Ooooh, this is so cool! I'm back with a sequel! This one will be more off the plotline. A long way off the plotline.
This story is dedicated to the forum of Xenolegacy. You guys are awesome…never never change, you hear me?
Neo: Yeah, I actually think this is gonna be pretty cool too. You know what I hate though? Why did the man who played me go to the Oscars with Sandra Bullock?
I agree, Neo! That was stupid! –High five-
Neo: Hells yeah. –Returns high five- KOS-MOS rox does not own anything in this chapter, but she will soon start a Sandra Bullock hate club.
I hope you enjoy the prologue! It takes place the night of chapter 18, which will explain the…well, you'll see.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Now is the time of fulfillment, the reign of God is at hand…"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xenosaga Episode III: Lager Unsere Kreuze
Prologue: Taking Up the Cross
'Can you feel your heartbeat racing?'
'Can you taste the fear in your sweat?'
'Your life is going to change and there is nothing you can do about it. You thought things were chaotic now, but everything will only grow more complicated…'
Voices reverberated in Shion's head as her eyes dashed around in the suffocating blackness that surrounded, frantically trying to see. Everything was drowned in shadows. A burning sensation rose in her throat as she began to run, blinded on all sides by darkness and fear.
Suddenly, she felt someone grab her arm from behind. She cried out as the person whirled her around with such force that she almost fell over. Whimpering, her tear-filled eyes fell upon the blurry and ethereal vision of her father, brother, and mother. The males both wore malicious glares, their angry piercing daggers into her soul. But her mother…on her face was a soft, sympathetic smile.
Shion's father let go of her arm, shaking her and causing her to stumble backwards. He raised a hand to hit her, just as he had done when she was a child. Shion sobbed aloud and threw her hands up in defense, trying to ward off the blow. But the contact never came.
Shion reluctantly opened her eyes, gasping when she saw her mother standing in front of her, arms spread out protectively. "Don't you dare touch her, Jin," her mother warned in a grave voice. "She had no control over what happened, and you know that." Hearing her mother's voice once again caused memories of her childhood to flood into Shion's mind. She began to cry softly, covering her face with her hands.
"Don't cry, Shion," her mother said, placing a comforting hand on her cheek. Her emerald eyes sparkled as she whispered, "This is what you were born to do."
"Mom…" Shion sniffed, tears streaking down her cheeks. Her mother pulled her into a close embrace. Shion had grown to be a bit taller than her, but their futures were still almost exactly identical.
"I hate to feel you tremble," she said comfortingly.
"I don't know what to do anymore," Shion sobbed as her mother gently stroked her hair.
"Just let fate take its course," she replied softly, smiling. "You can do a better job at this than we could ever do. Just know that you'll never be alone."
"I'll never be alone…" Shion repeated through the tears. Jin had given her the exact same advice a few days ago.
"Allen is a wonderful man." Shion's mother smiled softly. "I wouldn't have wanted it to be anyone rather than him."
"Hm?" Shion asked. "What are you talking about?"
"You'll know soon enough," her mother said soothingly, smoothing down her hair. "Just know that no matter what happens, we love you. All of us."
As her family began to disappear, Shion sobbed, "No! Don't go! Don't leave me here alone!" She moaned loudly and fell to her knees, holding her forehead in her hands, trying to hang onto the remaining shards of clarity in her mind. But it was to no avail; her head was being consumed by a persistent buzzing. With one last groan, she fell onto her side, feeling reality slip from her grasp…
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The emptiness in Shion's mind was absolute. And yet there was a sound…a distant voice.
"Shion."
It was thin and distant. She had heard the voice before, but couldn't put it to a face. There were other voices too – all familiar and close, speaking directly to her.
"Err…did you mean that literally or metaphorically?" Jr.'s voice rasped uneasily.
"Oh, Shion! Are you sure you're alright?" Momo asked.
"That's unbelievable!" Gaignun and Albedo this time.
"You've gotta be kidding us." Mary and Shelley's voices were incredulous.
"You, of all people? I honestly never saw this coming," Ziggy sighed.
"You've brought this upon yourself," her brother scorned.
Shion moaned and struggled to open her eyes. Were her comrades here with her, or was it just in her head? Once she regained her senses, her eyes fluttered open. She was lying in that deserted, monotone graveyard she had seen so many, many times. Slowly, the woman pulled herself to her feet, scanning the empty horizon. She was all alone, isolated and afraid. She felt herself physically waver, but a strong hand held her by the shoulder.
She looked to see who was supporting her. She gasped when she saw Wilhelm, dressed in pristine white garments, two blood-red wings protruding from his back. His claret gaze was transfixed on something on front of Shion. "M-Master Wilhelm?" she stammered.
"You're not here for our sake."
Shion abruptly whipped around, searching for the source of the voice. Her eyes tripled in size as she saw chaos approaching them. He was dressed in the same white robe as Wilhelm, his omniscient, gentle smile adorning his tanned face. But what Shion noticed first was his majestic blue wings…the beautiful color, as well as that of Wilhelm's, stood out sharply against the gray milieu. "chaos? What a-"
"Rather, you are here for his sake." chaos's cerulean eyes seemed to shimmer and glow in the dreary color that surrounded them.
"Whose sake?" Shion demanded. chaos said nothing; he only pointed over Shion's shoulder to the area in front of her.
