Rebuilding
Worlds Collide
Arrangements
by YEN
version (12/20/99)
final edit (02/05/2000)
Hyuga approached the dwelling slowly and silently. It was a modest hut nestled near invisible among the trees. Only a warm yellow glow from the windows and a wispy trail of smoke from a chimney identified that it was indeed man-made and occupied.
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"Welcome, welcome to my humble abode," the wizened old man greeted Hyuga warmly, hussling his guest into the living area.
Caught off-guard by the very authentic enthusiam apparent from the other man, Hyuga allowed himself to be led like a child.
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"Ah, forgive my lapse." Taura finally noticed the blank look on the young man's face. "I rarely have visitors since I live so far away from known and present civilization." He smiled. "I am Taura Melchior."
"... Melchior. One of the Wisemen of-"
"Shevat," he ended for him, and his smile widened. "I am glad to know we have not been forgotten."
The other man's eyes widened ever so slightly before flicking away guiltily. "Men such as you are rarely forgotten," he said evenly.
Taura beamed. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Hyuga."
Ricadeau glanced back at him, startled. Taura shrugged, lifting his arms expansively. "Don't look so surprise I would have knowledge concerning you, Hyuga Ricadeau. Men such as I rarely let age get away with our insight."
"... Azuire-"
"And I do still have friends in high places." Taura scrutinized the lad sent to him. "Hmm... I think I'll just address you as Hyuga rather than Ricadeau." He nodded decidedly. "You are, after all, so much my junior, and I want you to address me as Taura rather than Melchior. Is that not so difficult for you, Hyuga?"
"Yes, si- Taura."
"Very well then." He walked towards his laboratory. "Come now, Hyuga, we have so much work to do."
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"First off, you need new attire. Something more sedentary, I should say, and definitely less militaristic yet at the same time comfortable and in no way impeding. Hmm... what is your preferred hue, Hyuga?"
"... Green."
"Ah! Excellent! A pleasure to know you have good taste."
... What have I gotten myself into?
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"Isaac, so good to hear from you so soon."
"Hello Taura. I apologize for ruining our last retreat."
"Oh no, you were not of any difficulty, Isaac. Both Gaspar and I understand your position."
"... I am glad, but I would like to make up for last time. I hope it isn't of too much inconvenience, but I already called Gaspar, and he is on his way there as I am."
"... Gaspar... on his way here...?"
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Hyuga was on his way to check on Fenrir when he was ambushed.
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"Taura!"
Melchior winced and hastily opened the door just as Gaspar rammed it. Suddenly without obstruction, the other man rushed inside at breakneck speed and crashed head first into the couch.
"Gaspar, you imbecile!" Taura went over to help his longtime friend up. "Just what do you think are you doing?!"
"... What I am doing...?" Gaspar muttered slowly, refusing assistance, turning over and sitting up on the couch. He glared at his friend now at close eye level. "Trying to rescue you, that's what." He examined Melchior's present state keenly. "Obviously, my concern was very unnecessary."
Melchior grimaced. "I take it you saw the gear outside."
"Not only that," Gaspar said proudly, leaning comfortably against the soft cushions. "I got its pilot too."
"... Is he...?"
"Oh no, no need to worry. He's still alive." Gaspar shrugged unconcernedly before standing up and walking towards the door, stretching. "I have him trussed up like a chicken in his own cockpit." He tossed a patronic look at Melchior. "I know how squeamish you are about that sort of thing."
"... I am not!" Melchior complained.
"Yes, you are," Gaspar countered.
"You are always one so quick to jump to wrong conclusions."
"What did you expect me to do? There was a Solarian-made gear parking outside your door."
"You should have contacted me first," Melchior replied peevishly.
Gaspar looked sardonic. "That would have alerted your captors to my presence."
"Your problem is that you are too suspicious!"
"Yours is that you are too complacent!"
"This is bad timing, isn't it?" A third voice cut in, and both men glanced towards the door to see a bemused Balthazar with a worried Hyuga just behind him.
"Isaac, why the hell did you release him?!"
"Hyuga, are you all right?"
"There is no need to keep him prisoner, Gaspar."
"I am fine, Sir Taura."
"He's the enemy!"
"Hyuga, come over here and sit down."
"We can trust him," Balthazar told Gaspar soothingly. He looked aside to where Melchior was fussing over Hyuga. Gaspar growled, "He is Solarian."
Balthazar smiled, "He is, and he helped me get Maria back."
"..."
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"I still do not trust him," Gaspar muttered as Melchior and Hyuga went into the lab. He smirked, satisfied, when the Taura's new apprentice tensed visibly as if actually feeling Gaspar's razor sharp eyes on his shoulder blades.
Balthazar chuckled. "Give him a chance, old friend." He took a deep breath before saying, "If it were not for him, Maria would not be the only prisoners Solaris has." He wisely decided not to mention his friend's granddaughter's involvement. "Besides, Taura seems to be quite taken with him."
Gaspar scowled. "That old fool was never wise in his choice of assistants."
He didn't see Balthazar frown thoughtfully at his honest if impolite observation.
