[Writing] DMFA cross-fic: Absolute Zero - Part 11

[Infranscia]

Note: This story takes place in Furrae, maybe 175 years after the events of DMFA, though probably with a branched timeline - in other words, I don't consider this canon with Amber's version of Furrae, or at least the future thereof.  I'm not even sure if I consider it canon with other fan stories, due to its nature.  However, it shares a similar, if not identical history to Furrae at least to where the comic is - I'd also like to include other fan events if others are alright with that.  Definitely looking for cameos.

In terms of rating, this would be somewhere between Amber's definition of 'Pai Gon' [PG] 'and Fa-Teen' [14].  My personal rating would be about 'T' for violence and a dark story - about the same as Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Also, I may not be updating this too often.  I have the first two parts written out, just in case, but I'm not sure how quickly I'll be writing this with the other stuff I'm trying to do.  And yes, I'm planning on putting new parts in the same topic.

Chapter links:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11

Anyway, enjoy!


Absolute Zero - Part 1:

It had been a quiet day so far.  Nothing had happened yet.

...Actually, nothing had happened for a few weeks, and in my job, that just didn't happen.  Some said it could mean that things were calming down, but I wasn't so sure.  Something just didn't feel right.

"Is something wrong, Zero?"

"Hmm?"  I snapped out of my thoughts and looked toward the speaker.  I saw both Rock, a green-eyed, messy-brown-haired guy with an odd ability in magic, and Axl, the blue-eyed, long-eared red-head who could use any kind of gun.  Even while we were sitting, I had to look down at them; I was tall, while they were both just a little on the short side.  Rock was the one who spoke.  "Oh," I told him, "just thinking about how quiet it's been."

"Isn't it great?" Axl said, leaning back.  "I mean, sure our job is fun and all, but it's nice to have a break."

"Yeah..." Rock said contently.  "Though I hope it's more than a break.  I want things to be back the way they were."

"Meh..." Axl said.  "Mixed blessing for me."

"...But we can't afford to let our guard down, regardless," I told them.  "The worst thing that could happen is to be lulled into security only for no one to be there when needed."

"Relax, Zero!" Axl told me.  "Can't you just enjoy it?"

"That might be easier if I didn't have this feeling that something bad is about to happen!"

"Betcha a soda vs. some Hot Chips that it won't!"

I paused.  I wasn't much for betting, but I decided to go with it for Axl's sake.  "Okay.  How about if something happens in... three days, you owe me?"

"Deal!"

Rock just smiled, amused, before he turned to me.  "Try not to think about it too much, Zero.  If something happens, it happens.  If not... Then it doesn't.  But worrying over things isn't going to make them better or worse.  At least try to enjoy it while it lasts, okay?"

I sighed.  Rock had a tendency to be optimistic, and this time was no exception.  He had a point, though.  "Alright.  I'll try not to worry."

He smiled again, taking his tray and standing up.  "See you at dinner, then?"

"See ya!" Axl said, waving.  I did the same, except with less enthusiasm.

Rock... Axl...  I've known them since I was little.  They're two of the people I feel closest to, and so we would usually eat together at mealtimes.  They were the ones I felt the most comfortable being around.

But at the same time, I worried for them.

But it wasn't like they couldn't handle themselves, either.  Axl, Rock and me were three of the toughest people around.  And despite them wearing light armor (they prefer movement), the three of us were pretty evenly matched.  But while they prefer magic and bullets, I prefer to get up close and personal.  I always carry a sword with me, and I know how to use it.  Most people knew not to tease me about my long, blond hair, and those that didn't quickly learned.

Still, I know when I would be taking it too far.  I'm not going to kill anyone over my hair.  I would only try to really hurt someone if they try to really hurt my friends, and others.  The last thing I'd want is to have someone I care about hurt, and I would fight with all my strength to keep that from happening.

Still, it had been awhile since the last 'accident,' and they were happening a lot lately.  It would probably happen again, it was just a matter of time.  There hadn't been anything too bad lately, but if it happened at the wrong place and time...

I decided to shut the thought out for now.  Rock told me that worrying didn't make things better, and he was right.  I would just have to keep going, and do everything I could to keep it from happening.  Besides, all this thinking was giving me a headache.

*****

"Teams 9 and 10 to the south side!  Repeat, Teams 9 and 10 to the south side!  Two Demons have hit the farming district!  Dispatch immediately!"

"Huh," Rock thought out loud, looking at a loudspeaker.  "I guess Axl owes you some Hot Chips."

"I told you something would happen," I said.  "Too bad the break didn't last longer, though."

Rock looked a bit worried.  "Do you think the teams will be able to handle it?"

"They just got new members," I admitted, "but the dispatchers know what they're doing.  And they're sending two teams for two Demons.  They should be able to make it."

To be continued...

----------

I kept some things vague on purpose.  Others... It just didn't seem like the character would mention them.  At least most of the basic setting should be explained by end of the third part, though.

I'm sure some of you already guessed what I mean be 'its nature.'  Yeah, all characters mentioned so far are (c) CapCom.

[Drayco84]

Wait, I need some clarification here... The names are copyrighted by Capcom, meaning that this might be classified as MegaMan X fanfiction? (No big deal there, I tried to do that myself one time... Didn't turn out well, and I abandoned it.) But yet, this is based on Furrae? Could be interesting... I'll have to keep an eye on this...

REGARDLESS! Am I correct in assuming that your Zero is based, personality-wise, off of the MMX Zero? If so, he always struck me as rather detail-oriented as in combat, it's what you DON'T know that ofter kills you. Plus, those that tend to find (and utilize) whatever happens to be handy seem to live longer. But then, that's probably just me...

Anyways! DETAILS! Needs DETAILS! Any hairstyles? Eye colors? (What, no eye contact?) What are they wearing? If armor, what is it made out of? Is it designed for mobility or defense? What weapons do they use? In short, I'm lacking a mental picture of your characters, and if they're furrae-based, this means species, fur color, shape of any and all tails, size and shape of ears, the position of said ears, number of eyes, claw size, etc. But anyway, the biggest (And only.) flaw I'm seeing is the lack of a mental image.

The other thing I'm having a hard time with is the idea of sending two TEAMS of newbies out for an obviously dangerous threat. It's painfully obvious that there's going to be a bunch of casualties. A smarter option would be mixing a few veterans into those teams. But, this is just my opinion of it.

Other than that, so far it looks good and I'm looking forward to the next section. (Please don't tell me you're killing off BOTH teams of Red-Shirts, though...)

And before you say it, if you follow the link to my own writings, you'll see that I'm being rather hypocritical on a lot of points here. Yes, I'm aware of it. (I'm also aware that I need to rewrite/edit a ton of stuff...) I don't know what effect on the reader your aiming for, so I hope this confirms that you've achieved your goal.

Two things I must ask is if you're using an outline, and how long do you plan on this being?

EDIT: Missed a ")" and just a heads up, if I'm not sounding coherent, then my thoughts probably aren't either...

[Infranscia]

Hehe, yep, it's a crossover-with-MegaMan fanfiction.   Hence, why I'm not sure I even consider it Fanon.  I'm having fun in the meantime, though.

And yes, I'm trying to base the personalities heavily off their MegaMan counterparts.  Admittedly, I didn't think much about the 'paying attention to detail in combat' thing.  Didn't occur to me.  However, I'll note that it's not so much him giving up on not knowing, as not focussing on it too heavily since he can't prevent what he's worried about anyway, but still keeping an eye out to be ready when something happens.

Well, normally I'd describe more, but since I'm doing this from Zero's POV, I'm trying to write it the way he might think of it, and somehow, I don't picture him as overly-descriptive when it comes to appearance.  Admittedly, I thought it was rather lacking myself.  I suppose I can pretend he's adding detail so the 'listeners' will get a fair picture and go over it again and see what I can add that doesn't sound like reaching.  But some is left out on purpose, and other stuff... I actually haven't thought off.  Ahehheh. ;

Anyway, I've got to leave soon, but I'd still like to say thanks for pointing out things.  I have a proof-reader, but either she focusses more on spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors than plot-holes.  (I just recently asked her to keep an eye out for them.)  I'm actually kinda relieved to get that kinda critique for once. 

[Drayco84]

Not a problem and I'm glad to be able to help.

If I' m lucky, the shoe will probably be on the other foot soon...

[Infranscia]

Okay, I added a little description to the first part, but other than that, it's pretty much the same.  Please also read this next part before commenting on it.  (I considered posting both at once first time around for clarity, but ended up not doing so to see what would happen.  Well, I know now.  I'll know better next time.)



Absolute Zero - Part 2:

...munchmunch...

I walked down the hall with Rock and Axl on either side of me and a bag of Hot Chips in hand.  Axl muttered something I didn't quite hear.

"Quit complaining, Axl," I told him.  "It doesn't change anything."

"Still, I can't believe you were right!" he exclamed.  "Not only did they attack, but right after our bet!"

"You just wanted that soda."

