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Sol Fanfic Guru
Age: 37 Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 685 Location: Where all the badfics roam
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:57 pm Post subject: Reverse Rebirth - One-shot, EXE3 AU, PG-13 |
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Okay, so this idea just popped into my head the other day, and I had to at least try to write about it. It's been a while since I wrote any true one-shots, so my pacing might be a little bit off near the end.
Anyway...enjoy!
---
Everything was dark. It seemed like Rockman had been in there for hours, just waiting for his twin brother to wake up. Idly, he felt something pulling at him. He grimaced; it seemed the Proto was going to try and take them with it.
At long last, he heard Netto moan and start to awaken. The blue Navi sighed in relief. "Netto-kun?"
The brunette groaned as he slowly awakened, blinking in confusion. "Wha...Rockman?" he moaned softly.
"Netto-kun, you're alright!" Rockman said happily. Netto grinned before trying to look around.
"Where are we, anyway?" he asked in confusion before noticing something. "I can't move! What's happening?!" Netto asked, starting to panic.
"Calm down, Netto-kun!" Rockman said, mentally reaching out to calm his sibling down. When the brunette stopped struggling, he began to speak. "Right now, I imagine that we've been swallowed by Proto," he said lowly, "We've been in here for quite some time. I can feel Proto starting to move inside me..."
Netto held his breath, apparently in shock. "We're going to be absorbed by Proto?" he whispered back.
Rockman gravely nodded. "From the looks of it, we will be. In only a few hours, we'll only be pieces of data." The blue Navi felt Netto shaking his head.
"There has to be something we can do...anything!" he said desperately. "There has to be a way for us to escape!"
Rockman took a deep breath. "There is one way;" he mentioned. He could feel Netto's eyes upon him, even if it was only spiritually. "What we would need to do is to open a hole in Proto long enough for one of us to escape."
"One of us...?" Netto's voice said slowly before the boy realized the implications of the words. "No!"
"If I build up my remaining power and overload, that should tear a hole in Proto long enough for you to escape," Rockman continued softly, ever aware of his twin's growing fear. "You will have to use that moment to escape, Netto-kun, because we won't have a second chance!"
"And what about you?! You're supposed to be coming with me!" Netto roared, "We promised, remember? We'd always be together! Don't you dare break that now, of all times!"
"Netto-kun!" Rockman said fiercely, quieting down the brunette. "Please, cut that out..." he mumbled before speaking with new resolve. "Netto-kun, please listen to me. You must go on living. You have a future ahead of you, and you can't afford to waste it here! I'm asking this as your brother, Saito, not as Rockman! Please!"
"Saito-niisan...I can't do that!" Netto cried, "Do you even realize what you're asking?"
"I know...but hear me out. Everyday that I've spent with you has been more than I could ever hope for;" the blue Navi started sullenly, "Even through our fights, just being close to you has made me happy. And now, when we've finally met face-to-face..." Rockman then shook his head. "No, I should just stop here...we don't have much time left. Netto-kun, you have to live for both of us, and I'm saying this as both your brother and your Navi!"
Netto couldn't find anything to say, and Rockman began to gather the remains of his power. I can't let this happen...I don't want that dream to be true! Netto thought despairingly as he felt the power start to rise. I promised myself I wouldn't let Rockman die. I have to save him! But how?
As the gathering of power reached a pinnacle, Rockman let off a sad smile. "Goodbye, Netto-kun. Please, live for me." he said softly.
Grimacing, the brunette thought of one last thing. I don't know if this will work, but...I have to try! For Rockman's sake! Taking a deep breath, he then started to force his consciousness over Rockman's. The blue Navi's eyes widened.
"Netto-kun, what are you doing?!" he asked in shock. Rockman was about to send his operator back to his own body, but it seemed that the brunette had other plans.
"Saito-niisan...you said I had to live, but...I wouldn't be able to, not with you there..." Netto said softly as he continued to exert his own consciousness over his Navi's. "If I went back, then I would be missing a part of myself. Without you, the days would be hellish, and I wouldn't be able to stand it. You mean everything to me...so that's why...that's why I'm doing this." Netto's will won out as he took control of the Navi's body, much to Rockman's surprise.
"What are you saying, Netto-kun?!" Rockman cried out.
