over his son, ghostly tendrils of hair waving in an unearthly wind.

His wings were fully outstretched, though the tips were fairly curved, as if protecting the little boy.

Emerald points of light existed were his eyes should have been, and an eternal mask of sadness covered his beautiful face.

The only color were the green orbs of his eyes, all else was white and gray.

Every point of the spirit was outlined in a faint rim of blue light, and this light was streaming in ribbons across the forest ground, to come to rest at the blue crystal that Forte had dropped.

The life source of the former Aoi.

The one and only, Tears of an Angel.

The spirit slowly lifted its' misty head and gazed at Forte hauntingly.

A cold wind whipped through the air and roared soundlessly along the forest floor to congeal into a mass of rippling mist tendrils that stretched up over his boots and lower legs.

Forte sneered a little and kicked out, trying to disperse the ghostly mist.

But he found the points of his boots were starting to get lost in the cold fog that started to climb up his sides and hips.

His mouth gaped open when he looked up and saw the orb that Sekicu held was emitting the strange mist, and that he could hear the younger ones' words.

Sekicus' amethyst eyes were open and glaring up at Forte with an angry defiance.

His lips moved to pronounce strange, ancient words that Forte could not understand.

"Foveneishi… Seiguat… Neastumeainmi… Leunquo… Tetmiush…"

Forte shook his head a little and glared in fury at the smaller form, starting to take a few steps forwards.

The mist had started to disperse as Sekicu spoke, and Forte lifted the stolen Saber again, lifting it as easily as anyone else would a feather.

His lips curled into a nasty sneer and he growled, teeth clenched in a frightening marble wall of fangs.

He slowly started to advance towards young Sekicu, completely forgetting the paralyzed form of X, and the dead body of Zero on the ground near him.

Forte growled again and started to swing the Saber around again, the blade humming through the air as it slashed the molecules into their separate atoms.

Sekicu was still chanting the words, barely paying any attention to the other one coming at him.

His eyes were closed and locked tight, lips still moving as he formed the ancient words of the spell he somehow knew.

The elder `bot glared again and lifted the blade up over his head again, starting to really dislike the little boy.

"Die."

This said, the elder plunged the Saber down in a sweeping arch, so fast that sparks showered from the blade.

The blade plunged down through the air like molasses, the air itself taking on a greasy feel to it.

Ribbons of light started to stream off the point of the Saber as it reached towards the young boy.

Amethyst eyes opened, and the son of Chaos was awakened.

The blade exploded with a sound of a clanging gong, and the shimmering sparks that where swarming through the air disappeared with a small pop.

There was a screeching noise of metal on stone as Forte stepped back as Sekicu started to walk towards him, his whole body outlined with the ribbons of light the blade had emitted.

Forte was left holding the pathetic hilt, which he threw directly at the boys' head, hoping to catch Sekicu off guard.

The chrome bejeweled cylinder floated through the air and stopped, right in front of Sekicus' face, where it flattened out into a paper-thin circle of chrome, and vanished with a small flare of light.

The young boy was smirking, but it held no humor.

"Now…. Don't you feel silly…"

He laughed coldly, the noise like a thunderclap, and twice as deadly.

The amethyst eyes were open and cold, and…. strange.

The whole eye was purple, there was no white or black, just many different shades of the one color purple.

Sekicu giggled a little bit as he watched Forte, and he held up his hands, their edges glowing black and red.

His fingertips were curled in a little, forming claws from which dripped the black and red mixture covering his hands.

The wind picked up again as the ghostly feathers continued to twirl, and then vanished, and with them, vanished Aoi.

The ghostly image just melted away to form the blue ribbons of light that had were still streaming from the forlorn crystal, its' light beginning to pulse as the spirit re-entered the gem.

Forte felt his eyes widen in fear and he lifted the crystal from the ground, and screamed at the boy.

"Here is your father! And with me, he goes! Kill me, and he dies as well!! DO YOU TAKE THAT CHANCE, BOY?!?!"

The winds started to pick up again, howling in rage as the son of Chaos realized his predicament.

A large pit opened in the ground, where screams and moans met Fortes' ears.

The swirling vortex glowed red and black for a moment, and then silver as the crystal began to glow again, and Forte winced as pain spread along his hand to his arm, caused by the living gem.

A large, hulking shape appeared behind Forte as the swirling winds started to drag him down towards the chasm.

A soft, pain filled voice echoed in his ear as the crystal was plucked from his hand by bloody fingertips,

"Never…. Give them options…."

And Zero pushed Forte into the swirling vortex, clasping the gem to his chest as he threw himself to the ground.

Forte screamed in hatred as the past dragged him back down to his proper realm, echoing for many long moments in Zeros' ears as Sekicu lifted his hands again, and he glowed.

Glowed with the power he was being granted from Above, and for a moment, the red Repliroid could see a faint image of Aoi standing behind his son, guiding the power down from the sky.