"Did not!" he snapped at me.

I raised an eyebrow, putting another Hot Chip in my mouth.

Axl paused, looking down and putting his hands in his pockets.  "Well... maybe a little.  But still, it's crazy!"

"I just wish that it really had been over," Rock commented.

I swallowed before I spoke up.  "Don't we all?"

Axl started to shuffle his feet.

...munchmunch...

There was a pause before Rock spoke up again.  "I wonder how team 9 and team 10 are doing?"

We were obviously starting to run out of topics, and I started to let my mind wander.  I let thoughts come as they wanted.

We still don't know why the Creatures attack us.

...destroy the village...

At least we don't give them a chance to do so.

...kill everyone...know...want to...

...Wait, that's not right.

I physically shook my head, trying to shake the thoughts out.  Rock looked up and noticed.  "Whispers?" he asked.

I made sure to swallow again.  "Yeah..."

"That's not good," Axl said.  "Do you want us to-"

"Teams 0, 6, 11, and 17 to the east side!  Repeat, teams 0, 6, 11, and 17! Ten Demons are approaching the forest!  Repeat, ten Demons in formation!"

We were walking right by the loudspeaker when the announcement started, causing me to jump and spill a bunch of chips. It also made my headache worse.  Axl had to cover his ears, too.

I knew it... I knew the break in attacks was too good to be true.

I had to give the Demons credit for their strategy.  They had always sent just one-to-four at a time.  They were annoying, but we could manage it.  We got used to fighting the small groups and assumed that was how they did things.  I guess they used that to their advantage and sent a bunch while we still had a team out.  Bravo, Demons.  Bravo.

At least the whispers came at the best time.  Maybe it wouldn't turn so bad, all things considered.

I shoved the some more Hot Chips in my mouth, and the three of us ran off, all belonging to the teams called.  Ten Demons... it would be tough, but the four teams were strong and experienced.  We would be able to handle it.

We entered the teleporter room, which was already in heavy usage.  Focussing on the forest, I stepped into one of the teleporters and found myself at the edge of the woods, along with everyone else.  As we walked into the forest, we automatically grouped into our teams and started to keep our eyes out for the Demons.

"Zero," a voice called in my head, though magic, "there is one that is clearly weaker than the others.  She's a black feline with blue markings.  Do you think you can capture her?"

"I'll take the black-and-blue cat," I said aloud, both in response and to the others in my team.  "The rest of you, you know what to do."

It was still a little odd, describing a Demon, or other Creature.  Animal-people with magic powers... we all grew up thinking they were nothing but fairy tales, and now we found ourselves fighting them regularly.

When we were told that they landed, we headed toward them with help from a diviner.  We kept as quiet as we could with Axl focussing on the sounds; he may have been picked on about those ears a lot, but they really come in handy.  In fact, while we were looking, Axl suddenly turned and fired.  I saw a shape fall to the ground, and a moment later Demons started charging at us.

The first of which was a black cat with blue hair and markings.

I made sure to intercept her, using my sword to block her bronze-colored katana.  Then I had to break her off from the group while keeping from getting hit.  It was tricky, especially since the battle just made my headache worse, but I managed without getting too hurt.

The next step was to disable her without killing her.  (I was asked to capture her, after all.)  This was harder.  I didn't recognize her fighting-style, but seemed like she had as much training in sword-fighting as me.  She was quick, and tried to get back to the group a bunch of times, but I managed to stop her before she got too close.

After awhile, I noticed I was hearing the whispers again.  That, plus my headache, and the fact that I was getting angrier, made it harder to concentrate.  I held my sword with both hands to stabilize it and tried to let my anger go.  I had trouble calming myself, and it was distracting me from the fight, so instead I focussed on controlling my movements.

She also got angrier as the fight went on.  In frustration, she chanted a couple words, making her katana glow.  She swung it, and when I tried to lock with her my sword went flying, but the force from the swing made hers fly as well...  Or maybe that was part of the spell.  I dunno.  The spell didn't rip my hands off, but it still made my hands hurt like crazy, especially my fingers.

When I turned toward her, she had her claws and fangs out, but I wouldn't let her use them.  I ran toward her, grabbing her by the arm and chest, and pinning her against a tree, knocking the wind out of her.

More than a little irritated, I found myself questioning her right then and there.  "Why do you Demons keep coming?" I asked.  "Why do you attack us when we never bothered you?  Do you have something against Humans?!"

"...pleas-" she sputtered, trying to grab my arm with her free hand.

"Answer me!"

After a moment of standing there, waiting for her to reply as she tried to breathe, I noticed she was acting less like she was winded and more like she was choking.  This struck me as odd: Why would she be choking?  As my anger started to fade, I noticed that my fingers were wet, covered in something warm.  I looked at my left hand - the one holding her arm - and saw it covered in a familiar red substance.  But... when did one of us draw blood there?  And who's was it?

Pulling her arm down, I could see that her flesh was torn.  I also saw how I tore it:

Claws.

Confused, and starting to get scared, I looked at my other hand.  Sure enough, I could see that a claw on my thumb had punctured her chest and that it was lined with blood.  Without thinking, I pulled my claws out of her, staring at my hands in shock as she fell to the ground.  I wondered how in the world they got there, and a part of me just realized that I had another 'accident,' but for a different reason than usual.

My thoughts clouded as my headache grew to a searing pain, along with pain in my mouth and my back.  I almost grasped my head in pain, barely realizing that it was a bad idea before I did.  I tried to withstand it, but it kept getting worse until it was unbearable.

In moments, I collapsed on the ground and the world went black.

To be continued...

----------

Thanks to my friend for letting me use a variant of her persona in this.

My apologies for not giving a more detailed battle-scene, for those that may have wanted one.  I didn't feel the details were all that important this time around.  I'll probably write one more in-depth later in.

Part 3 is turning out to be longer.  I thought I'd post this in the meantime.  Not sure how long it'll be before I finish it, with this cold.  Bleh.

[Drayco84]

Sorry, took me a while to get around to this.

I see what you mean about what details you're holding back, and it's working in your favor. (Good scenes take time to build.) Everything's looking good as far as I can tell, but I have a single grammar nitpick...

She was quick, and tried to get back to the group a bunch tries, but I managed to stop her before she got too close.

Again, other than that, everything looks good.

[Infranscia]

I just realized I never changed the title of this thread to announce the second chapter. XD

Anyway, I fixed that typo.  And I realize it's been awhile since I posted a chapter.  Here it is for your reading pleasure.  

EDIT: Talk about your epic fails.    Here's the real part 3.



Absolute Zero - Part 3:

When I came to, I found myself staring at the bland-but-familiar ceiling of the medical wing.  I wasn't sure what happened, but I could tell that my armor, or at least the chest piece, was taken off.  I looked around a bit.  Some other beds had patients... though for some reason there were four beds between them and me.  There were a lot of patients that I could see, maybe a quarter of the people that were sent out.  Some of them were from teams 9 and 10.  In a way, this was good: at least they weren't in body bags.

"Hey."

I turned and sleepily looked over to see Rock with a bandage on his arm, among other things.  I didn't move any more than my head; even though I had just woken up, I felt exhausted.  "Hey."

Rock smiled, looking relieved.  "How are you feeling?"

I paused sleepily.  "Tired."  I paused again.  "How long was I out?"

"...A couple days."

I paused, thinking.  Whatever got me must have hit me pretty hard.  "So what happened while I was knocked out?"

"Some of the group started to worry about you, instead of the fight.  We managed to keep the black feline from dying.  Axl took a few hits, but he thinks it will help him when he questions the feline."

"Any casualties?"

"I don't think so."

While we were talking, I noticed that I had a slight lisp, and I thought I felt something with my tongue.  I used my tongue to feel around.  It hit something long, and I checked the shape, size, and feel of it.

I realized that it was my own canine teeth, which startled me.  Remembering what happened right before I passed out, I looked at my hand.  The claws were still there.  It was real.  I really had accidentally threatened the life of that feline...

"Ah, you're awake," said a doctor as he walked toward me.  "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, confused."  I hesitated.  "...Worried."

He nodded.  "I suppose that's to be expected.  But you don't need to worry.  This should not affect your mind."

"'Should'?"

"Well," he said with a slight laugh, "it's hard to tell when you've just woken up.  You seem to be fine so far, though."

"He couldn't convince the other patients, though," Rock said, gesturing to the empty beds.

"They were just so insistent because of your... condition."

"The fangs and claws?" I asked.

"Yes, those too."

I blinked.  'Those too?'

The doctor continued before I spoke up.  "I'm afraid there's not much we can do at the moment, but I took the liberty of taking a blood sample for analysis.  We should be able to figure something out.  I don't see a need to perform a psychiatric evaluation right away, and physically you are relatively unharmed.  I suppose the Demons didn't bother attacking what may have been a dead body...  Anyway, you're free to go for the time being."

I blinked again.  Why only 'for the time being?'