"Rockman...Saito-niisan...I want you to be the one living. It's probably really selfish of me, but I want you to live not as my Navi, but as your own self. I made a promise to myself that you wouldn't die, and I'm not going to break that." Netto said as he felt his body start to overheat. He felt like he was going to implode, but he held on.
"Wait, Netto-kun! Stop! Don't do it!" Rockman yelled out, trying for all he was worth to take control back.
"Forgive me, Saito, but...I need to do this;" Netto said as a hole tore itself open in the amoeba. "Be strong, Rockman. I'm always here with you." he said as he then forced the Navi's consciousness to plug out.
"No! Netto-kun!" Rockman cried out, but he soon felt something strong pulling at him before he lapsed into unconsciousness, weakly reaching out for his younger sibling.
As the power died down and the hole reformed, Netto fell to his knees. "Heh...I did it. I saved him..." he muttered softly. "Man...I'm so tired. I think I should sleep..." he said in a whisper, his eyes about to close. "Ah...Rockman...I'll see you in the morning...and then we can go play together with our friends in the park again...just wake me up on time, okay...?" With that, Netto fell asleep, heedless of the oblivion that awaited him.
---
"Netto, wake up!" Enzan said again, shaking the brunette's shoulder. When the boy didn't respond, he grit his teeth. "Why isn't he waking up?"
Aragoma frowned. "I dunno, but it's not safe right here. The island is going to blow any minute!"
Enzan growled beneath his breath. "Okay, we need to get back to the ship, now!" he said. Without any further words, Dekao picked up Netto's prone body and the three broke into a run, backtracking through Wily's base as fast as they could. As they leapt aboard the boat, they barely escaped the exploding island, and the three breathed sighs of relief as Enzan piloted the boat back to Beach Street.
It had been three hours since their escape, and the boat was slowly making its way back to civilization. Content that the boat would be able to pilot itself with Blues in the system, Enzan headed back to the cabin to see how everyone was doing. As he entered, he saw that Dr. Cossack was lying on one of the benches, unmoving. Both Aragoma and Dekao were watching over a prone Netto, who was laid on the other bench.
"How is he?" the official netbattler asked. Dekao looked up and shook his head.
"He hasn't responded to anything at all. He hasn't even moved!" he said back, worry evident on his face. Enzan bit his lip, also looking worried.
Aragoma snorted and grinned. "Don't worry, he's fine. After all, he's the number one netbattler of Densan and my rival!" he proclaimed proudly. Enzan then muttered something inaudible underneath his breath, while Dekao chuckled.
"I'm sure he will be. And you're not his rival, I'm his rival!" he countered. While the two got into a small, but good-natured, argument, Enzan couldn't help but look at Netto. Despite everything, he respected the younger boy, and he was the only person skilled enough to challenge him, even beating him at a few points in time.
They were all snapped out of what they were doing when they heard Netto moan and shift slightly. Dekao's eyes widened. "He's waking up!"
Enzan wasted no time and moved to the boy's side. "Netto! Wake up!" he said firmly and loudly as possible. The boy shifted uncomfortably again before Enzan reached down to shake his shoulder. "Netto!"
The brunette's eyes widened as he shot up. "Netto-kun!" he cried out, panting heavily. Everyone's eyes widened as the boy shot up, looking around wildly.
"Netto, what's wrong?!" Deako asked as he saw his friend trembling.
"Where is Netto-kun?! Why can't I feel him anymore?!" he cried, Dekao's question going unheard.
Aragoma stepped up and held the boy's shoulders to calm him down. "Whoa there, calm down Netto! Take a few breaths and tell us what's going on!"
Netto blinked and took in a deep breath. "Why are you calling me Netto?" he asked honestly, making Aragoma stare at him in shock.
"Have you forgotten who you are?" Enzan asked, just as surprised. Netto opened his mouth to speak before closing it and looking horrified, as if he just come to a realization about where he was.
Standing up and wobbly making his way outside, Netto stared over the railing of the boat to look in the water. When he saw his reflection, his eyes widened. "No...he didn't! He didn't!" he cried out as his stomach started to churn. Feeling bile rise up into his mouth, the boy leaned over the rail and emptied the contents of his stomach.
"Netto!" Dekao yelled, helping his friend back into the cabin and sitting him down. "Man, you're not looking good. You're all pale and everything!"
Ignoring the larger boy, the brunette reached down with his trembling fingers to hold the PET in his hands. After a few moments of staring at it, the blue PET fell to the ground, the screen filled with static as Netto stood there, a blank look on the his face.
