Nazne Request Thread: Mari's Request: Between Light and Dark

Unknown Neo · Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:52 pm Post subject:

That was cute. You wrote it pretty well and I could see him doing that.

Darth Osiris · Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:58 pm Post subject:

**Mari** · Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 8:06 pm Post subject:

Yeah, had you forgotten to tell her, I'm sure Nazne would've decided to get a copy of the lyrics, select random sentences and slap them throughout the fic in no particular order whatsoever.

Darth, couldn't you just have added that to your previous post instead of quoting your own one-liner post and adding a one-liner reply?
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Nazne · Shukei - Hakuteiken Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1133

Well, about time. Mari's Regal request: Between Light and Darkness. Kitty-chan, I'ma be thinking quite hard about yours. ^^;;

Oh, and STREAM SPOILz0Rz >__>;;

- - - - - - - - -

“Shut up!”

The brunette sighed, casually did a flip over her brother’s head, and landed in the doorway. “There’s no talking to you when you’re like this. Go see Father about it or something-I’ve got work to do.”

She disappeared outside. The man glared after his errant sibling for a moment, then growled something under his breath and headed for the basement stairs. An odd banging sound could be heard as he descended, emanating through the heavy steel doors of the basement. He palmed the blinking pad next to the doors and strode through as they opened with a loud whooshing of air.

If the security measures had not been enough to mark this as an unusual basement, its interior certainly did. An entire back wall was lined with robotic bodies of all shapes and sizes, and though they were inactive, their human-like features appeared rather eerie in the lighting of the room. Robotic parts and limbs were strewn all over the floor, giving it the appeareance of a junkyard…or a graveyard. And in the middle of the room, an old man with bushy gray hair knelt next to another robot, this one half-finished. He did not even look up as Regal entered the room.

“Fighting again, boy?”

“Old man, what is it you do here?!”

Albert Wily shook his head. The light shone off its bald top, causing the man’s head to appear eerily skull-like. “Boy, what do you want? I thought you were off getting that program from our suppliers.”

“That program,” Regal stated through clenched teeth, “was stolen from the labs at Center City, and the culprits killed several people getting to it. I thought you said you had no henchmen?”

“I don’t. I just had Yuriko persuade them that I needed the thing, at whatever cost. Never told them to kill.”

“And ‘at whatever cost’ isn’t a killing command?!” Regal snarled.

Wily jabbed a wrench into the robot’s interior, probing at wires. “We’ve already been over this, boy. If I could have gotten that program another way, I would, of course—but those fools at the Center are all in Hikari’s pocket. There was no reason to go and invoke all the niceties when I knew they’d refuse, and this way, nothing gets tracked back to me. Your sister has quite an arsenal of disguises.”

A plastic-covered disk flew through the air and landed near Wily’s feet. “So your plan for the betterment of society is set upon the foundations of human lives?”

“I hope you didn’t damage the thing.” Picking up the disc, the old scientist inspected it closely, then shook his head again. “Think about what you’re saying for a moment. No social movement or progress in history could have been made without cracking a few knuckleheads first—sacrifices must be made.”

“Those were the words of Stalin and Hitler.”

“Boy, how many times must I tell you?” Wily spoke, sharply. “The only thing which matters is the end product, and power. Good and evil are mere figments of humanity’s imagination-one is simply more convenient than the other most of the time. And you, boy, are not thinking rationally.”

Regal growled something.

“Speak up, boy.”

“And the ultimate judgement of Light and Darkness? Will Duo choose to spare you on the basis of your end deed when it visits the Earth again?”

Wily turned back to the robot. “Think for yourself, boy. I’m not doing it for you. Go get yourself a few drinks or something.”

Whirling around, Regal stalked out of the room, the metal doors clanging shut again behind him. Wily looked up after the younger man had gone.

“Humanity’s only path is to free itself from all internal and external restraints. You’ll realize soon, m’boy…the only barrier is power.”

It was a common bar as could be found in areas such as this. A somewhat dingy location, shady customers, rather dim lighting, and the burly barman behind the counter with a beer-stained formerly white apron tied around his middle. Regal slid into the cornermost stool at the counter, ordered the usual, and sat listlessly, letting every aspect of his form show the rest of the crowd that this was a man interested only in his drink. Much practice had perfected it; the couple chatting nearby did not even seem to realize that he was there.