"I would still like to have a psychiatric evaluation performed as soon as possible.  How does tomorrow after breakfast sound?"

"Er... Alright."

"Alright then."  He wrote something down.  "Until then, try and get a good night's rest.  Good day.  Er... night."

As the doctor walked away, I stared wondering what had just happened.  After a moment, I still decided to get up and get back to my room, but I nearly fell to the floor when I got out of the bed.  Maybe it was because I was tired, but it felt like my balance was way off.  I had to grab onto the railing of the bed to steady myself.

"...Do you want help?" Rock asked.

"Not really," I told him.  "But I might need it."

Leaning on the bed, I managed to get myself upright.  I let go and started to head back to my room, wobbling, but staying on my feet.  Rock followed just in case I did fall, and his room was near mine, anyway.

My whole body ached, possibly from the fight, but it hurt more than usual.  When I swayed, my back and head hurt more than the rest.  And all along the way, everyone we passed gave me looks, and not at my claws or teeth.  Was there something I didn't see yet?  Did I have a bat in my hair or something?

I was actually glad to get to the stairs, since I could hold onto the handrail.  By the time I got to my floor, I found some of my balance, but it felt like I was leaning forward for some reason.  When I realized this, I started to worry again.  Normally I would've tried to control that worry, but I was just too tired at the moment.

When I got to my door, I spent a good twenty seconds trying to figure out how to grab the doorknob without poking myself.  Rock was about to open the door himself when I managed to get it to turn.

"You may want to brace yourself," said Rock.

I opened the door, turning on the light before walking in.  I headed toward the mirror, pausing to take Rock's suggestion before turning and looking into it.

I knew right away why people were staring.  For some reason, my hair was a lighter, gray-ish shade of blond, but that was nothing compared to the rest.  Coming out of my back were two, big wings.  They were dark with claws and fire-colored markings on them.  And for some reason, two smaller wings were on my head, which subconsciously tensed up when I saw them, but they had more of a blue front with pink lining.

Even though I braced myself, I still took a step back.  I was worried about things before, but this...  Whether or not this was proof, it was, well, the straw that broke the camel's back.

"...I look like a Demon."

"You can't judge everything by appearance, Zero," Rock told me.  "Axl's proof of that."

"But that's not all there is to it!" I snapped.  "You know I've been having trouble controlling my strength lately.  I've had trouble controlling myself!  Bursts of rage, whispers... accidents, like the one back there.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm the one doing them or if I'm just watching.  Something's wrong with me..."  I held up, and looked at my clawed hands.  "...and I think it's getting worse.  And now..."  I looked in the mirror, seeing my fangs, and my wings, all four of them.  "I'm not even sure what I am anymore."

I looked at my reflection for a moment of what I thought was despair, or at least misery.  Then I looked down, seeing the bottom of my wings as they drooped.  It was hard to see myself as a Creature after fighting them.  The thought of becoming like them... the pain was hard to bear.

I heard Rock's steps come closer to me.  He grabbed by shoulder.  "What you are is a good friend.  You've been my best friend almost as long as I can remember.  You're a great warrior who's committed to fending off Creatures that would hurt us, or others.  You're a great person, Zero, no matter how many Creature traits you have."

I looked at Rock, who was looking and smiling at me sympathetically.  I sighed.  "Maybe... But I have to wonder what I'm becoming every time there's an accident."

"Which you said you might not be causing."

I resisted the urge to glare, and yell.  "Even so, it's still with my hands, my body... which I can't always control.  Whether or not it's really my fault, it's still dangerous to be around me.  I..."  I paused, then lowered my head again.  "I'm just... scared.  Scared of what I could do if things keep going like this.  What if... I..."

There was a pause as my voice trailed off.  "Maybe you should get some sleep," said Rock.  "Maybe things will be better in the morning."

"...I doubt it.  It's not like it'll undo what happened."

Rock paused.  "Still, maybe you'll be able to think more clearly."

"Maybe," I told him.  "I do still have a bad headache."

"I guess I'll see you at breakfast, then."  Rock began to turn to leave.  "Good night."

"Good night."  He took a couple steps away before something occurred to be.  "...Oh, Rock?"  When he looked at me, I said "Whatever happens, thanks.  You're a better friend than me."

Rock smiled.  "Thanks, Zero.  But-"

"No, I mean it.  Think about it."

Rock just kept smiling and turned to leave again.  "Good night."

He turned off the light and closed the door behind him, leaving me in the dark.  I sighed, but decided to just get to bed.  I tried sitting down, which turned out to be awkward because my wings got in the way.  I tried sitting down sideways and sort of rolling on, but my claws caught on the blanket.  Trying to pull it off usually resulted in getting other claws caught, and I struggled with my bedding for several minutes, scratching myself several times before I finally won.

I managed to awkwardly scoot onto the bed, but I had to lie on top of the blankets.  I also realized that in any position I was comfortable in, my claws poked something.  Frustrated, I ended up lying with my palms up.  Trying to ignore my headache, I closed my eyes, and tried to sleep.

To be continued...

----------

Going to start with chapter links in the first post.  And for the stuff that doesn't match up with the usual... well, all will be revealed it time.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Going to start with chapter links in the first post.

Be a good plan, since the rules require it...

[Infranscia]

Okay, here's the next part.  It's a bit on the short side... hope you don't mind.


Absolute Zero - Part 4:

...can't stand them...going to pay.

...need a better one.

...the pain...

...need to get stronger.

I woke up in the middle of the night with a worse headache than before.  I tried getting to sleep again, but I couldn't.  It was like I wasn't even tired.

To make things worse, I was hearing the whispers again.  At first they didn't say much, but they started saying more and more after a few hours.  And it seemed the more they said, the worse my headache got.  I tried covering my ears with my pillow, but it didn't help at all.

...going to check...

...Idiot.

Make it stop...

...something happen?

Every time I thought the headache couldn't get any worse it proved me wrong.  I pressed harder on the pillow to try and block the voices out, but that might've made the pain worse.  It was so bad that it was hard to think of anything else.

I jumped when something touched my back wing.  When I looked, I saw that it was just Rock.  I saw his mouth moving, but I was pressing so hard on my ears that I couldn't tell what he said.  But I could tell that he looked worried.

"My head feels... going to explode..." I managed to say.

Rock said something else, but all I heard were the voices.

There's something wrong...

...kill him.

...big jerk.

...better off dead.

I shut my eyes tight, trying to block it out.  "No..." I told the voices.  I didn't want to hurt my friend.  "Shut up...  Why won't you shut up...?!"

*****

Sometime later - it was hard to tell how long it was in my condition - the voices grew louder, and something touched my wing again.  When I looked up, I saw a few doctors... and some security guards.  Even with my headache, I could still think a little, and while seeing them worried me, I still wanted to know what was wrong with me.  And if I was turning into a Demon, and it couldn't be stopped... I wanted to be stopped before I hurt anybody.

Though I was scared, I decided to let them bring me with them.  I relaxed my body to some extent and carefully rolled off the bed onto my feet.  I didn't want to let go of the pillow, but with some coaxing, they got me to let go, and with some effort, they got it off my claws.

I half-mindlessly followed the crowd, not paying attention to where I was going.  I even stumbled down a few stairs, but at least the others caught me.  I think Rock was there, but it was hard to tell through my pain.  The confusion from the whispers didn't help, either.

I was slightly relieved when we stopped using stairs and started down a flat hallway.  I still didn't pay attention to where we were going.  I just hoped that when we got there, they would be able to make the pain go away.

That's when an alarm sounded.  I couldn't tell what was said, just that it was really loud and didn't make the pain any better.  Out of surprise and instinct, I ran away from the noise, pushing people out of my way.  Why couldn't I be somewhere quiet, like the forest?

The next thing I knew, I was in the forest, but I didn't stop running because I was still in pain.  When I got tired of running, I just ran up to a tree, sunk my claws into it, and dropped to the ground, making big scratch marks in the trunk.  When I hit the ground, I just lied there, tired, and eventually fell asleep.


To be continued...

[Infranscia]

A short part followed by a long part. X3  Again, I hope it's enjoyable.


Absolute Zero - Part 5:

Meanwhile, in the lower floors of the Humans' base, the Demon feline stirred.  Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up, slowly, as her body protested.  She looked at her surroundings curiously, realizing where she was as she noticed stone walls and iron bars.

"Ah, you're awake."

Recognizing the voice, she looked into the cell next to her.  Sitting inside was what appeared to be an old, wizened, green goat with markings, bandages, and a set of leather wings on his back: a figure that she recognized from the demon attack party.  "Oh," she said, unenthusiastically.  "Hello, Ergath."

"Heh," the Demon goat laughed.  "It seems you're either lucky, or unlucky.  I suppose it depends."

The feline raised an eyebrow.  Realizing that the two seemed to be alone, she spoke two words:  "The others?"

"I'm afraid the others didn't survive."

The cat paused, then looked forward at the bars, her ears pinned back.  "Why haven't you tried to escape yet?" she asked as she stood up and began walking toward the door of her cell.  "These bars don't look like they'll hold up to a-AAAAUGH!"