"No..." he mumbled as a few tears fell down his cheeks. "NO!" he then screamed out, falling to the ground and curling up in a ball, sobbing.
As both Aragoma and Dekao looked at the scene, dumbfounded, Enzan pieced everything he saw together and his eyes widened. "It shouldn't be possible...but it's happened! How?" he murmured quickly, running a hand through his hair. Aragoma looked over at the official.
"Do you know what's going on?" he asked gruffly. Enzan only gave the two boys a nod before leaning down to the sobbing boy's level.
"Saito?" he asked softly. The brunette looked at him, his brown eyes filled with fear, confusion, and sadness. "You're Saito, correct?"
Saito nodded, curling up tighter. Enzan's eyes softened for a bit, looking at the boy's face. "Do you know what happened?"
"Netto-kun...he...he took control of my body when I was overloading my program to get him out of Proto. He..." Saito sobbed a bit more before continuing, "He forced me out into his body through the Pulse Transmission System and our link. While he...oh god!" he cried before burying his head back into his arms and sobbing.
Enzan shook his head and tried to mask his shock at the situation. Everything seemed so surreal, but...here was Rockman, inside Netto's body.
Dekao then interrupted, finally finding his voice. "Okay Enzan, what the hell is going on?" Aragoma nodded in agreement, looking curious.
The official sighed. "Looks like I'm going to have a bit of explaining to do...but where to start...?" he mumbled.
"Just something that explains what's happening right now!" Dekao said impatiently. Enzan glared at him before huffing and sitting down on the bench.
"You're going to have to bear with me here, as I don't even know the full extent of it. I was just there when I first heard of it, and even then, I thought it was impossible. Yet Netto and Rockman are proof enough that something like it really exists..." he started. Aragoma sighed in annoyance.
"You're starting to ramble." he pointed out.
Enzan blinked and scowled. "Fine. Let me start at when I found out exactly what happened;" he said, staring at Saito, who was shaking in his seat. "It was during the time when we first brought down the World Three. Rockman had been injured by Magicman's powered up Dream Magic attack, and was on the verge of deletion..."
Aragoma looked curious while Dekao tensed. Netto never told anyone what happened while he infiltrated Wily's Laboratory. "Before that, Netto's father gave me something in the case something like that happened. After I gave him it, Dr. Hikari called Netto and explained what it was, and gave him a very difficult choice on whether to use it or not. Netto chose to use it, and then all of this began." Enzan explained.
Dekao looked annoyed. "You still haven't explained to us what that thing was."
"I was getting to it," the official said, "That item was called Saito.bat. It revived Rockman and put both him and Netto into full synchronization, which was enough to destroy the Dream Virus." he finished.
Aragoma blinked. "Full synchronization?" he asked curiously, "That should be impossible, shouldn't it?"
"Theoretically, yes;" Enzan agreed, "But...there was something else besides the bond Rockman and Netto had. It seems that Rockman...was really Netto's deceased twin, Saito. Because both of their DNA matched exactly, they could go into full synchronization."
The two boys gaped in shock at the official. "That's...impossible! Rockman, Netto's brother? How?" Deako asked, looking at Saito's curled up form on the other bench.
"Saito died of a hear complication a few months after he was born, so Dr. Hikari took a risk and used Saito's DNA in his Net Navi project. It had work spectacularly, and if it wasn't for that action, we wouldn't have the Navis we have today;" Enzan then took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, but I know nothing other than the background."
Aragoma then looked at Saito. "Then how did this happen? How did Rockman...wait, Saito, get here?"
Enzan rubbed his temples. "From what I was able to gather from him, it seems Netto used the Pulse Transmission System to transfer himself to the cyber world. They went in to Full Synchro and defeated Proto, but it seems that they were going to be absorbed when they were escaping." The official then sighed and looked at the roof. "Rockman was going to overload his program to get Netto out of there, but at the last minute, Netto asserted control of the body and sent Rockman out instead. And that's how he came to be here, I imagine."
Everyone fell into silence after that as the boat rocked, each lost in their own thoughts. Saito had stopped sobbing and was only staring blankly off into space, while the other three were trying to deal with what had just happened.
Aragoma shook his head slowly, trying to comprehend what had been told. "So all of this time, Netto has been operating his brother..." he let out in some sort of shock.