Shion turned and watched in numb fear as a figure approached them through the shadows and swirling mist. Gradually, the silhouette revealed itself. The teen's bright green eyes glowed and his dark brown hair shined as he stepped closer to them. As were chaos and Wilhelm, he was dressed in pure white garb. He looked to be about sixteen, just like the blue-winged boy behind Shion. "Shion Uzuki," he breathed as he finally reached them. The twin brothers stepped away from the woman.
"H-How do you know my name?" Shion asked in a bewildered tone.
"I know many things about you," he replied matter-of-factly. Shion narrowed her eyes, trying to think of who this could possibly be.
"But…how?"
"You don't need to know that now," Mystery Boy told her. "All you need to know is that life is going to change for everyone. You will have your cross to bear, as well as the rest of your group. You need to bear it with bravery, or else I'll never be able to see your world."
"Why does everything have to change?" Shion almost yelled, trying to fight back tears of frustration. "I don't understand…why does all this have to happen to me?"
"Don't worry. I'll never let you down," the teen reassured her. "Just remember, I love you. Nothing will ever change that." He moved closer to her, and she studied his eyes. She had never before noticed how beautiful they were…dazzling green with a thin ring of blue just around the pupil.
Before Shion had a chance to react, the green-eyed boy leaned forwards and pressed his lips against her cheek. As he removed them, Shion could only stare, mouth hanging open as he smiled. The smile on his face was tender and sweet, a smile that Shion had seen many times before, the one that could cause her heart to melt with a single glimpse…
'That's…that's Allen's smile!' Shion mentally screamed, blinking unbelievingly. The boy nodded, as if he was reading her thoughts.
"Young one, it is time," Wilhelm commanded, his eyes set like stones.
"Yes, Raphael," he replied, bowing. "It seems that the moment of truth has come for you, Shion." The teen gave her hand a firm, reassuring squeeze before stepping away from her.
He took a deep breath and tilted his chin back, closing his eyes. His arms rose above his head in an arc, and an ethereal green glow surrounded his body. Shion watched in wonder and awe as he slowly reopened his eyes. They were glowing brighter than the aura all around him. As if in slow-motion, two great wings of green extended from his back. The eyes of the men behind Shion began to shine as they watched the display before them.
Shion felt a sensation similar to weightlessness as her surroundings melted to black. Somewhere far off in the distance, she could have sworn that she heard Allen's voice, saying, "I'm so proud of you, Shion."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Shion first awoke, her mind was buzzing. All she knew was that she felt comfortable and safe. Her body was pressed firmly against something soft and warm. Usually, those dreams left her cold and afraid, but this time, it was a whole different story. She didn't bother opening her eyes…she wanted to savor the warmth she was wrapped in.
As lucidity gradually returned to her, she realized where she was. She was sprawled on her futon in Jin's house, spooned together with Allen…both naked, no less. (The author is now subject to bludgeoning. Grab a bat, and please, don't hit too hard!) Her leg was thrown over his waist; foreheads pressed together, his arms holding her close to him by the waist. She could feel his warm breath on her lips, they were so close together. She smiled lazily and stroked his cheek, looking at him through the darkness.
Groaning sleepily, she sat up to check the time, moving tentatively as to not disturb her partner and making sure to keep the blanket around her. She squinted through the darkness to read the holographic red display, eyes still cloudy with sleep. "1:30…" she whispered to herself. They had been asleep for an hour.
The room was unusually silent, and Shion was half-expecting a thunderstorm outside. The only sound was Allen's steady breathing. She took a moment to enjoy the tranquility, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. It seemed that nothing could disrupt the peace…
That was when the pain came.
Shion moaned in agony and held her stomach, leaning forwards. She instinctively considered making a beeline for the bathroom. Then, she stopped…the pain wasn't nausea. If there was any nausea, it was from the sudden and horrible dread she was feeling. This pain…it was more of a severe cramp.
The ache began to come in waves, taking over Shion's whole body. She clenched her jaw and whimpered, trying to fight back tears. She had never felt pain this intense before…not even being touched by a gnosis came close. Her vision swam in and out of focus as the worst pain yet slammed into her like a tidal wave. She grabbed fistfuls of the blanket that was covering the couple, suppressing a cry of agony. She felt alone and afraid…
"Shion?"
At the sound of Allen's groggy voice, the pain stopped abruptly. Shion's head whipped around to see her lover propped up on one elbow, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Why are you up? You okay?" he asked concernedly.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just…cramps," Shion replied, trying to reassure herself more than Allen. His one eyebrow went up as he smirked at her.
"Oh, joy," he said with good-natured sarcasm. "Just try not to bleed on me or anything." Shion had to laugh at him.
"Stop the sarcasm," she said, smiling seductively, "or you'll never have me again."
Allen returned the sexy grin as he slowly traced down her spine with his index finger. "You're a liar." She moaned softly and arched her back.
"And you're an instigator, you know that?" Shion relaxed in his arms again as she closed her eyes. His warm embrace seemed to soothe the pain even more than his voice.One image seemed to stay with her for the rest of the night, even as she slept…
Those wings…
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Well? How was it? I'm so excited to write this story it's unbelievable. Please, R and R!
Chapter 1 is coming soon, and you'll be very surprised by what happens…mwahaha!