"Because they are heavily reinforced with magic and even touching them will harm you," the goat said as the feline held her hand, wincing.  "Besides, that group of Humans was able to take down the whole party.  Who knows how many of them are in this building?"

The cat grimaced as her fingers still stung.  Then she sat back down on the floor, clearly upset by these facts.  "What do you think they'll do with us?" she asked.

"I can only guess what the Humans have in store.  But whatever it is that they want, they went to great lengths to make sure there was at least one survivor."  The goat motioned to the bandages that they both wore.

The cat paused, thinking over what the goat just said.  "I think... they want information.  The Human that singled me out asked why we attacked them."

The goat looked intrigued.  "Oh really?"

"Yes.  He seemed to have no idea why they'd ever be attacked in the first place."

"Heh..." the goat laughed, as if amused.  "All those attacks and they still haven't figured it out."

The cat gave him a confused look.

"Is something wrong?" the goat asked.

"...I would wonder why they have forgotten in the first place."

"Hmm..."  The goat pondered what to say.  "I don't think these Humans have known for some time.  In any case, they haven't learned from recent attacks."

The feline thought this over.  "...I suppose legends do say that they were short-lived.  And perhaps a bit foolish."

"Hmm..."

The feline gave him another strange look.  "You're being awfully quiet."

"I am thinking."  The goat tapped his arm in thought.  "I suppose they will do whatever they can think of to learn what they want to know.  Who knows what they have in store?"

"I would guess torture.  Or perhaps..."  Her eyes widened as a thought occurred to her.  "Mind games."

Now it was the goat's turn to look confused.  "What is it?"

"We may never have been close, but I still know know the town's favorite old goat," she said with an accusing tone.  "You should be going on about how we might be able to outdo them.  You should be ranting about how I failed to take down one Human that fought me on his own.  You should be telling, telling, telling.  But instead, you're thinking, you're wondering, you're even asking."

She waited for a second before speaking her accusation.  "You're not Ergath at all, are you?"

The goat smirked.  "Heh," he laughed as his form shifted, becoming furless with long ears and an X-like mark on his face.  "I guess you do have some brains."

The demon cat sneered at him, raising her hackles.  "What did you say?"

Axl tightened the goat's belt to fit his thinner figure.  "For a moment, I thought I could get you to tell me everything, but I guess I wasn't good enough."  He stood up.  "This is hard when you don't know the personality or anything about your disguise."

He walked right out of the cell he was in, revealing that there were never any spells on it, and closed the door behind him.  He walked sternly toward her cell and squatted down in front of her.  "Seriously though.  We have no idea what's going on and the other Demons wouldn't tell us."

"And you think I will?"

"Well," Axl said admittedly, "maybe not about why you're attacking, but maybe something smaller?"

The Demon tried to change the subject.  "What exactly are you?  I was always told Humans had short, blunt ears."

"I guess I'm a mutant or something.  Anyway, what's your name?"

The Demon wasn't exactly comfortable with telling him.  "Tell me yours."

Axl gave her an annoyed look.  "...Alright, but you have to tell me yours, too.  Okay?"

He waited for a reply, and eventually she nodded.

"Okay, I'm Axl Agnaras.  What's your name?"

The cat gave a smug smile.  "You may call me 'the Bronze Warrior.'"

"Hey!  That's not fair!  You said you'd tell me!"

"I never 'said' anything," the cat said, continuing with her smug attitude.  "And you never said I have to tell you right away.

"At least give me a hint."

The Demon smirked.  "...Shadow, freezing and burning."

Axl lowered an eyebrow.  "'Dark Freezerburn'?"

The feline couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"...Oh whatever.  I'll get to it later."  He looked at her seriously.  "Do you remember the Human you fought?"

"How could I forget?"  She grimaced, pinning her ears back and scratching her claws on the floor.

"Well, what did you do to him?"

Her expression quickly changed to 'confused'. "Excuse me?"

"You must've done something to him while you were fighting," Axl explained, "because the last time I saw him, he was sitting in the med-wing with shiny new Demon wings."

For a moment, the Demon looked confused and surprised.  But then she became sly and intrigued.  "Oohhhh.  Well isn't this an interesting twist?"  She laughed quietly, leaning forward to emphasize what she said, her dark-blue hair falling over her shoulders.  "I'm sorry to break this to you, but wing spells are very complicated.  I don't know any wing spells, but I do know that they need time and magical materials to cast.  And to have or gain Demon wings without magic, one needs to actually be a Demon.  And to do that, one simply needs to be born as one, like I was."

Axl's eyes widened with worry.  "You don't mean...?"

"Yup."  She smiled, digging her point in deeper.  "The most likely scenario is that he simply is a Demon, and always has been."

For a moment, Axl simply sat there in shock.  But then, masking his worry with anger, he only denied the Demon's scenario.  "No!  Zero's not like you Demons!"

"Well, it would explain why he was such a perfect match for me in battle."

"But he would never-"  He stopped suddenly, as if interrupted.  "Hold on."  He stood up and turned as if to leave, walking away until he was out of earshot.  "Yeah?  What is it?"

"Axl," one of the diviners told him telepathically, "Zero has escaped."

The news was far from comforting.  "Escaped?"

"Yes.  He seems to be losing his mind.  He was being escorted down because he seemed confused, and then he escaped when there was another small attack.  We're still trying to locate him, but it shouldn't be too long before we find him."

Axl stood there, silently gaping.  No... he thought.  He can't be turning into a Demon!

The diviner sighed.  "I'm sorry, Axl.  We're going to do everything we can."


To be continued...

[Infranscia]

In the middle of writing the next part or two ahead.  Figure I'll post my already-prepared part while I'm at it.

Oh, and in case you didn't notice, I added another small piece of description to the first part.  Fourth paragraph in, where Zero's describing Rock and Axl anyway.  You may want to check that briefly before reading this part.

Anyway, as always, enjoy~


Absolute Zero - Part 6:

When I woke up, I felt very stiff.  Stirring, I realized that I was lying on dirt; the forest floor.  In front of me was a tree, and when I stood up, stretching, I saw the claw marks that I left in it.  Thinking back, I realized I must have accidentally used a teleporter and brought myself there.

I also realized that my head was clear.

I didn't know why, but I had no headache, or at least not a big one, and I wasn't hearing any whispers.  Was it something about the forest?  At any rate, it was nice to finally have my head clear.

I wasn't sure which way the base was.  I tried climbing a tree to get a look, but I couldn't figure out how with my new wings and claws.  But then I realized... what if I started acting up again when I was around the others?  I wasn't exactly gentle when the alarm went off.

But then what was I supposed to do?  Was I doomed to just become the Creature in the forest?

Sighing, I turned and started to look around.  I felt that, in any case, I should try to find my way around the forest.

*****

While I was wandering - which helped me re-learn to balance, which was much easier when my head was clear - I would occasionally stop, stretching or otherwise moving my wings around to get used to them.  But otherwise, I was trying to learn my way around, which was near impossible because the trees looked pretty much the same to me.

Eventually, I ran across some fruit trees, which I was very glad to see.  I was starting to get hungry, and I knew that if I was going to stay there, I'd need a good food source.  I tried jumping and grabbing the fruits, but they were still too high for me to reach.

Isn't that the same...?

Oh, great.  I was starting to hear whispers again.  Ignoring the voice, I just tried climbing the tree, which was a bit easier this time around with a slanted trunk and some rocks.

"I'd be careful with those if I were you.  The seeds are poisonous."

I looked around to find where the voice was coming from.  "Is someone there?" I shouted.

There was a pause, but then a figure stepped out from behind a tree.  He was short, probably a foot shorter than Rock and Axl.  He wore old jeans and a hoodie that covered his face.  Everything was covered in dirt.  I got the feeling that he had been in the woods for a long time.

"You're real, right?" I asked him.  I'd been hearing whispers, among other things.  I wouldn't be surprised if this was in my head, too.

The guy shrugged.  "I could ask you the same thing.  Believe whatever you want."  He paused.  "Aren't you one of the guys that fights the winged things?"

I blinked.  "Yeah... Who are you?"

Blues. ...No, can't tell him.

"...Call me whatever you want."

I blinked again.  "Okay... How about 'Blues'?"

The guy nearly jumped out of his skin.  How...?  "...I'd prefer something else."

I thought about this.  "Okay then.  Something Else, I'm Zero Agnaras."

He actually laughed.  Had he honestly not heard that joke before?  It took him a moment to calm down, but once he did, he asked "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

I could feel my wings droop.  "...Partly because I'm lost.  Partly, well..."  I spread my backwings for him to see.

...I not surprised?  "So they chased you away?"

"Actually... No, I ran, but not because of them.  I had a major headache, couldn't think straight.  Then there was a loud noise, so I just ran from it.  And now I'm lost."

"...So you want to go back?"  There was something in his voice that sounded angry, or disappointed.