"No..." came a soft voice. Everyone turned their heads to look at Saito, who was looking at the floor. "We may be...may have been brothers, but I always asked Netto to think of me as his Navi first, because Saito was dead. But now..." he then held back another sob from escaping. "Who am I now? I am Rockman, and Saito is dead, but Netto wanted me to live as Saito instead of Rockman...why did he have to do that? Why did he die for me? I was supposed to save him! Now he's dead! What am I supposed to live for now?!" Saito trembled again as a few more tears cascaded down his cheeks.
"Saito, cut that out this instant!" Enzan said as he walked over to the younger boy. When Saito looked up at him, confused, the official sighed. "Are you going to just keep wallowing over Netto's death?" he asked lowly, trying to keep his own emotions in check. This was the first time other than his mother's death that someone he acknowledged had died, and he found himself hard-pressed just to keep his cool demeanor. "Are you going to let his death be in vain? Think about why he wanted you to live! Are you going to totally disregard that and just keep yourself like this?" he continued, feeling his patience start to slip.
Saito curled himself tighter, hugging his knees to his chest. "Netto-kun had a future in front of him...I don't have anything at all." he muttered.
Enzan felt whatever control over his emotions he had snap as he backhanded the boy across the face, who fell to the side with a soft cry. Immediately, Dekao held Enzan back from continuing while Aragoma moved to Saito's side to help him up.
"You're going too far, Enzan!" the strategist growled, "There is no need to do that! Think of what he just went through!"
Enzan snorted. "He's not thinking about what his operator just did for him! Netto may be gone, but he sacrificed himself so you can live yourself! He cared about you so much that he was willing to do that! Are you going to betray his memory just because you can't get why he did that for you?!" he spoke, anger backing up his words. Taking a deep breath, he then produced a livid glare at the boy, who was now staring at him in shock. "Just ask yourself if this is what Netto would really want you to be doing."
Dekao growled. "That's enough!" he said, but Enzan merely shrugged himself out of the larger boy's grip. "Apologize to him, you jerk!"
"Stop...he's right." Saito said, making everyone look at him. "I shouldn't be like this...Netto-kun wouldn't want me to be like this. He would want me to live on, not just grieving for him each day;" Standing up, he slowly walked over to where the PET was and picked it up. "Besides...he said he would always be here with me. And I believe him...." he muttered as he hugged the PET to his chest.
"Saito..." Enzan muttered before taking another deep breath. "It's going to be another few hours before we reach the docks. I need to go back up to the steering wheel to see if we're on the right track. You going to be alright?"
The brunette nodded. "I'll be fine, Enzan. I...I just need some time to think, that's all." he said as he offered the boy a small smile. The official nodded and made his way out of the small room.
For the rest of the time, there was almost no discussion as everyone was lost in their own thoughts about what had happened. Saito seemed to have calmed down, but he was now staring at the static screen on the PET, just mumbling to himself. Dekao and Aragoma were discussing battle strategies and chips, while occasionally looking over at Saito. Enzan was piloting the boat while coming in the room at random intervals to check on Cossack's condition.
After what seemed like several days, the group saw Beach Street in sight, and Saito prepared himself for whatever awaited.
---
Saito took a deep breath as he started to walk over to the DNN Station with Meiru, Yaito, and Enzan. Dekao had run ahead earlier to meet with Chisao, while Aragoma was off carrying Cossack to the hospital. As the large building came into view, he could briefly see his parents standing in front of the doors, waiting for their sons to come back to them.
Now it's only one son coming back to them...what am I going to say? he thought anxiously as he tried to battle down his nervousness. With each step, the smiles of both his father and mother became clearer, and his resolve started to dissolve with each passing second. Biting his lip, he suddenly found himself standing in front of everyone, while Enzan was busy talking with his own father.
Surprisingly, the first one to talk was not his parents, but the girl right next to him. "Netto..." she sniffled, "I'm...I'm glad you're back."
Saito could only look at the girl sadly. Although he only wanted to talk to his parents, Netto's friends also had a right to know what had transpired on the island. Meiru suddenly sobbed then hugged the brunette, who looked at her in surprise. "Don't do something as reckless like that again! I can't bear to watch you go off like that and almost die!" she cried.
