To Be Loved and To Love in Return
Hmm... another Deg alternate universe fic! The pairings are KaoruXTotchi, KyoXTotchi, DieXShinya! This is part two of four parts! Sorry this is going to be short... X__X Oh well. Enjoy!
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Toshiya's breathing was still calm and steady, as was his heartbeat as he lay beside his sleeping 'lover'. Though his body was at peace, his AI mind was battling itself. ~I really should ask for new programming soon... this program is starting to hurt my head. Perhaps this is unhealthy.~ The blue haired student slowly rose from the futon, trying his best to keep from stirring his raison d'etre.
He walked to the pile of clean and dirty clothing and pulled the folded futon out from underneath. Inside the warm fabric, his journal was stashed away and wrapped within its confines. Kaoru never did the laundry even when hide did remind them - it was always Toshiya. So he never really had to worry that his lover would find it there. He opened and flipped through the handwriting covered pages. His penmanship was beautiful - at least, many people told him that. His characters were perfectly shaped and bubbly at the same time. So cute. Though, he didn't feel like they were any different from other characters - they all meant the same thing, didn't they? Even though they looked different, they were the same. No difference. The same.
Toshiya began to wonder if humans were the same - they all looked different, but maybe deep down inside they were the same? Perhaps... maybe it's true? In that case, he wouldn't be any different from Kaoru and every other human who had feelings. He could be alive too, couldn't see? Since everyone is the same... He shook his head. ~Yes... this program is bad for my health. I must request a reprogram as soon as possible.~ He pulled the cap off his black inked pen and began to write on the first clean sheet of paper.
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Kyo continued to finger the God's Hand pendant which had torn his palm so badly. It was a small white jewel, round and shapely. But if one looked at it more closely, one could see the circuits and the pulsating tubes within it which were so miniscule and fine that it must have taken more precision to make them than it would take to cut a diamond into a perfect sphere. ~Ando-san must have been a pure genius. But how did he do it? How did Ando-san use this pendant to give Terachi-san back his heart?~
Kyo shivered a bit. The cold was starting to bug him though he tried his best to hold out. Staying in the site of the dreaded memory... it renewed his strength and his wish to help and save his Toshiya. His bottom lip was shaking and nearly blue when he realized what he would have to do. ~I've always been pretty good at breaking into places... I guess this will finally be the test of my abilities.~ He kissed the jewel of the scientific wonder. How else would he have gotten his hands on such a precious technological break through? If getting the God's Hand was such a piece of cake to him (yes, it took three years to steal it, but he still considered it a piece of cake), then breaking into the government classifieds would be easy!
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Toshiya was standing right next to the wall mounted telephone. It sat, immobile and dead, a piece of machinery without a mind of its own. He stood, breathing and dead, an empty shell without a mind of his own. In some sick way, the two totally unrelated objects were alike - both were used at the owner's discretion. Toshiya shivered. Whether from the sudden shocking realization or the breeze which entered through the open kitchen window, I suppose I'll never know. He stared at the telephone, reminding himself that he indeed needed new programming, yet he couldn't find it in himself to pick up the receiver and dial the doctors' phone number. ~What is this feeling? Hesitation perhaps? Damn... I really need a new program and fast and for some reason I can't call maintenance...~
He sighed and walked away, feeling defeated and yet enlightened at the same time. Tonight would be a long night filled with lots of thinking.
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Toshiya died in the fire, the one which burnt down the apartment building in which they lived, the one which burnt itself into Kyo's memory and even into his body. The scars which ran up and down his back were proof that the terrible fire did in fact occur, though Kaoru liked to deny it. The blue haired boy hadn't actually been burnt, he died from suffocation due to the poisonous gases. What had been the cause of the fire anyway? Kyo knew the answer, so did Kaoru, yet the true reason was never disclosed to the public. Surely the government can not be trusted.
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Even though morning was fast approaching, Kyo found himself at the large government library. Ever since the fall of the United Nations nearly three hundred years ago and the founding of the United Terra Foundation, the whole world was under the same 'democratic rule'. It just so happened that in each country(1) there was its own government city. The government cities were called "Capitols". The Capitols had several buildings, a library of records and classifieds included. Records since the time AD were still kept within these libraries, though the information within was kept under surveillance, lock and key.
Kyo intended to finally break through the United Terra Foundation's iron hold and expose the truth behind the Ando Daisuke/Terachi Shinya scientific fairy tale. After all, he had already been able to steal the God's Hand pendant from the research and development wing in Japan two weeks before its scheduled relocation to England, United Kingdom (2). He was capable of anything, or so he had confidence that he was. He would do anything to get Toshiya back from Kaoru. Anything.
Since the research and development wing was not in Japan's capitol and was located far out in the 'bonnie' area of Japan, stealing the God's Hand wasn't too easy. Even though security should have been weaker, because the God's Hand was undergoing relocation, it was much more difficult. The capitol was filled with strong hold security. For attempting to break in, Kyo could probably be tried and executed. To think they were still executing people so far into 'civilized' and 'modern-day' society. Disgusting.