"Actually, I'm not sure."  I picked a couple fruits off the tree while I was still up there.  "There's something wrong with me, besides just my wings."  I jumped down, moving closer to him with the fruits.  "I don't want to risk hurting my friends, but at the same time, I don't want to leave, or be lonely."

"But you don't mind being around me?" he asked, suspiciously.  ...not trust...?

"One of the things that's wrong with me is my head."  I let him take a fruit.  "I don't even know if you're real or not.  At any rate, it's probably safe for now.  Accidents only seem to happen when I'm mad... It's just the seeds that are poisonous, right?"

He was caught a bit off guard by my subject change.  "...Yes, so be careful.  But they're big, so it's not that hard."

Keeping that in mind, I started to bite into the fruit, only to have my longer teeth run into the skin.  I found myself choosing between taking small bites, and opening my mouth uncomfortably wide.  "Stupid fangs..."

The guy next to me chuckled.  "Good luck with that."

*****

After awhile of talking to the strange guy - who I continued calling Something Else, which he told me to shorten to Sel (I'm not a creative guy, alright?) - we found that it was a lot easier for me to cut out pieces of the fruit with my claws.  Not only could I get bigger pieces, but there was less risk of me biting my tongue.

"I really don't know how or why I got them.  I barely know when," I said, looking at my claws.  "I'm not sure what happened to my fingernails..."

"Are you sure they didn't turn into the claws?" Sel asked.

"I don't know... The claws aren't that high on my fingers, and they look a little like bone."

Sel shrugged.  "I don't know what to tell you."

I still wasn't sure whether to think Sel was real or a hallucination.  At least if he was a hallucination, he probably knew all the stuff about plants that I didn't pay attention to.  Something about things from your mind and subconscious...  It sounded like something handy for being in a forest.

I took one last slice off of the fruit and tossed the rest away.  While I was chewing quietly, I thought I heard something.  Seconds later, I started to make out what it was:

Voices.  Familiar voices that were calling out my name.

When I realized this, I tensed up.  What would happen if they found me?  I wasn't sure I wanted to risk it, yet.  I needed more time to think...

I turned and started to run.  When Sel noticed, he followed me.  "I guess you don't want to be with them?"

"No," I told him.  "At least... not yet.  I need time to figure things out."

...could show... "Here," he said.  "Let's go this way.  There's a good place to hide."


To be continued...

[Drayco84]

(Stupid obsessive-compulsive grammar nazi habits...)

I took one last slice off of the fruit and tossed the rest away.  While I was chewing quietly, I thought I heard something.  Seconds later, I started to mack out what it was:

Sorry, couldn't resist.

EDIT: Eagerly waiting for the next piece, as usual.

[Infranscia]

No, it's okay.  I'm a bit OCD with errors like that, too. XD  I have someone I know proofread it for me, but every once in awhile, we'll both still miss something.

Anyway, thanks for catching that.  And it's nice to know you're eagerly following this.   I guess it's a good thing I'm already ready to post the next part.


Absolute Zero - Part 7:

Meanwhile, several of the fighters searched diligently though the woods to find Zero.  Some of them thought of it as a search and rescue.  Others thought of it as more of a Demon hunt.  Either way, they were determined to find him.  They'd work out what to do with him later.

Axl looked at a tree with something of a mix between curiosity, surprise, and a bit of hope.  He looked at, and felt, some long and thin gashes that were plainly visible.  There were ten of them, with a space in the middle, and they exposed the wood underneath.

"He was here, I know it," Rock said as he held up a couple strands of very long, pale-yellow hair.  "I don't know where he went from there, though."

"Yeah..." Axl said.  "I wish we had a better way of tracking people.  He must be pretty far into the woods if the diviners are having trouble finding him."

"Pinpointing," Rock corrected him.  "At least they could tell he's here somewhere."

Axl looked around for signs of where Zero might have went.  "Well, at least we're on the right track.  I'll keep an ear out for..."  His voice trailed off.

"For...?"

"Shh!"

Rock went quiet and strained his hearing to see if he could tell what Axl had noticed.  It wasn't long before he could hear it, too.

Woosh! wff... Woosh! wff... Woosh!  wff...

The area around them began to darken, which led to them looking up at the sky.  They all saw a shape in the sky, which they all recognized, but none of them expected to see.

It had wings...

Large claws...

Was covered in scales...

And was very, very, very big.

"Holy-!"

*****

I kept running behind Sel, ignoring the whispers I sometimes heard.  I had no idea where he was taking me, but at the moment, I didn't care.  I just wanted to get away from the others.  I didn't want to risk hurting them... or getting hurt.

But then I heard something.

It was vaguely familiar.  It sounded like a Demon flying, but slower and deeper.  I thought I heard it coming closer, and looked up.

I saw a Dragon.

It flew right past us, making the trees and stuff on the ground blow around.  Dragons were another thing that I thought only existed in stories, and they were supposed to be really mean, hoarding treasure, kidnapping girls and such.

And it was heading somewhere toward the middle of the island.

Forgetting all about hiding, I turned on the spot and ran after the dragon, hoping I could reach it on time.

"I thought you didn't want them to find you!"  Sel shouted.

"Well I want them to be hurt even less!" I shouted back.  "Did you see that thing?  It'll probably destroy everything on the island!"

And with that, I ran, leaving Sel behind.  I started to hate my wings again as they slowed me down.  I tried folding them up as well as a could.  They were still annoying, but at least they didn't catch as much air.

I ran straight forward as well as I could.  I wasn't sure which way the Dragon went, but I figured I could find it easily.

Sure enough, once I got close to the edge of the woods, I saw a big purple lump of scales sticking out like a sore thumb.  It was facing off against several fighters, and giving them a hard time.  Ranged attacks didn't seem to do much, and it knocked away anyone who tried to get close to it with a sword.

There had to be a way to get close.  Thankfully, it was distracted by all the fighters, while they were focussed on it.  I could already feel a headache coming back on, as well as a few whispers, but I didn't care at the moment.  If I could find a way to get close without it knocking me away...

Suddenly, I had an idea.  I found the closest tree tree to the Dragon and climbed it.  I got as far out on a limb as I could, then jumped.  I spread my wings to try to catch the air and glide over to the Dragon.  I don't know how well I did, but it was enough.  I grabbed onto its mane and held on as well as I could.  My claws hurt my hands as I did so, but I didn't care.

Once I steadied myself, I started climbing, holding on tight so it couldn't shake me off.  My headache was getting worse again, but I focussed on my self-assigned task; its scales seemed tough, but it shared a universal weakness with everything else, and I was going to hurt it there.

I used the mane to climb up the Dragon's neck, moving slowly toward its forehead.  Once I was as far forward as I could go without falling off, I positioned myself carefully above its face and raised a clawed hand, ready to gouge its eye out.

I don't know what happened, but before I knew it, there was a flash of pain, and everything went black.

*****

Shortly after they spotted the Dragon, the fighters attacked it, forcing it to come down and fight them.  There, at the edge of the woods, they began the fight, struggling to find a way to harm it.  Very little magic seemed to faze it, and anytime one tried to get close with a blade, it stopped them, and they often found themselves flying through the air to land on the ground a short ways away.

Axl and Rock had begun trying to focus their attacks in one location to see if they could weaken it.  Its hide showed signs of weakening, but that may have been the scorch marks fooling them.  Still, they tried their best, and at least there were so many fighters that it was hard for the Dragon to fight them all at once.

The group had been so focussed on fighting the Dragon that they were caught completely by surprise when a figure jumped out of the trees and onto the Dragon's back, who they quickly recognized as Zero.  Some of the fighters were confused, while others felt a renewed sense of hope and determination, and continued fighting while trying their best not to hit Zero.

Unfortunately, the Dragon began moving more wildly to try and shake Zero off, which made getting close to it much more dangerous.  However, Zero - whether out of strength, magic, or pure determination, they weren't sure - managed to hold on by the Dragon's hair and use it to climb his way to the Dragon's face, where he prepared to strike.

...Of course!  The eyes! several of them thought as they began to change their aim.

As soon as Zero raised his hand to strike, he suddenly stopped.  His body fell limp, and he slumped over on the Dragon's head, only to fall helplessly to the ground.

Shocked, Axl immediately fired at the Dragon, but it had already turned its head, causing him to miss its eye, Rock's fireball hitting its cheek shortly afterward.  The Dragon reached its front leg down to the ground, then pushed off took to the skies.  Several of the fighters tried to keep it from escaping, but their attacks were just as useless as before, and it flew off unhindered, disappearing from sight...

Taking Zero with it in its claws.


To be continued...

----------

Thanks to another friend for letting me use her persona.

[Infranscia]

FIgured I'd put this up.  The part after could use some editing, but it is technically written.



Absolute Zero - Part 8:

When I came to, I knew that something was... off.  It took me awhile to figure out what was going on.  The first thing I noticed was that there was something like a purple wall in front of me.  The next was that something was wrapped around me.