Saito shuddered as he felt a chill race up his spine. He saw Aragoma return, but the strategist didn't have anything to say for once, as he knew what was coming up. Slowly, he felt Meiru let him go, and heard Yaito yelling a few words at him, but all of that went unnoticed when he stepped up and faced his parents.
Yuuichirou beamed at him. "Netto, both you and Rockman have made me so proud...you both did a great job." he said. Saito felt himself tremble a bit, but otherwise held steady.
Haruka nodded. "I'm sure both of you must be exhausted." she said kindly. She was puzzled when her son remained silent, looking at the ground and looking like he was trying to stop himself from crying.
"Netto? What's wrong?" the scientist asked in concern. "You don't look well..."
Saito couldn't stand it anymore and hugged his father fiercely, letting out a cry of despair. "Papa! M-mama!" he cried, the tears coming up once again. Both of the parents looked astounded.
"Netto, what happened?" Haruka asked, looking at her crying son. Saito looked back up at her, sorrow etched on his face.
"Netto?" Yuuichirou asked, looking at his son in the face.
"Papa...I'm sorry..." Saito said, looking away from his parents, "Netto-kun...is gone. All because of me..." he said softly. He heard Meiru and Yaito gasp, while Dekao and Aragoma both grimaced.
Yuuichirou looked bewildered. "What are you talking about? You're right here in front of me..." he said. Enzan shook his head sadly and stepped up to them and taking in a deep breath.
"Dr. Hikari, Haruka-san...Netto did not survive the battle. Who you are seeing here is your other son...Hikari Saito." he said grimly. Both parents eyes widened, while Haruka paled in shock.
"It can't be...Saito?" she whispered, tears coming to her eyes.
Yuuichirou's thoughts were a mess as he tried to figure out how everything came to this point. When he couldn't come up with anything, he just said the first thing that came to mind. "How?" he choked out.
At this point, both Dekao and Aragoma came over to try and help Enzan explain the tale.
---
As Enzan finished telling what had happened on the boat, with Saito helping, everyone who was in the vicinity was numb with shock. Meiru had paled, then started to silently cry when she realized that the body in front of her wasn't her longtime friend, rather his Navi. Yaito was in disbelief about Netto having a twin brother, and Chisao didn't understand what was going on. Haruka had her face in her hands, trying her hardest not to cry. It was like a twisted act of fate; one of her sons had been returned to her, but she had lost the other one in the process.
Yuuichirou, on the other hand, looked pained. "Saito...no words can ever express how sorry I am. In my research, I included an emotion simulation program in each Navi, so they would feel as humans would feel, so they would get along better. But...now it looks like it was a huge mistake;" he muttered, "If they have a will and their own emotions, what is to stop them from being human themselves? If I never did that, maybe you would never have to feel this pain, Saito..."
"Papa, please stop;" Saito interrupted him, "Your research is not flawed or wrong at all. I was happiest when I could experience any emotion with Netto...joy, sadness, anger...any of that. It's because of that is why we were both happy." he said sadly.
"Saito..." Haruka started, but the boy shook his head.
"Netto would agree, if he were here. Besides...he is always with me." he said again before sighing. "I'm not going to let myself wallow in despair or sadness anymore. He wouldn't want that from any of us, and he'd want us to go on living, right?"
Slowly, the whole group collectively nodded, with Meiru wiping away her tears. Saito then remembered something as he retrieved the PET from his waist. "Oh, Papa. When we were inside of Proto, we saw Grandpa. He asked us to give you this." he said as he handed over a data disk. Yuuichirou looked at it curiously.
"From my dad?" he asked curiously. "It looks like it's encoded. I'll have to try and decode it later." he muttered.
"Did you know about him being in there, Papa?" Saito asked.
The scientist nodded. "I did. Before he died, he revealed the existence of his data inside there. That is why we never deleted Proto beforehand."
"Oh..." he muttered. "Mama, Papa, may I go get some fresh air?" he asked. Both adults nodded, and he smiled. As he began walking off, all of his friends followed him, and Haruka turned to her husband.
"Oh honey, how am I supposed to take this? Saito's alive again, but Netto is..." she started, but Yuuichirou placed a finger on her lips to silence her.
"If my hunch proves correct...then there should be something on this disk that can help us. And maybe...maybe Netto can still be saved." he said. Haruka looked at him in surprise before kissing him.
"Yuuichirou, I hope there really is something." she whispered. The scientist nodded and held her close, a comforting motion that both needed.