“…that break-in, haven’t they caught the culprits yet?”

“Sounds like some of our people…”

Which, Regal thought viciously, it probably was. This was why Wily had chosen such an…unscientific neighborhood to work out his experiments in. The old man wanted recognition, and perhaps some good for humanity, but he didn’t give a damn about how he went about achieving that goal, and there were lots of humans around he could use…

He realized that the drink was gone—he had probably drank it all without even noticing—and got up, shoving the glass across the counter at the bartender as he did. Regal did not notice the man in the far corner of the room watching him as he left the room.

The sun had reached the halfway mark of its descent in the west, casting long shadows behind the buildings, and as a result many of the alleyways were now shrouded in darkness. Regal knew these like the back of his hand—he had often traversed them to reach some of his “father”’s less respectable contacts. Thus it was a slight surprise when, upon turning the corner of one, he found the side route totally blocked by what appeared to be a large stack of crates and rubbish. Someone had apparently decided that it wasn’t worth it to ship their trash all the way to a collector’s; oil prices were rather high these days.

Regal sighed, turned for another route, and found a man standing in the opening of the alley in such a position that he did not appear offensive, and yet blocked the exit completely.

“You are the one they call Regal.” The man stated. It wasn’t a question.

“…Yes.” Regal responded, cautiously. “What business do you have with me?”

And, almost faster than he could follow, the man lunged, a knife suddenly in hand. It was only Regal’s reflexes which saved him from an instant decapitation. Dodging back, Regal crouched into a defensive position, staring at his attacker. “What the hell do you want?!”

The man chuckled humorlessly. “You are asking me? You, who should be exalted above all others by mankind, asking a lowly servant like me?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Regal snarled.

“Then prepare to die in ignorance…Duo’s chosen.”

Regal started, and almost missed the ripple of muscles tightening in the man’s forearm for an attack; as it was, the next lunge and slash created a shallow slash across his right cheek. Dropping to the ground, Regal kicked out swiftly at his attacker’s weight-bearing leg, but the man appeared to be an adept fighter, and leapt back quickly. They separated again, Regal breathing slightly faster. “How the hell did you…?!”

“We, the faithful, who have kept our Master’s name secret for millennia…” The man whispered, a fanatical expression in his eye. “How could we not know?”

Another lunge. Regal ducked under the swing, jabbed up with an elbow, and somehow managed to catch the man’s knife-wielding wrist with a loud crack. The man howled, letting go of the knife in his agony. Regal kicked it away and leapt upright as his attacker fell back again, clutching his injured wrist-Regal viciously hoped it was broken-and still staring at him.

“Tell me.” The young scientist snarled. “Whatever you know.”

“Our Master, exalted in the highest places, ruler and judge of all mankind…” The man crouched against the wall, breathing quickly. “Why did He not place his divine Mark on one of us? Why not us, the most loyal of his servants…”

Regal strode forward, grabbed the man by his grimy shirt collar, and slammed him against the wall. “Get to the point!”

“The Prophesy…when our Master comes, he will choose a human to rule all in the name of Light…and then, his ultimate judgement, destroying all darkness, the unworthy…”

Frowning, Regal slowly released the man, who fell in a heap at the foot of the wall. The only thing he knew of his own involvement with Duo was as a probe of the being, nothing more…had he missed something?

The man was still whispering. “Why…did our Master choose, an outsider to rule…”

And he kicked out viciously, catching Regal, unaware, in the stomach. Gasping for breath, the scientist stumbled back, and the man leapt up, lunging straight for the knife which Regal had discarded. As Regal managed to steady himself against a crate, the man turned, the knife grasped firmly in his left hand.

Hell. Regal thought. He’s ambidextrous.

“An unworthy outsider, corrupt by the powers of Darkness…” The voice had become a sibilant hiss, now that his attacker was re-armed. “How can be we be worthy of being in service to our Master Duo, if we children of Light do not destroy the unworthy, the weak? He who marked us, millennia before, passed upon us the duty to watch over those of his Mark, and eliminate those who do not follow the Light…”

“A whole load of crock!” Regal snarled. “How could Duo have existed in the time before technology?!”