The scream faded as the ground began to close, and then sealed, silver light erupting from the cracks that suddenly vanished.

And Sekicu, son of Chaos, blacked out.

~*!Chapter Seven!*~

When young Sekicu finally opened his eyes again, he saw purple.

Bright purple, and black, surrounded by white.

He opened his amethyst eyes a little further, and saw the dark hair that fell neatly over the eyes in small spikes.

"D-Daddy…?" He whispered, lips cracked from so little use.

The purple eyes sparkled a little, and X leaned down to gently kiss his sons' forehead.

Sekicu smiled slowly and sighed, starting to feel exhaustion weighing down on him.

His eyes snapped open in wide fear, and he waved one hand in front of his fathers' face.

"Forte! Where's Forte?"

X smiled again and sat down on the bed next to Sekicu and shook his head a little.

"Forte's gone, Seki, you sent him back to his time…. On your own, I might add…"

Sekicu blinked and looked around, amethyst eyes wide again.

"I-I did…?"

"No, I wouldn't exactly say on your own…."

The strong voice from across the room made X move to one side and Sekicu sit up and stare.

"Zero?"

The red Repliroid nodded slowly and smiled, golden hair released from the long ponytail to fall over his shoulders and chest, framing his face with gold.

"The one and only… You did it, kid, but I'm sure Aoi was with you…"

Sekicu blinked and bit his lip a little, nodding as he looked down into his blanket-covered lap.

"Yeah… I felt his presence…. I knew it could have only been him… No one else triggered my senses like my birth father…"

"And no one ever will," said X softly from above his head, and he nodded a little to Zero.

Zero smiled slowly and turned his head out of the hall, smiling to someone unseen.

"You can come in now, he's awake…"

There was a soft clicking noise, followed by a faint whispering of something soft against metal as the violet `ploid entered the room.

Blonde and blue hair cascaded down his shoulders, like Zero he had not worn it up today.

His emerald green eyes were slightly moist, as were his cheeks, and it was plain to see he had been crying.

Aoi smiled sadly at his son lying in the bed and nodded slowly.

"Welcome home, Sekicu-chan…."

The little boy parted his lips in shock, and started to sob, flinging himself out of the bed to run across the room, arms outstretched.

He threw himself at his true birth father and sobbed into his legs, moaning in almost painful happiness, finally being able to touch his true father, and not some illusion.

Aoi smiled again and bent at the waist, wrapping his arms around the smaller form, and lifting him up into his embrace.

Rocking his young son back and forth gently, the violet `ploid felt himself start to cry as well, and he barely saw the taller form of X cross the room and wrap his strong arms around Aois' shoulders.

Aoi whimpered a little and turned around so he wouldn't have to hurt Sekicu being trapped between two fully-grown Repliroids.

Sekicu had stopped crying, and was now staring into space, trying to figure out what happened back when Forte was still there.

"Daddy…?" He mumbled softly.

"Yes?" The two Repliroids answered simultaneously.

Sekicu sighed and pointed at X instead.

"I guess I should start calling you two different names…"

He paused a little and then smiled.

"X-sama?"

"Yeah…?" The eldest of the three said softly.

Sekicu smiled again and asked, "Why didn't Zero die when Forte stabbed him?"

Zero chuckled in the background, and straightened up a little from his slouch in the doorway.

"You'd really think I'd die from that?" He teased mockingly, and then chuckled softly again.

"Ever wonder who designed Aois' weapon, not to mention mine? I'll give you a hint, Sekicu."

The young boy rolled his eyes and answered without hesitation.

"Dr. Wily."

The red Repliroid nodded curtly and grimaced a little.

"Yes, and because they were designed the same way, and I was also designed by the mad doctor, it didn't effect me as much as it would…. Say…. X here."

X inclined his head forwards in a small nod and pursed his lips.

Sekicu quirked his mouth to one side and furrowed his brow a little.

"Then…. Why didn't I die when he slashed me?"

Aoi lifted his chin a little to bring himself into the discussion.

"I can answer that."

Zero and X blinked in surprise, but didn't say anything more.

Aoi blushed a bit and looked down at Sekicu in his arms and sighed deeply.

"Sekicu…. Whose Saber was Forte wielding…?"

The little boy lifted one eyebrow slowly and tilted his head to one side.

"Yours?" He said softly. "It was silver like yours…"

The violet `ploid smiled sadly and nodded.

"Exactly, he stole it from me after he logged my appearance into his Matrix…. After killing me. He also stole this…."

He pointed at the large blue crystal now back to rest in the center of his chest plate.

"Tears of an Angel…" Sekicu breathed.

"Yes, the container of my soul… It's very powerful, might I add, but unfortunately, Forte didn't know how to activate its' power."

Sekicu nodded but gently poked his fathers' chest.

"Yes…. But you're not answering my question. Why didn't I die?"