---
"Are you going to be alright Net...Saito?" Meiru asked, catching herself before she misspoke. Saito sighed.
"I'll be fine Meiru, thank you." he said before looking out at the sea. "I miss him."
"You mean Netto?" Yaito asked as she came forward, and the brunette nodded.
"Yeah. I'm not going to cry anymore, because I know he wouldn't allow me to." He then chuckled. "But it doesn't keep the emptiness I feel away. I'm going to miss yelling at him to wake up in the mornings. I'm going to miss all the time we spent together on the net, and all of the time I spent nagging at him to do homework." He then took a deep breath, "But most of all, I'm going to miss not seeing him go about day to day. Not seeing his zeal for life..."
"You still have us! We're your friends!" Dekao said, and he idly heard Gutsman crow in agreement. "You're not alone!"
"Guys..." Saito muttered softly. He saw both Enzan and Aragoma nod at him, a gesture that meant that they were there as well. "Thank you so much!" he said happily.
As his friends all smiled or chuckled, Saito then looked at them. "So, what is going to happen from here? What are you all planning to do?"
Aragoma was the first to speak up. "Well, I'm heading back to Swapopolis, and my ride back leaves in half an hour, so I'm going to have to leave now. It's been great meeting all of you, especially my number one rival!" he said before becoming a bit subdued. "I'll be sure to battle on in his memory, and become a strategist that can overcome any force!"
Saito smiled at him. "Well, I'm sure he would be happy to hear that. Have a safe trip back, and come back again!" he said. Aragoma grinned at him.
"I'll be back, there are no worries about that. But for now, this is farewell. Good luck in the future, Saito." he said before turning away and shaking Dekao's hand then departing with a wave.
As they all watched him go, Enzan turned to the brunette. "I have to make my report with the Official's soon, and it's going to be hard to describe what fully happened. There are going to be a lot of questions about this..." he murmured. "Anyway. What are you going to do now? It would be awkward for you to get a Navi, which you may eventually have to do."
Saito sighed and looked out to the horizon again. "Well, I know the one thing I must do..." he said before turning back to everyone.
"I have to learn how to be human again."
---
It had been four months after that moment on the docks with his friends gathered around him. So many things had happened, and so little time had passed. After returning back to Akihara with his friends, Saito stayed true to his word and started to relearn how to live as a human.
He was able to get the basic necessities down, but he was still unused to the how his new body worked. At times, he would just feel hyperactive or anxious, and other times, he would feel sluggish or lethargic, most of the time for no reason. It was not something he experienced when he was a Navi. He couldn't even begin to explain the random cravings for food he had at times. He was also still getting used to actually going to the bathroom.
What he found most ironic, however, is that no matter how hard he tried, he could never get his body up before a reasonable time. He was lucky it wasn't school yet, but that was coming up too soon.
However, when he actually went out into the world, to feel the sun and smell the air, he couldn't even believe he was feeling it. Learning to skate was a fun experience, and just to be out in the real world...
Netto's friends had quickly adapted to him, and they became very good friends amongst themselves. Although Meiru did look sad when she looked at him from time to time, she got over it and became good friends with Saito.
Operating a Navi...I hope I can do it. he thought as he began getting ready for bed, determined to actually wake up on time. The day after tomorrow was going to be the first day of sixth grade, and a Navi was required. His Papa said he would get one and help him practice on that day so he could get to used to it. He still felt vaguely uncomfortable with the idea, but he reminded himself that Netto could do it, and he could too. But even if I start operating a Navi, I'll always be Netto-kun's Navi, right?
"Okay Mama, I'm heading to bed! Night!" he called down the stairs.
"Night!" came the reply from downstairs, and Saito nodded. He would make his brother proud of him tomorrow.
As he laid down, he looked at the ceiling as he always did, letting his mind wander before he could get to sleep. "I wonder how I'm going to deal with Mariko-sensei..." he muttered before yawning, and falling asleep.
Meanwhile, Yuuichirou had arrived home minutes later. "I'm back!" he called, holding a briefcase in his arms. Haruka smiled at her husband.
"Welcome back. I trust everything went well?" she asked.
The scientist nodded. "It did. We were finally able to decode dad's message."
Haruka looked interested. "Oh? What did it say?"
"'I knew my son would be able to decode this! It looks like your skill has surprassed my own!'" Yuuichirou laughed, and Haruka giggled.