Dashing forward, the man feinted a stab at Regal’s chest. Regal turned, trying to avoid the stab-but the knife slashed sideways instead, cutting deeply into his right shoulder. Gasping in agony, the scientist fell back, clutching his upper arm.

“He is the Master, he is all…”

Too late, Regal realized that he was now backed against the pile of crates and garbage. The man faced him directly, his knife shining palely in the light of the falling sun, an expression of pure fanaticism on his face. “I will destroy you. You have been corrupted, filled by darkness, you are not worthy to be his chosen ruler…Master Duo will honor me above all, for my loyalty to him and the Light…”

In pure desperation, Regal lunged forward, grabbing at the man’s knife-wielding arm with his good hand and kicking at his attacker’s crotch. His kick met, instead, with his attacker’s injured hand, and with a roar of pain, the man hurled Regal away. The scientist felt, before he heard, his head strike against the hard wall with a loud crack. Dazed, Regal slid to the floor.

“Die.” His attacker whispered, turning.

The knife stabbed into his right eye.

Regal felt it burst within his head, felt the utter coldness of the knife, and heard himself screaming. And screaming. Darkness flooded through his vision, and the last thing he thought he saw, or the last thing he thought he would ever see, was a black-cloaked figure dropping from the skies, landing on his attacker’s back.

But then it went dark, and Regal knew no more.

“…Regal.”

It was too familiar a voice. He didn’t want to respond to it, though he felt that he should, somehow, at least try to. But the darkness still weighed down on his mind.

“Father…”

“He’ll be all right, Yuriko. You need to sleep.”

“Wake up, boy.”

He was awake. Had been awake for a long time, just lying there with his eyes closed…eye, that is. The emptiness in his right eye socket was very noticeable.

“I know you’re awake. Answer me.”

Regal opened his left eye, blinked once, and focused on the craggy, gray-lined face of Wily, hovering above him.

“…Father…”

A sigh. Wily moved, out of his vision for a moment, then back into it, this time at eye height. He appeared to be sitting. “I guess I perfected that optical patch just barely in time, neh, boy? Try and use your right eye.”

The muscles controlling the right side of his face felt numb and unused. Regal forced them into action with a will, and suddenly, his vision turned brighter, more vivid. Regal saw white sheets, and realized he was lying on a bed of some sort.

“Well?”

“It…works.” He replied. His mouth felt like sandpaper.

“It should. I spent a fortune getting the program for it. Better than even mine, due to that one extra little detail I put in…eh, but I won’t bother you with an old man’s ramblings. Don’t they usually leave patients alone to recover?”

Regal realized that he could still move, and turned his head, focusing with this new ‘eye’. “Where…?”

“Yuriko brought you home, dripping blood all over the place. Lucky for you I used to play at being a medical doc in school…ah, old days. Anyways, you’re in the lab. Been here for days. Don’t try getting out any time soon, though. I’m not sure the wound’s fully healed yet.”

And Wily left, though Regal heard banging sounds coming from somewhere to his right, where, presumably, the robots were. He closed his eyes. The implant made everything crystal-clear, and he didn’t feel like meeting the real world again just yet.

In the days afterwards, the lab seemed deserted whenever Regal woke, though his dreams were full of people and events which he somehow could never remember when he woke again. Though, Regal did not mind this. His mind was clearer than it had been in years, and he wanted all of the free time he could to think, and think harder than he had ever done before.

“There’s no difference between Good and Evil.” Wily had told him, when he was younger…though he couldn’t remember when that was. “Humans just like one way of doing things better than the other.”

“The children of Light…” Regal whispered, closing his eyes against the glare of the overhead lamp. “Duo…”

Light and Darkness…what are they to me? He thought, numbly. What’s the difference? None at all...Wily was right. Regal was sure the old man would burst a gut laughing if his son ever admitted it, but there it was…

“Just excuses.” Regal whispered. “Excuses for humans to act with impunity, claiming that they do so in goodwill and righteousness.”

But you are the chosen one. Someone whispered in his mind. It sounded like the fanatic. Regal shook his head, trying to block out the voice, but it was persistent. Chosen ruler of the humans by a power beyond comprehension. It is your destiny.

“Shut up. You’re dead. Yuriko broke your neck.”

Chosen one of Light…

“SHUT UP!!”