Then I realized that I was suspended in a weird way and that it was very windy.

That's when everything clicked.

It took a lot of will for me not to freak out.  Well, not to flail around uselessly, anyway.  I could easily see the Dragon's wings held out above me, and when I looked, I could see clouds below me.  Needless to say, we were a lot higher up than I'd even been.

For a moment I wondered why it kidnapped me.  Did it see my hair and mistake me for a maiden?

...Ungh!

I decided to stop that train of thought and just figure out what to do.

It had a pretty tight grip on me, so I couldn't just slip out of its... foot.  I tried clawing at it, but I couldn't break the scales.  I tried slipping my claws between the scales, but that didn't work either.  I thought I saw a softer shadow above me, and I realized that the Dragon started flapping again, and with its up-and-down motions, its hair would move up-and-down, too, just within reach.

I didn't know if this would would work, but I was going to take any chance I could get.  I timed my movements, reached up a few times until I grabbed its hair, and pulled on it, hard.

It worked.  The Dragon yelped, which sounded weird, and let me go in surprise. I started free-falling, and as I looked down at the clouds, with no idea whether I was above land, or above water, I realized I probably should have thought this through more carefully.  At least I had wings I could try to use...

I tried them out mid-air, trying to see how they might affect my fall if I moved them different ways.  As I did, the Dragon fell past me.  By luck, thanks to my experimenting, I was moving to the side as it snapped at me, but I figured I couldn't just rely on luck; it would probably run out sooner or later.

The Dragon kept falling for awhile.  I spread my wings out to slow my fall, trying to put as much distance between it and me as I could.  It fell under the clouds, then shot back up at me.  I managed to fold one of my wings, which made me fall to the side before it tried to snatch me again.

For the record, no, I did not know how to fly.  I just figured out that I could use my wings to fall in different ways and used that as well as I could.  It was the only thing I could do to try and keep from becoming lunch in the middle of the air.

The Dragon seemed to twist and come back at me.  For being so big, it was pretty agile.  I flapped and pushed myself back, avoiding hitting it head-on, but still tumbled along its side.  The next time it came it me, I tried what I was going to do in the first place and slashed at its eye, hitting it successfully and drawing blood as the Dragon screamed.  ...Yes, screamed.

While it was distracted, I tried falling as fast as I could, and fell through the clouds.  Hopefully it would take awhile for the Dragon to find me.

Once I was through the clouds, I saw land below me.  I didn't recognize it, but it was still land.  This meant that, once I was no longer airborne, I wouldn't have to worry about drowning, or swimming to safety.

But it still meant I'd have to make sure I didn't hit the ground at high speed and die.  Or was that something to worry about with water, too?

I didn't know how far I was from the Dragon.  I didn't know if it had found me yet.  I didn't dare look back and see.  I just wanted to keep as much distance as I could and get close to the land before I slowed myself down.

I didn't know how high I was, or even when I would have to slow down in order to land safely.  All I could do was guess and hope for the best.  When I thought I was at a good distance, I spread my wings out and curved to level myself out, not to much so slow myself down as to make sure I wasn't going to hit the ground head-on.

Then I realized that I wasn't sure how to slow myself down when I was moving sideways like this.

I spotted a lake a ways ahead of me.  I figured skimming the water was probably better than sliding on the ground.  So, straining to keep my wings spread, I tried to aim for it.  I did manage to aim pretty well, but it was a small lake, and I didn't know that being close to the ground could make you fly faster.  Most of the lake passed under me before I made contact, probably more, meaning there wasn't as much water to skim across as I hoped.

I braced myself.  This is going to hurt...

I touched the water and skimmed it briefly - as I had hoped - before the... thickness caught me and tried to pull me under, slowing me down even more.  But there still wasn't enough water to keep me from hitting the shore.  I tumbled on the sand, then rock, then grass...

I stopped far enough on the land that the waves couldn't reach me, so at least I wouldn't get washed away, but now I was scratched and otherwise hurt.  I tried to get up, but fell back to the ground when I felt a sudden pain.  I probably sprained something, maybe broke something.  I tried to get up again, hoping to get somewhere with sheer willpower, but fell to the ground again.

I thought I saw the Dragon flying toward me out of the corner of my eye.  I knew I wouldn't be able to outrun it, even if I wasn't hurt.  Tired, hurt, and without much hope, I fell asleep for the third time that day.


To be continued...

[Infranscia]

I hope it wasn't too much of a delay, but here's the next part!  I hope it's enjoyable despite it's... Well, let's just say the warning mentioned in this chapter goes for the readers as well as the characters that it's given to.

Absolute Zero - Part 9:

Meanwhile, back at the base, at lunchtime, Axl sat down by himself.  He had barely touched his lunch, other than to play with it, and his long ears were drooping a little.

He was caught up in his thoughts, but was pulled out of them when he saw and heard a cup set down next to his tray.

"Grape FizzBang.  That's the kind he would get you, right?"

Axl glanced up at Rock, who seemed sympathetic, along with having his own sadness.  Quietly, Axl nodded, and began to sip the soda.

The two said nothing for a few minutes, eating or drinking quietly.  Rock considered breaking the silence, but wasn't sure that it would help.  Finally, Axl spoke up on his own.

"I can't believe he's gone..."

Rock sighed.  "We don't know for sure that he's dead."

"That was a Dragon!" Axl snapped at Rock.  "Even with... ten of us attacking it, it didn't flinch!  I don't think Zero is going to do much better."

"But it might want him alive," Rock explained.  "It didn't kill him.  It just carried him away."

"But what are the odds of him finding his way back?  Does he even want to now that he's a Demon?!"

Rock opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped when he realized that Axl was right.  One could probably use their friend's own name to describe the odds of him coming back.

Axl slumped forward, resting his arms and head on the table.  "Even if he isn't dead, he might as well be..."

The two fell silent again as Rock tried to find an argument.  "...There might still be part of him in there.  He tried to fight the Dragon."

"We don't know why Demons attack things," Axl said.  "They might just be showing off their power or something."

Rock fell silent again.  It was true, they didn't know.  All they knew was that Demons seemed to like to attack their island, and that could mean...

Rock tensed up at the thought.  He decided not to dwell on it at the moment, and also felt he shouldn't mention it to Axl at that time.

The two sat there for a few more minutes, quietly contemplating things.  Neither had much of an appetite, although Axl soon returned to sipping his soda.  Neither of them paid attention when a figure approached them.

"Excuse me..."

The two looked over and saw a doctor with short, orange hair, and brown eyes.  His name tag read 'Dr. Leonard Javri.'

"May I speak with you two in private?" the doctor asked.

The two looked at him curiously.  "I suppose," Rock said.  "Why?"

"In light of... recent events," Dr. Javri said carefully.

The two friends glanced at each-other.  Each decided to follow the doctor and stood up, Axl taking his soda with him.  They followed the doctor, having no clue where he was taking them.  They soon entered an area that was normally reserved for doctors and other staff members that worked there.  He opened a locked door and led them into a private conference room, which was empty, save for one blonde, blue-eyed girl spinning in a chair.

"Roll?" Rock said, surprised.  "What are you doing here?"

Roll stopped spinning and looked up at her brother.  "I came to talk to the cat-Demon, and then I was brought here."

Rock paused.  Then, as he realized something, became annoyed and disappointed.  "Please don't tell me you still haven't got rid of the catnip."

Roll looked down at her feet.

"Heh," Axl laughed.  "Did you have better luck that me?"

"Well..."  Roll still didn't look up.  "Her name is Shade Coldfire..."

"Anyway," the doctor interrupted, "I didn't bring you here to talk about the prisoner."  He sighed.  "Actually, we were hoping we wouldn't have to tell this to anyone... but here we are."

The others began to wonder, and worry.  "Doctor?"  Rock asked.

Without a word, Dr. Javri removed his watch, and his form began to shift.  Within seconds, his form changed to a less-Human one, with a more pointed face, slightly larger ears farther back on his head, and fur, which was black with bits of brown on the top of his head, and cream everywhere else that they could see.  However, he retained his orange-ish hair and brown eyes.

The Humans were more than just surprised.  They were frightened, perhaps even shocked.  "You're a Creature?"  Rock and Axl both asked.

"Not Creature," the doctor corrected them, "Being."

"What's the difference?" Axl asked, accusingly.

"I don't have wings, extra eyes, or strange limbs, I'm not powerful, and I can hardly even use magic.  Also, I don't view weaker sentients as food or another type of basic resource."

Again, the Humans were surprised.  "Food?"

Dr. Javri closed his eyes.  "...Yes."  He sighed.  "Please, sit down and let me explain... everything.  I should warn you, it's a long story.

"There is a longstanding history of a rift between Creatures and Beings.  They have used us, abused us... slaughtered us without a second thought, all generally because we are weaker than they are.  Only recently has the gap begun to be bridged, and other than some diplomatic attempts, it's largely due to our advances in technology.  Many companies have made machinery, including weapons, which helps balance the power.