"He always did have a sense of humor..." she said while shaking her head. "Anyway, is that Saito's Navi?" she asked looking at the briefcase. Yuuichirou nodded.
"Yes. But first, listen to this...there was more to that message that dad left me. He was talking about a certain area within Proto that it couldn't even touch itself. A place where dad input his personality data. We just found the area yesterday." he said lowly.
Haruka blinked, oddly anxious. "What did you find in there?" she asked.
Yuuichirou smiled. "Well, I didn't think it was possible, but I found core bits of Rockman's data floating around. He wasn't absorbed after all...it seemed that dad was able to do one last thing before he completely vanished from this world." he said happily.
Haruka smiled and embraced her husband. "Does this mean...he's alive?" she asked.
The scientist's smile faltered a bit. "Yes...but there is a slight problem. When I was rebuilding the body and files, the memory files all seemed to be corrupted. Nothing I did was able to fix it, so I had to seal them off into another part." he said. Haruka looked worried.
"So he might not remember us?" she asked.
Yuuichirou shook his head. "Some of his memories survive, although they're severely fragmented. I'm sure with given time, he'll remember everything, but for now...it's like a clean slate."
Haruka sighed. Well, at least it was a start. "Are you going to wake Saito up and tell him?" she asked quietly.
"I'll tell him tomorrow morning, after he asks me about it." the scientist said, while Haruka smiled. At least the family was reunited again.
---
"Ugh..." Saito moaned as he crawled out of bed. He felt sluggish and his body was demanding he went back to bed, but he did it! Ha! Take that, sleeping patterns! he thought groggily as he forced himself up and to the bathroom to splash water in his face.
"If this is what you go through everyday, then I think I'll have a good time being your partner." came an amused voice.
The brunette disregarded the voice and grumbled as he went to the sink, but as he splashed his face, his eyes widened. "That voice..." he gasped, recognizing it anywhere and running back to his room to see a blue PET propped up on the desk. "You...you're...!" he stuttered, pointing at the screen as if he had just seen a ghost.
"Yep. I'm your new Net Navi. I'm Rockman.exe, but you can call me Rockman. Pleased to meet you! I hope we can be friends!" the Navi inside the PET said cheerfully. Saito couldn't stop gaping at him, which confused him. "Is there something on my face?" he asked curiously, scratching a cheek with a finger.
"You're alive...You're actually alive!" he yelled happily as he took the PET and hugged it close to his chest. "How? How did you survive?" he asked. "Oh, who cares! You're back! You're finally back, Netto-kun!"
Rockman blinked. "Well, this is a very nice greeting and all, but I think you might have mistakened me for someone else. My name is Rockman, not Netto."
Saito looked down in the PET, getting a better look at the Navi. The familiar helmet and bodysuit were still there, although the colors were a shade darker than he remembered. However, the most striking feature was that the Navi's eyes were brown instead of green. Confused, the brunette blinked. "You're kidding me...right? You do remember who you are, don't you?"
"Well, all I remember is the name I was given when I woke up. Dr. Hikari...oh, sorry. I mean Papa, although I don't get why he wants me to call him that, named me that. Strangely, he called me the name Netto as well...I don't know why, but still..." the blue Navi muttered.
The realization hit Saito full force as he slumped back down on the bed. He's forgotten everything? "Do you know who I am?" the brunette asked next, pointing at his own face.
Rockman blinked. "You're Hikari Saito, my new operator. Although..." Rockman then looked at the boy with a critical eye. "You do look familiar somehow...but how? I only woke up yesterday..." he muttered, looking troubled.
Saito sighed. The good news was his brother was still alive. The bad...well, it wasn't so bad. If he says I look familiar somehow, then there's still hope that his memories can be restored. he thought as he stood up.
"Well Rockman, let's go down and see Mama and Papa, alright?" he remarked as he started to get dressed. Rockman smiled.
"Okay, Saito-san." he said. Saito blinked.
"Ah, please don't call me that. It makes me feel old." he chuckled. Rockman looked sheepish.
"Oh, forgive me. I just don't know you very well yet, and I thought it was appropriate," came the reply. "Would Saito-kun sound better?"
Saito smiled. "Yeah, that sounds perfect."
"Okay, so Saito-kun it is then!" Rockman cheered before looking curious. "So, what do we have planned for today, Saito-kun?"