Regal suddenly found himself sitting upright, both hands clenched so tightly into fists that his nails dug into his palms. “Light and Darkness are NOTHING!! Duo judges this Earth by ‘Light’, but his minions conduct dark deeds in his name and claim their righteousness by the Light! What is the difference?!”

He buried his head in his hands, trying not to touch the implant, which still felt oddly hard against his eye socket. “Hypocrites…all of them…”

But I was chosen. He thought. Yuriko and I. Chosen and given power to do whatever we wish…

Old stories. Rebellions of the creations of Gods. Fallen angels, brought to power.

So what’s to say you cannot be different?

Regal didn’t want to listen to the voice, but it kept going. Light rewards its followers, but Darkness is more generous with its power...you have not been treated well by that which cast you to the Light. Change it.

“No difference, is there…” Regal murmured.

The only thing which always accompanied light was shadow, as any self-respecting student of science should know. The light of Duo’s terrible judgment…the judgment of a hypocrite, Regal corrected himself, who just happened to find Humanity unpleasing to its particular frame of existence…

Light is only matched by the darkness it begets.

“Heh, heh, heh…”

Laughter shook his frame. The old man was right. Think about that! “Only the end product matters, boy…” Regal laughed, and kept on laughing. Only the sudden onset of a burst of coughing halted his mad laughter.

“I am the chosen one…” He whispered, looking down at his hands. The optical implant cast a strange light, and Regal fancied he could see an eerie halo of light around them. “And I will rule humanity, without the meddling of outer-space hypocrites…and Light.”

“I will match it with darkness. Cover the world with it, create a world so dark that even Duo’s judgement will never penetrate it…”

Pulling the blankets away, Regal got to his feet, marveling at how strong he felt-how long had he been in bed?-and went to tell Yuriko. Quite a lot of things needed to be said.

I think I screwed over about seventeen Stream subplots while I was at it, but I hope it made sense in other ways. XD

Waiting List:
Kitty-chan: Blues x Netto
Darth Osiris: September, Blues

-BMA

Kitty-Chan · Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 3:51 pm Post subject:

This was truly fascinating. I haven't seen Stream, so if you have screwed over a bunch of subplots, I can't tell; aw well, it's our job to screw with canon.
I really liked this, & I'm sure whatever you choose to write for my request will be equally wonderful.
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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)*

Unknown Neo · Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 7:32 pm Post subject:

Nice! Plus I never thought of wily's head like that. Could that be why he has a skull base?

Elementalman.EXE · Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 7:50 pm Post subject:

Eh. I'll Shot here. Unless you dislike it I would like to request something of an AnettaXEnzan OneShot. Plot... Uh, here Plot... I'm not good at this. Um just something like Anetta gets attacked by some agent of the Fallen Nebula. Try to add something with Enzans super powerful, chip fling Like

Enzan: Take this. "Flings Chip"
Nebula Agent: OWW. MY EYE"S!
Enzan: Strange... That shouldn't of worked

And becuase of technical stuff, could it have a Corny ending like like "i'll always be there" And No CF.
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1000 Post on Sept. 18 2005 at 6:29pm

Midnight · Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 8:14 pm Post subject:

Wow.

So intricate this plot was--not through the action, but through the idea brought about by the situation and the introspection that was done throughout the vignette. The detail is rich and the syntax is almost impeccable--and serves to help even the meekest of readers visualize the scenario.
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**Mari** · Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 1:46 pm Post subject:

That was, pretty much, what I expected. I don't think there's something messed up with the storylines. Thank you very much, Nazne! I wasn't disappointed after all, I knew you could pull this out. XD
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Nazne · Shukei - Hakuteiken Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1133

Sankyuu, Mari~

Okay. Kitty-chan, I apologize, but I am not that proficient a pairing writer, and to me, Blues x Netto just doesn't make enough sense in my mind for me to write it out well. The scenarios you've proposed are interesting, but the problem is, I am not much of a crackfic writer. ^^;;; Neko would perhaps be better suited for this.

Darth Osiris, I'll see what I can do about your Blues angstfic now. <<

-BMA

Kitty-Chan · Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:25 pm Post subject:

It's okay; most people can't see those two as a couple. -_-; Thanks for trying, though. Do you think you could do any Zero/X or Rock/Netto? If not, I don't mind.
_________________
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)*