"One such company, a renowned one actually, is JyCorp, founded by Jyrras Gianna, famous for making many devices that function with only partial, little, and especially, no magic at all.  One of the more famous combination inventions is the patch."  He pointed to the watch that he was now holding.  "Patches allow one to change their appearance as long as they wear them.  The patches themselves come in many shapes and sizes, and they use DNA from what the wearer wants to transform into.

"Eventually, a worker in JyCorp by the name of Gennifer, was able to make advancements in patches that allowed more and more complicated changes in appearance, thanks to her knowledge of genetics.  A few years later, she made a branch company named GenCorp which specialized specifically in genetics.  It is focussed largely on studying DNA, cures for hereditary problems, and related things."

Javri put has watch away and pulled out a pocket computer, showing the Humans a tiny picture of the GenCorp building.

"However," he continued, "a lot of traits are specific to a certain race.  They wanted to research as many races and species as possible to learn all they could and make the best possible products.  Many people were reluctant to give them DNA samples, especially Creatures, who were afraid that Beings would use their research to either create biological weapons to wipe them out, or to strengthen Beings even farther.

"One of the more forthcoming races were the Angels - they're similar to Demons in many ways, but they have feather wings."  He brought up a picture of an Angel.  "Recently, Angels began to slowly die out, having difficulty producing more Angel offspring.  Perhaps out of desperation, they came to GenCorp and asked us to help them.  Willingly, GenCorp agreed, and Project Angel began.

"They began with small steps.  One of the things that worried the Angels was that many of the offspring that were already being born were born sterile, and we started there.  Females were nigh-impossible to make fertile, though with males the scientists just activated a few genes to get them started.  They weren't sure if this would increase how many offspring were Angels, but they figured it was a start.

"The next step was to make sure that not only would they have Angel offspring, but that those offspring wouldn't have the same problems as previous generations.  Unfortunately, this was more difficult.  The DNA was more complicated, not only to identify, but to figure out how to create a working gene and to make a treatment that would last.  You see, it's one thing to activate a sleeping gene, but it's another thing to change existing genetic code, especially if the person is already fully grown.  New DNA can often be rejected, and even if it isn't, testing genetic medicine means a lot of trial and error.  Either case can be fatal if you're not careful.  In general, it's much easier to be born with a gene than it is to get it later."

The Humans had to wonder where Javri was going with this.

"That thought brought about a revolutionary idea: What if, along with trying to treat adults, they modified DNA to create embryos that were designed to be fertile?  The Angels were more reluctant for us to try this, but in the end, they agreed.  To make it as natural as possible, they started by taking the... ingredients from the parents, made only what changes they felt were necessary, put it together, and let the cells grow.  But once the cells became an actual embryo, they needed a mother to grow any farther, or else they would die.  As it turned out, sterile mothers were generally better for this, which excited them because they might actually have-"

Axl made a motion for the doctor to hurry up and get to the point.

"Anyway, they got it to work.  They made advances with what they could do with the embryos, too.  In time they even developed artificial wombs to help provide the supply for the increasing demand.  Other races even wanted GenCorp's services for this.

"Now there was a race that was long said to be wiped out.  A worker realized that, now that they didn't need to use living parents, they just might be able to revive that race.  They were reluctant, but in time, they started the revival project in secret.  Along with some samples they already had, they obtained skeletal and petrified remains to work with.  To help make sure the children would survive more easily, they mixed in some Creature traits.  Strength, longevity...

"However, bringing back a whole race was still another question.  So, many workers, along with volunteers from outside the company, decided to head off in secret and, under disguise with patches, raise the revived race naturally, on a remote island, secluded from the rest of the world."

The Humans gaped, realizing what Dr. Javri was implying.  Rock managed to speak up.  "You... You mean...?"

Javri looked down.  "Up until about... 30 years ago, there were no known real live Humans in Furrae."

To be continued...



Points if you guessed what Javri was leading to early-in.

And sorry if it feels a bit text-wall.  I did my best to reduce that feeling as much as possible.

But hey... EXPOSITION!  

[Infranscia]

Sorry again for delay.  I was... getting acquainted with a blue hedeghog. *cough*

Absolute Zero - Part 10:

There were so many mixed emotions, so many realizations, that the three weren't sure what to say, or think.

"Please don't let this information change the way you see yourselves," Dr. Javri pleaded.  "You're the same whether or not you know this.  If you're going to change your view on anyone, let it be us.  And even still, I would ask that you go easy on us.  We didn't mean any harm, we only wanted to bring a lost people back to our world.  Humans were said to have been wiped out by plagues - no fault of anyone's.  So why should they have disappeared in the first place?"

There was a long silence.

"No..." Roll cried.  "But... that would mean dad's done it, too.  But he always told us that life is something special, especially when it can decide for itself..."

"You should understand, we didn't see it as toying with the DNA - as just a project, something of science.  We put a lot of careful care and consideration into each embryo.  Yes there were mistakes.  Some added traits had side effects - I'm sorry about your ears, Axl - and while we gave you all longevity, for some reason, the aging slowed too soon for some of you - I'm sorry about that, Roll - and some traits simply didn't work as intended - your magic, Rock.  But we poured our hearts into this.  We think of all of you as our children.  We raised you that way.  Some had some of their own DNA put into the child so it would be more like their own."  He looked at the brother and sister.  "I know your parents did.  ...Some couples even wanted to bare their child naturally.  It didn't always work, because the child wasn't their own species, among other things.  But thankfully, there was only one case it was fatal to the mother."

Axl paused, grimacing, as he remembered something that his father told him.

"...Many children were just set out to be adopted by whoever wanted them - I'm sure you three know the complications of that.  But all-in-all, we wanted you to be happy, and to live as natural lives as possible."  The doctor paused, frowning.  "Except..."

This caught the attention of the audience.  "Except...?" Axl asked.

Dr. Javri sighed.  "There was one scientist that thought that in order for Humans to truly take their place - which he seemed to think was the top - they... no, you would need to be much stronger, trained to fight more mercilessly.  Naturally, he was shot down.  He continued working for a time, but still he insisted on his ideas.  He was forcefully removed from the team when he was caught tempering with some of the projects.  He also wouldn't be allowed to adopt.  He found a different job and continued with something of a normal life, but he also set up a lab in secret.

"Over time, we grew suspicious.  Eventually we searched for his lab, but by the time we found it, he had already cleared out his equipment and fled.  We haven't seen him since and can only guess that he left the island.  However, left behind in his hurry, holding some of his notes, was a single project that happened to trip and never catch up, already four years old."

Recognizing part of the story, Rock gaped, his eyes widening in realization.  "Zero..."

Dr. Javri nodded.  "That's right.  You know what happened afterwards.  But his design...  It's insane.  There's a dangerous amount of Creature traits that weren't properly integrated.  I think the mad doctor tried to cover up the signs, but he didn't do that properly either.  Some Creatures don't have all their traits and powers at birth, and usually gain the rest in their 20s.  I guess in Zero's case, a few signs started to show in his teens, and then the rest all came flooding out at once."

Axl grimaced.  "So that's why he turned into a Demon..."

The doctor quickly raised his hand to correct them.  "Not Demon, exactly.  He may have leather wings, but the ones on his head mean that he's something called an 'Incubus.'  Succubi and Incubi are a race that can gain power from the thoughts and emotions around them.  They're known for being masters of deception, even feared among other Creatures."

There was another pause, with more confused emotions behind it.  "Why are you telling us this?"  Rock asked.  "You said you didn't want to - and I can see why - but why do you have to tell us?"

The doctor braced himself.  "Well, first and foremost, we have a good idea of what's happening with Zero.  To keep the information from his closest friends just seems unfair somehow."

"But Zero's gone!"  Axl snapped.  "Out of the picture!  What does it matter if you tell us about him or not?!"

This time the doctor raised his index finger while grinning.  "So you would think, but we think there's a good chance he's still alive."

The group gaped again, but this time, it was in surprise.  "He's alive?!"  "You think he's alive?!"  "But... how?"

"First of all, the Dragon didn't kill him off.  She didn't even seem to try to."

"Wait..." Axl interrupted.  "'She'?"

"Yes. 'She.'"  Javri gave Axl a look.  "Anyway, she just flew off with him, suggesting that she wanted him alive for some reason.  Secondly, we have satellites... devices up in the sky.  We caught images of him fighting the Dragon in mid-air.  He actually managed to get her to drop him and seemed to glide to the mainland.  If he could do that, he's probably managed to hold his own so far."

There was another pause as hope continued to build.  "But he might be losing his mind," Rock pointed out.  "He escaped from the guards, remember?"

"Oh that," the doctor said.  "He may have been confused from the thoughts he was picking up.  What race you are doesn't actually affect how you think.  Trust me.  I've studied enough about races and genetics to know."

There was a collective wave of relief, and the Humans even began to smile.

"But... we won't get to see him.  He's so far away," said Roll.