Aoi blinked and tilted his head very slowly.

"Did you want to die, Seki?"

The little boy shook his head rapidly, black and gold hair waving in front of his face.

"N-No! Of course not! I was just born!"

Aoi let one eyebrow rise slowly but sighed and nodded.

"I agree… Anyway, like I said, the Saber that Forte was wielding is mine."

"But it exploded!"

The violet `ploid sighed at the interruption.

"Yes, it did, but the blade returned when I was re-activated."

"Oh," mumbled Sekicu, feeling embarrassed.

"So, continuing on. You are my son, Seki, and that Saber is also mine. You, it. Related in a strange, subtle way. Just like if you used your Talent on me, it wouldn't be very effective."

Aoi looked around a little and sighed again.

"Because I have the same Talents…."

X felt his jaw drop, and he stepped across the room hurriedly to put one hand on Aois' slim shoulder.

"You? But I thought… I thought…. You only had the Saber and your buster cannon…"

Aoi looked a little tired, so X shut his mouth.

Sekicu blinked up at his birth father, then to his only father and took a deep breath.

"X-sama… Here's an answer for you… How would I have gotten my Talent if someone in my family didn't have it? I don't believe you do…. And that means that Aoi-sama must have it."

He blinked slowly and nodded, smiling up at the two of them.

X stared down at his son and pursed his lips.

Zero was still leaning in the doorway, and his ultramarine eyes were misted over a little.

"Hey, Seki…." He asked softly. "Do you remember anything of what happened after you `died'? Nice dead act there, too…"

The little boy blinked and shook his head slowly.

"No…. I just remember blacking out…"

Zero furrowed his brow a little and let one eyebrow rise sardonically.

"I see…. But, when do you remember blacking out?"

X glared sidelong at his friend.

"Zero, don't push it."

Sekicu shook his head.

"It's alright, X-sama," he said reassuringly, and then looked back at Zero.

"I remember everything going silver and then black, right after Forte slashed me with the blade…"

He furrowed his delicate brow and tilted his head to one side.

"Why….?"

Zero sighed and shook his head.

"It's nothing… I just remember you going unconscious far after that…. But maybe that's just me."

The elder smiled a little at Sekicu and lifted his chin slowly.

Sekicu blinked and pressed his head against his birth fathers' chest, blinking sleepily as Aois' silken hair gently brushed his forehead.

He yawned softly and closed his eyes; his breathing rhythm changing as sleep overtook him, and then drifted him far away.

Aoi smiled up at X, and gently held his son against his chest, sweetly pressing the boys' forehead against the legendary Tears of an Angel.

The soft blue light flared in reaction to the little boy, and then slowly began to fade, becoming the soft glow it usually was.

The violet `ploid sighed softly and walked across the room, then paused, and turned to shoo off X and Zero with one hand.

X chuckled a little and took Aois' warning, and started to walk towards the doorway, grabbing Zero by his elbow, and leading him out, closing the door behind them.

Aoi smiled again and gently kissed the top of Sekicus' head, before walking back to the bed, and laying the young boy back down on the covers.

Lifting up the sheets from beneath his son, he sweetly placed the warm blankets over Sekicus' frail body, and touching two fingers to the boys' forehead.

A small tingle ran up his arm, and made the hidden marks on the two Repliroids' foreheads glow.

The markings were the same; a softly glowing line circle in light blue, with a silver line running through the center.

He shivered softly and removed his fingers from his sons' forehead, and looked back down at the lithe form of the younger.

The mark faded from view, as the sudden flare from the Tears of an Angel also dimmed again.

Aoi sighed deeply and sweetly ran his fingers over his sons' cheeks, wondering why his son hadn't been blessed by the Goddess' like he had.

He sighed and shook his head; it didn't really matter, it didn't save him from dying… Twice…

Closing his eyes, he let the memories of his past run over him again.

Delving into the Past always was painful and disorientating, but the sensation quickly passed.

Pain, shock, fear, stairs, falling, stone, red and white, blood and snow…. Feathers…. Black….

Aoi shook his head and resurfaced back into Now, and gasped for breath, his lungs burning from the lack of oxygen.

The unnatural pain was almost startling as he tried to regain his hold on Now, and he nearly fell back onto the bed, but managed to hold himself up.

He looked back down into the face of his beautiful son, and smiled.

The pain started to flow away from his body as he continued to look down at the lovely form of Sekicu, and he sighed.

Now that he could finally love his son in body and soul, and not just in spirit, it made him very happy.

Happy enough to cry and never, ever stop.

Aoi smiled and leaned over to brush his gentle lips over his sons' forehead sweetly and lovingly.

Then, he sat up and turned to leave, turning off the lights before exiting down the hall.

Closing the door, the Angel left his son to sleep in peaceful slumber.

Amethyst eyes closed, as the son of Chaos ignored all summons, and slept.

To be Continued in

~Tears of an Angel~