I know what you mean... Even having saved us, he is still an uncertain ally. ... Solaris does not hand out Omnigears readily...
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"I do not think he likes me," Hyuga said quite sadly to Melchior as the two of them prepared needed refreshments.
"Don't mind him," Taura said reassuringly. "He's always a grouch."
The much younger man nodded somberly, and Melchior smiled, then frowned thoughtfully.
"... I have something to ask of you, Hyuga."
"... What is it?"
"Azuire obviously did not give me all the pertinent information concerning you and with Isaac's story, I have come to realize that you are indeed not an average turn-coat.
Hyuga remained silent as he continued, "You have at least a rank of commander in the Solarian Army. Despite your recent espionage duties, you are no ordinary spy considering that you possess enough clout and power to send away the flagship itself without its completing its mission. ... You chose to leave all that. Why...?"
"..."
"Surely, Solarian punishment for failure in one mission cannot be so severe, and neither are they foolish enough to waste an individual such as yourself, who they have obviously spend a great deal of time and expense training..." Taura's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You were ordered to infiltrate Shevat, little doubt to take down her defenses. Azuire stopped you-" He broke off, seeing the look in Hyuga's eyes. "... It wasn't Azuire then... but who...?"
Taura's eyes widened in realization just as Hyuga sighed. "Sir, do I have to stay here long? I promised Yui I would hur-"
"What?!" Both of them turned as the door slammed open. Wiseman Gaspar stood in the doorway with a murderous expression.
"What have you to do with my granddaughter?!"
?!
"Gaspar, don't kill him! Isaac, don't just stand there like an idiot! Help me get him off!"
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Somewhere in Shevat, Yui was staring at Azuire, who was coughing mad for laughing all of the sudden while drinking his tea.
Concerned, she got out of her chair to hit his back a few times in order to help him clear his windpipes of tea. "Uncle?"
Azuire coughed, wiped his mouth clean with a napkin before glancing up to her with a fond smile. He chuckled again. "Something just struck me funny, that's all."
Author's note:
This ended Worlds Collide quite well, but there are about 4 more parts left before I can completely say the fic is finished and completed. sigh... I never do know when to stop. ^^;;
WC notes...
Dum dum da ram dum! Free Shave and a Hair Cut!!!
Ah, don't mind me. Just being my usual unusual self I am. So, what do you think of WC so far? Yup, and again, so far... There are four chapters left, and one of them may be as long as the Chapter thirteen you have just muddled through. ... Well, in my head, that is. WC is done, meaning it can stand by itself now. There is a beginning, lots and lots of middle ground and an end. Also means, I don't feel quilty about leaving it unfinished and all. Those four chapters I mentioned are more like linking stories between WC and Rebuilding than integral chapters in WC. However, I did promise only three fics for Xenogears. So if I do make those linking stories, expect them to be in WC or Rebuilding.
Missing parts...
uh hem... If you have read Significance, there was a missing part there too. The "Get Citan and Sigurd Into the Gunroom Campaign." Such parts I have decided not to include, since the plot is way too obvious. In WC, missing parts include Ricadeau and Talan's conversation, Hyuga's decision and etc. The parts have a great deal to do with the story, but they are already told in the other parts of the fic, not wholely but separately. uh hmm... If WC does appear too confusing with the exclusion of these parts, please tell me, and I'll type up what occured in my head. When I started WC, the ending was already finished. You could say I just added the events that led to the ending. uh huh... Yup yup yup, Rebuilding is already done in my head too and definitely. My greatest problem is to get it out into the computer screen. sigh...
Biblical inspiration...
There are three direct biblical references in Chapter 13. Can you spot them?
I studied in a Catholic school from kindergarten up to high school, and the university I am going to now is also Catholic. I can spot Biblical elements in Xenogears quite easily. In WC, those ideas came naturally.
Original Characters and idea...
Azuire, Talan, Kiraga, Yanara and Casn are not canon Xenogears. I made them up for WC. I am mentioning this, because oftentimes, what is official and fanwork will get mixed and rumbled up, and I do not want to add to the confusion. Force nets are also items from the top of my head. You don't see them anywhere in the game, I can assure you.
Special Thanks!!!
Inspiration for WC came from the Xenogears Perfect Works Book. Special and a lot of thanks to Guardian Angels! My Japanese is practically nil, and I do not even have the book. I first learned about Yui's additional roles to that of her being Citan's wife, Midori's mother and one excellent cook, from what I read in GA. Yes, people! She is Wiseman Gaspar's granddaughter, and I kid you not!
To Dei, author of Xeno fic "Remembrance." Yours was the very first Citan and Yui fic that I have read. You can bet you drove me to write this fic. Where's the rest of your fic?! Please don't leave me hanging, okay?
Thank you, thank you to GA and Clio Saga for info pertaining to Citan's family. Myaru (aka Amber Michelle) and OW, thanks again for correcting me about Citan's brother's Seiran's name. Told you my Japanese was nada.
To my prereaders, two RL friends of mine, Aprily and Flik. Don't know if you will ever read this, but Salamat Po!
Yen
12/21/99
Go to next part... (to be or not to be continued)
Rebuilding
Worlds
Collide