"Well...Papa promised me that he'd show me how to netbattle and how to operate efficiently." he said as he finished getting dressed.
The blue Navi looked excited. "Ohh, netbattling! That's going to be fun!"
Saito smiled to himself. It seemed that even though Netto's memories were wiped, his demeanor stayed the same. "And after that, I was hoping to meet up with my friends. They have their own Net Navis too, and you'd get along great with them."
"Heh, can't wait to meet them," Rockman said happily before looking towards the door. "Mama and Papa are waiting, Saito-kun. Hurry up!"
"I'm going, I'm going!" he chuckled as he made his way out of his bedroom door.
Well, a new experience for both of us...I just hope that one day, Netto-kun and I can be in this world together. But first, I have to make sure he remembers everything. the brunette thought as he made his way downstairs, meeting the smiles of two adults as he came down.
But at least...we're together again. That has to count for something, right? he thought as he sat down.
"Oy! Saito-kun! Your breakfast is going to get cold at this rate!" Rockman piped up. Saito snapped out of his thoughts as he saw the plate in front of him, starting to cool down.
"Thanks Rockman;" he said before turning to his father. "Papa, we need to talk..." he whispered.
Yuuichirou winked. "Don't worry, I'll tell you when we leave for the Science Labs. I'll tell you and Rockman everything, okay?" he said.
"Tell me what?" came Rockman's voice.
"Ah, nothing Rockman. It's just something trivial." the scientist waved off. Rockman frowned.
"If you say so, Papa." he shrugged. Saito couldn't help but chuckle as his mind wandered off again.
The future...I never imagined to have things turn out the way they are now. Netto truly is with me now, even if he doesn't know it himself. He'll regain himself one day, then I can yell at him about what he pulled in Proto. Then we can just laugh about it afterward and move on...
Because I have a feeling that everything has just started at this point.
---
Before you ask...yes, this is a one shot. I don't plan on continuing this (not anytime soon, at least), and was just a way to try and introduce a feasible 'what-if' situation.
Anyway, constructive criticism is heavily appreciated, as always. _________________
<3 Planty~
Art in icon done by Raburabbit. |
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Nenji Nenjiro ja ne!
Age: 37 Joined: 03 Oct 2005 Posts: 1535 Location: South...of the North Pole!
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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Well, that was a very original idea. Everyone loves the whole Saito.BAT and Full Synchornisation don't they? It allows for such wonderful plots...
Anyway, I especially liked the way you tried to keep to the original dialogue when you could. It was a nice touch and fitted in very well with the title and theme. _________________
Previously known as "HiKaizer" |
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Midnight This is a Hilbert Space
Age: 37 Joined: 18 Mar 2005 Posts: 3089 Location: The AfterMath. Otherwise, New York City.
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 5:26 am Post subject: |
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Agreed.
I noted that even if this was a relatively simple motif (swapping places for the epilogue and ending of EXE3), you still did a good job of it. It turned out to be quite long, but it didn't ramble in any place, and kept a good clip throughout.
Yes, keeping to the original events and dialogue of the game makes it much more compelling, but it also makes it a bit more inflexible, in my view. You're not given as much leeway when writing, and there are fewer opportunities for you to insert the events you want and dictate how the story can go.
Nevertheless, it was a fine job. _________________ Today, these three players are after Big Bucks! But they'll have to avoid the Whammy, as they play the most exciting game of their lives! From Television City in Hollywood! It's time to 'Press Your Luck!'--Rod Roddy
The Kingdom of Loathing: An Adventurer is You! // I ♣ Seals
Avatar by Spork. I very much appreciate it! <3 |
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Kitty-Chan Net Police
Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Posts: 438 Location: Massillon, Ohio, USA
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:53 am Post subject: |
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I find this to be fascinating. My only complaint is that you don't plan on continuing it, or show everyone else's reactions to the new "Rockman". _________________ Need more Zero/X, Netto/Rock, Rock/Netto, Forte/Netto, & Blues/Netto. PLEASE!
Ano sa...could someone please make me a Zero/X, Blues/Netto, or Forte/Netto avatar/banner? I would greatly appreciate it...
Thanks for the avatar, Mandi!
People! We need more Blues/Netto & Forte/Netto on the net. Come on; help me out here! *gives everyone her Super-Adorable Irrisistable Sad Kitty Eyes(TM)* |
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