Breaking in was like an obstacle coarse, it was filled with disguised lasers and tasers and mines which could kill a man and disintegrate him in his tracks if he wasn't careful. Luckily, Kyo was a professional at this sort of thing. Yes, he would have been caught so many years ago if it weren't for Toshiya... The thought of his partner in crime nearly made him trip an alarm. Kyo twisted his body in a near inhuman way to escape getting hit by a laser. His breath caught, he bit back an surprised gasp. Quickly, he jumped over the ray of light only to duck under another. A small beep sounded and Kyo took this chance to remain perfectly still. A motion detecting camera surveyed the area, missed the absolutely still Kyo, and moved on. The beep sounded again and Kyo darted across the hurdle covered track. This was simply the main entrance.
It was lucky for him that most people were out of a job. AI and androids and the like had replaced the human labor force in any job which was blue collar. Most educated people held white collar jobs and left all the hard work to the findings of Ando Daisuke. Humans had sure grown much lazier and less respectful as civilization continued to grow and prosper. They sickened Kyo.
Kyo was within running's distance of the library when a full force of guard droids came out at him. "Intruder detected. Arrest in progress." The mechanical, monotone voices sang out before the metallic arms jut out at the short blonde. Slipping past, Kyo made a full mad dash at the library, managing to dodge the lasers and the steel ropes which projected out at him. Less than half a block away, one of the droids caught the shorty's leg. Kyo turned, feeling its laser burn into his skin. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. ~That's it... I've finally been caught. Ha ha, if you were with me, we could have broken through anything! But you're not with me anymore... ever since Kaoru stole you from me. At least I tried! I tried for you! Even if I die as a petty, unhonored thief who tried to break into the United Terra Foundation and failed terribly, I died for you. I died loving you. I'll never forget how much you meant to me, even in my lives to come. I'll surely come back for you, Toshiya, and I'll give back your heart. Because I love you so much... Toshiya...~
Kyo had been so caught up in his thoughts about his lost love that he didn't realize that for some reason the guard droid had let go of him. His eyes were tightly shut until he noticed the burning was no longer biting into his skin. Reluctantly, his eyes opened slowly. The droid was turned off, as were the others thanks to a particle magnetized beam which immediately fried their circuits. "Intruder detected. Saved. Are you okay?" Kyo's head turned to the library.
The AI standing on the steps of the library was one he had only seen in textbooks until now. The feminine figure, the womanly face, yet the masculine voice. The auburn hair, long and curled on the left side yet straight on the right. Terachi Shinya.
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The morning sun filtered in through the half open window. The telephone remained untouched. Toshiya was sitting on the edge of the futon, watching his sleeping owner. Kaoru looked much different, much calmer when asleep. His eyes fluttered open slowly. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and groaned a bit before sitting up.
"Ohayo." Toshiya smiled, offering him some breakfast. "Did you sleep well?" Kaoru smiled. "Ohayo." He yawned a little before continuing, "Thanks. I dreamt a little about you." Toshiya cocked his head to the side. "I didn't dream last night. I don't think I went to sleep." Kaoru sighed and said no more as he began to eat. "I wasn't very sleepy, you see?" Kaoru nodded and continued eating without looking up at Toshiya. "Does that bother you? Have I said something wrong? I'm sorry..."
The two remained silent for the rest of their morning. "I'm sorry..."
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Kyo cautiously followed the famous AI as he led him through the library. It was already morning, yet Kyo knew that no one would be coming really. The AI which took care of the library (Terachi Shinya-san) would simply send copies of information if any government official called for it. No one actually searched for the records themselves. As Kyo thought, humans were growing steadily more lazy. "Why are you helping me? Why did you save me even though I was planning on breaking in here?"
Shinya stopped walking and turned to Kyo, pushing up his thick framed glasses and sighing. "Because I know why you're here. I know everything about you, Kaoru, and Toshiya. Just look around. I've had lots of time to read about everything which happens in this country, in this world. I know about your predicament as well, including your noble intentions in breaking into this building." Kyo was shocked. Did this mean that Shinya did in fact retain his human emotions? "I know that Kaoru stole your love from you and that you intend on using the God's Hand as my love did for me. True love is most certainly the strongest of human powers. Therefore, I've decided to help you in the only way I can." Shinya offered his hand to Kyo. "Will you trust me and accept my assistance?"
Kyo took his hand without a second's hesitation. "Let's do it!" Shinya smiled. "Well then, let's get started."
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(1) - each country: There are only ten countries now, split in what is considerably 'easy to supervise' divisions. They are: United States (North America, including Canada), United Kingdom (Europe), African Union (Africa and Madagascar), Middle Eastern Union (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, India, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions), United Russian Union (USSR), Far East Union (China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, etc.), South American Territories (South America, Mexico, Caribbean Islands), Australian Kingdom (Australia, New Zealand), Union of Pacific Islands (any miscellaneous island in the Pacific, Hawaii is considered here), and Polar United Estates (Antarctica and the Arctic Circles). Ah, the United Terra Foundation shall not fall. ^o^ Or will it?
(2) - relocation: Since the God's Hand is a prominent technological development, it's considered priceless and valuable beyond human imagination. Even though Japan is its place of origin, it usually isn't in its scientific facilities. The God's Hand is relocated every two months or so from research wings in the separate states of the countries. There, the doctor people study it and try to figure out how it works, though none of them have ever been able to reveal its secrets.
To Be Continued
To the next part