The doctor seemed nervous.  "Well... We are considering sending a small search party to head out and find Zero.  As his closest friends and two of our toughest fighters," he indicated Rock and Axl, "we thought you might be willing to volunteer.  In disguise, of course."

"You'd... let us do that?" Axl asked.  "But why?"

"Various reasons.  Some want it out of concern for you, some out of concern for Zero.  Some want to have such a tough fighter back.  Some just don't want the mainland to know about the Humans and what we've been doing, yet," Javri explained.  "There are some with... contrasting opinions, but they are a minority."

"Wouldn't this leave the island more vulnerable?" Rock asked.

"As was proven recently, we're pretty sure we have enough fighters, and good ones, to handle larger attacks, even without as much help from powerful fighters.  In the off chance that something as powerful as a Dragon attacks... it won't make a difference no matter how many we send out to fight it, but at least you'd be safe from that attack if you were away.  And besides that, when it comes to survival odds, we'd much rather send experienced fighters than newer ones to the mainland."

Rock and Axl thought about this briefly.  In terms of reason, it seemed that things could go either way.  An emotional standpoint was more than enough to effect their decision.

"...I can see that you want to go," the doctor said.  "So why aren't I hearing it?"

Rock looked down at his sister.  "If we go... I'm gonna miss everyone here."

"Ah, I see..."  Javri thought briefly.  "Well, I'm sure you can keep in contact using technology.  We'll just have to work out the details on how."

Rock felt relieved.  "Well in that case, I'll go.  I'm still gonna miss you..." he hugged his sister, "but I'll go."

"I'm definitely going," Axl said, sounding determined.  "If he's out there, we can find him.  I'm going to look.  I owe it to him, and I think he would do the same."

The doctor nodded.  "Then it's settled.  We have some things to do before you head off.  Patches, cultural lessons..."  He turned and opened another door with a key card, gesturing for the others to follow.  "We'd better hurry.  I doubt a human Incubus is going to make many friends on the mainland."

To be continued...


I'll try to get the next part in before too long.  A few days, maybe.  No promises, but I'll try.

[Infranscia]

Absolute Zero - Part 11:

When I came to, I felt... refreshed.  Yawning, and stretching, I realized that I didn't hurt at all.  It was like I just had a good nap, and that was it.  Nothing else.  I blinked, starting to take in my surroundings.  I was in some pink room, with a bookshelf, a mirror or two... and I thought I saw a calligraphy scroll.  I sat up, trying to see what else was there.

As I turned my head, it felt like my face collided with a pillow.  I leaned back suddenly out of reflex, noticed a figure standing where my face was, and tried to look up at that person's face.  At this point, I realized that I was off balance.  I tried to hold onto my seat to stay up, but the weight of my wings made me fall back anyway, causing the bench I was sitting on to fall over, too.

The figure laughed quietly.  A female laugh.  Annoyed, I turned and looked up at her again.  I didn't catch much of a glimpse during my fall - only about enough to see that she definitely wasn't a Human.  Now I could see that she was some kind of canine with white fur, pink hair, and a pink dress.  I noticed that she had big, feathery wings on her back.  My claws dug into the carpet when I realized this, that she was a Creature, but I relaxed them in surprise when I noticed something else:

A smaller pair of wings on top of her head.

She was like me.

"I see you've realized," she said.  "Rest assured, I won't hurt you... unless you do something to warrant it, of course."

A million questions were running through my head.  Who was she?  Where was I?  Why did she also have wings on her head?  I had no idea where to start.

"I suppose I will have to introduce myself."  She bent down close to my level in a way that exaggerated her large... chest.  I winced slightly as I realized that those were probably what my face had run into.

She smiled, trying to look friendly, or maybe attractive.  "My name is Fa'Lina, I am the overseer and headmistress here at the the Succubus and Incubus Academy."

I blinked.  "The what and what academy?"

She pursed her lips.  "Oh dear...  You really have no idea, do you?"

There was a small pause.

"Well, then!" she said enthusiastically, "I guess I'll just have to tell you!"  She reached behind her and whipped out a small poster that showed little furry critters with wings.  "As you seem to have guessed, Succubi and Incubi - or Cubi for short - are a type of Creature, but there is more to it than that."

She pointed to two puffballs, the first one without wings on its head, and the second with.  There was an arrow leading from the first to the second.  "Cubi are one of the few races that can be difficult to tell from other races before they mature.  In fact, at first they are more-or-less just a Demon, or a Being, or some other race until they reach adulthood, which is when they get their headwings and their powers are fully realized."

She pointed to what appeared to be a fluffball transitioning between colors.  "Now one of our specialities is shapeshifting.  It takes decades to fully learn, but once mastered, you can alter your entire appearance at your will... even to look like another person if you so desire!"

She pointed to more fuzzballs with lines and words flowing to the one with headwings.  "Also, we have the natural ability to pick up on thoughts and emotions.  With a little training, the sensitivity of this ability can be adjusted.  It also takes a bit of training to truly sort out these thoughts and feelings.  Sometimes, before one has really learned how, it can even be difficult to tell the difference between other's thoughts and one's own."

My eyes and mouth widened as something dawned on me.  "Then those whispers... and those bursts of rage... Those were what others were thinking and feeling?"

"More than likely.  Yes."

I was still annoyed at how pushy she was, but at the same time I was relieved to know this.  "That explains so much-"

"Oh!  And that's not all."  She switched to the next poster, pointing to another puff with lines flowing to a Cubi-puff. "Most Beings and Creatures radiate their thoughts and emotions, which are drawn to a Cubi and can give that Cubi energy."

She pointed to more puffs, more lines, and the Cubi-puff looking like it was hurt.  "However, if the Cubi doesn't know how to handle that energy, the overflow can cause a good deal of pain.

Back to just two puffs, with a barrier between the Cubi and non-Cubi.  "Most Cubi learn right away not only the importance of a mental filter, but how to set one up to block out the surplus energy, only letting in as much as they want."  She poked her head out from over the poster.  "I took the liberty up setting up a filter for you.  I hope you don't mind.  You can make your own and adjust it later if you wish."

And again, she explained a lot of things.  I was relieved to know that some things weren't really my fault, as the emotions that caused them weren't mine.  Normally I'd be worried about other people controlling me, but all it took to prevent that was a filter, which sounded pretty simple, from the way Fa'Lina explained it.  Still, I also felt a little... regret?

"...I kind of wish I'd known this sooner," I thought out loud.  "Maybe I could have prevented those accidents."

Fa'Lina paused when she heard this.  She sat back and lowered her reference poster, looking at me seriously.  Maybe sadly.  "Zero, the abilities of an Incubis aren't well known among the other races," she told me.  "Even if someone knew what a Cubi could do, they couldn't tell you how to use your abilities unless he or she was also a Cubi.  Assuming another Cubi was among your people, as a visitor or otherwise, how do you think your people would have reacted?"

I didn't have to think long about what she said.  She was right; my people drove off most Creatures.  We'd capture one once in awhile, but so far they all ended up getting killed either trying to escape, or for just plain not cooperating.  If one was in disguise... trying to teach me might look suspicious, maybe even blow their cover.  If people found out there was a Cubi, they probably wouldn't react well.

Like with me... Even I didn't react well.  I probably would have been even worse if I wasn't so tired...

"That said," Fa'Lina continued, "even if someone did manage to tell you what you are, how would you have reacted?"

That question hit me hard.  She was right again.  If I even believed them, I wouldn't like the idea of being a Creature.  I might've still helped fight off the Demons for awhile, but even that seemed like it might be risky.  I was already having trouble with 'accidents' as it was.  If I knew or even thought that they were because I was a Creature...  I know I would have wanted to prevent myself from hurting others.  But, since I wouldn't have known about the details, like the filter, I could only think of one other way to prevent it.  To stop the change before it happened... Assuming someone else didn't try to do it first, I might have tried to remove myself from the picture, permanently.

"And so you see."  Fa'Lina didn't pause long before continuing.  "Creatures in general are accepted in varying degrees around the world, and unfortunately Cubi are among the most poorly accepted, even among other Creatures.  They are often quick to be driven out... or worse, slain.

"As a result of this, direct or otherwise, you're not the first to not realize your true race until it was too late.  Many others have tried to simply hide themselves or hide their heritage rather than risk becoming a monster, but unfortunately - as you seem to have realized - an untrained Cubi can be worse than a fully trained one, and they end up much worse off.  That is one reason why this academy exists: to give Cubi options other than running away.  Or suicide.

"Zero... As much as we would all like to, we can't change the past.  However, we can do our best to turn things around and prevent mistakes in the future.  We can make ourselves better if we take the time to learn.

"So..." she said, putting away the posters she was holding, "Would you like to stay and learn?"


To be continued...

----------

I'm sure you guys noticed some parallels in this chapter.  Basically my reasoning is that she's done this a number of times before, and so she more-or-less has a number of memorized speeches to tell.  In fact, I imagine that's why she made the reference posters in the first place.